Predicting A Disaster

I like to know what I’m up against.

Whether it’s weather conditions, new video games, movies, I like to know what I’m walking into, what I’m dealing with, what I can expect.  I guess you could say I’m not a fan of surprises.

So when the Naval Research Laboratory told me they have developed a technology designed to predict a disaster, I was both impressed and attracted to this idea.  I mean, a program that can explain the mitigating factors of a tragedy before I have time to panic?  Sounds like my kind of crisis management.

As it turns out, it’s attractive to first responders and the military as well.

Adam Moses is a computer scientist with the Laboratory for Computational Physics and Fluid Dynamics, where he’s been working on a type of technology that could change the way we respond and react to a crisis situation.

It’s call the CT Analyst, which stands for Contaminate Transfer Analyst, and this baby is a high speed hypothetical possibility generator that can predict a disaster in real time.

“Basically, the CT Analyst is a chemical, biological and radiological plume model designed specifically for urban environments,” Adam explains.  “There are other tools that do this sort of work, but they’re focusing on large regions.  We want to focus on something that’s small, that’s a utility for first responders, firefighters, policemen, EMTs, etc.”

Basically, this program is designed predict the way a gas plume will travel through a city…in 3D.  Yeah that’s pretty cool.

So let’s put this into a scenario:

There’s an attack somewhere in a city.

Gas is flowing through the streets.  People are scared, in danger, hysterical.  You, as a first responder, have only minutes to react to this crisis.  Every second counts.  So what do you do first?  You find the source of the attack.  Now normally this would be a long process that includes sorting through the incoherent screaming and working within the cover of chaos, but not with the CT Analyst at the ready.

With a few simple commands this technology can accurately predict the source of the danger, where the gas will go, and what areas will be affected.  Oh, and it’s fast.  I mean lightning fast.

“Many simulations that do this kind of work will say ‘okay, give me that location, give me that direction and I’ll come up with a result’ and it will take five, ten minutes.  Except in a real instance you don’t [even] have five seconds or ten seconds.  You need something immediately.”

It’s the fastest on the market, and for a good reason.  The CT Analyst pre-calculates, so instead of actually having to come up your scenario at the time (which is not the most ideal approach to calamity containment) this technology allows the first response teams to know where the explosion is, what the wind conditions are, where the gas plume is headed.

You know, all the things that go flying through your head when you realize you’re about to be battling an intangible and potentially deadly gas.

This tool allows first responders to know exactly what they’re up against within seconds of them learning they were facing a threat in the first place.  Huh.  Well this sounds like something the military could really use, don’t you think?

It turns out that NRL is already one step ahead.

“We’re doing a lot of focusing right now on training simulators, both for law enforcement and for the military,” Adam says.  “People know about smoke bombs or a chlorine weapon of some kind but they don’t know actually what to look for in terms of symptoms.  We did a project with the secret service, and we’ve been working on some projects for the Marines.  It’s really just the push to get this tool integrated into other things.”

The National Guard has already had a taste of this technology when they collaborated with NRL to maintain order at the 2009 inauguration, and it only continues to improve.  So what kinds of scenarios can the CT Analyst really predict, anyway?

“Basically every scenario you can imagine has already been processed, so when it comes down to actually coming up with the scenario you need it’s already in there, it’s in a database it’s already in there.  You just have to look it up.”

Another advantage would be the urban landscape.  “We’re not dealing with hundreds of square miles.  We’re dealing with where you are on the street, where the fire trucks are headed, and more importantly where you can set up a triage zone, where you can put hospital tents, or whatever else you need.  You can know where that plume is headed – and where it is not – and you can plan for both instances.”

Being able to react, control and contain a crisis with time on your side?  That’s an advantage that benefits everyone.  And it gets better.  This isn’t one of those technologies that utilizes some complicated device that can only be activated in one place, and it needs a fingerprint scan or some kind of hair follicle sample or whatever.  The CT Analyst is integrated into programs many of us use every day.

“You can export all our data to Google Earth, you can import data from Google Earth,” says Adam Moses.  “A lot of other people are using our tool in a way where they never actually see what our view of the world looks like.”

It’s fast, it’s effective and it’s easy to use.  This is something that not only makes the difficult job of contending with a disaster easier, but it gives us an advantage that ever first responder could always us a little more of: time.  No one wants to contend with a disaster, but with the CT Analyst, the ability to save time, to save efforts, and to potentially save lives is making all the difference.

“CT Analyst is great,” Adam Moses says with a confident smile.  “I think it really is a sort of march to the future as far as technology like this goes.  The field of HAZMAT and first responder technology is still in its infancy in a lot of ways.  Especially in post 9/11, so there’s a lot left to be done there.  The CT Analyst can really help fill a lot of that void.”

The CT Analyst literally takes the guesswork out of a gas plume crisis, and when disaster strikes, knowing what you’re dealing with – and quickly – could be the difference between life and death.

For me?  I’m choosing life, thanks.  But that should come as no surprise.

Jessica L. Tozer is a blogger for DoDLive and Armed With Science.  She is an Army veteran and an avid science fiction fan, both of which contribute to her enthusiasm for technology in the military.

Chemist Helps Bolster Army’s Detection Of Emerging Threats

U.S. Army scientists are researching improved technology to detect chemical hazards to ensure the safety of soldiers against emerging threats.  Rod Fry, a chemist with the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, is helping to lead the effort for RDECOM’s Edgewood Chemical Biological Center.

Video provided by U.S. Army RDECOM YouTube channel

Army Engineers Helping To Protect Against Chemical & Biological Warfare

A U.S. Army engineer is bringing the expertise of America’s military scientific community to ensure America’s allies are safe from chemical and biological agents.

Jorge Christian, with the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command, uses his 27 years of experience in chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear protection to provide the best equipment for American soldiers as well as international partners.

SCIENCE SURROUNDS THE SOLDIER

Christian serves as chief of RDECOM’s Edgewood Chemical Biological Center’s Protection Engineering Division within the Engineering Directorate. He supports individual and collective protection through his expertise in engineering life cycle acquisition and technical support.

After graduating from the University of Puerto Rico in 1984 with a bachelor of science in industrial engineering, he began as an Army intern in the School of Engineering and Logistics in Texarkana, Texas.

“When I was in school, I geared myself to use science and math perhaps in industry,” he said. “It never occurred to me that the Army would allow me the opportunity to use science and math. To my surprise, once I got here to the Army, I began to see how there were practical ways in which science and math were being used.”

Science and math are inherent in everything that a soldier wears or uses, including protective masks and suits, respirators and agent detectors, he said.

“All [the equipment] has elements of science and math, from the material, to engineering, to how we will sustain the equipment in order to ensure it meets the requirements,” he said.

Christian earned a master of business administration from Texas A&M University-Texarkana in 1985 and then worked as a test director for Aberdeen Test Center, formerly known as Combat Systems Test Activity, at APG. In 1988, he transferred to ECBC’s Detection Directorate as a producibility engineer before transitioning to the Physical Protection Directorate in 1992.

SHARING CBRN EXPERTISE

Christian emphasizes the importance of international collaboration and cooperation in countering the threat of CBRN attacks. He serves as head of the U.S. delegation to the NATO Joint CBRN Defense Capabilities Development Group, Physical Protection Sub-group, which is responsible for developing and maintaining operational and technical standards for individual and collective protection materiel for NATO nations.

“My role is to ensure that the position of the United States, especially that of the Army and ECBC, transitions into the working aspects of the group,” he said. “One of the key roles that I play is the lead for many of the technical engineering publications that are pertinent to the area of individual and collective protection.”

The expertise of U.S. military scientists and engineers in CBRN matters is essential for the international community’s preparation against threats, Christian said.

“It is important for the United States to collaborate with other nations, allied nations as well as those within NATO, to counter the threat of the use of chemical warfare agents because the U.S. is at the forefront of providing capabilities, knowledge and expertise,” he said. “The threat of chemical and biological agents is one that is now global.

“We have seen a number of countries that that not only have the capability but also have the interest of harming others, including Americans. It is very important that we, together with other nations, leverage resources to ensure all the best capabilities [are] available to Warfighters and civilians to protect themselves in the event they face a chemical attack.”

ADVANCING CBRN PROTECTION

The Protection Engineering Division, which Christian leads, supports the mission of the Joint Project Manager for Protection and TACOM-Life Cycle Management Command, Chemical Biological Product Support Integration Directorate. The division provides life cycle acquisition, engineering and sustainment support to these customers.

Key examples of the work include the generation of acquisition documentation, development of technical data and the review of equipment performance by analyzing technical data packages, product acceptance data and performance specifications.

“We ensure the equipment performs the way it is expected in the area of individual and collective protection [by] reviewing technical data, corrections to the equipment as we see it is appropriate, and also working hand-in-hand with the manufacturers to ensure that the corrections are made and equipment continues to be producible, sustainable, and survivable,” he said.

Christian described the advancements made by ECBC scientists and engineers for soldier protection against CBRN hazards. His division is responsible for individual protection, including respirators and respirator filters, and collective protection, including filtration; barrier material; contamination control areas; and fixed-site, mobile, and transportable shelters.

“We’re looking at lighter weight, low-burden types of materials on suits,” he said. “As we go forward looking at the transition of better respirators, the ones we have fielded, like those in the Joint Service General Purpose Masks, provide technologies that allow for better eyesight, less resistance, more [comfort], more efficient drinking and communication systems, as well as an excellent platform that is suitable for the transition to advance technologies as they mature.

“In the area of collective protection [for soft-walled shelters and tents], we are looking at lighter material that can serve as a barrier by itself or also having a capability of [being] self-detoxifying. That type of material will provide the added capability that will not require a separate liner-barrier material [added to the standard shelter or tent] to protect the Warfighter in that toxic-free area. In the area of filtration, we are looking at new absorbents that are going to be more flexible than the standard carbon that we [now] use and [that] also can be tailored to the specific toxic industrial chemical.”

OPPORTUNITIES TO GROW IN THE ARMY

Christian, a native of Puerto Rico, said he is appreciative of the chance to contribute to the missions of ECBC and the Army. He also praised the opportunities for advancement within the Army.

“As a minority in ECBC, I truly believe that this organization has given me all the opportunities that I could imagine,” he said. “Along the way, I received the support of many mentors who cared about me and allowed me to grow.”

“I never felt any kind of barriers. Instead, a number of doors opened that allowed me to become the person I am today. I consider ECBC my home. I truly believe I have more to offer and the road doesn’t end for me here. We have a mission to accomplish, and I believe that I can be one of the key players to get it done.

By Mr. Dan Lafontaine (RDECOM)

 Information for this article provided by www.army.mil

Tactical-Biological Detector

Bad things can come in tiny packages.

The post- 9/11 anthrax mailings drove that point home in  a dramatic manner.  Fortunately, America has  a new sentinel on duty – the Tactical Biological Detector (TAC-BIO), an aerosol biological  detector that has redefined the state-of-the-art  with its small, low-cost, low-power design.

The  TAC-BIO team started with a well-known  detection principle – namely, that airborne biological agents excited by certain ultraviolet light will fluoresce and scatter light in a specific and  identifiable manner – and then improved nearly every element of the long-standing detection  technique.

TAC-BIO is a truly man-portable unit.

Compared to competing technologies, TAC-BIO  has a 50% smaller footprint, weighs 80% less,  consumes only 4% as much power, and manages  all of this in a cost-effective platform.  Previous  fluorescent detection systems required expensive, high-powered ultraviolet lasers.

The TAC-BIO  team eschewed the tried-and-true laser sources  and instead built their device on semiconductor ultraviolet optical sources (SUVOS).  They developed an entirely new front-end assembly  with a novel airflow system to pull air into the  detector unit where the SUVOS laser device  illuminates the sample.

Any biological particle  present will fluoresce and scatter a portion of the  light.  Novel mirrors and other optics focus the resulting fluorescence and scatter onto a detector, where a unique photon-counting technique  is used to quantify the results for analysis by an onboard microprocessor.

Audible and visible  alarms are sounded if the unit reaches threshold levels of detection.

The Edgewood Chemical Biological Center  licensed TAC-BIO to General Dynamics Armament and Technical Products and to Research  International, Inc.  One technology transfer  recipient has already completed a substantial  commercial sale and is poised for a follow-on deal.  Both recipients are on or ahead of their development and sales schedules.  Of critical  importance to the Department of Defense is that one licensee is a candidate for a $117 million U.S. military acquisition.

The technology emerged from the creative and  unique collaboration of nine researchers from a  large federal lab, industry, and academia working  to build a new sensor from the ground up around  a novel laser light source.  The effort yielded five patents, novel optics, a unique air intake system, and a new optical interrogation technique.   TAC-BIO is designed to detect airborne biomaterials, with an emphasis on bio-threat agents such as anthrax.

From U.S. Army Edgewood Chemical Biological Center

 https://www.ecbc.army.mil 

Neutralizing The Threat Of Chemical Warfare, One “Inator” At A Time

In with the good and out with the bad.

Our lungs (and yoga teachers) are masters of this concept.  Filtering the useful things and expelling the bad.  There’s little that can take the place of our lung filtration, but even our highly-functioning biological machines need a little help every now and then  (see: gas mask).

The problem is that even our most effective of ventilation devices aren’t all-powerful (although they do make for wonderfully creepy Doctor Who episodes).  That’s because, frankly, it’s a bit of a challenge to neutralize hazardous things into something that won’t, you know, injure/kill you.

And to this the Naval Research Laboratory is saying “challenge accepted”.

NRL is looking to make our air cleaner, better, and less hostile thanks to the reactive and catalytic air purification materials and catalytic self-decontaminating materials they’ve created  to combat hazardous materials.

Makes sense right?  Okay, well my work here is done…

Oh all right, at first it didn’t make sense to me, either.  So let’s break that down (Ah?  Break it down?  Oh you’ll think that’s funny later)

So, the self-decontaminating and air purification technologies are essentially two approaches to the same idea.  Basically, this technology aims to remove something that is undesirable – whether that be a gas or a liquid – and then convert that undesirable compound into something that would be more desirable.

As in, less toxic.

So let’s say you have a building in which there’s a lot of ammonia generated.  A restroom for example.  Part of the smell you get is ammonia from urine.  For that type of regular environment (as in for gas filtration), this technology would act as a filter that could actually remove ammonia and convert it to something else.  This is unlike a carbon that would just absorb it and hold onto it until maximum capacity was reached (yuck) rendering it useless at that point.

The difference is that this technology that NRL is developing will actually keep working.

So how does that affect the troops?  Well first of all, if you have to ask that you’ve likely never had to clean a latrine.  Or didn’t get in trouble often enough to do that.  Either way, it’s more than just the emotional scar tissue of Simple Green that makes me think this air purifier/decontaminator is a good idea.

I can practically smell it from the picture. *shudder*

And that’s where Dr. Brandy White comes in.

Dr. White is a research chemist for the Center for Bio/Molecular Science & Engineering at the US Naval Research Laboratory.  Among her many specialties, Dr. White is working on making this technology work for the service men and women everywhere, and we’re not talking about a bathroom air freshener.

“In the military, gas mask technology currently is based on carbon,” Dr. White explains.  “So essentially what happens is you absorb [the bad chemicals] into the carbon until all the capacity is used up, and then it stops absorbing.  Also carbon doesn’t absorb everything equally well.”

And because mediocrity and ineffectiveness isn’t really an ideal choice, Dr. White is working toward an alternative to our love affair with carbon.

“So the kind of sorbents that I’m trying to make are intended to incorporate reactivity that would grab targets that you usually wouldn’t catch using carbon.  They’re intended to give you something beyond one-to-one interaction,” she says.

Essentially, this technology can take an element – ammonia let’s say – and process it into something else less offensive.  Or just plain less obnoxious (take my ammonia!  Please!).  The decontaminator would then be then be ready to process more ammonia after it had already neutralized the nasal threat.  Basically, you you could keep using the decontaminator for a much longer period of time

More effective, more longevity, and it sounds like the thing a super villain would use to take over a metropolis (anything with an “inator” at the end = comic book super device).  I’d say that’s pretty cool.  And it makes sense, too.

“The first goal is to see the improvement in the technology that is available for gas masks and respiratory protection,” said Dr. White.  “Then the second thing that we’re really excited for is the potential for incorporation of the photo catalytic sorbents into next generation protective garments.  This is so you can extend exposure of the warfighter to toxic compounds.  Not to replace MOPP gear, but more of the idea of making it less necessary to don MOPP gear under all circumstances, and making situations more survivable without the need for that extreme action.”

The NRL scientists like Dr. White are not just attempting a novel approach to air purification, but also protective fabrics and protective surfaces.  For example, self-decontaminating fabrics or services.    Clothes smart enough to clean themselves?  Oh how cool would that be?

“Whether that be a garment or a tent structure or the hood or a car, [when] the target when it comes in contact it is rapidly sequestered, so a person can’t come in contact with it anymore,” says Dr. White.  “That allows times for the catalytic process to occur.  So while it might not be destroyed immediately on contact, it’s sequestered on contact and broken down into something that’s non-toxic.”

Now, this doesn’t mean you can just scotch guard your weekend wear with this decontaminator and poof!  You’re chemical-agent proof.  This is more of an augmentation, so if you have a garment that’s protective already and you can add this to it, it would enhance that protective capability.

And this kind of enhancement is something the troops could really use.  “Most of the things that are available to the warfighter currently don’t do what we’re talking about.  Most of the protective garments just capture the target and then hold onto it.  And then you need to throw that garment away, or further decontaminated with further processing steps.  And we’re trying to get around that. “

Neutralizing the threat of chemical warfare one “inator” at a time.  That’s just how NRL rolls.

You know, this might be something we can log away for future use when we encounter an alien species.

Hey, don’t laugh!  You don’t know what kind of biological incompatibility they could have with us.  Haven’t you people read War of the Worlds?  I’m just saying, when the Martian plague descends upon humanity you’re going to thank your lucky stars that NRL thought of this stuff ahead of time.

I’ve already preordered my decontamination clothes.  In TARDIS blue, of course.

Want to learn more about this technology?  This and this should shed light on the subject.

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Information for this story provided by Dr. Brand White, Research Chemist at the Naval Research Laboratory

Jessica L. Tozer is a blogger for DoDLive and Armed With Science.  She is an Army veteran and an avid science fiction fan, both of which contribute to her enthusiasm for technology in the military.

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