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Events for November 30, 2011
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Damage Assessment for System Safety (DASS)
Wed, Nov 30, 2011 @ 08:00 AM - 04:00 PM
Aviation Safety and Security Program
University Calendar
Sophisticated mathematical models and methods have been developed to estimate the level of impact of a hazardous condition. This course is intended to provide an overall understanding of these methods to help managers and system safety analysis reviewers understand the analysis conducted and results obtained by the experts in the field.
Location: Aviation Safety & Security Campus
Audiences: Aviation Professionals
Contact: Harrison Wolf
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Seminar in Astronautical Engineering
Wed, Nov 30, 2011 @ 12:00 PM - 01:50 PM
Astronautical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: De. William M. Owen, Jr., Member of JPL;s Optical Navigation Group
Talk Title: How to Give Presentations and Write Papers
Abstract: This seminar will describe and demonstrate important communication skills for every engineer or anyone:
⢠Tactics for coping with stage fright
⢠Mastering the 3 Bs of presentation (be clear, be concise and be seated)
⢠Organization of your ideas
⢠Tips for writing professional-looking papers
Biography: Dr. Owen is a member of JPLâs Optical Navigation Group since 1979. He has navigated missions from Voyager and Galileo through NEAR Shoemaker, Cassini and Deep Impact to EPOXI and Stardust/NExT when he was not busy obtaining his own astrometric observations of âanything up there that moves.â He holds a B.S. from Caltech, M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Florida, all in astronomy, and likes to say that he has one leg on either side of the razor blade which divides science from engineering.
Host: Department of Astronautical Engineering
More Information: ASTE Seminar (Dr. Owen) 11.30.pdf
Location: Olin Hall of Engineering (OHE) - 122
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Ana Olivares
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Astani CEE Department Seminar
Wed, Nov 30, 2011 @ 02:00 PM - 03:00 PM
Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Jose C. Borrero, Ph.D., ASR Marine Consulting and Research, Raglan, New Zealand; Adjunct Assistant Professor, USC -Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Talk Title: Modelling âPollution Pathwaysâ From Seashore Litter to Oceanic Garbage Gyres:
Abstract:
Transforming Scientific Investigations into Tools for Education and Raising Awareness
This presentation will discuss a recent project designed to convert technical output from scientific investigations into education and outreach materials aimed at raising public awareness of the environmental hazards associated with oceanic plastic pollution and floating debris.
The project began with our participation on a research cruise across the South Atlantic Ocean, one of several recent and ongoing research voyages aimed at documenting and quantifying the distribution and concentration of plastic pollution within the five subtropical convergence zones (also known as gyres or âgarbage patchesâ) of the World Ocean. Samples of floating debris were collected along the route from Rio de Janeiro to Ascension Island using both standard and high-speed tow trawls along the shipâs path.
Following the voyage, we began an investigation into existing literature describing marine debris, plastic pollution and the formation of the oceanic garbage gyres. Noting a gap in existing models, we focused on developing a model linking realistic representations of debris released in to the oceanic environment and the formation of the accumulation zones. To accomplish this, a global oceanic circulation model was coupled to a Lagrangian particle-tracking model to simulate the input, transport and accumulation of floating debris. The volume of material introduced into the model is based on factors such as coastal population density and watershed area and is assumed to increase with time.
Using hindcast data sets of global oceanic currents to drive the circulation, the modeling results clearly show the formation of five accumulation zones in the subtropical latitudes of the major ocean basins. The relative size and concentration of each clearly illustrate the dominance of the accumulation zones in the northern hemisphere, while smaller seas surrounded by densely populated areas are also shown to have a high concentration of floating debris. We also determine the relative contribution of different source regions to the total amount of material in a particular accumulation zone.
This study provides a framework for describing the transport, distribution and accumulation of floating marine debris which can be scaled to focus on regional effects and can be continuously updated and adapted to assess scenarios reflecting changes in the production and disposal of debris worldwide. The output from our study is currently being used to develop unique interactive tools and web-based âexperiencesâ designed to raise public awareness of this issue.
Biography: Dr. Borrero has earned his Ph.D. in civil (coastal)engineering from the University of Southern California in 2002. Since 2006 he has worked with ASR Ltd., a consulting firm based in Raglan New Zealand, specializing in hydrodynamic modelling of aquatic systems, the design and implementation of innovative shore protection schemes and the design and construction of artificial surfing reefs.
Host: Dr. Patrick Lynett
Location: Kaprielian Hall (KAP) - 209 Conference Room
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: Evangeline Reyes
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AME Department Seminar
Wed, Nov 30, 2011 @ 03:30 PM - 04:30 PM
Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
Conferences, Lectures, & Seminars
Speaker: Barnaby Wainfan, Technical Fellow, Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. Redondo Beach, CA 90278.
Talk Title: The Very Light Car
Abstract: The Edison2 Very Light Car is the most efficient highway-capable 4-seat car in history. In 2010, the Very Light Car won the Mainstream Class of the Progressive Insurance Automotive X-Prize. The 4-seat VLC achieved over 100 MPG combined, while demonstrating highway-capable performance. Mr .Wainfan will discuss the design and development of the car, and the future of the VLC project and efficient road transport.
Host: Dr. Geoff Spedding
More Info: http://ae-www.usc.edu/seminars/index.shtml#upcomingLocation: Seaver Science Library (SSL) - 150
Audiences: Everyone Is Invited
Contact: April Mundy
Event Link: http://ae-www.usc.edu/seminars/index.shtml#upcoming
