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Knowing beforehand whether a system for detecting weapons of mass destruction at U.S. ports will be practical and effective can make for smooth sailing. PortSim, a security simulation and visualization tool developed by Dan Koch, does just that by taking away any guesswork for evaluating the operation and cost of proposed inspection procedures. With more than 27 million 20-foot equivalent units coming through our 150 ports, the challenge of examining the contents of every container is enormous, said Koch, a member of Oak Ridge National Laboratorys Computational Sciences and Engineering Division. PortSim allows users to look at and adjust a number of parameters to evaluate the cost and impact on port operations. The research is funded by the Department of Homeland Security. [Contact: Ron Walli, (865) 576-0226; wallira@ornl.gov]

Wireless systems able to monitor and perform diagnostics on motors used in industrial processes could improve production efficiency by 10 percent to 20 percent, according to Wayne Manges of Oak Ridge National Laboratorys Industrial Technologies Program. With electric motor-driven systems accounting for nearly one-fourth of all electricity consumption in the United States, the potential for savings is huge, Manges said. While Industrial Technologies Program partners are releasing new wireless sensor technology expected to eclipse previous successes, Manges noted that worldwide standar
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