News briefs

1993 Journal of Research of the National Institute of Standards and Technology  
AGENCIES TARGET HELP FOR POLLUTION PREVENTION With generally limited financial and technical resources, small and mid-sized manufacturers are particularly vulnerable to the increased costs that accompany strict environmental rules. Therefore, the NIST Manufacturing Extension Partnership and the Environmental Protection Agency have established a joint pilot project to help these companies apply innovative pollution prevention tools and strategies. The pilot is part of a planned multiyear program
more » ... where the two agencies will assist companies in the selection of currently available technologies and techniques to reduce or eliminate pollution sources in manufacturing. Also planned is the development of pollution-prevention assessment procedures suitable for small and mid-sized manufacturers. The field work will be done through the Great Lakes Manufacturing Technology Center in Cleveland, one of seven MTCs in the MEP. The pilot program will concentrate on screw machine, metal stamping, and electroplating facilities, which are in large numbers in the Great Lakes region. For more information, contact David Gold, B115 Polymer Building, NIST, Gaithersburg, MD 20899-0001, (301) 975-5020. NIST, ALASKA EVALUATE IMPACT OF BURNING OIL SPILLS To state of Alaska officials, "burning the midnight oil" may soon take on a whole new meaning. Using computer modeling, NIST is helping the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation better understand the impacts of burning spilled oil. Two main questions need to be answered: "How much smoke will be produced?" and "How far will the smoke spread?" As part of a cooperative research and development agreement, a new version of a NIST-developed computer model called LES (Large-Eddy Simulation) will predict smoke concentrations up to 30 km downwind of a simulated oil spill fire. ADEC has devised likely oil-spill scenarios to use in the program and has provided two types of Alaskan crude oil for testing. In laboratory tests, NIST will burn the oil in 1.2 m pans to get data for LES, such as the smoke production rate and the size of particulates in the smoke. NIST researchers also may develop yet another version of LES to predict the effect that land features, such as mountains, might have on smoke movement. This 3 year project will help ADEC develop guidelines officials at an oil-spill site can use to evaluate the effects of burning.
doi:10.6028/jres.098.050 fatcat:h45ke7batnd4tmi4gkruye4stq