| The unique role of the Integrated Systems Group is
to foster productive interactions among all researchers across different
ALS disciplines in furtherance of several goals. One goal is
to guide NSCORT research toward the overall design of a life support system
of acceptable cost and reliability. Equally important, the ISG aims to
promote collaboration among researchers at all three institutions. In
addition, the group is collecting and disseminating considerable knowledge
from past and ongoing worldwide ALS research to help the current NSCORT
build upon previous accomplishments rather than reinvent them.
Significant investments in human resources and technology have allowed
the ISG to achieve several steps toward its objectives. The principal
investigators, postdoctoral staff, graduate students, and technical staff
have engaged in several projects and events. The systems modeling work
leading to two ICES-2003 papers were important ISG products. These presentations
showed the initial steps in the long-term systems strategy which makes
innovative use of optimization. Special events organized by the ISG included
seminars by distinguished visitors and a workshop to introduce the systems
group and other researchers to each other. Members have visited colleagues
at Kennedy Space Center and in Europe and upon return presented their
findings. Regular group meetings have generated ongoing discussion to
identify the key research questions worthy of focus for the duration of
the NSCORT, and the pursuit of adequate data which remains one of the
main modeling challenges.
The group is gaining much leverage from donated collaboration software,
such as the web-based QuickPlace for exchange of documents and reference
information, and is assisting in Outreach by creating the NSCORT website
for the general public.
The close one-to-one cooperation of ISG members with subsystem specialists
is accelerating the refinement of our modeling efforts and is anticipated
to provide new developments for presentation in 2004.
Systems Group Leader
Joseph Pekny
Professor of Chemical Engineering and University Faculty Scholar
Director, e-Enterprise Center at Discovery Park
Purdue University
Phone: 765.494.7901
e-Mail: pekny@ecn.purdue.edu
Guy Gardner
Director of Super Project Development
Discovery Park,
Purdue University
e-Mail: g2@purdue.edu
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