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The GE Brief – August 23, 2018

August 23, 2018
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BIG DATA, MICROGRIDS


Some 600 million people in sub-Saharan Africa lack reliable access to electricity, and the consequences are far-reaching. Electricity affects nearly everything we do, from economic opportunity to education and health care.

Smaller and smarter: To combat this problem, a group of researchers from GE Power and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are using big data to find cost-effective ways to build microgrids — small-scale power networks operating independently of any larger grid. Their solution called the Reference Electrification Model, or REM, uses software to layer population data, existing grid information, natural-resource surveys, satellite-sourced topography data and other variables to optimize the cost and benefit of either extending an existing electrical grid or constructing a microgrid.

Read more about REM and how it’s being implemented here.

PORT OF LONG BEACH GETS DIGITAL MAKEOVER


The Port of Long Beach in California, the second-largest in America, handles an average of $194 billion worth of cargo annually. Combine that with its neighbor, the Port of Los Angeles, aging software systems and LA traffic and it’s the perfect recipe for what could be a logistical nightmare — especially for the truck drivers who pick up and deliver those packed containers.

That's why the Port of Long Beach is transitioning to a new logistics system called Port Optimizer. The GE software gives every person involved in port logistics, from ship captains to truck drivers, a clear picture of where each container is at any time. The Port of LA recently transitioned to the same system and GE anticipates efficiency gains of 8% to 12% across the entire community at the Port of LA.

Read more about the port’s journey to digitize here.

3D-PRINTED BALLET SHOE REDUCES PAIN


Product designer Hadar Neeman recently used 3D printing to create P-rouette pointe shoes, personalized ballet shoes that are less painful than their traditional counterparts. While looking for a field where she could apply 3D fabric printing technology, Neeman “realized that there was a lot of potential for improving the existing [pointe] shoe and improving the quality of life of the dancers," Neeman said to Deezan.

Better ballet: Not only do the shoes provide better comfort, but they’re three times more durable and offer more protection. The sole is formed using a lightweight, airy lattice-structure that is unique to the individual’s foot. Neeman integrated the fabric top into the sole by trapping the fabric between the sole’s printed layers.Read more about the P-rouette shoes here.




— VIDEO OF THE WEEK — width=


How are GE scientists helping detectives fight crime? By building a better DNA swab.







— QUOTE OF THE DAY —





“Power is foundational to all services, whether it’s irrigating fields, storing food overnight or powering medical devices.”

Ricky Buch, commercial director of energy access and hybrid distributed power at GE Power




 

Quote: GE Reports. Images: GE Reports.




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