Event
ISR and INCOSE Chesapeake Chapter Joint Meeting: "The Future of Energy Initiative"
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
6:00 p.m.
1105 Kim Bldg (Pepco Room)
Steve Sutton
ssutton@umd.edu
Schedule
6:00 p.m.
Dinner (optional) by reservation only. Reservations due not later than 5pm on 25 March 2013. NO RESERVATIONS accepted at the door. INCOSE Chesapeake Members, UMD Faculty/Staff $20, UMD Students $10
| Make dinner reservations here. |
7:00 p.m.
Program (free and open to the community)
Parking info
Parking Lots XX1 and XX2 on the east side of Paint Branch Drive are free to anyone after 4pm along as you don't park by a metered space. Paint Branch Visitors Lot is ALWAYS a pay lot. Attendees may park in either XX1, XX2, or Paint Branch Lots subject to the information noted above. General directions and parking information are available here.
Abstract
The future of Energy Initiative is an open source development group chartered by the Chesapeake Chapter of INCOSE. We see the future of energy as primarily a grand systems engineering challenge.
Systems engineering starts with a purpose, a well-defined goal. Our chosen goal is big (>90%) overall reductions in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. This goal has no ambiguity (with the exception of timing). How can the world produce of primary sustainable energy without fossil fuel.
The scope of our effort is the traditional concept definition phase. Starting with the goal and current knowledge, we explore the strengths, weakness, boundaries and constraints of feasible systems concepts.
Our role is architect. We facilitate solutions. We establish priorities by focusing on gaps in current concept development. Our highest priority is concept definition tradeoffs for breeder nuclear reactors. While breeder reactors have the potential to solve the long lived radioactive waste problem and to power the world for millennia, there has been no comprehensive development effort.
Our second program area is the system implications of intermittent generators. Wind and solar have received much enthusiasm as clean renewable generators with enormous power potential. But intermittency appears to seriously constrain their use in a system that must deliver energy on demand. We need to identify durable system concepts.
The group has will share its activities with the students and faculty of the University of Maryland at a joint meeting of the Institute for Systems Research Student Organization and the INCOSE Chesapeake Chapter. The group is looking for project ideas, leaders, and support people. Some of these projects have the characteristics that make them worthy of grant support, and the group welcomes organizations like UMCP to pursue such funding opportunities. As an open source group, our mission is to do what we can to see that the work gets done.
We see the future of energy as primarily a systems engineering development challenge.
System engineering starts with a purpose, an ultimate goal. Our chosen purpose is to power the planet without fossil fuel. Given the goal, the next step is to clarify feasible alternatives based on current knowledge. This concept definition phase consists of system engineering tradeoffs and delivers feasible alternatives. Concept definition clarifies physical and economic constraints, identifies risks and development alternatives. Society then has a factual basis to make value choices.
While the future of energy is a very broad topic, this talk will focus on concept definition phase for wind power and nuclear fission.
Speakers
Dr. Alex Pavlak, PhD, PE.Chairman, FoE Initiative. Patented a "Solyndra like" static solar concentrator and became president of the development company in the 1970s. Developed a first-of-a-kind sonar system for the US Navy in the 1980s. UMBC adjunct professor in engineering management.
Mr. John Rudesill, Bs, ChE, Cofounder FoE Initiative. Adjunct professor UMBC Chemical & Biochemical Engineering. Over 30 years of experience in new product and process R & D. Co-invented new processes and materials leading to 21 US patents.
Dr. Harry Winsor, PhD, MS in nuclear physics. Co-founder Future of Energy Initiative and nuclear fission lead. Past DARPA Program Manager, Acting Director of the Electronics and Materials Sciences Directorate of AFOSR, and UMBC adjunct and research professor in Applied Physics.
