DSDS 18
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Item Open Access Algorithm for Micro-Size Target Detection with Frequency Modulated Continuous Wave (FMCW) Radar(Cranfield University, 2018-11-23 09:07) Binti zulkifli, SafiahPoster presented at the 2018 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.Micro-UAVs of the size of an insect can be used to perform stealthy surveillance or to gather intelligence crucial to attack roles at a relatively short range and within enclosed spaces and buildings. Conventional radar systems have been optimised to detect and classify bigger targets and are not specifically designed to detect micro-targets of less than 5cm in size. Other micro-targets that are relatively small in size are the insect itself. Insect detecting, monitoring and tracking have been a great interest too until now, especially those that can caused harm to the agriculture and wide spread of diseases. It is important to detect at early stage rather than noticed it after the destructive happened. Most entomology radars that are being used now are pulsed signal wave radar, that are less efficient compared to continuous wave radar. A set of MATLAB simulations will be carried out to understand how to extract the Doppler as well as micro-Doppler signatures from these small targets, then to understand what sort of detection range can be achieved with current technology.Item Open Access Analytical Estimates of Proton Acceleration in Laser-produced Turbulent Plasmas(Cranfield University, 2018-11-23 10:36) Beyer, KonstantinPoster presented at the 2018 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.With the advent of high power lasers, new opportunities have opened up for simulating astrophysical processes in the laboratory. We show that 2nd-order Fermi acceleration can be directly investigated at the National Ignition Facility, Livermore. This requires measuring the momentum-space diffusion of 3 MeV protons produced within a turbulent plasma generated by a laser. Treating Fermi acceleration as a biased diffusion process, we show analytically that a measurable broadening of the initial proton distribution is then expected for particles exiting the plasma.Item Open Access Assessment of Light Transport Through Human Anatomy(Cranfield University, 2018-11-15 11:49) Kallepalli, AkhilPoster presented at the 2018 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.Due to the non-contact and non-invasive nature, and ease of investigation, photonics and imaging have emerged as a preferred modality in a multitude of domains. Investigation of medical conditions and problems utilising these tools is a highly sought after domain of research and innovation due to the impact it would have in improving the quality of care for patients while reducing the workload of medical staff. In our research, we consider simulations for light transport and subsequently study experimental evidence from interactions with the light of different wavelengths. As the light interacts with a complex combination of skin and underlying anatomy, it is absorbed, reflected and scattered light in characteristic ways. Our primary interest lies in better understanding light transport through the human anatomy, which is a complex, multi-layered target. Specifically, we are investigating the interaction of infrared and red wavelengths in a non-contact and non-invasive method. We are also delving into multi-sensor and multi-platform information fusion for monitoring ‘health’, directed towards the point-of-care segments of health care.Item Open Access Comparison of Backing Materials used in the Testing of Ballistic Protective Body Armour(Cranfield University, 2018-11-15 17:06) Malbon, ChrisPoster presented at the 2018 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.The ballistic testing of personal body armour against a standard (NIJ, HOSDB, VPAM etc) has typically been performed with the armour mounted on a block of Roma™ Plastilina No1. This artists' modelling clay enables the deformation of non-perforated armour due to the impact to be measured and compared against a requirement (typical 25 or 44mm back face signature).However, whilst Roma™ Plastilina No 1 has enabled comparative testing of body armour, and has a proven record in terms of lives saved, it does not provide a biofidelic response to the impact, which may be impeding the development of lighter and more ergonomic armour solutions.To aid in the development of alternative backing materials for the testing of ballistic protective armour, a comparison trial was conducted comparing the response of three different backings, Roma™ Plastilina No 1, 10% (by mass) gelatine and a man-made synthetic material (SEBS) to a ballistic impact on a body armour.This poster presents the method, results and reviews the data.Item Open Access Conceptualising, Defining and Remodelling Supply Chain Management; An Objective-Oriented Grounded Theory Approach(Cranfield University, 2018-11-15 09:23) Alkebaisi, HussainTechnical paper presented at the 2018 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.Although it has been more than three decades since the concept of Supply Chain Management (SCM) was first introduced, there are still significant attempts at, and a call for conceptualising, defining, remodelling and identifying the theory behind it. There is no consensus in the literature on a concise and precise definition of SCM. A rigorous theoretical framework has not yet been developed; the existing models like Supply Chain Operations Reference (SCOR) and the Global Supply Chain Forum (GSCF) models lack the details called for in a holistic model that encompasses the essence of SCM and integrates the best features of the existing models and covers their shortcomings.The argument in the literature is that: “research and practice would be improved if a single definition were adopted” (Mentzer et al., 2001); “closing the gap between SCM theory and actual practice would be the development of a single, unifying SCM framework that both incorporates the best aspects of the existing, widely used frameworks and addresses their current limitations” (Moberg et al., 2008).The literature has shown that most of the research methods and approaches which were used to solve these issues were process-oriented or business functions-oriented (Object-Oriented), that is, the focus was on what firms and organisations are doing, where they do it, or how they do it. However, there is no evidence in the literature that an Objective-Oriented approach has been investigated in resolving those theoretical issues, nor the Grounded Theory research methodology has been applied to that end. Some research papers, for instance, recommended the use of the Grounded Theory research methodology as it could lead to theorising SCM. Therefore, this research focuses on the application of the Grounded Theory research method through an Objective-Oriented line-by-line coding system which will employ multiple data resources including the literature, websites, recorded lectures and recorded interviews.This paper/presentation aims to introduce the gap identified in the literature as reported above to study to what extent the novel approach (Objective-Oriented Grounded Theory Approach) could contribute to resolving the use of a single framework approach that can be applied to multiple sectors. Through this approach, the researcher will be able to: conceptualise SCM, identify the theory behind it, define the concept precisely and concisely and develop a unified model that visualises SCM.Keywords – Supply chain management, Constructivist Grounded Theory, Objective-Oriented approach, Supply chain Management Conceptual Model.ReferencesMentzer, et al. (2001) ‘Defining Supply Chain Management’, Journal of Business Logistics, 22(2), pp. 1–25. doi: 10.1002/j.2158-1592.2001.tb00001.x.Moberg, et al. (2008) Time to Remodel, CSCMP’s Supply Chain Quarterly. Available at: http://www.supplychainquarterly.com/print/scq200803scmmodel/ (Accessed: 15 November 2017).Item Open Access Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium Flyer 2018(Cranfield University, 2018-07-26 11:57) Cranfield UniversityFlyer promoting the Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium 2018 and calling for contributions.Item Open Access Development of a Pulse Shape Discrimination Algorithm(Cranfield University, 2018-11-21 10:19) Wood, JackPoster presented at the 2018 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.Pulse Shape Discrimination is the process of distinguishing between radiation types such as neutrons or gamma-rays. Dual detector scintillators can be used as they fluoresce from both neutron and gamma interactions. Once the light has been collected on the photo sensor and its electric signal gets digitised, discrimination algorithms can be applied to identify the radiation type on a event-by-event basis. Several types of algorithms exist, each with benefits and disadvantages. Several algorithms and filters have been built and are currently being tested on temperature data from a summer project. The resultant codes form the framework of a novel algorithm which is currently being developed. Experimental data has also been recorded to begin building the pulse shape database required for the novel algorithm and to test the discrimination algorithms.Item Open Access Diamond From the Sky(Cranfield University, 2018-11-15 13:15) Corbett, BrandonDigital image presented at the 2018 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.The image presented is an example of a high resolution airborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) collection, covering a 1km x 0.6km area above the Harwell Science and Innovation Campus, and includes the UK’s synchrotron Diamond Light Source. The data was collected using Airbus’ X-band quad-polarised SAR airborne platform. In total there were 55609 measurements along the aircraft trajectory, equating to 14GB of measurement data. This raw data was then processed into SAR imagery using parallel processing of the back-projection image formation algorithm using "Cranfield University"’s High Performance Computing facility. The image is a colour composite combining all 4 polarisations. Red represent the vertical polarisation (VV), green represents the horizontal polarisation (HH) and blue is the sum of the cross polarisations (VH and HV). The result is an extremely detailed 30000x18000 pixel SAR image. High resolution datasets like this aid in the development of new image formation and analysis algorithms and provide the user with a clean and clear reference to work with.Item Open Access Effect of Tackifying Resins on Composite Propellant Formulations(Cranfield University, 2018-11-23 08:48) Bagguley, EmilyPoster presented at the 2018 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.Composite propellants consist of solid filler particles suspended in a polymeric matrix. In order to achieve maximum performance the amount of solid filler is increased resulting in a viscous suspension. Such high viscosities present processing challenges during manufacture, as such the following work utilises ResonantAcoustic© Mixing, a novel mixing method able to handle such highly viscous materials.In composite propellants, the most common polymer chosen is hydroxyl-terminated polybutadiene (HTPB) for its excellent mechanical properties as well as its potential for high solids loading. Once cured HTPB provides an intricate polymeric solid matrix in which solid particles may be suspended.Tackifying resins have been commonly utilised in the adhesive industry, but rarely, if ever, in propellants. This work utilises tackifying resins to modify HTPB and use these resin-modified HTPBs to produce composite propellant formulations. Functionally the resins are used to increase adhesion between the binder and the filler; potentially allowing formulators to remove common processing aids such as bonding agents and plasticisers. This work investigates the mechanical and rheological effect of such modifications.Item Open Access Effective Polarization Filtering Techniques for Ground Penetrating Radar Applications(Cranfield University, 2018-11-23 09:27) Wirth, SebastianPoster presented at the 2018 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is increasingly being used for landmine detection. In contrast to metal detecting, GPR can be used for detection of low-metal content or non-metal content targets. Subsurface radar still suffers from two typical problems, a strong clutter response from the surface and high signal to clutter levels in the underground. This paper addresses these problems through the use of a novel near-field full-polarimetric (0.4-5.0GHz) SFCW GPR system that measures the polarimetric microwave backscatter response and synthesises an equivalent complex clutter scattering matrix that suppresses subsurface clutter in the co-pol and cross-pol channels. The technique is compared to Stokes parameter analysis of the polarimtric response and found to offer comparable or better clutter suppression imagery. Results for these techniques are presented for raw B-scan GPR images and synthetic aperture radar imagery. Significant signal features for various buried objects are also characterised. These include GPR near-field radar cross sections for some landmines and common clutter targets and the unique polarization signatures of these objects that can be used to both discriminate and potentially identify unknown landmines. The paper also describes the polarisation channel equalisation and quasi-bistatic antenna calibration procedure undertaken to acquire accurate imagery and absolute RCS values. The presented GPR system uses a linear polarised TEM horn as transmit antenna and two near-field probe (loop) antennas, arranged orthogonally and in front of the TEM horn, to collect the co- and cross-polar response. The loop antennas are placed just outside the near-field of the TEM horn at 11 cm in front of the aperture at 400 MHz. The antenna configuration is moved over a 3m sandpit mechanically. The sandpit is comprised of three bays that each are filled with different soil types (sand, sand/gravel mix and loam) and the presented clutter suppression techniques are tested for targets buried in these different soils with different moisture levels.Item Open Access Effects of particulate contamination and jet fuel chemistry on the nucleation of water and ice in aircraft fuel systems(Cranfield University, 2018-11-27 10:51) Ugbeh, Judith3MT presented at the 2018 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.The contamination and behaviour of water in aircraft fuel systems remains a significant area of global research interest following several aircraft incidents. Water and particulates in fuel may lead to ice formation. The resulting ice formed may eventually block the fuel filters and feed pipes creating safety problems.In order to engineer a lasting solution to the problem of ice in jet fuel it is important to identify precisely the conditions and features that may exacerbate this phenomenon.This work will give a detailed account of the recent advances and technologies in the literature indicating conditions that might lead to the nucleation of water and ice in aircraft fuel systems. It will develop awareness of the key complexities associated with jet fuel chemistry. Furthermore, the work identifies the significant knowledge gaps that exist in the literature highlighting routes to be investigated for future research.Item Open Access Ensuring Cyber-Physical Security in the Digital Built Environment(Cranfield University, 2018-11-15 17:05) Boakes, EmmaPoster presented at the 2018 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.Cyberspace and physical space are increasingly enmeshed, and the need to secure the digital-built environment and its assets has given rise to the concept of cyber-physical security. Cyber-physical security concerns vulnerabilities in cyber security that can be exploited to target physical security, and vice versa. For example, insecure transmission of architectural designs can give attackers the ability to understand physical weaknesses in a building, and outsourcing of security and facilities management can provide access to an organisation through building management systems.There is a need for organisations to develop processes that will encompass cyber-physical security, but the frequent disparity between the policies, functions and personnel involved in cyber and physical security makes this problematic.This research will use methods from user-centred design to develop cyber-physical security interventions; example, scenario-driven interventions that could be used as part of regular table-top simulations and red team testing. Extensive engagement with key stakeholders will help to understand the problem space in order to develop interventions that are applicable, valid and usable, as well as providing an opportunity to test their impact. Investigations will adopt a mixed-methods approach (interviews, surveys, and focus groups) to understand how cyber and physical security personnel currently cooperate, including their awareness of the appropriate protective measures required from each other, the gaps between their approaches, and the barriers to collaboration.Item Open Access Exploiting Synthetic Aperture Radar Signal Processing to Reveal Concealed Building Features and Phenomena(Cranfield University, 2018-11-15 13:15) Corbett, Brandon3MT presented at the 2018 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.There has been an increased research interest in the techniques needed to exploit accurate remotely sensed data of the activities within buildings, closed/sealed areas, underground bunkers, etc. One example area which could be influenced by such research includes the detection of illegal or nefarious activities. Low frequency synthetic aperture radar (LF-SAR) can provide one such solution to this remote sensing problem. It has been shown that LF-SAR can be used to generate images of objects located behind a variety of mediums, including within buildings. However, the current literature shows that obtaining a clear picture of the structure and contents of buildings is difficult. It is well known that SAR imagery can be affected by various physical phenomena, which can produce a range of artefacts within the images. These artefacts can lead to confusion and difficulty in analysis, as they can be mistaken for targets. A vibrating scatterer is one such example, as it produces a paired echo signature in the SAR image. On the other hand, these phenomena are of particular interest for the detection of running machinery within a building. It has been shown that a vibrating scatterer can represent aspects of a running machine, e.g. a generator or fan. Therefore understanding the effects produced within a SAR image from a vibrating object behind a wall, could lead to the ability to identify and recognise running machinery within a building from a stand-off location. The intention of this research is to investigate these phenomena and the techniques required for imaging the interiors of buildings and to develop the necessary SAR tools and analysis methods required for extracting crucial intelligence information from this data.Item Open Access Facilitation of Trust in Automation: A Qualitative Study of Behaviour and Attitudes Towards Emerging Technology in Military Culture(Cranfield University, 2018-11-15 12:21) Field, MeganPoster presented at the 2018 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.New technologies, increased levels of automation and artificial intelligence is emerging and integrating into our lives at an ever-quickening pace, however how we respond to these changes are not as immediate. Furthermore, in high-criticality domains where integration of new technologies is mission and life critical, finding the underlying obstacles for mistrust, under-reliance and apprehension in adapting to these are incredibly important.To aid in the facilitation of new technologies in the military domain, the research seeks to explore attitudes and behaviours through narrative analysis of underlying expressions of trust in personnel associated with different echelons of the Forces, alongside civilians. This is to inquire into differing attitudes and whether the unique culture and subcultures of the military colour narratives towards emerging technology.Item Open Access Forensic Signatures of Nuclear Materials Processing(Cranfield University, 2018-11-15 14:13) Thompson, NathanPoster presented at the 2018 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.The field of nuclear forensics has been noted of relevance in the effort to tackle illicit trafficking of nuclear material. Forensic signatures can be considered a ‘fingerprint’ of the material, obtained by analytical methods such as X-Ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The forensic signatures obtained from characterising nuclear material may help to determine the origin and processing conditions of the sample. The aim of this project is to investigate how the physical and chemical characteristics of UO3 powder produced from aqueous reprocessing are affected by the processing route, conditions and impurities present. This will be used to develop a library of characteristic forensic signatures to aid in the discrimination of material from different sources.To date, work in this project has included the investigation of forensic signatures of studtite calcination products, whereby calcination products up to 1050 ˚C were characterised. Further investigations are being carried out into using X-Ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) as a means of characterising amorphous UO3 phases produced by calcination. Additionally, an investigation into the effect of a fractional factorial matrix of processing variables on UO3signatusignatures (from studtite intermediate) is being conducted. Note from author: In this presentation, the thermal decomposition of synthetic studtite is examined for its potential nuclear forensic signatures. The morphologies of the finished particles are presented for discussion.Item Open Access Future Sustainable Propellants(Cranfield University, 2018-11-15 10:26) Wilkinson, PeterPoster presented at the 2018 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.Traditionally propellants have been made from materials specifically manufactured for this purpose. This project seeks to find whether commercially available thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) can be used to replace some or all of the existing propellants. Traditionally gun propellants used either nitrocellulose sourced from natural ingredients such as cotton or a synthetic binder such as hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene (HTPB), cross linked with an isocyanate. Two TPEs were selected and analysed for suitability as a propellant binder. Inert formulations were created by a new novel process. This involved coating the filler with TPE using a novel slurry coating process involving a Resonant Acoustic Mixer (RAM). The coated mixture was then hot pressed into a slab for mechanical testing. It is thought that TPEs may be able to match the excellent mechanical properties and good performance of traditional gun propellant binders, whilst having a much lower risk of obsolescence and being much easier to be decommissioned in a more environmentally sound manner.Item Open Access Informational security: Dis(satisfaction)(Cranfield University, 2018-11-15 17:05) Smy, VictoriaPoster presented at the 2018 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.Objectives: The research conducted aims to determine whether there are common themes and trends emerging from perceptions of information security (Infosec) practices amongst professionals working in defence and security organisations.Design: A short data capture initiative was implemented in a classroom environment. The initiative served multiple purposes:1.To act as a taster of qualitative research2.To provide a [sanitised and cleansed] database for future research students to try out some qualitative data analysis.3.As an exploratory exploration of Infosec enablers and barriers with a view to understand whether it should form the basis of a new, longitudinal research programmeMethods: This research was granted ethical approval from "Cranfield University"’s Research Ethics Committee. Initial research was conducted in June 2018. Participants were military and civilian students undertaking a Research Methods module as part of their Cyber Masters Program (CDIA and CyOPs). There were 34 students in attendance. The sample were predominately male (90%) and aged between 29 and 52 (mean 39 years old). Participants were briefed as to the anonymous nature of the data and the intended data uses. All participation was voluntary and informed consent was sought before data collection. Participants were given 20 minutes (2 x 10) to capture their thoughts as aligned to the following questions:What are the sources of SATISFACTION with information security within your professional working environment?What are the sources of DISSATISFACTION with information security within your professional working environment?Results: Overall, marginally more sources of dissatisfaction (n = 73) than satisfaction (n = 69) with Infosec were reported. Interestingly, a small subset of participants alluded to there being more sources of dissatisfaction but, due to the classified nature of their work, they did not feel able to record them.The results will be further analysed for common themes, trends and language using NVivo 12 software.Conclusions: TBCItem Open Access Investigation of the Reaction Zone Characteristics of PETN initiated by a Laser flyer(Cranfield University, 2018-11-15 14:25) Edgeley, JamesPoster presented at the 2018 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.A 400mJ Nd:YAG laser has been used to launch aluminium/alumina flyers into small, low density pellets of pentaerythritol tetranitrate (PETN). The beam profile was homogenised by dispersive smoothing through a length of optical fibre. By varying the thickness and velocity of the flyer, experiments could be performed with a range of input shock magnitudes and durations. Microfabricated sensors were developed to detect the change in electrical conductivity in the reaction zone, and therefore to calculate its thickness and position as a function of time. (C) British Crown Owned Copyright / 2018Item Open Access Linear Inverse Problem (LIP) Optimisation for Remote Sensing Applications - Spectral Reconstruction(Cranfield University, 2018-11-15 13:26) Chatterjee, Ayan3MT presented at the 2018 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.Remote sensing applications like classification and target detection, particularly for high demanded applications such as the detection of difficult targets from cluttered scene, depends on relevant wavelengths of information. While multispectral imagery in airborne or spaceborne platforms consists of a few wavelengths far apart from each other (usually less than 20 bands), which is found not sufficient enough. This project explores new concepts for using not only spatial/spectral information, but also to extract new information from the few bands in the input data for an enhanced spectral mixture analysis.Item Open Access Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Crystallite Interactions in Shock-compressed Columnar Polycrystals(Cranfield University, 2018-11-15 12:00) Heighway, PatrickPoster presented at the 2018 Defence and Security Doctoral Symposium.The need for a fundamental understanding of the strength of materials that are deforming extremely rapidly under high stress has driven intense research efforts on both theoretical and experimental fronts. Recent advances in "ultrafast" x-ray imaging techniques have made it possible to track how a material evolves during the course of extreme deformation processes that might take place over the course of only a few nanoseconds: by carefully analysing the image formed by x-rays scattered from the sample, one can calculate how its constituent atoms are arranged and, with further analysis, infer how strong the material is. However, the form of the x-ray image depends not only on the strength of the material, but also on the manner in which the crystallites of which it is composed interact with each other during the deformation process. We have performed a study of the physics of crystallite interaction in a shock-compressed metal using multi-million atom simulations. Our study reveals that neighbouring crystallites in the wake of the shock can deform in a "cooperative" manner, in which one crystallite expands while the other contracts. We quantify the change in atomic arrangement effected by this cooperative deformation, and the amount of stress it relieves. We further find that cooperative deformation can actually replace ordinary deformation mechanisms at lower pressures, and activate new deformation mechanisms at higher pressures.