January 19, 1998 Design News

Washington beat

Technical news from the nation's capital

by Walter Wingo,Washington Editor

Nine key research projects selected by Pentagon

Imagine using unattended ground sensors to provide continuous weather reports and surveillance of critical targets in enemy areas. The Defense Depart-ment thinks the idea is sound enough to pursue. The agency includes it among nine projects it will fund this fiscal year under its Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) program. The other projects are: a networked early warning system for biological threats, a method for detecting coordinated attacks on computer networks, a "joint continuous strike environment" using combined suites of weapons on targets, a system for moving weapons and other materiel from ship to shore in heavy seas, an interface between major tactical data links on the ground and in the air, an advanced forward looking infrared system for precise target location and identification, a markedly improved capability for precise counterfire at the battle-theater level, and a line-of-sight system for high-speed destruction of many tanks at once.

Transportation department opens dockets to all Internet users

Have you had a hard time following the Department of Transportation's regulatory ruffle over air bags? You can now use the Internet to find out--among other things--the agency's latest position regarding on-off switches for deactivating the bags. While launching a nationwide effort to explain its ruling allowing the switches, the department unveiled the federal government's first Internet web site that contains rulemaking and other legal documents. The files, known as the docket, are available at http://dms.dot.gov. The docket is a compilation of information about proposed and final regulations issued by the department, including public comments on department decisions, Federal Register notices, legal pleadings, rulemaking, and other documents produced during regulatory or adjudicatory actions. The system allows rapid retrieval, cross-referencing and searching for specific subjects at all hours. Now, many viewers around the world can read the same document together. Previously, only one copy could be viewed at a time in Washington during office hours. Before fall, the public will be able to use the Internet to file comments, petitions, and requests, making it easier to participate in the department's regulatory process.

Agency proposes global standard for dimensional inspection

Design engineers should benefit if a government agency succeeds in its latest endeavor before the International Standardization Organization. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) seeks a worldwide guideline for computer-to-computer exchanges of dimensional inspection information. Following a series of workshops, NIST officials report that manufacturers often are frustrated because computer-aided design packages do not include inspection planning and dimensional requirements. Companies also complain that incompatible data formats undermine sharing of part data and inspection results among software applications. As proposed by NIST, the new inspection standard would be a component of STEP, a standard that provides an unambiguous format for communicating data relevant to all phases of a product's life cycle.

NASA reaches milestone in quest for 'all-electric' planes

NASA engineers have completed tests on a device that opens the path for development of "all-electric" aircraft. Called the Electro-Hydrostatic Actuator, the device eliminates or minimizes airborne dependence on hydraulic, pneumatic, and mechanical systems. NASA tested the device on the left aileron of its F/A-18 Systems Research Aircraft without using the plane's central hydraulics. Taking its signals from the aircraft's flight-control computers, the device uses its electronics to trick aircraft computers into thinking a standard actuator is on board. Although the device contains a small amount of hydraulic fluid, it uses an electric motor to drive its pump. The force created moves the aileron. For many years, NASA, the Air Force, and the Navy have sought to eliminate heavy hydraulic systems in aircraft in favor of electrical "power-by-wire" systems for operating flight controls. The new device results from the Electrically Powered Actuation Design program of the Air Force.

Micromechanics pioneer wins ASME engineering medal

Bernard Budiansky, professor emeritus of engineering at Harvard University, has won the ASME Medal of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. ASME, based in Washington, DC, established the medal in 1920 for "eminently distinguish-ed engineering achievement." Budiansky's many accomplishments include a leading role in founding micromechanics, a relatively new branch of solid mechanics. Micromechanics examines the way microstructural features of materials affect the overall mechanical deformation and strength of solid bodies. Budiansky's early work in the field continues to assist physicists, material scientists, and design engineers.