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Title: Engineering research, development and technology FY99

Technical Report ·
DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/15009521· OSTI ID:15009521

The growth of computer power and connectivity, together with advances in wireless sensing and communication technologies, is transforming the field of complex distributed systems. The ability to deploy large numbers of sensors with a rapid, broadband communication system will enable high-fidelity, near real-time monitoring of complex systems. These technological developments will provide unprecedented insight into the actual performance of engineered and natural environment systems, enable the evolution of many new types of engineered systems for monitoring and detection, and enhance our ability to perform improved and validated large-scale simulations of complex systems. One of the challenges facing engineering is to develop methodologies to exploit the emerging information technologies. Particularly important will be the ability to assimilate measured data into the simulation process in a way which is much more sophisticated than current, primarily ad hoc procedures. The reports contained in this section on the Center for Complex Distributed Systems describe activities related to the integrated engineering of large complex systems. The first three papers describe recent developments for each link of the integrated engineering process for large structural systems. These include (1) the development of model-based signal processing algorithms which will formalize the process of coupling measurements and simulation and provide a rigorous methodology for validation and update of computational models; (2) collaborative efforts with faculty at the University of California at Berkeley on the development of massive simulation models for the earth and large bridge structures; and (3) the development of wireless data acquisition systems which provide a practical means of monitoring large systems like the National Ignition Facility (NIF) optical support structures. These successful developments are coming to a confluence in the next year with applications to NIF structural characterizations and analysis of large bridge structures for the State of California. Initial feasibility investigations into the development of monitoring and detection systems are described in the papers on imaging of underground structures with ground-penetrating radar, and the use of live insects as sensor platforms. These efforts are establishing the basic performance characteristics essential to the decision process for future development of sensor arrays for information gathering related to national security.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
US Department of Energy (US)
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
OSTI ID:
15009521
Report Number(s):
UCRL-53868-99; TRN: US200429%%807
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: 1 Feb 2000
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English