The Colorado School of Mines Nevada geothermal study

Geothermal systems in the Basin and Range Province of the western United States probably differ in many respects from geothermal systems already discovered in other parts of the world because of the unique tectonic setting. To investigate this, a study of the geothermal occurrences at Fly Ranch, approximately 100 miles north of Reno, Nevada, has been undertaken. Ample evidence for a geothermal system exists in this area, including the surface expression of heat flow in the form of hot springs, an extensive area of low electrical resistivity, and a high level of seismicity along faults bounding the thermal area. However, geophysical and geological studies have not yet provided evidence for a local heat source at depth. Additional detailed geophysical and geological studies, as well as drilling, must be completed before the geothermal system can be described fully

Stratospheric dynamics and transport studies

A three dimensional General Circulation Model/Transport Model is used to simulate stratospheric circulation and constituent distributions. Model simulations are analyzed to interpret radiative, chemical, and dynamical processes and their mutual interactions. Concurrent complementary studies are conducted using both global satellite data and other appropriate data. Comparisons of model simulations and data analysis studies are used to aid in understanding stratospheric dynamics and transport processes and to assess the validity of current theory and models

Estimating Total Program Cost of a Long-Term, High-Technology, High-Risk Project with Task Durations and Costs That May Increase Over Time

Military Operations Research, 11, 2006, pp. 41-62.We plan a long-term project schedule for which the total budget depends upon the year the project finishes. Each task in the project can begin only when all its predecessor tasks have been completed, and each task has a range of feasible durations with a month-by-month cost profile for each duration. A task start can be delayed, but once started for some chosen duration, a task cannot be interrupted. Each task suffers some risk of delay and changed cost. Ignoring budget constraints, we use Monte Carlo simulation of the duration of each task in the project to infer the probability distribution of the project completion time. We then optimize a deterministic project schedule following budget guidance. Finally, we successively reschedule as the project progresses, simulating annual review of the active tasks, and possibly delaying each active task's duration and changing its monthly costs for its forecast duration. We do not require an independence assumption, so we can accommodate learning effects from completed tasks. U.S. Army Future Combat Systems (FCS) is our motivating application. FCS is a complex of information technologies, sensors, and command systems expected to require more than a decade and $16 billion to develop. The U.S. General Accounting Office finds FCS at significant risk of cost and schedule growth, and suggests two alternatives to a baseline Army plan. We analyze these three alternate project plans for FCS to discover which one can most likely be completed soonest and cheapest

Mitigation of Engine Inlet Distortion Through Adjoint-Based Design

The adjoint-based design capability in FUN3D is extended to allow efficient gradient- based optimization and design of concepts with highly integrated aero-propulsive systems. A circumferential distortion calculation, along with the derivatives needed to perform adjoint-based design, have been implemented in FUN3D. This newly implemented distortion calculation can be used not only for design but also to drive the existing mesh adaptation process and reduce the error associated with the fan distortion calculation. The design capability is demonstrated by the shape optimization of an in-house aircraft concept equipped with an aft fuselage propulsor. The optimization objective is the minimization of flow distortion at the aerodynamic interface plane of this aft fuselage propulsor