Clinical notes [opportunities and challenges in clinical engineering]

Previously, I published an article that extensively detailed the opportunities and challenges now facing the clinical engineering community. The opportunities largely encompass a broad range of technologies that are either now or soon will be available for application in our industry. These include the mapping of the human genome, advancements in micro- and nanotechnology, an exponential growth in information processing capacity and availability, connectivity of technologies, and the advent of autonomic systems. The challenges were the economic, social, and regulatory forces through which clinical engineers must successfully navigate if they are to help the industry realize the full benefit of the aforementioned technological advances. What must clinical engineering do to remain relevant and an effective player on the healthcare team? The steps that clinical engineers need to take are discussed.     

Grid modernization: challenges and opportunities

Electric power systems around the world are undergoing an unprecedented transformation. In the U.S., this evolution has been clustered and described under various terms, including smart grid, grid/utility of the future and grid modernization. Building this intelligent grid is a monumental task – particularly on the distribution and grid-edge sides, which are vast and heterogeneous – that has led to the emergence of new concepts, technologies, and paradigms. Here is a roadmap to implementing them.     

中国光伏产业:机遇与挑战并存

自从20世纪50年代第一块太阳电池板在欧洲诞生以来,亚洲特别是中国太阳能和光伏产业发展迅速,但是在发展的同时也不可避免地遇到了诸多的问题,为了更好地认识这些,详细论述了中国的光伏产业目前的发展现状、前景以及要解决的问题。     

DC distribution for industrial systems: opportunities and challenges

This paper investigates the opportunities and challenges associated with adopting a DC distribution scheme for industrial power systems. A prototype DC distribution system has been simulated to investigate the issues. One of the issues focused is the interaction between power converters that are used to convert AC to DC and DC to AC. Another challenging issue investigated is the system grounding. These issues become challenging mainly due to the neutral voltage shift associated with the power converters. The paper shows that converter interactions can be minimized with proper filtering and control on the converters. The paper also proposes a grounding scheme and shows that this scheme provides an effective solution by keeping the neutral voltages low under normal conditions and by limiting the fault currents during fault conditions. With these features, DC distribution provides very reliable and high-quality power.     

R&D funding levels: how they affect engineering opportunities

Because of their roles in fostering design innovation, engineers naturally have a strong interest in research and development (R&D). Although over 68 percent of R&D is spent by industry, industrial R&D focuses on short-term payoffs, so it is mostly directed toward product improvement or more efficient manufacturing processes. In economic downturns, industrial R&D budgets may suffer, even though there is general acknowledgement that steady, ongoing research spending is crucial to long-term survival. This paper discusses the variation in industrial R&D expenditure and the role of government laboratories and the defense department in R&D. The basic R&D categories are defined and the activities of DARPA are outlined. Although no single preferred methodology exists for identifying high-technology industries, most calculations rely on a comparison of R&D intensities. R&D intensity, in turn, is typically determined by comparing industry R&D expenditures or the number of technical people employed with industry value added or the total value of its shipments.     

电线电缆行业未来的机遇和挑战

在“十一五”收官、“十二五”规划开启之际,电线电缆行业再次迎来一个新的发展阶段,站在一个新起点上。未来面临着诸多的机遇和挑战,需要我们前瞻思考、科学规划、携手努力。     

The current opportunities and challenges for offshore wind in the United States

Over the past decade, offshore wind installations have expanded dramatically in Europe and China, increasing renewable energy presence in these markets. However, the United States lags in offshore wind development despite significant coastline and wind resource availability. Each coast of the United States possesses unique opportunities and challenges to installation due to variations in bathymethry and weather patterns. This paper reviews the planning and installation challenges of offshore wind turbines in the United States by incorporating lessons learned from offshore wind plants already in place in other countries. The goal of this paper is to provide a review of offshore wind turbine installation methods by highlighting challenges unique to this form of renewable energy in the United States.     

Women in engineering: politics in the making of a statisticalcategory

National narratives, made up mostly by images of a nation in crisis and defined by powerful social actors and have significantly shaped US policies and programs for education and training of women in engineering, as well as the latter's significance as statistical categories for the American nation. Given the increasing importance of scientists and engineers in the fulfillment of US missions in the last four decades, educating, training, and having knowledge about scientists and engineers have become important activities for federal involvement, particularly through the US National Science Foundation (NSF). However, the creation and implementation of policies and programs in education and human resources results in struggles and encounters resistance from different actors involved in the education, training, and counting of scientists and engineers. Political struggles of the past 40 years (1960-2000) have shaped the US government's programs for the education and training of women in engineering, and demonstrated how the government has defined women as statistical categories based on its understanding of “appropriate” national needs. In the discussion presented, we see how what was considered “appropriate” changed over time     

浅议宁夏地方发电产业面临的机遇与挑战

宁夏地方发电产业要顺应社会经济的发展要求,借电力体制改革之机和宁夏"一号工程"的建设,以人为本,发展壮大地方发电资产并使资产收益最大化,为宁夏经济建设作贡献.     

Integrating distributed generation into electric power systems: A review of drivers,challenges and opportunities

It is now more than a decade since distributed generation (DG) began to excite major interest amongst electric power system planners and operators, energy policy makers and regulators as well as developers. This paper presents an overview of the key issues concerning the integration of distributed generation into electric power systems that are of most interest today. The main drivers behind the focus on DG integration, especially of the renewable type, in many countries around the world are discussed. A synopsis of the main challenges that must be overcome in the process is presented. Particular emphasis is placed on the need to move away from the fit and forget approach of connecting DG to electric power systems to a policy of integrating DG into power system planning and operation through active management of distribution networks and application of other novel concepts. The paper also analyses the repercussions in transmission system operation and expansion that result from the connection of large amounts of DG of different energy conversion systems focusing on issues related with impacts in steady state operation, contingency analysis, protection coordination as well as dynamic behaviour analysis. A discussion on the possibility of provision of ancillary services by DG is also included. Some results from studies performed in the interconnected Portuguese transmission system are presented and discussed. Some of the opportunities that could be exploited in support of the integration and hence greater penetration of DG into electric power systems are also explored.     

Hybrid laser precision engineering of transparent hard materials: challenges,solutions and applications

Laser has been demonstrated to be a mature and versatile tool that presents great flexibility and applicability for the precision engineering of a wide range of...     

行业洗牌照明企业机遇多过挑战

2008年是中国历史上不寻常的一年。CPI上升,GDP增速预测放缓,《劳动合同法》正式实施等,都没有阻挡中国照明光源企业前进的步伐。随着国家对“节能减排”的重视,国宝节能补贴政策的落实,国务院发展研究中心与兴邦产业携手调研课题《中国灯具企业竞争力分析与行业发展预测》正式开题,这些都为照明行业注入了新的兴奋剂,中国照明光源产业迎来了新的机遇和挑战。     

Engineering Plus: challenges and choices

Engineering Plus is a name for a structure that provides a wide range of enhancements for the four-year baccalaureate engineering program. Each of these enhancements requires a year or more beyond the basic engineering program. The Engineering Plus umbrella covers programs that include the basic engineering program plus something in addition. The something else is not just a random collection of courses but it is an educational experience which is designed to meet a particular educational goal     

Women in Science and Engineering: An Overview

The status of women in science and engineering, from precollege preparation through graduate education to professional career advancement, is reviewed. The paper outlines barriers to participation and advancement and suggests topics for research and advocacy. This paper is adapted from a presentation delivered to a meeting on women in science and engineering sponsored by the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering.