Weather the Storm: Improving Great Lakes Modeling

By Allison Mills
Michigan Technological University

The Great Lakes are more like inland seas. From the cold depths of Lake Superior fisheries to the shallow algae blooms of Lake Erie, the bodies of water differ greatly from one another. Yet they are all part of one climate system.

Up until now, atmospheric models and hydrodynamic models have remained separate to a large extent in the region, with only a few attempts to loosely couple them. In a new study, published this week in the Journal of Climate (DOI: 10.1175/JCLI-D-16-0225.1), an integrated model brings together climate and water models.

The collaborative work brought together researchers from Michigan Technological University, Loyola Marymount University, LimnoTech and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory. Pengfei Xue, an assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering at Michigan Tech, led the study through his work at the Great Lakes Research Center on campus.

LTU study finds ‘tow plows’ will clear snowy roads faster

SOUTHFIELD – With winter driving season just ahead, there’s hope that new technology can clear snow off roadways faster – and save taxpayers money.

A research report developed by Lawrence Technological University faculty says the state could shave almost $5 million off its annual snowplowing bill by deploying tow plows – trailers that swing out diagonally from the back of snowplow trucks that let them move snow off two lanes in one pass.

The report makes that projection after more than two years of testing and analysis with the state’s current fleet of 14 tow plows.

The report says that if state and county road maintenance officials had 42 tow plows in their snow removal arsenal – the number required to cover the entire state – it would save $4.8 million in personnel and other operating costs in a typical winter. That’s because the plows could clear snow from more lanes faster.

And there would be even more savings in avoiding winter travel delays and accidents, according to Nishanthra Bandara, LTU assistant professor of civil and architectural engineering, principal investigator on the study.

Tow plows “can plow a 24-foot-wide path down a road, meaning you can clear a three-lane freeway in two passes instead of four or five,” Bandara said.

The study, commissioned by the Michigan Department of Transportation, saw the tow plows tested in seven snowstorms between January 2014 and March 2015. Most of the tests were conducted on I-96 and US-23 in the Brighton area.

Bandara said he drove behind the tow plow in a truck outfitted with a road friction measuring device manufactured by the Danish pavement engineering consulting firm Dynatest. The device showed that the tow plow did just as good a job of clearing snow as a conventional plow truck.

The MDOT currently has 14 tow plows in 11 road maintenance garages around the state. Just using those regularly, the report showed, could save the state $1.4 million a year in snow removal operating costs. And if state and county road officials make the investment to fully deploy tow plows, the projected saving goes up to $4.8 million.

The study also included cost analysis of travel delays avoided in several snowstorms. By analyzing travel speeds on I-96 near Lansing when tow plows were tested, the report estimated more than $100,000 in travel delay costs avoided – in just one snowstorm.

Dozens of state highway departments, toll road authorities and private contractors around the country have adopted tow plows, the survey found. States using tow plows include Maine, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, and Utah.

The report’s other authors were Elin Jensen, associate dean of graduate studies and research in LTU’s College of Engineering, and Frank Holt, retired senior vice president of Dynatest’s office in Westland.

State officials are enthusiastic about using tow plows, which cost about $90,000 each and are manufactured in Missouri.

“This study says to me that this new tool is safe and effective,” said Melissa Howe, region support engineer in maintenance field services for the MDOT. “We’ll see direct savings, and savings on the part of drivers in delays avoided.”

The cost of the study was $195,224, 80 percent of which was paid by the Federal Highway Administration.

Lawrence Technological University, http://www.ltu.edu, is a private university founded in 1932 that offers more than 100 programs through the doctoral level in its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Engineering, and Management. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation’s top 100 universities for the salaries of its graduates, and U.S. News and World Report lists it in the top tier of best Midwestern universities. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, “theory and practice” education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech’s 107-acre campus include more than 60 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.

New Auto Tech Conference Coming In 2017; Preview Dec. 9

DETROIT — Crain Communications Inc. and MSX International announce the launch of Technology in Motion (TIM), an automotive technology exposition and conference scheduled to be held Sept. 6-8, 2017, at Cobo Center in Detroit.

The companies said the event is intended to become a prominent technology and mobility event, drawing together automakers, auto suppliers, and the technology community.

Among the subjects of TIM 17: technological advancements in autonomous vehicles, connected cars, and mobility and propulsion systems.

TIM 17’s focus:
* Reaffirm the state of Michigan and Detroit as an automotive technology hub
* Provide a forum for the growing interest in connectivity, autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions
* Increase recruitment efforts in the automotive sector, the state of Michigan and Detroit
* Stimulate increased capital and technology investments in the region

“The automotive industry is using new technology to progress at a very rapid pace. Safety, user experience and vehicle efficiency top the list for future vehicle improvement,” said K.C. Crain, executive vice president and director of corporate operations at Crain Communications.

On Friday, Dec. 9, a preview event for TIM 17 will be held in the General Motors Auditorium at the College for Creative Studies’ A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education at 460 W. Baltimore Ave. in Detroit.

The TIM Preview Event will be a day-long conference. Crain will be among the speakers. The rest of the lineup includes:
* Mike Ableson, vice president of strategy and global portfolio planning, General Motors
* Matthew J. Simoncini, president and CEO, Lear Corp.
* Aine Denari, senior vice president, planning and business development, ZF North America Inc.
* David Liniado, vice presidetn of global enterprise new ventures,  Cox Automotive
* Steve Hanna, director of solution sales for manufacturing, Microsoft Corp.
* Danny Shapiro, senior director of automotive, Nvidia
* Christopher Thomas, founder and partner, Fontinalis Partners
* Marc Weiser, managing director, RPM Ventures
* Dan Gilbert, chairman and founder, Quicken Loans
* David Graff, global vice president of retail network solutions sales, MSX International

To register for the preview event, visit TIMDetroit.com. For more information, contact Trisha Stephens, TIM Show Coordinator, at trisha@timdetroit.com, (248) 829-6042

MSX International is a Detroit-based business process outsourcing provider. More at http://www.msxi.com. Crain Communications is a privately held media company that produces 21 print publications and 34 news websites, reaching six million people in the United States, Europe and Asia. Included are Detroit-based Automotive News and Crain’s Detroit Business. More at http://www.crain.com.

Former GM Land In Lansing To Be Rebuilt As Auto Hub

LANSING — RACER Trust, the company charged with selling off assets of pre-bankruptcy General Motors, announced an agreement to sell nearly 260 acres of industrial land in Lansing, Lansing Township and Delta Township.

The buyer, NorthPoint Development, plans to build a mix of warehouse, manufacturing and distribution buildings on the land, primarily for companies in the automotive sector.

Riverside, Mo.-based NorthPoint has developed and is managing more than 28 million square feet of industrial property in eight states.

“NorthPoint Development has rapidly emerged as a national leader in the construction of facilities that play an important role in the making and moving of critical supply- chain components,” said Elliott P. Laws, of EPLET LLC, administrative trustee of RACER Trust. “NorthPoint projects have resulted in hundreds of jobs and created new economic vitality and opportunities for a growing number of communities. We’re excited by the vision NorthPoint has for our Lansing-area properties, and to know that the redevelopment of these properties will be in such capable hands.”

The purchase agreements between RACER Trust and NorthPoint cover all of RACER’s Lansing-area properties, known as Lansing Plants 2, 3, 5 and 6. The Plants 2 and 3 properties are in Lansing Township, the Plant 5 property is in Delta Township and the Plant 6 property is in Lansing. Together, the properties comprise 259.6 acres. There will be an extended period in which NorthPoint undertakes due diligence and planning and seeks approvals for its projects before the sales close and construction begins.

NorthPoint previously purchased RACER Trust properties in Kansas City, Kan., and Lordstown, Ohio, also for development as manufacturing-related centers.

Said Chad Meyer, president and COO of NorthPoint Development: “We’ve long recognized the potential of these properties for redevelopment and reuse and we look forward to working with community partners and industrial users who can benefit from the strong infrastructure, logistics advantages and strong workforce the area has to offer.”

All development activity will be coordinated with ongoing environmental cleanup, which remains the responsibility of RACER Trust under the oversight of the Michigan Department of Environmental Quality. RACER Trust will work closely with NorthPoint to integrate remediation work with site development.

More at http://www.racertrust.org and http://beyondthecontract.com.

Detroit Manufacturing, Hotel Projects Get State Aid

LANSING — The Michigan Economic Development Corp. announced new support for several Detroit-based projects lats week.

Adient, the world’s largest automotive seating supplier, will locate its operational headquarters in Detroit, while ArcelorMittal Tailored Blanks Americas Corp., one of the leading steel producers in the world, will establish a new manufacturing center. Also, the historic 15-story mixed-use Metropolitan Building, vacant for 39 years, will undergo a renovation in downtown.

Collectively, the projects inject $215.3 million in private investment and create 265 jobs in the city of Detroit.

Earlier this year, Adient became a publically traded company when it spun off from Johnson Controls Inc. Since late October, the company has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange. In wooing Adient in a competition with the city of Milwaukee, which is home to Johnson Controls, the MEDC negotiated a $2 million Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant. In return, Adient committed to a $97.8 private investment and the creation of 115 jobs.

“We appreciate today’s decision and support from the MEDC and the State of Michigan to help Adient decide that Southeastern Michigan was the right place for our new global headquarters,” R. Bruce McDonald, chairman and CEO of Adient. “We will take these incentives into consideration as we make a final location decision in the next several days.  We look forward to a continued partnership as we expand our presence and bring new jobs to the area.”

Adient executives and city of Detroit officials will hold a press conference in the upcoming weeks to announce the location of their new operational headquarters.

With their move to Detroit, ArcelorMittal Tailored Blanks – a subsidiary of one of the world’s leading steel and mining companies, ArcelorMittal – will produce high-strength steel laser welded blanks for the OEM automotive industry. The new manufacturing operation in a 317,000-square-foot building north of GM’s Hamtramck Assembly plant is the first plant in the state for the company.

ArcelorMittal Tailored Blanks is located in the recently established industrial park near I-94 that includes Flex-N-Gate, a key site to the state’s automotive industry resurgence. With the support in May of a state grant, Flex-N-Gate will invest $95 million to manufacture exterior trim components along with aluminum and steel modular stamped body chassis assemblies, among other products.

ArcelorMittal receives a $2-million Michigan Business Development Program performance grant for a project that will create a minimum of 120 jobs over five years, and a capital investment of $83.5 million.

“The state’s consideration of a performance-based grant to support this endeavor is critical in advancing our business strategy as we further expand our footprint in Michigan, bringing new jobs and investment to the region,” said Ben Orler, vice president of operations for ArcelorMittal Tailored Blanks.

The companies will benefit from proximity to Lightweight Innovations for Tomorrow (LIFT), a nonprofit supported by a $10-million grant from MEDC and founded by the University of Michigan, Ohio State University and DWI, an Ohio-based engineering and technology organization. LIFT conducts research to develop multi materials to be used in leading-edge manufacturing processes, including in defense, energy and transportation.

Meanwhile, the restoration of the historic, 98,000-square-foot Metropolitan Building introduces a mixed-use, extended-stay 110-room hotel, including retail space a several blocks from Comerica Park. The redevelopment of the hotel after being vacant since 1977 offers another timely symbol of the city’s economic and cultural resurgence.

The redevelopment of the neo-gothic hotel, which opened in 1925, is a collaboration between Detroit-based Means Group Inc. and Roxbury Group LLC, known as Metropolitan Hotel Partners. The project receives a $6.5-million Michigan Community Revitalization Program performance-based loan as part of a total capital investment includes $34 million and the creation of 30 permanent full-time jobs.

“This is about more than brick and mortar,” said Eric Means, founder and CEO of the Means Group. “This breathes life into downtown Detroit and is strong evidence of the commitment the state has to preserving an important piece of history in urban America.”

The Roxbury Group received MSF incentives to support the renovation of the historic David Whitney Building, and the currently under construction Plaza Midtown and Griswold Lofts developments.

For more on the MEDC and its initiatives, visit michiganbusiness.org. For Michigan travel news, updates and information, visit michigan.org.

Holly steel firm gets $3.5M VC loan

Steel Producer Gets $3.5M VC loan

HOLLY — The venture fund Arctaris Michigan Partners LLC and affiliates announced a $3.5 million growth capital loan for Holly-based AFCO Manufacturing LLC, a manufacturer of adjustable steel columns.

This transaction represents one of seven current investments for AMP’s fund, which was created through a partnership between Arctaris Michigan Partners LLC, the State of Michigan and U.S. Treasury Department to provide growth capital to underserved and underbanked Michigan businesses.

With 49 years of operations, AFCO fabricates certified adjustable steel columns, lintel angles and temporary telescoping support columns for the home construction industry.

AFCO’s base of more than 100 customers consists of distributors of residential building products and large homebuilders, spanning from the East Coast to the Rocky Mountains.

The company has 17 employees and expects significant job growth to meet growing customer demands.

“Arctaris’ investment into AFCO demonstrates our confidence in the company’s leadership and our firm’s commitment to providing non-dilutive royalty financing solutions to companies operating in Michigan,” said Jonathan Tower, managing partner of AMP. “We seek to invest in additional opportunities like AFCO in Michigan with an eye toward growth, impact investment, and job creation.”

Arctaris Michigan Partners launched the Michigan Income and Principal-Protected Growth Fund LP to provide growth capital to underserved Michigan businesses. With capital from the U.S. Treasury Department, the State of Michigan, U.S. commercial banks, foundations and other private investors, the Fund provides loans to small- and mid-sized businesses seeking to expand their Michigan operations or move to the State.

Arctaris Michigan Partners, based in Detroit, is an affiliate of Boston-based Arctaris Royalty Partners LLC, a leader in economic development and impact investment for inner cities and underbanked communities throughout the U.S.

More at http://www.arctarismichigan.com.

LTU Prof Talks Entrepreneurial Engineering

ROYAL OAK — Cristi L. Bell-Huff, director of the Studio for Entrepreneurial Engineering Design at Lawrence Technological University, talks about how engineering students at LTU develop an entrepreneurial mindset in this segment of the M2 TechCast.

This year, LTU’s sophomore classes on engineering design are focusing on products to make life easier for people with disabilities. They’re working through the social services agency Services To Enhance Potential (STEP).

Students must ask real customers – the disabled – what products they need to make their lives and jobs easier.

The classes take place in the engineering design studios that are part of LTU’s new A. Alfred Taubman Engineering, Life Sciences and Architectural Complex.

The studios serve as an incubator where students, faculty, community members, and corporate partners can develop new products and manufacturing processes. The studio includes equipment that gives students the opportunity to try out new ideas outside of the classroom.

The studio is also is a conduit for faculty-led research projects with corporate partners that can also provide research experience to students.

To learn more, visit https://soundcloud.com/podcastdetroit/m2-techcast-58-ltu-seed-cristi-l-bell-huff

The M2 TechCast airs live on the internet from 3 to 4 p.m. Eastern time each Monday at http://www.podcastdetroit.com. And you can listen to past episodes by clicking on http://www.podcastdetroit.com/artist/mi-tech-cast/.

The M2 TechCast is hosted by Mike Brennan, founder and publisher of Michigan Technology News, http://www.mitechnews.com, and Matt Roush, director of the university news bureau at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield. Both have covered high-tech in Michigan as journalists for more than 20 years.

The M2 TechCast is part of Podcast Detroit, a network of more than 50 locally produced podcasts on a wide variety of topics, anchored by IT in the D. the nation’s No. 1 tech podcast, which regularly draws more than 500,000 listeners a week. IT in the D airs live Monday nights from 9 to 11 p.m. Eastern time.

LTU prof gets two grants for robotics and entrepreneurial education

SOUTHFIELD — A Lawrence Technological University assistant professor of biomedical engineering has been awarded two new grants – one to explore touch-sensitive feedback in robots, and another to expand entrepreneurial education in biotech.

Mansoor Nasir is principal investigator on a $50,000 grant from the DENSO North America Foundation and a $25,000 grant from the Kern Family Foundation.

The DENSO grant will be used to acquire laboratory instrumentation to help LTU students design, develop and evaluate haptics, the science of touch-based human-computer interfaces, for applications like auto interiors, medicine, and virtual reality.

“We want to introduce a sense of touch into robots to give them the ability to interact with objects,” Nasir said.

Working with Nasir on the DENSO grant are Eric Meyer, assistant professor of biomedical engineering; James Kern, robotics lab instructor; Franco Delogu, assistant professor of psychology; and Nabih Jaber, assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering.

Meyer is also co-principal investigator on the Kern Family Foundation grant.

The focus of the Kern grant is broadening the scope of entrepreneurial education in engineering classes, making it more widely available through such digital media as web videos.

Earlier, in 2014, Nasir and Meyer received a grant through a Kern Family Foundation program, the Kern Entrepreneurship Education Network (KEEN), to develop course modules on entrepreneurship for engineering classes. In 2015, they received funds through KEEN to organize three half-day workshops on entrepreneurship for engineering professors.

The Kern Family Foundation, based in Waukesha, Wis., has as one of its goals building entrepreneurship into engineering education. More at http://www.kffdn.org/ or http://engineeringunleashed.com/keen/.

About the DENSO North America Foundation

A registered 501(c)3 corporate foundation, the DENSO North America Foundation is dedicated to helping Students advance their education in engineering, technology and other related programs. Founded in 2001, the Foundation provides grants to colleges and universities throughout North America, helping our communities prosper through the development of a skilled and knowledgeable workforce. The Foundation also provides disaster relief grants through the American Red Cross to aid persons and communities in which DENSO Corporation operates. For more, visit http://densofoundation.org.

About DENSO in North America

In North America, DENSO employs more than 23,000 people at 30 consolidated companies and affiliates. Of these, 25 are manufacturing facilities located in the United States, Canada and Mexico. In the United States alone, DENSO employs more than 15,000 people in California, Michigan, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas and Arkansas. DENSO’s North American consolidated sales totaled US$9.9 billion for the fiscal year ending March 31, 2016. For more, go to http://www.densocorp-na.com or connect with DENSO on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/DENSOinNorthAmerica.

Lawrence Technological University, http://www.ltu.edu, is a private university founded in 1932 that offers more than 100 programs through the doctoral level in its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Engineering, and Management. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation’s top 100 universities for the salaries of its graduates, and U.S. News and World Report lists it in the top tier of best Midwestern universities. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, “theory and practice” education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech’s 107-acre campus include more than 60 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.

M2 TechCast To Feature Drone Law Update, Cyber Security, and More

ROYAL OAK — The Monday, Nov. 21 edition of the M2 TechCast podcast will feature an update on drone law, cybersecurity, a new video news operation at Automation Alley, and help for entrepreneurs from a state agency.

Guests will include Mark Becker, a partner at the Grand Rapids and Detroit IT firm C/D/H, speaking on cybersecurity and attacks on the internet.

Tom Kelly, executive director of Automation Alley, will talk about a new video news partnership between the Alley and  MITechNews.com.

Keith Brophy, state director of the Michigan Small Business  Development Center, will interview a company owner helped by MISBDC.

Finally, Traverse City attorney and drone law expert Enrico Schaefer, who operates http://www.dronelaw.pro, will update a story about a drone operator who was arrested for flying over a Trump rally.

The M2 TechCast airs live on the internet from 3 to 4 p.m. Eastern time each Monday at http://www.podcastdetroit.com. And you can listen to past episodes by clicking on http://www.podcastdetroit.com/artist/mi-tech-cast/.

The M2 TechCast is hosted by Mike Brennan, founder and publisher of Michigan Technology News, http://www.mitechnews.com, and Matt Roush, director of the university news bureau at Lawrence Technological University in Southfield. Both have covered high-tech in Michigan as journalists for more than 20 years.

The M2 TechCast is part of Podcast Detroit, a network of more than 50 locally produced podcasts on a wide variety of topics, anchored by IT in the D. the nation’s No. 1 tech podcast, which regularly draws more than 500,000 listeners a week. IT in the D airs live Monday nights from 9 to 11 p.m. Eastern time.

Chinese Auto Firm To Create 150 Jobs In Washtenaw County

ANN ARBOR — A Chinese auto supplier will build a new United States research and development center in Washtenaw County’s Pittsfield Township, state and local economic development officials said.

SF Motors Inc., a subsidiary of the Chinese carmaker and auto supplier Sokon Industry Group, will invest more than $10.7 million in the project, which is projected to create 150 new jobs. SF Motors is based in the San Francisco area.

“Ann Arbor attracts global attention from companies like SF Motors because it’s one of the few places in the world that has a confluence of mobility innovation and talent,” said Paul Krutko, president and CEO of Ann Arbor Spark, the economic development agency for Washtenaw and Livingston counties. “The significant investment that SF Motors is making in the Ann Arbor region is a sign of confidence. The company recognizes that this region can support its long-term growth as it works to bring its electric vehicle technology to market.”

Said SF Motors CEO John Zhang: “Michigan is at the cutting edge of new automotive technologies as well as being an engineering powerhouse and we want to be a part of this great community.”

The Michigan Economic Development Corp. awarded the project a  $1 million Michigan Business Development Program performance-based grant.

“Despite the transformation of the automotive industry in the world, Michigan remains the global center for automotive research and development,” Sokon chairman Xinghai Zhang said. “The establishment of our engineering R&D center in Michigan is an integral part of our global business strategy. We are thankful for the support the State of Michigan has shown us and look forward to working with the local government for years to come.”

More at http://www.AnnArborUSA.org.