IEEE Madison Section - 2012 Meeting Archive

Why Reference Models are Crucial for e-Logistics

Thursday, December 20, 2012, 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM  -- CANCELED due to expected weather

Informal networking will begin at 11:30 AM. Presentation will begin at 12:00 PM..

Abstract

The three European Union (E.U.) next generation e-logistics projects are: iCargo (cargo), e-Freight (containers), and SAFEPOST (postal items). The goal of these projects is to develop: a) frameworks, b) reference models, and c) demonstrators for the electronic support of safe and efficient transport of cargo, containers, and postal items throughout the E.U. At this point in time, these initiatives are beginning to undertake the development of technology demonstrators to validate issues with the current transport process, and to prototype working, small-scale solutions for solving those issues. This talk will walk you through the e-Freight initiative’s: a) framework, b) reference model, and c) a functional specification of one of its demonstrators. You will see how reference models are the crucial linchpin between intended standards (i.e. the frameworks) and technology prototypes (i.e. the demonstrators), because they ensure a complete and consistent mapping between needed standards and proposed prototypes.

Biography

David A. Marca is president and founder of OpenProcess, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in strategic planning, systems analysis and design, and e-Business. David is also a certified faulty member for the University of Phoenix Online School, and is on the adjunct faulty of Edgewood College’s School of Business and Computer Science Department. His six books and 27 papers cover e-Business, business process design, workflow, and software engineering. His latest book with the IEEE is "Open Process Frameworks: Patterns for the Adaptive e-Enterprise". David alsoholds a patent in workflow technology, and is a Senior Member of the IEEE and ACM.

Unraveling Tornados with Doppler Radar: Scientific Storm Chasing on the Great Plains

Friday, November 16, 2012, 12:30 PM - 2:00 PM

Informal networking will begin at 12:30 PM. Presentation will begin at 1:00 PM..

Abstract

Mobile Doppler radar, which allows scientists to measure the destructive winds of a tornado remotely, has proven to be a crucial tool for understanding the dynamics of tornadoes and the storms that generate them. A brief review of the use of mobile Doppler radar in tornado research will be provided, emphasizing the speaker’s own experiences participating in severe weather research campaigns, including Project VORTEX2 (2009-2010). Several different mobile radar designs, with their inherent advantages and drawbacks, will be explored. Some recent scientific advances in understanding of tornadic storms resulting from analysis of mobile Doppler radar data will be enumerated.

Biography

Dr. Robin Tanamachi is a research meteorologist specializing in the collection, analysis, and assimilation of mobile Doppler radar data collected in severe storms. After receiving her bachelor’s degree in Atmospheric and Oceanic Science from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 2001, she completed her graduate studies in Meteorology at the University of Oklahoma (M.S. 2004, Ph.D. 2011). Dr. Tanamachi is currently a National Research Council postdoctoral fellow with the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL) in Norman, Oklahoma. Since 2002, she has participated in severe weather research campaigns, including VORTEX2 , and has lead-authored several peer-reviewed publications. Dr. Tanamachi aspires to be a role model for women in science, and advocates dissemination of scientific advances via social media.

Ethics Training for PEs

Wednesday, November 7, 2012, 10:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Regiatration will begin at 10:00 AM. Presentation will begin at 10:30 AM.

Certificate Information

This course is approved for 2 professional development hours and fulfills the requirements for Professional Conduct & Ethics in all states (except FL). Attendees will receive University of Wisconsin-Madison certificates of attendance to document meeting the requirement. As of 2012, Wisconsin requires 30 hours of continuing education every two years, of which 2 hours must be in the area of Professional Conduct and Ethics. The complete rules from the WI Department of Safety and Professional Services (formerly Department of Regulation and Licensing) can be found at: https://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/code/admin_code/a_e/13.pdf

Abstract

This course will provide two professional development hours, satisfying the ethics requirement for professional engineering licensure in Wisconsin. After completing this seminar, attendees will be more aware of the fundamental canons of a recognized Code of Ethics for Engineers (particularly the IEEE code). They will recognize when they are facing a complex ethical dilemma, and be able to identify stakeholders and potential consequences for them (long-term costs, safety concerns, violations of privacy or rights, breaches of contracts, breaches of confidentiality, conflicts of interest, etc.). They will be asked to discuss and analyze situations involving multiple conflicting personal, professional, and ethical obligations.

Biography

Howard Rosen is a Program Director in the Department of Engineering Professional Development, College of Engineering, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He specializes in developing continuing education programs on issues in public works infrastructure. His academic research interest is in the dynamics of technological development and organizational change. He has written and taught extensively on these subjects. Rosen received his doctorate from the Division of Social Sciences of the University of Chicago. He was a member of the Stanford University (Program in Values, Technology & Society) and on the faculty of the Illinois Institute of Technology. While at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Rosen was a member of the Center for the Study of Ethics in the Professions. He developed and taught the Center’s first class on Engineering Ethics and was co-author of A SELECTED ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF PROFESSIONAL ETHICS AND SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN ENGINEERING. As a member of the Department of Engineering Professional Development at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, he continues to teach a course on “Ethics in Public Works”.

Laura Grossenbacher is Director of the Technical Communication Program in the Department of Engineering Professional Development, College of Engineering, at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She holds a Ph.D. in English from the University of Texas at Austin, and has been teaching courses in engineering communication at UW-Madison for sixteen years. She has done consulting work in proposal writing for private engineering firms (such as HNTB, Inc. and Affiliated Engineers, Inc.) and has taught communication and ethics as part of the UW-Madison College of Engineering study abroad programs in both Toulouse, France, and Hangzhou, China. She is an active member of the Association for Practical and Profession Ethics, serving as a judge at their National Ethics Bowl collegiate competition since 2003. Her particular interests within engineering ethics have been informed by her work abroad and by her development of case studies for a capstone course she teaches for undergraduate engineering students, Current Issues in International Engineering. She has given several professional presentations on issues in engineering ethics, most recently at the APPE Conferences in 2011 and 2012 and at the Congress for Social and Ethical Implications at Arizona State University in November 2011. In January 2012, she was invited ethics faculty for the “NNIN Winter School,” a two-week intensive study-abroad program held at UNICAMP, Brazil, designed for outstanding US and Brazilian graduate students, sponsored by the NSF.

Acquiring Trademark Rights in Foreign Countries

Thursday, October 18, 2012, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Informal networking will begin at 11:30AM. Presentation will begin at 12:00PM..

Abstract

Trademarks are an important and valuable part of any business. If you sell internationally, you run the very real risk that somebody else might register your trademarks in a foreign country of interest before you do. This presentation is about how you can protect your trademark rights in foreign countries fairly easily and at a reasonable cost. We will explore: trademarks, general filing rules – old and new, how and why laws were changed, international filing, typical costs, and United States considerations.

Biography

Mr. Rick Abegglen is an attorney in private practice in Madison, and has twice served as adjunct lecturer in Trademarks at the University of Wisconsin Law School. Prior to law school, he enjoyed a 15-year career in electrical engineering career in the Silicon Valley, starting at Intel in 1984, and then with several startup companies. He has travelled to more than 20 countries, and likes foreign trademarks, stamps, and money. His engineering specialties have been semiconductor equipment, high performance computing for manufacturing automation, and most recently networking and internet security. He holds BS and MS degrees from the College of Engineering at the University of Wisconsin, where he got his most valuable experience working in the repair shop of the EE department. He has been a member of the IEEE for 22 years.

Identifying Optimal EMC Solutions with Inductors

Thursday, September 20, 2012, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Informal networking will begin at 11:30AM. Presentation will begin at 12:00PM..

Abstract

EMC challenges arise from a variety of sources, are transmitted by many different means, and affect a variety of susceptible devices. It follows then, that the solutions are also many. The list includes careful layout, conductor routing, and shielding as well as active and passive filters. The key to choosing not just an effective solution, but the appropriate combination of performance, size, and cost is to have the best possible understanding of the performance tradeoffs. While inductors as filtering elements are common enough, either as standalone elements or as part of L-C networks, modern electronic devices require high performance in high density configurations and achieving EMC compatibility quickly and efficiently requires sophisticated design tools. This presentation will focus on the latest generation of tools for the selection, analysis, and use of filter inductors.

Biography

Kurt Smith is a long-time design engineer at Coilcraft, Inc. a privately held company founded in 1945 as a custom coil maker for the radio manufacturers clustered around the Chicago area. Over the last 11 years, Mr. Smith has participated in the production inductors for a long list of customers in telecommunications, computers, instrumentation and consumer electronics. He received BSEE, Electrical Engineering at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2001.

Why does my design fail EMC? & How to fix it!

Thursday, August 16, 2012, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Informal networking will begin at 11:30AM. Presentation will begin at 12:00PM..

Abstract

Overall EMC principles are introduced - 4 quadrants of mechanisms 3 elements of the actors 4 types of coupling Case studies drawn from 6 designs are used to demonstrate the underlying EMC physics across the 4 quadrants for causes and cures. Analysis, measurement and creativity methods are highlighted. Narratives also present soft skills of teamwork & consulting persuasion. Solutions are generalized for applicability to multiple future designs.

Biography

Jerry Meyerhoff, EMC Consultant, JDM Labs, received his BSEE from University or Illinois (Chicago) and post-graduate studies at IIT. Previously Staff Engineer with Motorola Communications Division and Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff of the Motorola Automotive Business, then Distinguished Member of the Technical Staff, EMC Engineer, ElectroMagnetic Compatibility specialist, with Continental Automotive Systems. IEEE/EMC Distinguished Lecturer, Secretary of the Chicago IEEE/EMC chapter, Programs Chair of the UIC Engineering Alumni Association (EAA) , UIC Constituent Leadership Award, Six US Patents.

Contact

E-mail: jerrymeyerhoff@ieee.org
LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/jerrymeyerhoff
Amateur Radio: WA9FIY

Glacier Hills Wind Park Tour!

Tuesday, May 22, 2012, 4:00 PM - 8:45 PM

4:00pm … Bus leaves from Engineering Hall at 4:00pm sharp!
5:10pm … Arrive at GHWP
5:15pm … Meet We Energies --TOUR
6:45pm … Tour ends. Board Bus for return to campus--we will stop for dinner
8:45pm … Bus returns to Engineering Hall at 8:45pm..

Abstract

The Glacier Hills Wind Park, located in the towns of Randolph and Scott in Columbia County, is designed to generate 162 megawatts (MW) of electricity and will be capable of powering approximately 45,000 average residential homes. The site will consist of 90 Vestas V-90 1.8 MW Type 3 turbines. Construction began on May 17, 2010, and will be completed by the end of 2011. The project is being constructed by a Wisconsin-based alliance that includes The Boldt Company of Appleton, Michels Corporation of Brownsville and Edgerton Contractors, Inc. of Oak Creek. This tour will include a presentation during the bus ride to the site on some electrical aspects of the Type 3 turbine and the GHWP. While on the tour, a We Energies Project Engineer will discuss the development, layout and construction of the GHWP project, including a visit to one of the turbines and to the collector substation. Rick O'Conor will provide the tour of the wind farm and Mike Jackovich will provide the substation tour.

Biography

Mitch Bradt is a Program Director for continuing engineering education in the disciplines of Wind Energy, Power Electronics, Electrical Distribution and Electrical Safety. Prior to being in academia, he has been a consulting engineer designing substations and wind farms, has worked at a manufacturer of grid connected power electronic equipment (D-SMES, D-VAR, STATCOM), and got to blow up aircraft while serving the the US Air Force. He received his BSEE from Marquette University in 1993 and MSEE with a focus on Utility Application of Power Electronics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1996.

Contact

E-mail: bradt@wisc.edu
Web site: http://www.engr.wisc.edu/epd/faculty/bradt_mitchell.html

Nanogenerators: Generating Electricity from the Human Body

Thursday, May 17, 2012, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Informal networking will begin at 11:30AM. Presentation will begin at 12:00PM..

Abstract

Harvesting energy from ambient mechanical energy sources is a promising strategy for powering small electronics and eventually achieving self-powered electronic devices. The self-powering capability allows electronic device packages to exclude bulky energy storage components and makes possible forgoing the inclusion of bulky battery components in electronic device. The resultant self-charging and small form factors are particularly important features for implantable biomedical devices, where replacing batteries may be challenging or even impractical. Recent development of nanogenerators has demonstrated a promising solution for the design of self-sufficient implantable power source. By using piezoelectric nanomaterials as the functional elements, low-density energies from heartbeats, muscle stretching, or blood circulation may be converted into electricity via the direct piezoelectric effect. Previous nanogenerator models were mostly built on biocompatible piezoelectric zinc oxide nanowire arrays, which can harvest energy from acoustic waves or force/pressure fluctuation. Recently, we developed a technique that uses piezoelectric polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) micro belts to convert the energy from low-speed airflow to electricity via their resonant oscillation. The PVDF microbelts were able to generate sufficient electrical energy from low speed air flow for the sustained operation of small electronic devices. This capability is ideal for harvesting energy from respiration, which has been demonstrated using a simulated breath system. This is a new and possibly practical strategy of drawing energy from regular....

Biography

Dr. Xudong Wang is an Associate Professor UW-Madison Department of Materials Science and Engineering, and directs its laboratory for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology. Dr. Wang is an expert on nanomaterial synthesis and characterization, piezoelectric nanostructures, semiconductor nanodevices, nanoelectronics, nanosensors, and renewable energy. He has a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology, an M.E. in Chemical Engineering from Hunan University, China, and a B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering from Jilin University, China. Hi major fields of interest are nanomaterials growth and characterization, piezoelectric nanostructures and nanodevices for energy harvesting, and nanodevices for sensors, optoelectronics, and biomedical devices. he has published dozens of books, book chapters, journal papers, and conference papers in these fields of study, including Science magazine, where he presented his work on generating electricity from the body. Some of his awards include: Ross Coffin Purdy Award, American Ceramic Society (2009), KAUST Research Fellow (2008), Sigma Xi Best Faculty Paper Award, Georgia Tech (2008), Young Innovators Under 35 Award (TR35) by Technology Review Magazine (2007).

Contact

E-mail: xudong@engr.wisc.edu
Web site: http://www.engr.wisc.edu/mse/faculty/wang_xudong.html

Recent Advances: Bootstrap for Signal Processing

Friday, April 27, 2012, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM 

Informal networking will begin at 11:30AM. Presentation will begin at 12:00PM..

Abstract

The use of more accurate models in signal processing applications such as communications, radar, sonar, biomedical engineering, speech and image processing and machine learning has become a fundamental requirement. With an improved accuracy the models have become more complex and inferential statistical signal processing required in parameter estimation and signal detection and classification, for example, has become intractable. The signal processing practitioner requires a simple but accurate method for assessing errors of estimates and answering inferential questions. Asymptotic approximations are useful only when enough data is available, which is not always possible due to time constraints, the nature of the signal or the measurement setting. In place of the formulae and tables of parametric and non-parametric procedures based on complicated mathematics and asymptotic approximations, tools such as the Bootstrap have revolutionized statistics in the last decade and have become powerful for solving complex engineering problems. It is the method of an engineer's choice for solving inferential signal processing problems, such as signal detection, confidence limits estimation and model selection, to mention a few. First, a brief history of the bootstrap methodology is given. We then discuss the basic principle underlying the bootstrap method for identically and independently distributed data and give several practical examples of its use. A comprehensive overview of the bootstrap for dependent data is also given with emphasis on spectral analysis. Examples with real-life measurements are given throughout the talk.

Biography

Abdelhak M Zoubir is a Fellow of the IEEE and IEEE Distinguished Lecturer (2010-2011). He received his Dr.-Ing. from Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany in 1992. He was with Queensland University of Technology, Australia from 1992-1998 where he was Associate Professor. In 1999, he joined Curtin University of Technology, Australia as a Professor of Telecommunications and was Interim Head of the School of Electrical & Computer Engineering from 2001 until 2003. In 2003, he moved to Technische Universität Darmstadt, Germany as Professor and Head of the Signal Processing Group. His research interest lies in statistical methods for signal processing with emphasis on bootstrap techniques, robust detection and estimation and array processing applied to telecommunications, radar, sonar, car engine monitoring and biomedicine. He published over 300 journal and conference papers on these areas. Dr Zoubir has co-authored the book titled Bootstrap Techniques for Signal Processing published by Cambridge University Press in 2004 and he Guest Co-Edited a Special Issue on the Bootstrap and Its Applications in the IEEE Signal Processing Magazine in 2007. Dr Zoubir co-authored the paper Detection of Sources Using Bootstrap Techniques that received the 2003 IEEE SPS Best Paper Award.

Contact

Email: zoubir@ieee.org
Web: http://www.spg.tu-darmstadt.de/spg/staff_1/currentstaffmembers/zoubir.en.jsp

Reverse Electrowetting: A new approach to high-power harvesting of mechanical energy

Thursday, March 15, 2012, 5:30 PM - 7:00 PM Note: Evening event

Dinner 5:30 PM Lecture 6:00 PM
Note:  New rules possibly in effect may require that we eat in the atrium before going into the meeting room.

Abstract

Over the last decade electrical batteries have emerged as a critical bottleneck in portable electronics development. High-power mechanical energy harvesting can potentially provide a valuable alternative to the use of batteries, but until now, its adoption has been hampered by the lack of an efficient mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion technology. In this talk a novel mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion method is discussed. This method is uniquely suited for high-power energy harvesting from a wide variety of previously inaccessible environmental mechanical energy sources, including human locomotion. The method is based on reverse electrowetting (REWOD) - a novel microfluidic phenomenon. Electrical energy generation is achieved through the interaction of arrays of moving microscopic liquid droplets with novel nanometer-thick multilayer dielectric films. Advantages of this process include the production of very high power densities, up to 1 KW per sq. m; the ability to directly utilize a very broad range of mechanical forces and displacements; and the ability to directly output a broad range of currents and voltages, from several volts to tens of volts. We hope that the REWOD-based energy harvesting can provide a novel technology platform for a broad range of new electronic products and enable reduction of cost, pollution, and other problems associated with the wide-spread battery use.

Biography

Tom Krupenkin is Associate Professor, Nanotechnology Cluster and Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin. He received a Ph.D. in materials science from Moscow Institute for Physics and Engineering, Moscow, Russia in 1992, and a Ph.D in physics from Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio in 1996. From 1998 to 2007 he was a Member of the Technical Staff at Bell Laboratories, Lucent Technologies. Prior to that, he worked for two years at the Materials Research Laboratory, University of California, Santa Barbara. He holds over 50 US and international patents and has authored over 35 publications. His current research is focused on physics and chemistry of nanostructured surfaces, NEMS/MEMS devices, and physics of liquid-solid interfaces. Dr. Krupenkin has served as a principal investigator for a number of extramural programs funded by federal agencies (DARPA, DOD) and industry (Northrop, GE, mPhase, Lucent). He has received numerous professional awards and distinctions including the American Chemical Society Industrial Innovation Award (2007) for his work on tunable nanostructured surfaces; the Excellence in Research Award (2005) and the Energy Storage Enabling Technology of the Year Award (2006) for his work in Nanomembrane Battery; and the Emerging Technologies Award for his work in Microfluidics in Photonics (2003). His research has consistently attracted substantial media attention including articles and news pieces in New York Times, Scientific American, ABC News, Nature Materials, Physics Today, Science News, and New Scientist.

Contact

http://www.engr.wisc.edu/me/faculty/krupenkin_tom.html

Recent Significant Changes to Patent Law

Thursday, February 16, 2012, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Informal networking will begin at 11:30AM. Presentation will begin at 12:00PM.

Abstract

Protecting innovation in today’s environment requires the consideration of intellectual property rights. A patent is often considered the most popular and concrete intellectual property right. This talk will discuss the basic requirements for the patentability of an invention, as well as various considerations to be mindful of during the patent process. In addition, some of the latest developments in patent law will be discussed. In particular, the Leahy-Smith America Invents Act (AIA) will be reviewed. The AIA is a United States federal statute that was passed by Congress and signed into law on September 16, 2011. This law represents a significant change to the U.S. patent system since 1952, including key changes that can affect every inventor.

Biography

James Joyce is a patent attorney in the Madison office of Whyte, Hirschboeck, and Dudek. Mr. Joyce focuses his practice on patent law with technical expertise in the electrical, computer, software and mechanical fields. After receiving his B.S.E.E from the University of Wisconsin – Madison in 1995, Mr. Joyce practiced as an engineer for several years. Before leaving the engineering field to attend law school in 2002, he worked as both a field engineer and a project engineer. While working as a field engineer, Mr. Joyce was responsible for programming and troubleshooting various PLC/MMI controlled blending machines, fillers, and chillers. As a project engineer, Mr. Joyce designed building systems for the architectural and engineering firm Mead & Hunt. The various building systems included power, lighting, communication, security, and fire annunciation systems. Mr. Joyce graduated with honors from Franklin Pierce Law Center in 2005. Franklin Pierce Law Center, which is now incorporated with the University of New Hampshire, was the fourth ranked Intellectual Property School in the United States in 2011.

Contact

JJoyce@whdlawmv.com

The E.U. Electronic Freight Initiative and its Software Engineering Framework

Thursday January 19, 2012, 11:30 AM - 1:00 PM

Informal networking will begin at 11:30AM. Presentation will begin at 12:00PM. Tour begins at 12:15.

Abstract

The e-Freight Project is the next generation concept for electronic support of trade and transport throughout the E.U. It proposes a means for integrating and unifying the many and varied current developments for dealing with regulatory information management at both national and E.U. levels. The project will provide a unified solution allowing: a) business to submit regulatory information for both customs and transport, independent of mode or route, and b) authorities to share information on policy, operation, security, safety and risk management. This talk will give an overview of the e-Freight initiative, and present the prescribed software engineering approach. An overview of solution architecture, requirements specification, and application development will be discussed, and we will also look at how the software engineering methods are integrated into a unified framework through the automated development environment.

Biography

David A. Marca is president and founder of OpenProcess, Inc., a consulting firm specializing in strategic planning, systems analysis and design, and e-Business. David is also a certified faulty member for the University of Phoenix Online School, and is on the adjunct faulty of Edgewood College’s School of Business and Computer Science Department. His six books and 27 papers cover e-Business, business process design, workflow, and software engineering. His latest book with the IEEE is "Open Process Frameworks: Patterns for the Adaptive e-Enterprise". David also holds a patent in workflow technology, and is a Senior Member of the IEEE..

Contact

dmarca@openprocess.com