Numerical Models in Representation Design: Computing Seawater Properties in an Ecological Interface

Abstract

The contribution of cognitive engineering in complex systems is often limited by the availability of information to populate advanced representational forms, such as those characterized by the Ecological Interface Design framework. We suggest the application of numerical models to derive required information, supplementing the analytical methods that are commonly used in computational aiding. We demonstrate the approach by presenting a solution combining numerical and analytical methods to the problem of determining seawater properties in a nuclear power plant. The example demonstrates that numerical approaches can expand the range of possible applications of representation aiding in complex systems.

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