Welcome!

Welcome to the website for the Engineered Systems Group at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory! We apply state of the art science and technology to deliver integrated, science-based solutions to complex engineering problems in environment, energy and national security. We conduct research in three primary aspects of complex systems:

• System Design and Optimization
• Technology Assessment

We conduct basic and applied research along the entire "science to technology," continuum. The products we deliver to clients are applicable to the stage(s) of activities appropriate to each problem, from basic scientific inquiry through field deployment. Our products are developed with and for our clients. Together, we define systems, identify problem areas, and propose solutions to problems. We develop our products with appropriate consideration of all relevant externalities, including laws, regulations, policies and standards; safety and security considerations; health, environment and programmatic risks; and ongoing developments in science and technology.

We typically research problems that have significant science and/or technology components; are technically, politically, institutionally and/or logistically complex; involve multiple organizations, policies and regulations; involve complex tradeoffs, and are constrained by cost and other realities. In addition, they are often problems that cannot be solved quickly or easily, but must be addressed periodically or continually through time as science, society, and the environment change. Recent examples include contamination of soil and groundwater by radioactive materials, safety concerns regarding hydrogen-fueled vehicles, and the deployment of systems for detecting illicit radiological materials that could be used in weapons of mass destruction into the United States. Many of the problems we tackle evolve over time and/or space, such that a finite terminal solution may not be apparent from the outset.

Our approach to solving complex problems is both robust and integrative. We apply accepted engineering management processes and principles to our technical work, thereby ensuring management rigor both in our approach to problems and in our deployment of solutions to problems. We facilitate effective interactions among the relevant scientific and engineering disciplines needed to solve each specific problem so that multidisciplinary solutions can be found. And we foster team-building across organizations to increase the likelihood of successfully deploying solutions in the field.

The Engineered Systems group is part of the Health Effects and Risk Sciences Division in the Environmental Technology Directorate (ETD) of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory.