DEFENSE PLANS

.Combine advances in computer models and predictions about group behavior with upgraded video game graphics, and you'll have a virtual world in which defense analysts can explore and predict results of possible military and policy actions, according to computer science researchers at the University of Maryland. The researchers published a commentary on computer predictions in the Nov. 27, 2009, issue of the journal Science.




"Defense analysts can understand the repercussions of their proposed recommendations for policy options or military actions by interacting with a virtual world environment," wrote V. S. Subrahmanian. He's a computer science professor at the university and director of the school's Institute for Advanced Computer Studies.



He and John Dickerson, computer science researcher at the university in College Park, authored the commentary.



Virtual technology can help defense analysts propose policy options and walk skeptical commanders through a virtual world - a world in which one can literally see how things might play out, the pair wrote.



"This process gives the commander a view of the most likely strengths and weaknesses of any particular course of action," they said. "Computer scientists now know pretty much how to do this, and have created a pretty good chunk of the computing theory and software required to build a virtual Afghanistan, Pakistan, or another world.



"Human analysts, with their real world knowledge and experience, will be essential partners in taking us the rest of the way in building these digital worlds and then in using them to predict courses of action," the researchers wrote.

NEW ENERGY ASSESSMENT STANDARDS

ASME will publish four new standards this month that establish requirements for conducting energy assessments at industrial facilities.




Improving the efficiency of industrial systems increases profitability and reliability, and makes better use of assets. Many industrial facilities have the potential to increase the efficiency of their systems, but have difficulty doing so because there is no market definition for energy efficiency assessment services. Lack of a definition creates problems for service providers in establishing market value for their services and for consumers in determining the relative quality of assessment services.



The standards establish procedures for assessments of a facility's entire systems, from energy inputs to the work performed.



The four standards to be published are:



ASME EA-1-2009 Energy Assessment for Process Heating Systems.



ASME EA-2-2009 Energy Assessment for Pumping Systems.



ASME EA-3-2009 Energy Assessment for Steam Systems.



ASME EA-4-2010 Assessment for Compressed Air Systems.



The energy assessment standards are intended to assist plant personnel in identifying cost-effective projects that often have limited capital requirements. They address the topics and requirements for organizing and conducting assessments, analyzing the data collected, and reporting and documentation.



An assessment may also include recommendations for improving resource utilization, reducing per-unit production cost, and improving environmental performance. These recommended practices will be provided in Guidance Documents which ASME expects to publish by mid-2010.



The new standards are a contribution to the framework for assisting U.S. industry to meet the energy intensity improvement criteria of Superior Energy Performance, the program of the U.S. Council for Energy-Efficient Manufacturing, a partnership of U.S. industry, government, and other organizations.



ASME made four Draft Standards for Trial Use available in late 2008 and asked for comments. The systems assessment community offered extensive comments, and revisions were made to the draft standards and Guidance Documents to better reflect current practices, procedures, and improvements. RYAN CRANE