THE AVION
B2 Technology
Global Aviation and the Coronavirus
Vipul Telang Editor-in-Chief On Friday, Jan. 31, American, Delta, and United Airlines announced that they would be canceling all of their routes to China in response to 2019-nCoV, better known as the coronavirus. The U.S. Department of State issued a level four travel advisory for China. A level four advisory is the most severe advisory and is a do-not-travel notice for the country in question. The United States Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommended that any travelers should avoid non-essential travel to any city within China. American and United Airlines have confirmed that travel to China will resume at the earliest on Mar. 27 and 28 respectively. Delta announced that they will suspend service until Apr. 30 at the earliest. Other airlines have also suspend-
ed service to China amidst fears of spreading the infection as well. 20 airports in America have started to screen incoming passengers for any symptoms. What’s in a name? A coronavirus is simply a term given to viruses that cause disease in mammals and birds. The current coronavirus outbreak is a strain of coronavirus known as the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (nCoV). Originating in Wuhan, China, in late December 2019, Novel Coronavirus has infected nearly 12,000 people with just over 250 deaths. Since its conception, the virus has spread to over 20 nations, including the U.S., where it has been confirmed that eight people have become infected. The U.S. government has issued mandatory quarantine orders for people who
visited the Hubei province in the last 14 days. The last time mandatory quarantine orders took place was in the 1960s when smallpox threatened the U.S. Novel Coronavirus is not as fatal as Sudden Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), which took the lives of nearly 800 people in 2003 but had the potential to grow exponentially. Although China has taken steps to try and contain the spread of nCoV, it has already spread further and faster than SARS did during the same timeframe. The most significant issue is the unknown factors regarding the relatively new virus. Scientists are still not entirely sure how the infection is transmitted or how long the incubation period is. As a result, it is incredibly hard to predict how fast or how far it will spread. Unlike SARS, nCoV-infected people may still be contagious even if they have no
symptoms. Currently, there are no known cures for the virus. The World Affected Over 20 air carriers in China have elected to offer refunds to passengers for canceled flights. Flights originating in China are responsible for nearly 12.5% of the total flights in the world (both passenger and cargo flights), which is a massive blow to the aviation industry. However, the global implications of canceled flights to China will be felt not just in the air travel industry. All public transportation has shut down in many of the affected cities within the Hubei providence, including buses, subways, trains, and the airport. Some factories shut down as a precaution, which will lead to a temporary disruption in global supply for specific items.
ERAU EcoCar Welcomes DoE Assistant Secretary
The EcoCar team greests the Department of Energy Assistant Secretary, Mr. Simmons.
Sam Victor EcoCar Communications Manager On Friday, Jan. 24, 2020, the ERAU EcoCAR team had a unique opportunity to welcome special guest Daniel Simmons, Department of Energy (DOE) Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. Accompanying Mr. Simmons was Zachery Michael, DOE Senior Advisor and Acting Chief of Staff for the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy; Mark Smith, Technology Integration Program Manager, Vehicle Technologies Office; and Connie Bezanson, Education and Outreach Manager, Vehicle Technologies Program. Upon the guests arrival, they were introduced to the ERAU Administration and Faculty. They have a hand in the project as well as the student leadership of the team. Robert Consolo, Masters Degree Student, and EcoCAR Project Manager gave the DOE guests an overview of the 2019 Chevrolet Blazer and the modifications to the vehicle to meet and exceed the challenges that EcoCAR has set for the competition. Included in the overview was a full tour of the EcoCAR garage and the long history of hard-working ERAU students who have benefitted from the DOE’s generosity in that garage. Finally, after giving Mr. Simmons a full picture of what
activities go on at the EcoCAR garage at ERAU, he was taken for a demonstration drive in the developmental automated vehicle used for Connected and Automated Vehicle Simulation and Testing. “It is something special that you’ve got going on here, it makes me happy to see that our budget is going to good use and seeing students get jobs with the experience they gain through EcoCAR gives me great confidence in the program,” said Mr. Simmons. The DOE guests are an important group of people in their own right. However, Mr. Simmons and his team are far more important people to the EcoCAR students here at ERAU. The DOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy is directly responsible for the EcoCAR budget. It has provided students at ERAU invaluable industry experience as well as a jump start to their careers immediately upon graduation. Without Mr. Simmons’ commitment to renewable energy and STEM education, the ERAU EcoCAR program would not be possible. The EcoCAR Mobility Challenge is the latest U.S. Department of Energy Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition (AVTC) series. The four-year competition will challenge 12 university teams to apply advanced propulsion systems, as well as connected and automated vehicle technology
to improve the energy efficiency, safety and consumer appeal of the 2019 Chevrolet Blazer – Specifically for the carsharing market. Headline sponsored by DOE, General Motors (GM) and MathWorks and managed by Argonne National Laboratory, EcoCAR is the heart of automotive ingenuity working towards future mobility solutions. EcoCAR puts the students in the driver’s seat, providing a real-world training ground for students to gain hands-on experience following a multi-year vehicle development process to design, integrate, and refine efficient mobility solutions. General Motors has provided each team with a 2019 Chevrolet Blazer,
Alex Lee/The Avion Newspaper
which they have four years to develop, integrate and improve into new, advanced technology, energy-efficient mobility solution for the carsharing market. Teams will follow a real-world vehicle development process to meet rigorous technical constraints throughout the four-year competition, which will conclude in the summer of 2022. We are always looking for new team members at the beginning of every semester. You can get involved with our team by joining us at the beginning of the semester interest meeting and attending weekly meetings. We meet every Wednesday at 7 p.m. in COAS 203.
Vipul Telang/The Avion Newspaper
Rob Consolo, EcoCar Project Manager, explains the design, function, and operations of the 2016 Chevy Camaro EcoCar to Mr. Simmons