An update is presented for the following projects: (1) asphalt pavement recycling; (2) data collection platform/water quality monitoring; (3) digital emergency traffic routing; (4) fire department communications and dispatch system; (5) health department management information system; (6) hazardous materials; (7) coal gasification; and (8) emergency vehicle proximity sensing

Golden, T. S.

Yaffee, P.

English

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NASA
Technical Memorandum 80577
Baltimore Applications Project
Fifth Annual Progress Report
(NASA-TM-80577) BALTIMORE APPLICATIONS
	 N80-12957PROJECT Annual Progress Aepor. t, Jun. 1978 -Map 1979 (NASA) 16 p HC A02/MF
 A01
Unclas
G3/85 41480
Tom Golden and Philip Yaffee
JUNE 1979
National Aeronautics and
`	
Space Administration
Goddard Space Flight Center
Greenbelt, Maryland 20771
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CONTENTS
Page
I.	 INTRODUCTION ..................................................... 	 1
	
H. BALTIMORE ENERGY CONSERVATION PROGRAM ........................ 	 I
III. STATUS OF BAP ACTIVITIES ............... ........................... 	 I
IV. PLANS FOR THE NEXT PERIOD ........................................	 1
	
APPENDIXA .............................................................	 A-]
1. Asphalt Pavement Recycling ...........................................	 A-2
2. Data Collection Platform/Water Quality Monitoring ......................... 	 A-3
3. Digital Emergency Traffic Routing ...................................... 	 A-4
4. Fire Department Communications and Dispatch System ...................... 	 A-5
	
S. Health Department Management Information System ........................ 	 A-6
6. Hazardous Materials ................................................. 	 A-7
7. Coal Gasification .................................................... 	 A-9
8. Emergency Vehicle Proximity Sensing ................................... 	 A-10
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BALTIMORE APPLICATIONS PROJECT
FIFTH ANNUAL REPORT	 a
I
I. INTRODUCTION
,3
The Baltimore Applications Project (BAP) was originally designed as a two year experimental
effort to assist the government of the City of Baltimore in applying technology to the solution of
municipal problems. The BAP started in May 19' 1 in 1976 and 1977 the project was extended for
one year at the request of the City. In 1978 the . tyor of Baltimore requested that a continuing
relationship between Baltimore and Goddard Space Flight Center be established. That continuing
relationship has been the basis for operation since 1978. A tabular update of the tasks during this
interim is shown in Table 1.
II. BALTIMORE ENERGY CONSERVATION PROGRAM
The work performed by the Baltimore Energy Conservation Program will not be reported here.
However, as a result of Goddard's participation in this program, the Mayor created the position of
Energy Coordinator in his Office. Mr. Herbert Fiveliouse, a recent retiree from Goddard, has been
named by the Mayor to fill this position. The position is funded entirely by the City of Baltimore.
III. STATUS OF BAP ACTIVITIES
The last report cited sixteen tasks. Seven were transferred to the Energy Coordinator. Three
were discontinued; one was completed; one was inactive. Four were active tasks. One task (Data
Collection Platform Experiment) has been reactivated at Goddard. Three new task areas have been
added: Coal Gasification Study, Hazardous Materials, and Emergency Vehicle Sensing. All the tasks
and their present status are described in the Appendix.
Table I
Active BAP Tasks as of June 1979
Continuing
Asphalt Recycling
Data Collection Platform
Emergency Traffic Routing
Fire Department Dispatch System
Health Department MIS
IV. PLANS FOR THE NEXT PERIOD
New
Coal Gasification
Emergency Vehicle Sensing
Hazardous Materials
The problem identification phase of BAP activities is essentially complete. Participation has
become more detailed; the implementation pliasc has arrived. Meetings with city officials are now
on a scheduled basis. New problems are elicited through regular contact with Mr. Bernard Berkowitz,
the Mayor's Physical Development Coordinator, and through irregular contact with Department
Heads, Bureau Chiefs, and others in the City government. Participation in Baltimore activities is
expected to be as described in each detailed task description in the Appendix.
Following the suggestion of the panel organized by the National Academy of Public Admin-
istration (NAPA) to evaluate the BAP, the National Needs Office has established similar technologi-
cal relationships with Hagerstown, Greenbelt, Mt. Airy and Westminster, Maryland. During the next
year plans are to carry out activities similar to those in Baltimore in these Maryland cities.
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APPENDIX A
k-1
1. Asphalt Pavement Recycling
During this period BAP has continued to monitor developments in asphalt pavement recycling.
Contacts were made with the Demonstration Projects Division of the U.S. Federal Highway Admin-
istration, the Asphalt Recycling and Reclaiming Association, and several recycling equipment
manufacturers. Information on equipment and techniques for asphalt recycling was a^;qu red. As
the price of asphalt has climbed and the cost and availability of virgin aggregates have become a
problem, much more attention is being given to recycling as a beneficial alternative.
Much of the recent emphasis by recycling equipment manufacturers has been on surface re-
cycling equipment which economically removes a predetermined thickness of pavement for sub-
sequent recycling. Several types of cold planers or pavement milling machines are now available,
as are accessory loaders and crushers for on-location crushing of the removed material. Additional
integrated hot surface recycling equipment which meets current pollution control standards is
also available for complete on-site recycling/resurfacing. Asphalt pavement recycling will continue
to get increased attention by all levels of government in the future.
During this period BAP investigated the use of microwave power as a heat source for hot
surface planing. Based on the meager information available this technique does not appear feasible
for this application because of the high power required and the slow planing speed attainable. The
microwave heating technique may be feasible for crack repair rather that; resurfacing.
BAP will continue to monitor the asphalt recycling technology for possibie application in the
City.
A-2
2. Data Collection Platform/Water Quality Monitoring
A simple, essentially unattended, long-term test of the Martek Mark V sensors and the data
collection platform (DCP) was performed during this period. The purpose of the test was to check
long term stability of the system, need for sensor cleaning, battery life, etc. and to acquire these
data for possible future application of the system.
The Mark V instrument which monitored water temperature, conductivity, dissolved oxygen,
and pH, and the Landsat DCP were installed in the Goddard lake in June 1978. The Bowie State
College Chemistry Department, which performs work under contract for the Quality Assurance
Division at Goddard, was responsible for monitoring the test, collecting data, cleaning the sensors
when necessary, and making calibrations and performance checks. Early in the test it was deter-
mined that the battery drain of th . nsor's stirring motor discharged the batteries in about 10 days.
The installation of solar panels eliminated this problem and maintained the batteries at near full
charge for the remainder of the test, which was concluded in May 1979.
In addition to monitoring the outputs of the four Martek sensors, two battery supply voltages
and two reference voltages were monitored. On the basis of the test results, the Landsat data col-
lection and processing system is reliable and very stable. The Landsat data printouts accurately
represent the outputs of the Martek sensors. However, accurate wet chemistry water quality mea-
surements for comparison with the data printouts are not presently available. A Bowie State
Chemistry Department report, now in preparation, may provide additional information.
y..
A-
I Digital Emergency Traffic Routing
No progress was made on this task during this period. This task is being discontinued until
future circumstances make it desirable and feasible to reactivate it.
1$
A-4
4. Fire Department Communications and Dispatch System
The Baltimore City Fire Department is proceeding with the replacement of its communications
and dispatch system. BAP has been the Department's technical advisor and a member of the City's
project team since the beginning of this project. Assistance provided by BAP has included the
development of a project plan; research on computer-aided-dispatch systems in other fire depart-
ments throughout the country; development of a statement of work for a study contract, covering
a requirements analysis. conceptual system design, cost benefit analysis, preparation of performance
specifications, and preparation of an implementation plan; and evaluation of proposals in response
to the City's Request fot Proposals (RFP) for a replacement system. In addition, BAP has been a
member of the City's team during contractual negotiations for the implementation of this project.
On November 7, 1978 the citizens of Baltimore approved a bond issue of $13M to fund phase
one of the project. The City also received approval from the Maryland State Legislature for a phase
two bond referendum of $1.7M for November 6, 1979. On June 13, 1979 the Baltimore City Board
of Estimates approved the negotiation of a three-phase contract, totaling approximately $4.OM,
with Motorola Incorporated, with the individual phases to be implemented on a funds-available
basis. During the negotiation phase, an agreement was reached with Motorola which will result in a
considerable cost saving to the City. The City will purchase directly from suppliers those major
system components which can be drop-shipped to the installation site. These d irect purchases will
be made to Motorola specifications. Further, Motorola retains full turn-key responsibility for the
installation and performance of the overall system.
On June 12, 1979 the Baltimore City Board of Fire Commissioners and the Chief of the Fire
Department awarded Certificates of Appreciation to Messrs. Philip Yaffee, National Needs Office
(Code 702), and Harold Theiss, Network Engineering Division (Code 810), for "the outstanding
contribution you are making toward the success of tlw : = ire Department's Communications Mod-
ernization Program."
A -S
S. Health Department Management Information System
Discussions with senior Health Department personnel early in this period indicated a renewed
interest in exploring the applicability of management information systems (MIS) to the operations
of the Department. Thus, BAP undertook a review of MIS applications in ambulatory health care
delivery.
A detailed organization chart of the Health Department was drawn up and a preliminary
matrix of information needs versus organizational elements was developed. A program plan was
then generated in flow chart and outline form. with the major elements under the program defini-
tion, requirements analysis, and implementation phases itemized. These planning documents were
provided to the Health Department in March 1979, together with comments on MIS implemen-
tation based upon the review noted above. It was suggested the the Department embark on an MIS
implementation program cautiously, with an awareness of the potential problems, and only after a
comprehensive systems analysis of the organization, Its operating procedures, present methods of
acquiring data and presenting reports, and its present and antici . ,ated data requirements. The
documents provided were given serious consideration by the planning staff of the Department
during the March June period.
In June 1979 the Commissioner of Health stated that, because of competition for manpower
resources from other programs and limited budget, it would not be possible to undertake the long-
term commitment to MIS implementation at this time. MIS implementation would be reconsidered
in the near future. BAP will continue to monitor MIS developments in health care delivery for such
possible future application.
A-6
6. Hazardous Materials
In every successful industrial city there are waste products from its industry. Some of these
present varying degrees of hazard to the populace and to the environment. In some industries the
input raw material or the processing itself also presents risks of varying degrees. Every industrial
situation usually has some degree of risk involved. The recent cony, rMS over kepone, PCB and Love
Canal waste burial have heightened public concern, sometimes to the point of near irrationality.
Since risk of some degree is always present, the goal should not be the total elimination of risk. The
valid questions for each situation are "What is the level of tolerable risk?", "How do we achieve
that level?", and "How do we satisfy the public concern that the situation has been adequately
treated and that the remaining risks are tolerable?"
A brief study of both the available literature and the federal activities in hazardous waste was
made. In general the conclusions reached are as follows:
1) Most hazardous situatiuns can be identified.
2) Most hazardous situations can be ameliorated through a proper choice of technology
(which is already available in most cases).
3) Incorporation of ameliorating technology is likely to take time and cost money. It is
unclear who pays for it and whca.
4) A studied concensus of how much amelioration of hazard is needed is not presently
available (probably leading to over-compensation tendencies).
5) Spending money or dedicating time to the problem, when coupled with the lack of a
clear guide as to how far to go, readily leads to decisions in favor of the status quo.
6) The status quo, if preserved, is likely to present some hazard to the public.
7) This combination of inaction and ignorance leads to federal entry into the decision pro-
cess (ultimately regulations).
S) In a jurisdiction like Baltimore it is not clear which organization in the city should have
the responsibility for action. The Health Department, Fire Department, Police Department,
Planning, Public Works. Disaster Control, and perhaps others will likely share in the responsibility
for action.
To date discussions about hazardous waste have been held wiih Mr. Be,kowitz in the Mayor's
Office and with Dr. Delioff. Commissioner of Health. A new forni of emergency control for epi-
sodes of less than disastrous proportions has been instituted in the City. It is called Operation
SWIFT. Key ^'ity officials and administrators report for duty in their own offices during an
n =,
A-i
eme,.pncy (as compared to reporting to the Disaster Control Center). Through telephone communi-
cations with City a,encies, serious events (e.g. local flooling) are dealt with. Operation SWIFT re-
lates to pest ticto hazardous waste problems when spillage or seepage occars. Further specific
activity on nazardous waste by BAP awaits it higher sniped priority for the task.
A4
7. Coal Gasification
Baltimore, perhaps like other northeastern seaboard industrial cities, suffered gas curtailment
and cut off several winters ago. The unavailability of gas for industrial fuel and feedstock was,
in retrospect, an economic, regulatory or pricing problem, but it was and still is perceived as a
condition which might be amenable to technological solution.
A considerable amount of coal is shipped through the port of Baltimore. Railway transport
facilities for coal have been established and operated for some time. A logical alternative in the
absence of natural gas supply is the consideration of coal and its gasification as a substitute. Con-
versations with individuals in the Department of Energy responsible for gasification programs in-
dicated that the process is entirely within the state of the art. In fact coal gas was the dominant
form for early domestic gas generation since interstate pipelines for shipping natural gas are a
relatively recent development. Innplicitly, at least, the decision to explore gasification of coal in
or near Baltimore was then largely based on economics.
Coal shipment by rail, however. is not as energy efficient as transport of gas through a pipe-
line. This, coupled with the erratic nature of natural gas availability and in situ gasification tech-
nology development by the Department of Energy, suggested an examination of the usefulness to
Baltimore industry of this form of gasification. Stated briefly the concept of in situ coal gasification
is to burn the coal underground (instead of mining) in a controlled way so that the exhaust gasses
are recovered and processed chemically to r
 xtract the combustible gasses (methane).
Experimentation is underway in % yoming and in West Virginia. It was determined that the
state of the development is perhaps ter, years from practical commercialization. With stronger
economic pressures finis might be cut by a few years. The technology for the above ground portion
of processing is essentially available; it is not that different from established methods for extrac-
tion of gas from coal. The present experiments will provide the needed insight as to locating the
proper coal seams and burning them in the most effective way. The present availability of natural
gas with no foreseeable interruption of supply tends to lower the priority of this task. Because of
the well advanced state of the art for above ground gasification and the preliminary state of the
to situ (below ground) gasification, further work on this tas:: was curtailed.
The principals involved in this effort were Mr. Russ Bardos and Mr. I'd Burwell of the De-
partment of Energy; Mr. Neil Curran of the Baltimore City Planning Department and Mr. Rick
Mappin of the Allegheny County Development Co. (Cumberland, Maryland) through whom a
briefing on in situ gasification for interested parties in the "coal country" of Maryland was
arranged.
A-v
8. Emergency Vehicle Proximity Sensing
Late in this period a Fire Department representative requested that BAP investigate the feasi-
bility of one emergency vehicle determining the presence of another when approaching an inter-
section, in order to prevent collisions. A search of the available data bases has been initiated through
the Goddard library to determine the existence o r technology related to this problem. Some prelim-
inary discussions have been had with Goddard personnel relative to the adaptation of emergency
location transmitters and receivers to this use.
A-10


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