Research Briefs

Ergonomic Research on the Musculoskeletal System, Dr. Gary Mirka

Working on a boat in the crab fishing industry can be a challenging work environment. What are the stresses of working on a boat and how can we prevent injuries to the musculoskeletal system? The dose-response relationship for musculoskeletal injuries is not as well understood as it is for areas such as exposure to hazardous chemicals or high noise levels.

A lot of inter-individual variability exists in how workers respond to their work tasks. Through the use of well-engineered designs (that recognize the capabilities and limitations of the human body) the stresses placed on the bodies of industrial workers can be reduced.  Ergonomic studies are being conducted onboard and in the laboratory. Interventions that are developed and implemented as a result of this studiy are expected to significantly reduce the number of injuries in these types of jobs.

Energy Costs, Dr. Lizhi Wang

Electricity pricing is based on complex power generation and distribution systems.  What are the cost components associated with electricity prices?  Modeling and analysis of electricity prices can provide managerial insights for system operators to improve the efficiency of the electricity market as well as help us understand the effects of other factors.  For example, what are the potential economic impacts of plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs) and related technologies?   

In a recent study,  Dr. Wang used a system model to decompose wholesale electricity prices (locational marginal prices).  As seen in the pie chart, only 63% of the average price is due to power generation costs. The balance includes 3% for demand uncertainty, 6% paid to reserve a certain amount of capacity to ensure reliability, 23% for extra profit to the oligopoly power suppliers, and the interactions of these factors plus the limited transmission capacity accounts for the remaining 5%.