http://ilp-www.mit.edu/ List of 40 most recent project additions, as compiled by the Industrial Liaison Office. en-us Copyright 2008 MIT ILP Fri, 4 Jul 2008 23:29:38 GMT http://ilp-www.mit.edu/favicon.ico http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_page.a4d?key=P5d http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17939 Applying our models to past climates is an important objective of CMI; in particular, we are attempting to understand some of the mechanisms that contribute toward abrupt climate change and paleo-oceanography. The relationship between global deep ocean circulation patterns and past climate changes provides evidence for alternative states of ocean circulation and rates of transition between states. While the paleoceanographic record has coarse resolution in time and space compared to modern observations, it is our only record of large-magnitude ocean climate changes with durations exceeding decades. As the spatial and temporal resolution of paleoceanographic data improves we should be able to use these diverse data to guide the development of models of the role of the ocean in regulating atmospheric CO2. Studies of ocean circulation are also important because the ocean is thought to have played a central role in the course of biological evolution on earth. 06/30/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17938 The NAO is a modulation in the strength and position of the surface westerlies over the Atlantic. It exerts a dominant influence on temperatures, precipitation and storms, fisheries and eco-systems of the Atlantic sector and surrounding continents. (Fig. 1). The NAO is receiving particular attention because it explains a significant fraction of the positive trend seen in hemispheric averaged temperature over the last 30 yrs. Understanding of the NAO and its time-dependence appear to be central to three of the main questions in the global change debate: has the climate warmed? and if so why? and how? John Marshall and Arnaud Czaja are leading a research effort attempting to identify and study mechanisms that drive the NAO. The governing physics is highly complex but the primary excitation mechanism is the interaction between synoptic eddies and the atmospheric jet-stream. Changes in the phase of the NAO are associated with large fluctuations in air-sea heat and momentum fluxes driving sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies and variability in the underlying ocean. On decadal timescales the ocean, through its effect on SST anomalies, may be a player in modulating the phase and amplitude of the NAO. 06/30/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17936 The amplification of small errors in the specification of initial conditions and model inadequacies place limits on the ability to accurately forecast any system, including the atmosphere and oceans. Imperfect observations will frustrate any attempt to estimate a system’s exact state. In fact, even given a perfect model and a time-series of noisy observations into the infinite past, it is impossible to uniquely identify a system’s true state. The correct expression of the system state is therefore a probability density function (PDF) that defines the probability of the state lying in a region of state space. Because the correct description of initial conditions is probabilistic, it follows that the correct forecast is also probabilistic. A popular approach for estimating the evolution of the forecast PDF is the so-called ensemble approach. In ensemble forecasting, random sampling is used to approximate the initial PDF, and each sample is propagated forward under the forecast model. The resulting collection of forecasts is interpreted as a random sample from the forecast PDF. There is no single forecast; the correct expression of the future system state is the PDF. Probabilistic, or ensemble, forecasting requires random draws from a PDF of initial states. Where does this initial PDF come from? One typically has incomplete initial observations of the system, as well as an estimate of the system state from a short-term forecast. Data assimilation is the process of blending these two independent pieces of information (and their associated uncertainty) to produce an estimate of the initial state that is superior to either in isolation. Just as one can take a probabilistic approach to forecasting, it is possible to take a probabilistic approach to data assimilation using ensembles. This integrated approach is capable of producing correct probabilistic initial state estimates and forecasts for a number of different data assimilation techniques when a perfect model is in hand. When only imperfect models are available (i.e. always), it is impossible to produce correct probabilistic forecasts. Finding methods to account for model error in probabilistic data assimilation and forecasting is an active area of research. The aim is not simply to produce good forecasts, but to use data assimilation and forecasting as tools to better understand the physical system and, hopefully, improve models. 06/30/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17935 By comparison to the meteorology of the middle and high latitudes, our understanding of tropical meteorology is poor. Phenomena such as El Niño, monsoons and the Madden-Julian Oscillation remain enigmatic, and there is little understanding of the processes that lead to the genesis of tropical cyclones or which control their intensity. The Tropics also play an important if not well understood role in regulating climate. For these reasons, tropical meteorology is an active and exciting field of research, commanding the attention of a number of MIT faculty, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows. Research addresses the following topics, among others: (*) Monsoons (*) Tropical cyclones (*) Tropical intraseasonal variability (*) Tropical climate (*) Cumulus convection and its parameterization (*) Interaction of convection with internal waves 06/30/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17934 06/30/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17933 With the growing demand for air transportation and the limited ability to increase capacity at some key points in the air transportation system, there are concerns that in the future the system will not scale to meet demand. This situation will result in the generation and the propagation of delays throughout the system, impacting passengers’ quality of travel and more broadly the economy. This thesis proposes the investigation of the mechanisms by which the air transportation system has scaled to meet demand in the past and is expected to do so in the future using a multi-level engineering systems approach. The air transportation system was first analyzed at the U.S. national level using network abstractions. In order to investigate limits in scaling of the U.S. air transportation network, theories of scale-free and scalable networks were used. It was found that the U.S. air transportation network was not scale-free due to capacity constraints at major airports, also preventing it from being scalable. However, the construction and analysis of a new network for which sets of two or more significant airports that serve passenger traffic in a metropolitan region (i.e. multi-airport systems) were aggregated into single nodes showed that it was scale-free and scalable. These results were also supported by a time series analysis of airport and multi-airport system growth. These analyses demonstrated the importance of regional level scaling mechanisms (i.e. development of multi-airport systems) in the ability of the air transportation system to adapt and scale to meet demand. 06/30/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17932 06/30/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=4199 The Climate Modeling Initiative (CMI) is pursuing two parallel strands in Atmospheric model development: (1) an Atmospheric model of InterMediate complexity (AIM) which has simplified physics and high computational efficiency. AIM is being coupled to an ocean and fully coupled millennial timescale integrations are underway; and (2) a 'high-end' atmospheric model which utilizes complex parameterizations of the land surface, boundary layers, convection and radiation. Both models use the hydrodynamical core of MITgcm. Hydrodynamical kernel based on MITgcm MITgcm simulates atmospheric dynamics by exploiting the isomorphism between the equations governing a Boussinesq ocean in z-coordinate and the compressible (hydrostatic) atmosphere in p-coordinates (see Marshall et al, 2003). This novel approach brings a number of advantages: (1) all the software development (muti-processor, multi-threading, post processing) is available for deployment in the simulation of both fluids (2) algorithmic developments benefits both atmosphere and ocean, e.g., the partial cell approach developed in an oceanic context is now used in our atmospheric model in the implementation of the Eta coordinate. (3) advection schemes suitable for highly non linear dynamics, that have been validated in an atmospheric context, can readily be used for eddy-resolving oceanic simulation. And few other advantages are expected to come from a closer interaction between atmospheric and oceanic scientists working with the same model. Here after, examples of developments that were primarily required for atmospheric dynamics are detailed. The kernel is implemented on the cubed sphere, employs an Eta vertical coordinate with a non-linear lower boundary condition. 06/30/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17930 This project will develop a framework that treats a hospital-based health care delivery system as a complex engineering system. Engineering systems perspectives will identify key research questions and will evolve suitable methods to address them. (Research is currently in exploratory phase.) 06/26/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17929 The goal of this research is to develop a methodology for characterizing the carbon intensity of supply chains. Specifically, we are interested in addressing the following questions: (*) Which are the key carbon metrics required to describe a supply chain? How should they be calculated (e.g. allocation)? (*) What is the effect of “supply chain scope” when determining carbon efficiency? (*) What is the effect of time-horizons on supply chain carbon metrics and scope? (*) How do carbon metrics affect traditional supply chain decisions (e.g. outsourcing, off-shoring, and transportation mode)? (*) How do carbon-efficient strategies vary by supply chain characteristics? (*) What are the key elements and challenges in creating a “carbon label”? (*) How can you build a “business case” around carbon-efficiency initiatives on supply chains? The project will continue refining the carbon measurement methodology. A new series of case studies will be developed with special emphasis on scorecards and incentives 06/26/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17928 The engineering of complex systems involves sophisticated decision analysis under conditions of high uncertainty, requiring many variables to be taken into account. A need exists for a holistic engineering system design process to take into account changing system contexts and value expectations, allowing for the quantitative comparison of many possible design options. This research is applying an MIT developed method, Dynamic Multi-Attribute Tradespace Exploration (MATE), to the architecting and design (A&D) of an engineering system in the Transportation focus area. Past MIT MATE studies have been conducted in the aerospace domain and it is anticipated that application to a new domain area will uncover new issues that face Engineering System A&D, but may not be apparent within the context of aerospace systems. The research draws from accepted practice in fields such as individual and group psychology, economics, decision sciences, and engineering design, as well as recent research efforts to merge knowledge from these fields into a new engineering systems design approach. 06/26/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17927 This project is a pilot study under the MIT Portugal Program Engineering Systems anchor program. The purpose of the pilot study is to identify key issues of common interest in critical networked infrastructures between Portuguese collaborators and MIT. Critical networked infrastructures such as electrical energy production and distribution, ground and air transportation, communications, and water distribution are examples of complex socio-technical systems that can be modeled as networks. At an abstract level many of these systems exhibit similarities in their structure evolution, operating dynamics and vulnerabilities. There has been significant research in each of these systems individually, but typically they are treated only within their own domains. Recently, there has been research in MIT ESD to develop a more generalized comparative approach to critical network infrastructure modeling where insights from one network domain is used to stimulate insight and opportunities in other network domains. Specifically, a network modeling capability now exists that has been applied to a variety of complex systems. 06/26/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17926 This project would develop optimization approaches (models and solution procedures) for large-scale complex network systems that arise in transportation or telecommunications settings. It would focus on problems that are combinatorially complex such as those that occur in vehicle routing and scheduling, or in the design of cost efficient and reliable telecommunications systems, such as the internet. The project would focus on generic models and solution approaches that could be applied in many specific application settings. The research would build upon collaboration of several years by the two co-PI that have addressed issues in these general problem domains. 06/26/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17925 This project considers the problem of distributed inference and actuation in large-scale critical infrastructures. It emphasizes energy systems, with project team researchers at MIT, CMI, and ICTI in Portugal. Critical infrastructures, like the power grid, are complex dynamic networks evolving in real-time, where events at any location are often correlated with other events in space/time. We are concerned with the problem of inferring the general global state of the critical infrastructure from the distributed measurements collected by a network of sensors. The main challenge can be summarized as follows: How to make decisions under uncertainty arising from spatiallydistributed dynamic information when sharing distributed data is limited by networking constraints. The research focuses on developing mathematically rigorous techniques for reliable monitoring of events, developing situational awareness, and providing prediction of abnormal behavior like threats and failures. 06/26/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17924 This Hybrid Human-Machine research effort is motivated by a desire to better quantify and model human and human-machine performance. We hope to contribute knowledge and mechanical designs that might aid individuals with mobility and musculoskeletal disabilities. Biomedical devices, such as powered ankle-foot prostheses, musculoskeletal loading suits and exoskeletons,and wearable sensors hold promise for medical applications. Our hybrid human-machine system research attempts to augment human capability, alleviate mobility disability in locomotion, and understand control strategies. A goal of the first sub-project, powered prosthesis effort, is to develop an algorithm and sensory suite for detecting terrain variations experienced by a walking transtibial amputee using only local mechanical sensors located on the external transtibial prosthesis. A long-term objective in the field of prosthetic leg design is to advance artificial joints that mimic the dynamics of the missing limb, not only for level- ground gait patterns, but also for irregular terrain ambulation. We will develop a powered ankle-foot prosthesis with a controller capable of detecting terrain transitions. The second sub-project investigates human locomotor control, musculoskeletal loading, and includes the design of a loading suit and/or an exoskeleton that incorporates variable stiffness joints. We will study human locomotion and musculoskeletal performance for normal, altered and enhanced gaits (i.e., due to pathology or orthoses). The objectives include musculoskeletal modeling, and suit development, design and testing. The deliverables for this sub-project include: biomechanical and musculoskeletal models and simulations; exoskeleton design and development; exploration of variable-stiffness exoskeleton concepts for aiding people with reduced range of joint motions and reduced muscle strength; and musculoskeletal variable loading suit for locomotor control. 06/26/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17923 Innovation is recognized as a key driver to create economic wealth in modern economies. The role of innovation is particularly critical in sectors like bioengineering, with an increasing demand to translate technological advances into competitive advantages. Surprisingly, while numerous studies discuss the relevance of innovation in bioengineering, there is a shortage of research in the topic of measuring innovation. Being able to measure and assess the state of innovation is critical in policy-making, education, investment, as well as to companies in bioengineering and biotech. This project is aimed to address the shortage of measurement tools to assess innovation in bioengineering by creating, among others an innovation scorecard and a web-based tool which will serve as a repository of the data collected during the course of the project, while simultaneously allowing the data to be retrieve and displayed according to the metrics developed. 06/26/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17922 The project aims are to develop and apply a set of mathematical and computational techniques to the problem of designing efficient and informative experiments for the identification of kinetic models representing metabolic reactions. For that purpose, the case-study microorganism E.coli, commonly used for bioproduction, will be used to perform validation of the proposed methodologies. A dynamic model of central carbon metabolism is being re-constructed by the BioPSE group at the University of Minho; new computational approaches based on Kronecker products (“Kronecker Bio”) are being developed at MIT. The kinetic models obtained using the methodologies proposed will allow a better understanding and representation of the dynamic behavior of microorganisms with industrial interest, therefore bringing major benefits. This systems biology approach provides unique advantages to industrial biotechnology especially in the development of efficient cell factories, by speeding up the development process, and ensuring that new products can be brought to the market faster or that there can be a faster improvement of existing bioprocesses. Therefore, the ultimate objective of this project is to aid efforts to optimize industrial biotechnology processes, including the production of bulk chemicals like succinate or lactate, biofuels like bioethanol, and specialty chemicals like vitamins and antibiotics. 06/26/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17921 The mechanical microenvironment experienced by cells in tissues regulates many facets of cell behavior, including survival, growth, differentiation, and migration. In addition to the roles of imposed mechanical stresses from fluid flow, stretching, or compression of tissue, which have long been known to influence tissue phenotype, the role of extracellular matrix stiffness is now being appreciated as a major regulator of cell phenotype. Cells respond to local matrix stiffness in many ways, but stiffer matrices often enhance growth, sometimes in inappropriate ways, and reduce tissue-specific function. Examples of pathologically stiff matrix environments include those in tumors and in cirrhotic liver. In this project, we will develop cell-sized hydrogel microbeads with defined and systematically varied mechanical properties and with cell-interactive surface properties, with the aim of incorporating the beads into 3D tissue models so that the beads both provide local modulation of cell behavior (via controlling local mechanics for neighboring cells) as well as recording key aspects of cell behavior via special reactive moieties buried within the surface coating. To detect local cell responses, we will exploit fluorogenic substrates for the highly diverse spectrum of cell-secreted proteases, as the profile of active proteases secreted by cells changes dramatically in different environments. 06/26/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17920 This sub-project aims to contribute for a better knowledge from the hematopoietic niche towards the development of novel strategies for the ex-vivo expansion of human hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells (HSPC) for use in multiple settings such as cell therapy (e.g. BM transplantation) or gene therapy. The major breakthroughs of this project are expected to boostex-vivo expansion technologies, by contributing for the development of new methods to promote HSPC expansion without differentiation. By employing both MSC-derived stromal cells and cytokines to maintain and expand the stem cell niche, we envisage the development of a successful platform for the expansion of umbilical cord blood (UCB) HSPC, turning UCB transplantation in adults more widely available. 06/26/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17919 The expansion of both embryonic stem cells (ESC) and neural stem cells (NSC) has been carried out in the Stem Cell Bioengineering Laboratory at IST. The protocol used is based on adherent monolayer culture, under serum-free conditions, since it is a simple system that allows the direct observation of the process of neural conversion without the confounding influences of cell aggregation as it happens, for instances, in aggregate/embryoid body culture. The capacity to follow the successive steps along the pathway of ESC self-renewal and neural commitment and differentiation is crucial in order to depict the influence of both intrinsic as well as extrinsic factors (extracellular cellular matrix (ECM) components, biomaterials, growth factors) on cell fate. This is generally done by sampling and subsequent analysis of gene expression, using PCR and immunocytochemistry. A multiplex mouse ESC line is currently under development with Professor Domingos Henrique Laboratory (Institute of Molecular Medicine, Portugal) which contains: (i) a red fluorescent reporter (FR) under control of the Oct4 gene, which is expressed only in self-renewable ESC; (ii) a green FR under control of the sox1 gene (like in 46C cells, which culture has been optimized in the Stem Cell Bioengineering Laboratory at IST), which in turn is expressed in neural progenitors; and (iii) a blue FR under control of the doublecortin (dcx) gene, which is active in differentiating neurons. This multiplex cell line will be used to follow insitu, by fluorescence techniques, the process of stem cell self-renewal, neural commitment and neuronal differentiation. 06/26/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17918 Affinity purification requires the availability of binding reagents with both the necessary molecular recognition properties (affinity, association rate, specificity, reversibility) and industrial processing properties (robustness to immobilization and multiple rounds of purification and regeneration). Protein A meets this need for monoclonal antibody purification, however falls short in requiring acidic elution conditions that partially denature and consequently cause the aggregation of many antibodies. Alternative molecules often display enhanced robustness, resistance, stability and cost- efficient production as compared to their natural templates. The main goal of this sub- project is to develop single fibronectin Ig domains with binding affinity mimicking that of Protein A by a yeast-surface display combinatorial approach. The particular aim is to develop new purification methodologies with emphasis on milder elution conditions to avoid antibody aggregation. The stability and binding properties of the Protein A mimics will be engineered by both directed evolution and rational design. The Protein A mimics will be thoroughly characterized and used as alternative ligands for the affinity purification of antibodies from different species, classes and subclasses. The thermal stability, stability to caustic treatment, and binding properties will be engineered by directed evolution, and then thoroughly experimentally characterized. These binders will also be used as secondary reagents for the development of standard immunoassays such as ELISAs, and immunofluorescence methods. 06/26/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17917 One of the major barriers in the use of mammalian cells to produce recombinant proteins using mammalian cells is the ability to rapidly screen for clones that have capabilities to over-express the proteins. The present method is achieved through brute force by single single-cell cloning and testing hundreds of thousands of these clones in order to find the best producer(s). In addition, all of these clones must be cultivated individually and their kinetics of growth and product concentrations are then performed individually. It is our aim to obtain a system using microbioreactors where such screening can be achieved using a high through-put mode to reduce time and labor for finding the best clone(s) with the capabilities of producing high product concentrations. The goals of this sub-project are to explore and develop proof-of-concept using a combination of ideas for high through-put sensing of biological system including: (*) Use of micro-bioreactors as a system for high through-put sensing (*) Apply non-invasive sensing methods to quantitatively measure important parameters of biological systems on-line and in real-time Using prior research findings in our laboratory in fluorescence (fluorophores) sensing to quantify the biological parameters for high through-put sensing (*) Integrating biochemistry and stoichiometry to achieve non-invasive and multiple test systems for monitoring and sensing of biological systems Upon achieving the proof-of-concept, to develop parallel processes that would ultimately provide a novel system for high through-put sensing of biological systems. 06/26/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17916 The overall goal of this sub-project is to develop and test an E. coli strain specifically adapted to meet the upstream and downstream processing challenges associated with large scale production of plasmid vectors. By rationally engineering specific genes we aim to deliver a host capable of striving in high-density cell cultures while synthesizing large amounts of supercoiled plasmids at a high plasmid/impurity ratio (MIT contribution). Newly developed strains will be evaluated for use with vectors, more nuclease resistant, which are being optimized by the IST group for improved in vivo stability. Additionally, the MIT group will explore the utility of new kinds of vectors to improve the specific and volumetric yields of pDNA fermentations. The impact of the new strain and vector designs on the downstream processing, final plasmid quality and process economics will be assessed (IST contribution). 06/26/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17915 The overall goal of this subproject is to develop magnetic nanoparticles that are useful on an industrial scale in aqueous environments. This requires that the particles be made cheaply and easily, and that they are useful in a wide range of solvent conditions, putting strict constraints on the nature of the coating material and on the final morphology of the particles. The major difficulty in making nanoparticles that are useful in practical separations is that clusters of particles are needed for capture, but the clusters must be stable to further aggregation. In the laboratory of Professor Wang, a synthesis method for creating size controlled, stable clusters has been achieved, and models are developed to allow prediction of the important parameters in the synthesis for an arbitrary polymer. These methods have been further verified by applying them to a well characterized polymer system reported in the literature. The specific goals of this research are to develop magnetic fluids from a promising technology to an industrially relevant separation. The emphasis on the use of the magnetic nanoparticles will address the purification of monoclonal antibodies from animal cell culture broths. 06/26/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17913 This project will involve several topics focused on the new paradigm of the development of electric power systems characterized by large-scale integration of distributed/renewable energy resources and large-scale consumer engagement (e.g., demand efficiency, demand control, microgeneration and interaction through smart metering). Research in this area is focused on active management of distribution grids, dispersed generation (DG), storage and end-users(through responsive loads and consumers) in local and regional areas in order to improve system operating conditions and improve local reliability. This includes the development of new monitoring, control and management hierarchical architectures, as well as consumer behaviour and acceptability, and market-based implementation for the coordination and control of the different agents and network resources in the real, near, and medium-term time horizons. Grid operational strategies involving the exploitation of vehicle-to-grid capabilities are also envisaged under the framework of this project, as well as wave energy development and integration. The development of such new operational concepts aims to obtain the best performance from the distributed active resources, abandoning “fit and forget” approach used namely to connect DG units to grids, leading to a more economically and technically efficient power system. Sample Sub-Projects: (*) Transmission Expansion Planning – development of a multiyear approach considering demand and generation resource uncertainties, especially those of coupled renewable resources (*) Evaluation of economic and environmental impacts of large scale integration of microgrids and dispersed generation in electrical grids (*) Impact of vehicle to grid systems in grid operation (*) Short-term price forecasting for electricity markets with large scale dispersed generation and responsive load. (*) Impacts of responsive demand on power system operation and expansion (*) Development of “Energy Box” smart meter concepts including consumer response and behavior. 06/26/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17912 This research will be based on the development of a spatially comprehensive and temporally broad physical accounting of resource consumption of urban centers. Of particular interest are the resource consumption characteristics between cities of distinct characteristics; geography and topography, economic base and social and demographic composition, including the potential for localized energy supply. A special emphasis will be given to analyze the energy consumption orindividual and groups of buildings and to provide new and innovative solutions to promote the concept of “Sustainable Buildings.” Sample Sub-Projects: (*) Development of an urban ecosystem approach for the comprehensive analysis of resource consumption in contemporary cities (*) Development of coupled Lifecycle Assessment and Material Flow Analysis in support of the formulation of resource-efficient strategies for green cities (*) The application of an urban systems model in the assessment of the potential for reducing resource consumption of existing building stock (*) Development of a project tool [GENE_URBE] (*) Development of a diagnosis tool [URBAN METADATA] (*) Developing a building incorporated sensor infrastructure and processing strategy (*) Decentralized energy management strategies (*) Sustainable demonstration buildings Portugal’s “Near Zero Buildings” (*) Design options for new buildings and urban plans (*) Sustainable building design technologies (passive energy systems) (*) A multi-benefit analysis of building integrated microgeneration technologies for a sustainable built environment (*) Multi-criteria analysis for the road vehicle propulsion technology in full life-cycle perspective based on the type of mobility provided 06/26/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17911 This research area will build upon energy and environment values and economic domains, at the level of energy systems analysis and design. Part of it is based on providing a modeling framework to support a national effort on Sustainable Energy Systems planning and forecasting by departing from the dynamics of energy demand and incorporating the local and regional renewable energy resources. Some specific models will be applied such as TIMES (The Integrated MARKAL-EFOM System), integrated supply-demand approaches (e.g. LEAP),EMCAS (electricity market simulation), life cycle assessment methodologies, cogeneration impact and electricity supply. Analysis at regional and local scales will also be addressed. In addition, topics related to reducing greenhouse gases emissions policies in Portugal will also be developed and analyzed, including energy markets and competition. Which approaches will provide the right investment signals for suppliers, and price signals for consumers? Linking hourly market dynamics to multi-year investment trends is essential for Portugal to provide reliable, affordable and clean energy services into the future. Sample Sub-Projects: (*) Green Island - energy models and energy strategies towards an energy sustainable isolated system (one or more islands in the Azores) (*) Long-term sustainable energy scenarios – a modeling approach (*) Energy end-use characterization (methodological and field work) - Portugal case study (*) Energy efficiency assessment in the EU political and regulatory context - Portugal case study (*) Identification of a number of strategies for promoting a more sustainable energy system in Portugal 06/26/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17910 High-Speed Rail system’s construction and operation is a complicated management subject involving environmental issues, train schedules, safety, rolling stock and infrastructure reliability (transport infrastructures are critical and vulnerable). The design and safety/performance assessment of transportation facilities should include an understanding of the physical environment and also take into account various other dimensions of risk. In a global framework, technical risks as well as natural hazards risks must be considered, in both assessment and management perspectives. This project aims at incorporating environmental risks (e.g. hydrologic, geotechnical and seismic), technical risks (e.g. excessive vibrations) and robust measures into decision models for proactive risk management. The project is organized around the following specific objectives: (* ) Characterizing hydrologic risk (rainfall and flood hazards) along the high-speed rail line (*) Characterizing geotechnical and seismic risks and establishing mitigation strategies (*) Developing, validating, and applying advanced methodologies for the analysis and assessment of the effects of mitigation measures to the risk of excessive vibrations (or deformations) in the railway track induced by the circulation of trains at high speeds (*) Developing Decision Analysis Tools for HSR construction along with the associated optimization approaches for the allocation of resources (*) Developing, validating, and applying advanced methodologies for the assessment of earthquake effects on the infrastructures of high-speed railway systems, and developing a methodology for the implementation of an integrated monitoring system for railway systems Industry Involvement: Interactions with the railway industry and research laboratories will take place through the comparison of results from the Decision Analysis Tools and through the definition of scenarios for the optimization models. 06/26/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17909 Most ongoing work on the implications of congestion for the configuration of airport networks and airline networks relies on qualitative approaches that posit sets of assumptions about future traffic conditions and then discuss the implications of these assumptions for the various air transportation stakeholders. By contrast, the objectives of the proposed project will be pursued through quantitative analyses that will utilize a new network model of two regional airport systems – one E.U.-wide and the other U.S.-wide – that combine mathematical optimization with a stochastic and dynamic queuing theory approach. Using these network models, the impacts of distribution of traffic among alternative types of airports and the incidence of delays on airlines and on passengers will be explored. Objectives: The project is organized around the following specific objectives: (*) Developing airport and airline network models incorporating access costs (landing fees, passenger taxes, and environmental charges) and delay costs, as well as constraints related to new air transportation policies and technologies (*) Developing a stochastic and dynamic queuing model to compute detailed delay profiles and delay costs (*) Applying the models to the E.U. and U.S. air transportation systems Industry Involvement: Collaboration with industry, particularly airlines, will be sought for the assembly of input data and formulation of scenarios. 06/26/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17908 This project focuses on the development of a knowledge infrastructure, computational models, and user applications that allow access to real-time information about the state of transportation-related resources as well as predictions regarding their future state. A pilot service that exemplifies the usage potential of available data will be provided to citizens for making public transportation more efficient and pleasant to use and to policy-makers as a decision-support tool. Objectives: The project is organized around the following specific objectives: (*) Acquiring and parsing data that describe the state of transportation-related resources (e.g. bus and train locations, cell phone traces, road sensors, GPS tracking, weather, emergency events, and census data) (*) Developing a data fusion engine that combines the data to extract from them additional information including predictions vDeveloping a model-based data fusion engine (with simulation capabilities) that models a particular transportation network along with the behaviour of travellers within it vDeveloping a web-based service that enables different applications to access the data collected vDeveloping an interactive multi-modal, multi-criteria route-planning application that would exemplify the capabilities of the data fusion engine and provide support to the travelling decisions of the public (*) Developing a geographical modelling and visualization module of city dynamics for use by planners and service providers Industry Involvement: Mobile phone operators, ITS service suppliers, and public transport operators are the main targets for this project. 06/26/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17907 The project aims to conceive, organize and simulate the implementation of new smart transport modes and services to optimize integration with lifestyles, and also with already existing individual and collective transport. For this, three levels of decision (strategic, tactic and operational) will be approached covering the institutional design required for the regulatory environment, network planning focusing on productive efficiency as well as efficiency in consumption, and enforcement and performance monitoring at the operational level. Performance assessment at the strategic level will also be developed. Objectives: The project is organized around the following specific objectives: (*) Understanding factors of preference and repulsion on choice of travel mode and developing proto-solutions for multiple market segments (*) Conceptualizing and evaluating innovative services, modes, and congestion management initiatives (including pricing) with the aim of better fit to user requirements and the potential for greater sustainability and efficiency (*) Developing incentives, marketing, acceptability, and business models for the innovative services and modes (*) Analyzing the urban activity space and the implications of the innovative services (*) Designing and simulating the new services, modes, and congestion management initiatives (including pricing) (*) Analyzing the implications of new services and pricing paradigms on governance structures (*) Assessing institutional, economic, and financial feasibility of new solutions found as well as their impact at tactical and strategic levels (*) Developing a handbook on smart combination of passenger transport modes and services in urban areas. Industry Involvement: Information will be obtained from a variety of sources including authorities and current operators of innovative services and mobility solutions in Portugal and elsewhere. 06/26/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17906 The project aims to define innovative solutions with sufficient economic power of attraction for private investment that may simultaneously contribute to urban development patterns that leverage innovative transportation solutions and contribute, overall, to more sustainable urban development patterns. A particular focus of the work will be on the revitalization of urban districts in areas with low availability of street space. The project is organized around the following specific objectives: (*) Developing an inventory of and analyzing land use and transport interaction, focusing, especially, on Urban Renewal projects vDeveloping and comparing urban dynamics models using different modelling methodologies to assess and measure the impacts of the urban revitalization instruments (*) Developing models for the assessment of quality of fit between innovative transport solutions and different urban settings (*) Developing a handbook on innovative tools for generating successful sustainable transport-oriented Urban Renewal projects Industry Involvement: Industry and government collaborations will take place at the data collection stage, for example, with local and national government agencies and industries such as construction and real estate. 06/26/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17905 Led by Dr. David Krebs, the Biomotion Laboratory aims to better understand the underlying mechanisms of locomotion and the major complications induced by arthritis, orthopaedic, vestibular, and other neural impairments. Determination of more and less successful medical, surgical, and rehabilitation efforts to ameliorate these impairments are among the laboratories' successful pursuits. The Laboratory combines the talents of physical therapists, physicians, engineers, and other faculties to investigate movement of healthy subjects and of patients with motion disorders, including those with neuromuscular, post-surgical, and balance impairments. The Biomotion Laboratory investigates mechanical and neuro-constraints of human locomotion. The Lab focuses on two distinct research areas: balance (inner ear and cerebella problems) and arthritis (degenerative). In the former the Biomotion Laboratory works closely with the Neurology Service. This Laboratory has significant funding from the NIH as well as substantial foundation and industry support. Dr. David Krebs lecturing in the Biomotion LaboratoryDr. Krebs recently elaborated on the Laboratory's focus: "The mission of the MGH Biomotion Laboratory is to better understand the biomechanical and neural constraints of human movement. The major goals are to investigate the means by which force, momentum, power and energy flows interact with neuropathic and arthopathic conditions. Our objectives include determining the means by which humans compensate for and adapt to, specific orthopaedic and neurophysiological motor deficits. We employ state-of-the art modeling, theory and data acquisition to generate appropriately detailed analyses of impairments, organ level function or dysfunction, functional limitations, whole person function or dysfunction, and disability whole person function or dysfunction in society performing the expected role." The Biomotion Laboratory has continuously provided novel and outstanding contributions to orthopaedic, rehabilitation, and movement science for nearly two decades. Novel research programs have included a MGH-MIT instrumented hip project, as well as the current impetus to fit such prostheses to <.5 mm of the anatomical (fractured) femoral head. In addition, along with MIT collaborators, the Lab provided the world's first clinically interpretable, routinely obtained, whole body kinematic model that is independent of anatomical joint markers, thus allowing anatomically accurate modeling even of individuals with severe transverse or frontal orthopaedic deformities. 06/25/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17904 06/25/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17903 The Mars Gravity Biosatellite Program is a ground-breaking undertaking to study the effects of Martian gravity on mammals. We are taking the first step towards human missions to Mars -- and beyond. Data from this mission will make a significant contribution to our understanding of fundamental space biology and greatly advance human space exploration. Weightless astronauts face a number of physiological challenges as their bodies adapt to the lack of gravity. Bone mass decreases at rates ten times worse than osteoporosis in the elderly. Muscles atrophy, causing reductions in strength of more than 40%. Changes in the way the brain processes signals from the senses pose challenges to normal interpretation upon return to the Earth. A major remaining question is how life will adapt to the gravity of Mars, which is one-third the strength of that on Earth. The Mars Gravity Biosatellite Program is the first mission to study the effects of Martian gravity on mammals, a key step in the human exploration of space. The Mars Gravity Biosatellite Program, initiated in August 2001, is a student-driven, international space collaboration, uniting students from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) in a quest to determine how humans will respond to the reduced gravity environment of Mars. The Mars Gravity Biosatellite will carry a small population of mice to low Earth orbit aboard a spinning spacecraft creating "artificial gravity" equivalent to that on the Martian surface. The five-week mission will conduct the first in-depth study of how mammals adapt to a reduced-gravity environment. Groundbreaking data from this mission and its successors will be essential in determining future possibilities for human space exploration. TEAMS (*) Science - The Science team, based at MIT, determines what questions the Mars Gravity program needs to address, what data needs to be collected to answer those questions, and how to collect that data. The science requirements that we provide to the engineering teams guide the development of the satellite design. We have chosen to address two broad scientific questions that are critical to the future of human space exploration: (1) To what extent will Martian gravity result in the physiological problems encountered in microgravity missions? (2) Are rotational artificial gravity systems that mimic Mars sufficient for maintaining health and well-being? (*) Payload - The Payload team, based at MIT, is responsible for life support - and for collecting, storing and transmitting data from onboard experiments. Our team brings together students from diverse disciplines to develop a payload module that will maintain a comfortable and experimentally sound environment for the animal payload. Currently we are refining the designs of the thermal system, the atmospherics system, and the structural mockup - as well as working on microcontroller design. (*) Bus - The satellite Bus team, based at MIT, is responsible for tasks traditional to most satellites. These include, but are not limited to, keeping the satellite powered, in the correct orbit, at the correct attitude (i.e. pointing in the correct direction), at a stable temperature, and in regular communication with the ground. We are also responsible for providing the engine to perform the de-orbit maneuver that will bring the satellite back to Earth at the end of the five week mission. (*) Entry, Descent, and Landing - The Entry, Descent and Landing team, based at Georgia Tech, is responsible for ensuring a safe landing for the payload. Our work revolves around modeling and analyzing reentry scenarios, evaluating capsule shape and heatshield design, and determining the best methods for minimizing loads on the payload throughout reentry and landing. (*) Systems - The Systems Engineering team has members at both MIT and Georgia Tech, though team management is based at MIT. We are responsible for defining interfaces and interactions between the three main elements of the satellite - the Payload module, the satellite Bus, and the EDL system. We are also responsible for defining how the satellite interfaces with both the launch vehicle and the ground support equipment. Additionally, we define engineering operations throughout the mission, and ensure that all teams follow the requirements and regulations by which the spacecraft will be designed, built, and operated. By allocating resources and constraints across the entire development process, we ensure that the spacecraft and its supporting infrastructure will come in under budget and within the tight mass and volume restrictions imposed by launch. The Mars Gravity Biosatellite project is operated by a unique multi-university student team. With current participants located at MIT, Georgia Tech, and around the world, the program offers hands-on experience in spacecraft design, development and management. To date, nearly 500 students have placed their mark on the satellite, from high school interns to graduate researchers. Advisors from academia, government, and industry provide guidance and additional perspective. The Mars Gravity Biosatellite drew its inspiration from the Mars Society's Translife Initiative. In August of 2001, the Mars Society proposed a private undertaking to study the effects of Martian gravity on mammals in orer to prepare for humans living on and exploring Mars. Following initial science planning and mission feasibility studies, MIT, the University of Queensland and the University of Washington agreed to proceed forward with the mission by developing and building a free-flying spacecraft to carry out the mission. The Mars Gravity Biosatellite Program was created under the direction of a Program Board drawing from officials at each institution, with management provided by the Mars Gravity Program Office, based at MIT. Today MIT and Georgia Tech work together closely toward completing the biosatellite. 06/25/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17902 06/25/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17901 Lunar landing depends on the selection and identification of an appropriate location that is level and free of hazards, along with a stable controlled descent to the surface. During crewed landings, astronauts are expected to interact with automated systems, based upon improved terrain maps and sensor updates, to perform tasks such as manual re-designation of landing point, adjustment of descent trajectory or direct manual control. However, sensorimotor limitations, both vestibular and visual, are likely to interfere with performance and safety. This integrated project examines the nature of the anticipated spatial disorientation and terrain perception limits as they affect the transition from automatic to manual control and develops advanced display countermeasures to overcome these limitations. Specific Aims: (1) Examine the nature of anticipated sensorimotor difficulties (e.g., spatial disorientation, limits on terrain perception) as they affect the transition from automatic to manual control. (2) Develop and evaluate advanced display countermeasures for enhancing situation and terrain awareness and for overcoming performance limitations caused by reduced visibility associated with lunar lighting, terrain reflectivity and the absence of atmosphere utilizing Draper Laboratory's fixed-base lunar lander cockpit simulator for full human-in-the-loop evaluation. (3) Evaluate the effectiveness of the cockpit displays during human-in-the-loop manual control in the NASA Johnson Space Center Tilt-Translation Sled during "critical" and "hover" tasks testing the tilt-translation and tilt-gain illusions of altered acceleration sensitivity as it applies to lunar gravity following a period of weightlessness. (4) Perform a series of evaluations of the displays using the U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratorys six-degree-of-freedom helicopter simulator as a lunar landing analog for replicating lunar lighting and the various parameters associated with dust "brownout" conditions. 06/25/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17900 Micro-X is an X-ray space telescope payload being developed for NASA's sounding rocket program. We will fly the first TES in space and take a high resolution spectrum of the Puppis-A Supernova Remnant. The Future of X-ray Astronomy -- The Puppis A Supernova Remnant as seen by the Rosat X-ray Satellite. The white square is the target field for the first Micro-X flight, the brightest structure in the remnant called the Bright Eastern Knot. The Micro-X mission is a rocket-borne telescope with a new type of X-ray detector that will revolutionize X-ray astrophysics and the use of high resolution X-ray spectroscopy. Our detectors, called Transition-edge Sensor (TES) Microcalorimeters, measure a photon’s energy by sensing the small change in the TES’s temperature when a photon is absorbed in it. The 11x11 imaging array of TESs for Micro-X will be able determine the energy and time of arrival of each individual photon with exquisite accuracy. Their combination of high energy resolution, high efficiency, and true imaging spectroscopy at X-ray energies is unparalleled by any other technology today. TESs are being developed for future NASA missions like Constellation-X, and will open up new frontiers in our ability to study black holes and strong gravity, dark matter, dark energy, the evolution of structure formation in our universe and the cycles of matter and energy. New Approach to Photon Measurement -- The idea behind a microcalorimeter is deceptively simple. An absorber is cooled to cryogenic temperatures to lower its intrinsic thermodynamic temperature fluctuations. It is connected to the refrigerator by a weak thermal link. The temperature of the absorber is monitored by a thermometer. When a photon is absorbed, its energy is converted into thermal energy which heats up the absorber by a small amount (typically less than 1 mK). The absorber, connected to the refrigerator, quickly cools back to its steady state temperature. The size of this temperature pulse is proportional to the energy of the photon, and the time of arrival is determined from the rise of the pulse. An array of these absorbers forms the detector. To measure the temperature signal from the microcalorimeter, we use one of the world’s most sensitive thermometers: the Transition-Edge Sensor. A TES is a superconducting film biased in its transition from normal metal to superconductor. This transition is very sharp (typically about 1 mK wide), so any small change in temperature generates a large change in resistance. For Micro-X, photons are absorbed directly into this TES film. The whole array is fabricated at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center out of a single silicone wafer, using the lithographic and micro-machining technology originally developed for computer chips. This fabrication process ensures tight tolerances and homogeneity across the entire TES array. High Resolution Spectroscopy -- The first Micro-X target observation is the Bright Eastern Knot region of the Puppis A supernova remnant. Puppis A is a bright, middle-aged Galactic supernova remnant, the remnant of a star that exploded approximately 4000 years ago. Its ejecta is plowing into the surrounding circumstellar medium, which shocks the ejecta and creates a hot (million-degree) plasma. This plasma emits a rich x-ray spectrum full of lines from atomic transitions which encode the state, composition, and temperature of the plasma. A high energy resolution observation is needed to unravel this complex spectrum. The Bright Eastern Knot (BEK) region of Puppis A is a region of particularly strong interactions between the ejecta and the circumstellar medium. The main science goals of the Micro-X observation are first to unravel the kinematic, temperature, and ionization characteristics of the cloud-shock interactions at the BEK, and second to address the extent of ejecta enrichment of the surrounding medium. Enrichment occurs when the ejecta, which contains heavy elements produced in the core of the supernova explosion, mix with the surrounding low-metallicity gas. Understanding the enrichment process is a crucial step in the study of the cycles of matter from which high metallicity star systems, capable of creating rocky planets like our Earth, are formed. Micro-X will be a multi-flight program. Future flights can will study a varied set of astrophysical problems, among them the physics of the cores of clusters of galaxies, and the physics of accretion, jets, and outflows in neutron stars and black holes in bright x-ray binaries. 06/25/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17899 FIRE is a new spectrometer in development for the 6.5 meter Magellan telescopes that will cover the full 0.8-2.5 micron band at a spectral resolution of 50 km/s. FIRE is designed to deliver high sensitivity with minimal contamination from atmospheric foregrounds, opening the door for new angles of astronomical research. Infrared spectroscopy is a fundamental technique for studying the early universe, low mass stars, the Milky Way Galaxy, gamma-ray bursts, the Solar System, and much more. Advances in detector and cryogenic technologies are enabling the construction of sensitive new instruments to explore this region of the electromagnetic spectrum. 06/25/08 http://ilp-www.mit.edu/display_project.a4d?projectId=17898 06/25/08