Value-based transmission planning and the effects of network models

A value-based automated transmission system planning model is presented in this paper and the impact of the various network representations on the results of the model is discussed. Value-based integrated resource planning provides a “societal cost” (utility operation and investment costs plus customer outage costs) minimizing composite generation-transmission system expansion plan. The model trades-off and compares the costs and benefits of alternative generation and transmission resources using a consistent economic and engineering criterion in order to determine an “optimal” resource expansion plan. The generalized Benders decomposition algorithm with “importance sampling” used to solve the problem enables the model to estimate certain average information about scenarios or contingencies by examining only a very small fraction of all the scenarios or contingencies. The impacts of system resources upon both real and reactive power can be analyzed when using the AC power flow equations. It is concluded that for transmission system planning where reactive power flows and voltage constraints are important, it is imperative that an AC power flow model be used. The combination of AC power flow and linearized power flow models, with linearization about the solution of the AC power flow model, was found to be a promising compromise between accuracy and computation time     

Case history: the professional job search

The media scream about layoffs and unemployment, and most of it is accurate. However, they do not trumpet the many companies that are hiring in order to grow or maintain their engineering capability. As a result of this, one can quickly develop a sort of “trench” mentality. That is, one might begin to think, “There is no job out there, so why should I try! Why should I stick my head up and get it shot off.” The answer to these questions is that the jobs are out there for qualified people and those who work hard at finding employment. The author discusses the following aspects to job searching: answering the question “who are you?”; the resume; attitude/mental state; network with other professionals; writing letters; record keeping of contacts; costs of getting a job; interviews; and telephone manner     

Engineering Design and Social Value

Because of the exponential growth of science and technology, the engineering student cannot hope to take more than a small sub-set of the many engineering courses available to him. The question often arises about the degree to which engineering students should find room in their cramped study schedule for work in the humanities, the social sciences, and other nonengineering topics. The engineer is faced with making value decisions in the realistic practice of his profession. In this paper, it is shown that making value decisions is inherent in the design process itself. It is also shown that the engineer's position in modem society is often at the right hand of major decision makers. Since many engineers are in a position where they cannot avoid sharing responsibility for decisions affecting social, political, and economic change, serious training in these areas appears desirable.     

Engineering licenses are not for everyone

A license to practice engineering is a privilege granted by a state to call oneself an “engineer” and to practice “engineering” before the public. In most states, these are protected terms having very specific meaning to the public. To become licensed as an “engineer”, an individual has to be willing to meet a minimum standard of education, experience, and examination to demonstrate their technical competence and their concern for the welfare of the public. The educational requirement is provided by an institution offering an engineering program that has been reviewed and accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology (ABET). The degree awarded by such an institution allows one to claim that one is a graduate of an accredited engineering program but not that one is an engineer. The experience requirement is satisfied by engaging in the “practice of engineering” as defined in the empowering statutes of each state engineering licensing board. The examination requirement is met by passing two eight-hour national examinations prepared by the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES), which are offered twice each year. The philosophy and content of the national examinations is the subject of this article     

The paradox of “engineering science”-a cold war debateabout education in the U.S

During the early years of the Cold War, engineering educators in the United States vigorously debated a rather abstruse topic that, nevertheless, had lasting public policy implications. Did the field called “engineering science”, which the newly formed National Science Foundation (NSF) was chartered to support, indeed exist, and, if it did, how should engineering colleges and the NSF support it? My recounting of the public aspect of this debate (which occurred in articles published in the Journal of Engineering Education and magazines of professional engineering societies from 1945 to 1960) will focus on attempts by prominent engineers and a few scientists to come to terms with a perceived epistemological paradox. Although these groups had defined engineering as the application of science in the first half of the century, the NSF and the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE) promoted research and teaching in “engineering science” after the war on the assumption that it represented “basic research in engineering”. This paper raises the historlographic method suggested by O. Mayr (1976) and examines how historical actors themselves defined and used the term “engineering science” rather than appplying the concept of engineering science to the past as an analytic tool     

Anatomy of a flame: conflict and community building on the Internet

Although some social theorists have predicted that widespread computer-mediated communication produce utopian communities in cyberspace, the presence of “flames” and other activities often perceived as hostile to communal standards raises questions about whether and how such communities might come to exist. We examine the anatomy and progress of a particular “flame” that occurred in a listserv (unmoderated mailing list group) devoted specifically to the development of online communities (“Free-nets”). Contrary to existing literature that treats “flames” as undesirable, we suggest that a “flame” can help communities identify common values     

Ethical considerations in engineering design processes

Engineering ethics involves a broad range of (ethical) issues. In this article, we focus on the specific area of engineering ethics pertaining to engineering design. We believe that engineering design constitutes an interesting starting point for ethical issues in engineering, both for educational and research purposes. So far, there has not been much systematic research on ethical aspects in engineering design and on how engineers deal with such aspects. Engineering design is also an interesting topic to research from the point of view of engineering ethics because design is one of the main activities in which engineers are involved. Moreover, technology has social and ethical implications, mainly because of the kinds of products produced, which are the eventual outcomes of design processes. We focus on two ethical aspects of design processes: the formulation of design requirements and criteria, and the acceptance of tradeoffs between different design criteria. When calling an aspect of the design process “ethical”, we have used the following criteria: the aspect of the design process is connected to, or brings about possible negative consequences, for people other than the designers involved; more or less generally accepted values or norms are at stake; and the norms and values of the different engineers involved in the design clash with each other     

Educating for innovation and management: the engineering educators'dilemma

Research on ways to improve engineering education has identified management and innovation skills as important to success in an engineering career. This paper explores the nature of those management and innovation skills through presentation of some original research on a community of innovative engineers and managers and some published research on personality differences between engineers, managers, and entrepreneurial innovators. This paper suggests the key to producing engineering graduates with a penchant for managing and innovating lies in developing a special kind of individuality (authenticity) in engineers toward the end of their tertiary studies. It suggests this individuality involves the courage to break with one's engineering paradigm as required and to operate pragmatically and “unscientifically” in the “public world” rather than theoretically and “scientifically” in the “special world” of engineering. It outlines an optional new curriculum for engineers and scientists developed by an Australian university to encourage authenticity and to prepare science and engineering graduates for careers in management and innovation     

Sewage Sludge Incineration for Power Generation to be Promising

Along with the pers＇istent rapid growth of economy and urbanization in China, urban environmental pollution becomes increasingly prominent, which hampers the sustained development in some cities to a certain extent. How we can protect urban residential environment, realize coordinated unification between economy, environment and social benefits, and build up a resource-saving and environment-friendly society has become an inevitable problem in the economic development of China. Consequently, it is an imperative principle to reduce the total quantity of urban wastes, and reuse them as energy resources without secondary pollution.     

Balancing technical and social issues: a new first-year designcourse

The new ABET EC2000 accreditation guidelines call for greater emphasis on social and ethical issues in the education of engineering students. Universities are responding in varied ways - generally through increased liberal arts content and, in a few instances, through design activities, but generally, design education focuses primarily on the technical and process aspects. This is especially true in the new first-year engineering design courses that have evolved in the 1990s. A first-year “Introduction to Engineering Design” course has been developed at the University of Dayton that seeks to achieve a balance between technical, social and ethical issues throughout the design process to help ground the education of engineering students with the ideals of social and ethical responsibility as part of their profession. This grounding has been achieved through interdisciplinary projects, which teach students, through self-discovery, the relevance of social, environmental, cultural, political and ethical factors to their normal engineering functions     

A survey of educational and training needs for transition of aproduct from development to manufacturing

Serious technical problems are traditionally found when transitioning a design from development to production. A major study was conducted of over 1000 professionals from 22 high-technology companies to assess the educational and training needs of technical professionals engaged in the transition process. Of the survey, most respondents (86%) believe that a technically based and multidisciplined engineering approach is fundamental to ensure the successful transition of a design to production. Unfortunately, the survey indicates that university education and corporate training have been deficient for adequately explaining the basic engineering fundamentals behind the transition process. Over 88% of the respondents stated that “almost none to very little” course work in their university education was devoted to the underlying technical concepts and methodologies needed in the transition process. In addition, 93% stated that today's universities are not graduating students with the knowledge of these fundamental concepts. Similar findings regarding formal corporate training were also found. Most of the respondents (78%) indicated that “almost none to very little” training in the transition process was conducted in their companies, and 84% indicated that additional or improved corporate training is needed to increase their knowledge and understanding of this critical function. The majority of the companies surveyed have not conducted or implemented formal training programs for the transition process. In summary, the respondents believed that universities and corporations have often been indifferent to the educational and training requirements of transitioning a product from design to production     

Humanizing the Information Superhighway

We are rapidly moving toward an integration of two of the most powerful technologies shaping modern life: computers and communications. The telephone and television systems are merging with the computer to form an even more powerful and all-encompassing network of communication and information services, known formally as the National Information Infrastructure (NII), and informally as the Information Superhighway. The form this network finally takes will undoubtedly have an enormous impact on our individual lives, our businesses, and our society. The decisions that ultimately will determine it are even now being made. It is crucial that educators, engineers, business people, policy makers and citizens participate in shaping the technology and the institutions surrounding it. Some new ways of thinking about the NII are needed in order to achieve greater sensitivity to its social implications. Instead of regarding the network as a “superhighway”, which emphasizes the technical infrastructure, it can be viewed as a gathering place, like a village square or marketplace, which supports a rich variety of human interactions. This perspective suggests a framework for understanding and analyzing public policy issues related to the NII and some principles for addressing those issues     

Litigating fear: electrical and magnetic fields (EMF) and the law

A large number of persons in the United States and Europe believe that EMF causes human illness. These illnesses include childhood leukemia, other cancers, high blood pressure, the aggravation of other diseases, and electrical sensitivity syndrome. EMF has become a legal issue as people seek compensation for alleged injuries and try to have power lines relocated away from their homes. This column discusses the problem of making good legal decisions about complex scientific problems such as EMF. Topics discussed include: the history; the Denver study; fear and the law; proving negatives and the law; economic consequences of fear; and fear and the public utility consequences. The author concludes that so far, the courts and most state public-utility regulatory commissions have acted reasonably when dealing with EMF. They have recognized that the potential risk is very small, if there is any risk at all, and that the potential harm from regulation is very high. This is a precarious balance, however, and it could easily be upset by either trial judges allowing EMF cases to be litigated or a state public-utility commission giving in to public pressure and declaring EMF a threat to health. Scientists and others who understand these problems should speak out and try to shape public opinion to diminish the suffering that comes from irrational fears and the social dislocations that follow bad policy choices     

Negotiating expert status: who gets taken seriously

A lay person may listen puzzled as a specialist in a public hearing discusses a technical point. Similarly, a challenging question from a technically knowledgeable member of the audience may be difficult to fathom. Failure to understand what a speaker discusses-despite one's interest in a topic-can cause frustration, anger and despair. It makes a listener wonder why they are there trying to engage, and why technical specialists persist in such a style of presentation. Breakdowns in communication between technical and nontechnical people are linked to the concept of “expert”. This link involves the process of the “negotiation of expert status”; this refers to the social construction of the role of the “expert” by the participants in a conversation. The term “negotiation” refers to the sometimes subtle and sometimes overtly contentious nature of a debate about who deserves to be listened to as a voice of authority on a particular topic     

Specific absorption rates induced in head tissues by microwaveradiation from cell phones

The wireless telephone industry is concerned about how the public may use the SARs, because, according to one industry source, “SARs by themselves may be misleading and variations in SARs do not represent a variation in safety.” Indeed, SAR values can vary as a function of carrier frequency (for example, 850 or 1,900 MHz, used to transmit the telephone message) or how the handset is held. The author gives some insights into SAR, what it is, how is it determined, and what it means     

Education for Specific Needs Company-Sponsored Courses

An electric public utility, facing a necessary change in organization structure and a continuing problem of managerial replacements, discovered a dearth of managers immediately capable of assuming larger responsibilities. A full-scale inventory of managerial resources was undertaken, and a four-pronged appraisal tool was used to produce composite individual appraisals. A comparison of appraisals with position specifications revealed numerous instances of potential ability and aptitude, but inadequate present knowledge of the concepts and skills of business management, as well as frequent cases of unfamiliarity with the complex factors involved in applying economic analysis to engineering decisions. Exploration of personal histories revealed that, in such instances, neither undergraduate education nor postbaccalaureate experience had been sufficient to insure competence in the managerial and economic areas. Establishment of a 4-week school dealing with management concepts; evening seminars dealing with the skills of leadership, communications, decision making, and delegation; and a 30-hour course in engineering economics were among the internal developmental activities undertaken by the company to provide an effective solution to some of its most pressing problems of employee education and development.     

Is the precautionary principle a principle?

The article considers whether the precautionary principle is a principle. Truth in labeling is not the only motive behind asking this question. There is a tradition of principle-based decision making in the public health professions. Principles of ethics matter to epidemiologists and others who study disease causation in populations and recommend, even advocate for, disease prevention and health promotion interventions. Public health professionals have been trained to reflect upon such decisions in terms of the principles of beneficence, respect for persons, and justice alongside considerations of scientific uncertainty, criteria of evidence, practicability, cultural acceptability, and cost. The prominence of the so-called precautionary principle in the global conversation on environmental and public health, and controversy about its scope also make this an important inquiry.     

变电站分散布置的监控、保护设备的电磁兼容性--相关标准及其执行情况调查

针对变电站保护、监控设备分散布置后的抗干扰问题，介绍了ＩＥＣ关于电磁兼容性的概念和相关标准，简述国内外变电站保护、监控设备主要生产厂家执行标准的情况。对工程建设中这些设备的进口招标，国内开发、生产和工程设计有一定指导作用。     

Engineering and the law [custodians of information]

The control of valuable technical information determines its beneficiaries. The “owner” may exploit the information for a profit or share it with colleagues and the general public. When used for a profit, benefits focus on monetary considerations and the narrower interests of the “owner” of the information. When information is in the public domain, benefits extend to everyone. Information, of course, exists whether there is an “owner” or not. Until discovered, information “belongs” to everyone but can be used by no one. After discovery, the ownership of the information does not change, but who can use it does. Thus, one who discovers information becomes its first custodian, but not its owner. In his thoughtful “GNU Manifesto” (1985), Professor Richard Stallman, a well-known computer scientist, points out that the desire to be rewarded for one's creativity does not justify depriving the world of that creativity, and that creativity is a social contribution only insofar as society is free to use the results. Indeed, if the initial custodians of valuable information deserve to be rewarded for their creativity, they also deserve to be punished if they restrict the use of it. Nevertheless, most legal systems recognize at least 3 methods for the control of information. Trade-secret law recognizes the right of the first custodian of information to keep the information secret and be protected from misappropriation by a subsequent custodian of the same information. The first custodian of information comprising a significant advance in a useful art is permitted to use the information as embodied in the specific advancement exclusively for a period of time in return for disclosing it promptly to the public in a patent     

Courts, technology, and the boundaries of expertise

Contemporary US jurisprudence is confronted with a constellation of issues that, while frequently masked as purely technical in nature, concern fundamental themes such as privacy and freedom of expression. Future court decisions will require an increased recognition of the ethical and social claims presented within technical contexts. This article is a study of comparative motion. On the one hand, there is the realm of technology where change is expected and unceasing. On the other hand, there is the law-embodying a tradition of rules and a methodology of interpretation which alters only slowly. The speed with which technology operates upon society is certainly a partial explanation for its clash with the more measured process of law, but it is not the only reason. The rapid generation of new knowledge is itself a force that challenges the stability of professions and philosophies, shifting claims of expertise among multiple contenders, sometimes with little warning. The power of expertise is not restricted to human beings. Rather than being situated solely within human agency, technology's “expert” ability to influence the decisions of courts is derived from its own character, is concerned with its own ends, and transmits values and purposes that are not necessarily consistent with human values or purposes