Belinda Wong-Swanson to speak tomorrow at FRIAM Applied Complexity Lecture Series

[Friam mailing list]

Reminder that Belinda's talk is tomorrow at SFI. Abstract below. If you grab
lunch up there, please give me $7 at some point. More info on Applied
Complexity lecture series at <http://www.redfish.com/friam>

Cool. It looks like the talks are getting out on the regular SFI
announcements <http://www.santafe.edu/sfi/events/seminarAbstracts>


*** FRIAM APPLIED COMPLEXITY LECTURE SERIES ***
*** FRIDAY May 30, 2003, 12:15 - 1:30pm ***

LOCATION: Santa Fe Institute Medium Conference Room

SPEAKER: Belinda Wong-Swanson
TITLE:  Thermodynamic Availability in Complex Systems

ABSTRACT:
Energy Availability (also known as Exergy) analysis has been used for over
30 years to improve the operational performance of power plants and
industrial processes. I am currently conducting research to explore the
feasibility of combining concepts and techniques in complexity science (such
as, distributed agents, self-organization, adaptation, agent-based
modeling), with energy availability analysis, as a tool for evaluating the
interactions of different human activities, resource usage, environmental
and economic impact.

Typical energy availability of power plants would examine the input and
output flows of the power plant, the different systems within the power
plants, in order to reduce the amount of energy wasted. I would like to
extend the system analysis boundary to include human activities near the
power plant, and look at the input and output streams of each, and identify
ways to optimally couple the activities such that output streams from one
activity may be input streams to others, in order to utilize as close to the
thermodynamic limit of available energy as possible.

AGENDA:
- motivation for the investigation
- brief review of 1st & 2nd of Thermodynamics
- energy availability overview
- case study comparing difference between energy efficiency and
    energy availability efficiency
- Literature search of research that combined energy availability &
complexity
- my research proposal
- comments & suggestions from audience

REFERENCES:
Kay. J. Ecosystems as self-organizing holarchic open systems: Narratives and
the second law of thermodynamics
<http://www.redfish.com/papers/Kay_SelforgEcosystem.pdf>

Wall. G. Conditions and tools in the design of energy conversion and
management systems of sustainable society
<http://www.redfish.com/papers/ctdecmsss.pdf>


____________________________________________________
http://www.redfish.com    [hidden email]
624 Agua Fria Street      office: [phone]
Santa Fe, NM 87501        mobile: [phone]

[Friam mailing list]

Regarding tomorrow's FRIAM talk: we have ongoing plumbing repairs at
SFI and no water and no toilets as a result. There's a port-a-potty in
the upper parking lot. I'm not sure whether we'll have this situation
tomorrow, but be prepared.

best,
walter

[Friam mailing list]

*** Change of Venue to Agua Fria Office Conference Room ***

Walter writes:
> Regarding tomorrow's FRIAM talk: we have ongoing plumbing repairs at
> SFI and no water and no toilets as a result. There's a port-a-potty in
> the upper parking lot. I'm not sure whether we'll have this situation
> tomorrow, but be prepared.

Yikes! <insert your own bathroom joke here>.

I spoke with Ginny Greninger who schedules resources at SFI. It would be
best if we changed this talk to the conference room here on Agua Fria.
Directions: <http://www.redfish.com/contact.htm>. Does anybody have a LCD
projector available? Otherwise, we'll make due with Owen's 19" LCD monitor.

We'll order lunch in. Send me an email if you want to be included on a pizza
order.

-Steve

____________________________________________________
http://www.redfish.com    [hidden email]
624 Agua Fria Street      office: [phone]
Santa Fe, NM 87501        mobile: [phone]