Thursday, December 20, 2007

Tour of New Parking Ramp

I've been a bit slow getting this posted. Members of the Engineering Club toured the new parking ramp after our last meeting on December 7. (Some others from my morning class who could not make the meeting had a shorter tour at 10 AM.) Special thanks to Larry Cliett from the TCC facilities office for giving his time for both tours, and a very special thanks to Jim Folds of Culpeppper Construction who stayed long after the construction work shut down to keep the site open and share lots of interesting information about the work.

Here we see Jim Folds (in the suit) with the afternoon tour group. One tidbit from the tour was that Jim is a dropout from the FSU College of Engineering. He left partway through and is now a project manager. (My opinion, having seen some good and bad projects while working as a surveyor during my college days, is that he is a very good project manager.)



He pointed out lots of details about this construction method and the logistics of it all. The pre-fab concrete pieces are being made in Georgia, near Atlanta, and trucked to Tallahassee. About 20 pieces arrive each day when they are going full speed, ready to be installed the next day after temporary storage off the road to the new North Lot.

One of the ways they are making money and saving TCC money at the same time (we basically are getting a 5 story ramp for the price of 4) is by using thinner pre-fab floor beams and adding the rest of the concrete and reinforcing steel on site. It also helps that construction is in a slump and they got lots of good (low) bids. You can see the construction details very clearly in this view.



And here is the view from the top. The ramp offers a great view of the State Capitol in the distance.



The latest news is that the upper deck will be covered with solar panels that will generate about 750 kW of power while shading the cars on the top level.

I have a lot more pictures from that tour and some earlier ones during the early phases of the project that I will try to organize here next semester.

Wednesday, November 28, 2007

Friday ASME Luncheon

TCC students are invited to attend the ASME "senior section" luncheon at 11:30 on Friday, 30 November, at the Ole Times Buffet on North Monroe, across from Lake Ella. If you leave before the question period, you can be back in time for the 1:25 calculus classes. Doug Jones says that you can't be late for his calc III class if you leave the meeting at the same time he does. (I say this is because he drives slowly.) Click on the flyer for details.



This promises to be a very interesting presentation. The City of Tallahassee is replacing the old gas- or oil-fired boiler with a "combined cycle" system that uses a gas turbine (jet engine) to generate electricity and then uses the waste heat from its exhaust to produce steam that will generate even more electricity. This is described on page 315 of the PHY2048 textbook in Example 19.2 and the Application at the bottom of the page. Read that before going to the lecture and you will really get a lot out of the talk.

You will also get a chance to eat lunch with local professional mechanical engineers and faculty and students from FAMU and FSU who attend these talks.

Friday, November 16, 2007

Gators -vs- Noles Meeting

We had a great turnout for our 3rd annual presentation by representatives from the University of Florida and the FAMU-FSU Colleges of Engineering.

Ms. Karen Bray, the transfer advisor from UF, gave a short presentation showing videos of some student projects and an overview of the different programs offered at UF. She also distributed information about those programs and answered questions about the transfer process, scholarships, and their transfer mentor program.

Prof. Shih, the chairman of the Mechanical Engineering program at FAMU-FSU, also addressed the same questions and described the differences between the programs available at UF and the ones available at the FAMU-FSU college. Both emphasized the importance of picking a field because you enjoy working hard on those kinds of problems, not because of pay levels of today's job market. There are easier majors if you just want to make money.

There were also a number of comments from others present, both current FSU students and an FSU engineering alumnus (Doug Windham) who is now on the TCC math faculty.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

TCC ENGINEERING CLUB T-SHIRTS

The first order of T-Shirts has arrived. If you were on the July (07) Order List, please email Doug Jones at jonesd@tcc.fl.edu to confirm your size. We had 12 on that Order List, and I got the numbers, but I never got the list of names.

I'm not sure of the price, I just picked-up the shirts (Friday morning in the rain), and I've not gotten the bill yet. It's either $10 or $12 per shirt.

The shirts look good. I wore mine to my German School class Sat. morning and to the ill-fated football game Sat. afternoon.

DJ.

Thursday, October 18, 2007

FRIDAY MEETING

ENGINEERING CLUB

MEETING – OCTOBER 19, 2007 (Fri.)

2:30 pm SM 260.


 

AGENDA


OFFICERS

Chair 

Vice Chair & SGA Rep. 

Secretary 

Webmaster 

Komlan Amesse 

Miguel Marquina 

Ann Wolfgang 

Michael O'Connor 


  1. Introduction of Members, Visitors, and Guests.

  2. Report on FSU-ASME meeting.

  3. Update on the solar panel project.

  4. Cancer Walk on Sunday, Oct 21.

  5. Report on ASME Luncheon earlier today (Fri. 10/19).

Open Discussion.

Thursday, October 4, 2007

MEETING FRI 10/05 == SM 260 == 2:30

The meeting will be Friday, Oct. 5, 2007, at 2:30 in SM 260. We are now holding meetings twice a month – first and third Friday. The agenda for tomorrow is modest.


Friday Agenda

1- Welcome
2- Project (Solar Powered Golf Cart)
3- Workshop (Planning for Graphing Calculator
Workshop)
4- Forum
5- Cancer Walk (need some volunteers)


Visit our WebPage at http://www.tccengineeringclub.com

Sunday, September 30, 2007

TCC ENGINEERING CLUB SOLAR PROJECT

As a result of a great deal of preliminary work by club members, a decision was made at the meeting of Sept. 21, 2007, to pursue a project of conversion of a TCC golf cart to solar power. A team was formed, headed by Aaron Bauldree.

The team's first meeting was Sat. Sept. 29. Here is a summary of the meeting, provided by Komlan Amesse.

*******

We met today at 11am at All Saints Cafe. Those present were Komlan Amesse, Ann Wolfgang, Giovanni Meritis, Aaron Bauldree and Ramonn Soto. This meeting is the kickoff of the project. We talked about all the physical constraints we will face and how to get the project done on time. The solar system we going to build is called Solar Assistant System. Aaron set up a forum web ( http://www.tccsolar.freeforums.org ) page where everyone can go and discuss the project. We assigned to ourselves a duty to research on the efficient solar panel to use. We also decided that it will be very nice to find a solar panel that we can display on Oct 03 at the TCC Spirit Day. (Do you know anyone that own solar panel that we can borrow and just display it for the event?) The meeting ended at 12:08.

*******

I encourage everyone to visit the forum.

If you would like to participate in this project, please contact Aaron via the forum. It is very easy to register and log in.

TCC SPIRIT DAY, OCT. 03, 2007

*********************************************************
ENGINEERING CLUB MEMBERS

Here (below) is the notice from the TCC web page.
TCC Spirit Day is the new name for Stu-Fac Day.
We need some active participation by our membership to work our "table." If you can commit 1/4 hr, 1/2 hr, or even more, then we need you! Please call me (Doug Jones 201-8120) on Mon., 10/01 or Tue. 10/02 OR come by my office. I'll have a sign-up sheet on my large bulletin board. Let's let the campus know that we are here!

Your club officers will take care of getting the table and supplying materials. All you need to do is to sign up and be there!

**********************************************************
******* HERE IS THE ANNOUNCEMENT ********
**********************************************************

TCC Spirit Day
Date: Wed 3 October
Time: 11:00 am - 03:00 pm
Location: Intramural Fields

Where's Your Spirit. Join in the fun, Music, games, entertainment, rock climbing, laser tag, bungee jumping, free food, activites and more! Catch the BLUE & GOLD SPIRIT at the first TCC SPIRIT DAY! GO Eagles!

If you would like a student club/departmental table, to help volunteer or additional information, please contact the Student Activities Office at 201-8094.

********************************************************

Saturday, September 29, 2007

SUMMARY of SGA MEETING // 9-26-07

MIGUEL MARQUINA [MARQU977@tccemail.fl.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 6:57 PM
To:
DOUG JONES

I wanted to report what happened at the SGA meeting today. I would also like for someone to send mass emails to everyone in the club that way we are all informed as a club. For anyone who is interested there are two major events going on.

The first is the relay for life, early registration begins Thursday, Sept27,2007. The ACS would like everyone to register by Oct23,2007 which they are offering any club to register before then to qualify to enter a drawing to cover all registration fees. If there are any further questions, contact Ms. Smith 850-321-5952.

The second is the Aids walk this will take place Oct 14,2007 at Tom Brown Park from 2-5:00pm and there will be a walk that will be 1.5 miles but it's not mandatory.

Next, I made it to the paper! My story and proposal is in the paper! It can be found in the Talon.

I have the registration papers for both events so let me know if anyone is interested or if we want to get known as a club.

Thank you and have a blessed day.
y.

Friday, September 21, 2007

FSU Advising Day

Although I have not received an e-mail announcement, there are signs around campus stating that the FSU Advising Day will be this Wednesday, 26 September from 10 AM to 3 PM.

This is the easiest way to talk to an Engineering academic adviser about the timing of your transfer to the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. They can tell you what classes are likely to be offered in the spring, summer, and fall semesters at FSU and help you put together a plan that makes sense for you, possibly including dual enrollment during your last semester at TCC.

For example, a recent visiting alumnus told me how it worked with a spring start in mechanical engineering: you needed to take 11 hours of engineering classes in the summer (about like 13 hours in a regular semester) to be on track for the classes that start in the fall. A fall start had a much easier load, while a summer start is mostly limited to picking up non-sequence classes like basic circuits.

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

AGENDA for FRI. 9/21 ENGINEERING CLUB MEETING

ENGINEERING CLUB
MEETING – SEPTEMBER 21, 2007 (Fri.)
2:30 pm SM 260.
AGENDA


OFFICERS

Chair

Vice Chair & SGA Rep.

Secretary

Webmaster

Komlan Amesse

Miguel Marquina

Ann Wolfgang

Michael O'Connor



  1. Introduction of Members, Visitors, and Guests.
  2. Presentation of award to the Management of Dominos.
  3. Report on ASME Membership Conference.
  4. Brief on the solar panel project.
  5. New event: TCC Spirit Day.
  6. Suggestion: To have meeting every 2 weeks.
  7. Presentation – so you wanna be an engineer? – by Dr Jason Osborne.
  8. Heart Walk on Saturday.
  9. Next ASME Luncheon: Fri. 9/28.
  10. Pizza at the end of the meeting

FAMU-FSU Engineering Day

George Heller says:

Thursday, September 20, is the "Engineering Day" career fair at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. This runs all day, from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm at the College of Engineering. Although the emphasis is on Juniors (for summer internships) and Seniors (for careers), other students can show up ... with their resume ... if interested in exploring summer job opportunities. (There are some companies willing to hire underclassmen.)

Tuesday, September 11, 2007

Visit by U of Florida Engineering

I have a confirmation that the UF engineering transfer advisor can travel to Tallahassee to meet with us during our regular meeting on Friday, November 16. Please put this date on your calendar.

I will contact the people at FSU to see if they can "compete" with UF that day for our 3rd annual Gator-Nole engineering advising meeting and keep you updated on my progress.

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Program info

I have several bits of information related to topics brought up at our last meeting.

Solar Power Project

Aaron has pushed this one step further with an idea to design, install, and test the use of solar electric assist for one of the golf carts used for maintenance or hospitality transport around campus. Part of the project would document the existing energy use of a cart, so the energy demands would be understood and so we would have a reference point to measure the benefit of the solar assist. In addition to being as visible around campus as a kinetic sculpture installed at the SM building, it could even be used in the Springtime Tallahassee parade. A group met on Friday, 7 September, to work on the details.

Rocket Engines

Terry Zimmerman (on the faculty at North Florida CC, and sponsor of their Sentinel Rocket Club) is hosting a workshop by Jimmy Yawn on reloading used Estes-brand rocket motors. The reload propellant is made from simple chemicals, but this will be a "work at your own risk" workshop, not a club activity. In principle, we should be able to reload some used motors and test launch them the same day using the club's launch site in Madison County.

The workshop is scheduled for the morning of Saturday, 6 October, on the NFCC campus. Interested parties can get the details at our next meeting on 21 September. I will not post any other details on the blog because Terry does not want this open to the general public.

Walking on Water

I was able to track down a detailed article about it in a science writer's blog, which included links to a YouTube video of it being done by "El Hormiguero" in Barcelona, Spain. Based on what I found on the TV show's web site, the guy in the white jacket is Flipy, who plays a mad scientist on this TV show. IMDB says the TV program is not available on DVD.



The tank is over waist deep (3.5 ft) and I'd estimate at least 4 ft wide and 10 ft long. That is more than 5 cubic yards, which explains the concrete mixer in the background. A typical concrete truck carries around 5 yards, so they were able to prepare the "oobleck" in that truck and then pour it into the tank. The water alone weighs more than 5 tons, so the tank would require some careful engineering. I don't even want to think about cleanup, but the TV show's promoters likely took care of that.

Possible Future Competition Project

Terry Zimmerman contacted me about possible participation in the Annual CanSat Competition sponsored by the American Astronautical Society and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. If you read the Mission requirements, you will see that the idea is to build a small version of a space probe. Bonus points are awarded if the probe can carry out some activities, such as collecting a soil sample, typical of a Mars lander. Terry's group over at North Florida CC has some rockets that could carry the payload, but not the expertise to build the electronics needed for the project. Google shows that one hobbyist company sells a package that does some of what is needed (probably from last year's competition) for $220. However, like other engineering design competitions, buying is not the objective and just building it is only part of the task. If some of our first-year students are interested, this might make a good 2-year project, using this year to do some experimental work to get ready for next year's competition.

Civil Engineering for K thru 1st grade:

My dad sent me a copy of the ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) newsletter from last month. Along with info about their efforts on improving infrastructure while the Minnesota I-35W bridge collapse still has the public's attention, there was a link to an educational project targeted at really young children. Check out Curious George: Let's Build!

Wednesday, September 5, 2007

OPEN LETTER TO MEMBERS RE: LEON COUNTY HIGH SCHOOL CAREER NIGHT.

Members,

This topic was mentioned at the last meeting (8/31/07).
On Tue. Evening 9/18/07 at the Fairgrounds there will be held the
LEON COUNT CAREER NIGHT for all the local high school students.

We need one member of our Club who is also an ASME (Student) member to join forces with a FAMU/FSU student member and several ASME Tallahassee Section members to work a table set up for the ASME. Information will be distributed to interested high school students on careers in engineering and on the college experience for potential engineers. I’m not sure of the exact times, but I believe that it begins at about 6pm or perhaps 6:30pm and lasts a couple of hours. There is also some free food involved.

Michael O’Connor participated last year, so I’m not asking him to volunteer again. We need to be taking turns. It is a worthwhile activity, and I urge someone to step forward.

Please email me by return mail if you are able to volunteer. First come; first served. I’ll announce it when it happens.

Also, since my mailing lists are incomplete, please pass the word on.

And finally, I’ll put this whole item onto the “blog” for, possibly, greater coverage.

Thank You,
Doug Jones
Instructor of Math & Logic
Tallahassee Community College
850-201-8120 (Office)
850-201-8119 (FAX)
jonesd@tcc.fl.edu

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

ENGINEERING CLUB MEETING

ENGINEERING CLUB
MEETING – AUGUST 31, 2007 (Fri.)
2:30 pm SM 260.
AGENDA



OFFICERS
ChairVice ChairSecretary
Komlan Amesse Miguel Marquina Ann Wolfgang


  1. We thank Dominoes for our Pizzas.
  2. Welcome and Introductions.
  3. Updates / Results –

    • Study Room
    • Pencil Hand Out --
    • T-shirts / Polo Shirts
    • Web Pages
    • Workshop
    • ASME Luncheon – Fri 8/24

  4. Public Service

    • Heart Walk – Sep. 22
    • Making Strides Against Breast Cancer – Oct. 21
    • Leon County School Night – Sep. 18 **

  5. Trip to Tuscaloosa (ASME SLS)
  6. Filling out Forms for SG
  7. Sugar Rockets (Terry Zimmerman) **
  8. Club Technical Project
  9. Date / Topics for Next Meeting
  10. Open Discussion


** More details when available

Saturday, August 25, 2007

ENGINEERING CLUB // NEWS

1. BRIEF REPORT: On Fri., 8/24/07, I attended the ASME LUNCHEON MEETING. It was held at the OLE TIMES BUFFET near the intersection of North Monroe and Tharpe St., 11:45 till 1:00 pm. There were two TCC faculty-types present -- Beth Mann-Pace and I represented the College. Unfortunately, none of our current club members were able to make it. However, George Heller and Chris Loftis, both now at FAMU/FSU and previously officers in our Club were in attendance. There were about 20-25 people present in all.

We had a private room of adequate size; the food was good; and the presentation (12:20 -- 1:00),

The Plasma Torch Waste to Energy Project,
was very informative and interesting. I'm attaching a link to the Tallahassee Section ASME web page. If you go there and click on "Meeting Notices" and then on "Click Here For A Copy Of Ben's Presentation," you should get a pdf copy of Ben Cowart's presentation.

There are several photos in the slide-show which are not captioned. Let me try to do that here:


  • slide#2 -- 4 pictures (top left; clockwise) current diverse power sources in TLH: Solar Panels; Lake Talquin Dam; Waste; ( ** I missed this one ** ).
  • slide#10, #11, #12 -- a comparable 35MW plant in Japan.
  • slide#13 -- a torch at the Japanese plant.
  • slide#14 -- slag stream: the waste from the torch process (see slide#9).
  • slide#15 -- you can cool the slag and make bricks out of it. It's all vitrified, so nothing bad can leach from it.

Here is your link:

http://www.sections.asme.org/tallahassee/



2. REMINDER: On the first day of class, Mon. 8/27/07, the Club will be greeting students in the breeze-way of the SM Building, handing out ENGINEERING CLUB pencils, and helping students find their science and math classrooms. Mrs. Lina Williams is spearheading this project. If you have any time to help out during the day, please contact Mrs. Williams at williaml@tcc.fl.edu.

3. REMINDER: Friday, 8/31/07, 2:30 pm SM 260 -- our first meeting of the semester. There are a lot of plans to be made. Please attend. Also, if you know of anyone who may be interested in the Club, please invite them. You might want to post some response to this blog if you'll be at the meeting, so that we can get some idea of how many PIZZAs to order!

4. NEWS: Your Chair Person, Komlan; Vice Chair, Miguel; and Secretary, Ann, will be joining 7 folks from the FAMU/FSU ASME club Fri., Sat., and Sun., 9/7, 9/8, and 9/9, for the ASME SLS (Student Leadership Seminar) at the Univ. of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. I am driving the TCC van/bus(?)

5. NEWS: Please check the official TCC ENGINEERING CLUB website at
http://www.tcc.fl.edu/index.php/tcc/about_tcc/student_affairs/departments/campus_life/student_activities_clubs_entertainment/student_organizations_clubs_teams/enginering_club
(PS For all you programmers out there -- I didn't invent that link!)

I have recently updated that page, and I've put the Club's calendar into action. So if you have any calendar items, please give them to me for posting.



DJ

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Construction News Flash

You have a hance to see a unique operation this weekend. (Translation: I did survey work on a lot of sewer work back in my youth but I never saw this done.) Starting Thursday (16 August) through Monday (20 August), the contractor is going to do a "pump around" to replace one sanitary sewer line with another while continuously maintaining sewer service to the north end of campus.

They will lay pipe across the parking lot from an upstream manhole near the maintenance building to a downstream one near the student union. They will temporarily block the pipe, pump the sewage across the parking lot, cut the existing pipe, permanently block the abandoned part, test the line, then restore the flow.

My guess is that construction will take place Thursday and Friday with the "pump around" taking place early Saturday when sewage flow will be less than on a work day, but they could do it at any time.

Elsewhere, the foundations for the new bridge to the new parking lot are being poured. It will be a close call if that is cured and ready for the bridge before classes start in a week!

Friday, August 10, 2007

ASME FRIDAY LUNCHEON

CLICK ON THE ANNOUNCEMENT TO ENLARGE.
PLEASE TRY TO ATTEND.
I AM SURE THAT THIS WILL BE A VERY INTERESTING PRESENTATION.
            DJ

Monday, August 6, 2007

Surveyor Tracks

During college, I worked summers as a "rodman", the third (and least skilled) member of a survey crew in the pre-technology era. [Actually, our company did have one electronic distance measuring system, which was as bulky and heavy as it was expensive. I was on one of the few crews that used it, but that is a different story.] Most of our work was construction surveys, mixed in with some pre-design and residential work. As a result, I can "see" plans on the ground when I see the stakes set out by surveyors, the "tracks" that allow you to follow their work.

Back in March, we toured some of the places related to the construction of the new parking ramp, including the apparent locations of the corners of the building. Construction of the storm sewer, a necessary step before above-ground work can begin, is underway and you can see what is used to do that work in the area west of TPP. You might also check out the almost-complete parking lot NW of the SM building, the survey markers related to the pedestrian bridge that should be built in the next few weeks, and the work starting today on the connection to the electrical system (from TPP to the garage).

The first picture shows a collection of "surveyor tracks" laid out in mid July. The picture was taken between the faculty and student lots to the west of TPP, looking south. The same area is shown in the last picture posted in the March blog, which was taken from the health programs entrance looking west. (Click the photos to see them full size.)

The stake labeled "corner?" is the one that was there when we visited in March. It is no longer there, making me wonder if the stake labeled "new?" is where the corner of the building will actually be located. Time will tell.
The others are all related to the new sanitary sewer being installed across the student parking lot during July. That work was done on a line running south from MH140 (manhole number 140) through the tree in the distance marked "alignment". MH150 is just past that tree (which is no longer there as I write this), with new pipe extending south to a point opposite the Student Union. That tree is in the background of the third picture in the March blog, showing the south side of the building. MH150 is just to the SE of the future SE corner of the building (just as MH140 is to the NE of the NE corner). More on MH130 in the third photo.

This second picture is a closeup of two of the stakes in that area. The tall stake with flagging on it is normally a "guard" to help you locate the actual stake and to give you information about the location. The actual location is marked by the rectangular wooden stake (we called it a "hub") at ground level.

The stake in the right half of this photo is the one you see in the previous photo above. The writing translates as centerline (C/L) of sanitary sewer manhole (SSMH) 140. Some writing is crossed out because either the rodman or crew chief made a mistake that was caught later. The stake on the left is an offset (O/S) stake. It is located 30' from the center of the manhole, and the hub has a known elevation (64.31 feet above sea level). There is also a 15' o/s stake. These are used by the contractor to locate the manhole (and its depth) once the centerline stake has been dug up during construction.

Remark added: The notation used is that a sanitary sewer is SSMH, while a storm sewer is SMH. You have to pay attention. The difference between what is flowing inside them is significant.

This last picture is a view looking west from this same location. You can see that MH130 is off at a diagonal from MH140.
In the distance is MH 120, indicating that the pipe will run along the north edge of the parking ramp toward the small holding pond in the background. There is a stake indicating that MH110 will be right at the edge of the pond. (Later work will expand this pond to bring our stormwater system up to current standards and make up for the part taken up by the new building.)

Update added on 10 August: Talked to the contractor today, and he told me that SSMH110 is where this new sanitary sewer line will intercept the existing sewer line. (That area has now been dug up, and pictures of that area will be blogged separately.) The current sewer line flows along the road, under where the building will be. That would interfere with the foundation, so they are diverting it around the east end of the building.

Final note: The numbers for the manholes go up in steps of 10 so that others could be added in between without having to mess up the sequence or renumber all of them. Our practice (at a company in Michigan) was to number them uphill, but they did the opposite in this case. Pipe is laid working uphill, which is what they did here (starting at the outlet end of the detour, west of the union, and working up towards the intercept point by the stormwater pond).

Thursday, July 26, 2007

REPORT ON TURBOCOR TOUR of FRI 7/13/07

Chris Loftis took the tour, and he sent me the following report --

For the first half of the tour, we were herded into a classroom and basically given the sales spiel about these compressors. They started out stating the lofty goals they had when starting to design it, and what they actually managed to reach. Despite them not having not made a compressor that can put out 150 tons, is as large as a matchbox and weighs less than a pound, the result is still quite impressive. Of course, the main innovation of the compressor are the magnetic bearings. This gives it the advantage of not needing lubrication because the shaft is the only moving part and it doesn't come into contact with anything. Comparing it to comparable compressors, it's also smaller, quieter and more efficient at partial loads than the other ones out there. Pretty much the only disadvantage seemed to be that they couldn't make them fast enough.

We went out to the manufacturing floor for the second part of the tour. Most all of the parts are machined elsewhere so there wasn't much actual manufacturing being done. It seemed like the only parts done there were the high precision ones needed because of the incredibly small clearance between the levitated shaft and the walls. The vast majority of the plant was devoted to the testing and running of the machines. They certainly have a great track record so far, only having had three units fail in operation so far.

After coming back to the classroom, they were showing off all the units they had on display. The most impressive of them was the working unit with a cross section taken out of it so you could touch the shaft. With the levitation on the shaft impossible to move in any direction but angularly, showing how the control systems can keep the shaft centered despite having someone pushing on it.

All in all, it was nice to have a more hands on look at this new technology.

NOTES on ENGINEERING CLUB MEETING of FRI 7/13/07

  • The meeting was called to order shortly after 12:00 Noon by Chairman Komlan Amesse.
  • Introductions of attendees were made.
  • New Officers were recognized:
    • Vice-Chair (and SGA rep.) -- Miguel Marquina;
    • Secretary -- Ann Wolfgang.
  • Today's pizza was courtesy of Domino's, and Doug Jones read into the record a letter that he transmitted to Mr. Drew Walker, the manager of the local Domino's, thanking him for the sponsorship of our club.
  • We agreed to take part in the Cancer Walk in Oct., but we want to get a club banner before that time, and we'll display the banner in the Walk.
  • Also we discussed club t-shirts.
  • Regarding an ENGINEERING CLUB study room -- Dean Frank Brown will discuss this with Vice President Barbara Sloan in the near future. Dr. Brown is well aware of our desire to secure such room.
  • Lina Williams is coordinating "First Day of Classes" activities for the Club:
    • She needs to get volunteers to take "shifts" outside the SM building on the opening day of classes.
    • We want to get Engineering Club pencils to hand out the first day of classes.
  • Mrs. Williams is also coordinating a sequence of fund-raising workshops of (Engineering Club) students -- on -- students. The workshops will concentrate on problem areas in math, mainly algebra.
  • The next meeting will be Friday, August 31, at 2:30 pm in SM 260.

Thursday, July 12, 2007

Lecture on 19 July about X-ray Observatory

I recently got an e-mail announcing a lecture at the Challenger Learning Center in downtown Tallahassee (on Kleman Plaza) about "X-ray Astrophysics and the Chandra X-ray Observatory". The one hour lecture is at 1:00 pm on Thursday, July 19. There is convenient parking in the Kleman Plaza ramp, and sometimes at the meters along Park Avenue a few blocks north.

Click on the image at right to read the full announcement and details about the lecture. These NASA touring lectures are usually well prepared and understandable to the general public, so I would not expect an overly technical talk until the questions at the end.

This "observatory" is a spacecraft (launched from the Space Shuttle) carrying a very sophisticated X-ray telescope. It has been used to study black holes (including the one at the center of our galaxy), supernovae, and to provide evidence of the existence of dark matter. Because x rays would rather go through something than reflect off of it, designing an x-ray mirror and the associated "optics" was a major accomplishment that will probably be discussed in the talk.

You can read more about this device on the NASA web site and the one for the Harvard-based facility that operates it, among others.

Monday, June 25, 2007

CALL FOR OFFICERS

We have a Chairperson at least through the Fall 07 Semester. But we'll be needing a Chairperson-Elect ASAP.

However, we will not have a Vice Chairperson after the Summer 07 Semester. We need someone for this position.

And we will not have a SGA Representative (Student Government Rep) after the Summer 07 Semester. We absolutely MUST have someone for this position.

If you are interested, please contact me at jonesd@tcc.fl.edu.

Sunday, June 24, 2007

TURBOCOR TOUR

As mentioned in earlier posts, the Tallahassee Section ASME is planning a tour of the Danfoss Turbocor plant on Friday, July 13, 2007 @ 2 pm. In order to complete the planning process we need to provide them with an accurate head-count of attendees.

I believe this is a marvelous opportunity to learn more about a remarkable product, and I urge you to take it.

If you are interested in touring the new Danfoss Turbocor plant, please email the following information to me, Doug Jones, jonesd@tcc.fl.edu.

Please respond by Fri., June 29, 2007
+++ DEADLINE EXTENDED TO TUE. JULY 3, 2007 +++

Make the "Subject Box" of your email be TURBOCOR TOUR, and in the "Body" of your email provide the following information.

  • name,
  • telephone number,
  • email address,
  • degree of certainty of attendance (confirmed vs probable).

NOTES on ENGINEERING CLUB MEETING of TUE 6/19/07

ENGINEERING CLUB
MEETING OF 6-19-2007 (TUE)
3PM SM260
NOTES: D.JONES.

  • INTRODUCTIONS

  • AGENDA

    • Domino’s Pizza will (future tense) supply us with pizza & drinks. We’ll give them a certificate of appreciation, or some suitable plaque.

    • Komlan needs volunteers for various committees.

    • The Senior Section ASME is organizing a plant visitation to Turbocor. The tour will be July 13 (Fri) at 2pm. We have been invited to participate. Jones will be asking for sign-up names and information soon.

    • T-Shirt Update: Jones is working with Dylan at Deepsouthsigns on the shirts. At this meeting it was decided to see about getting both Polos and T’s.

    • Parking Deck Update: Clearing of the North Parking area is underway.

    • Fundraising Update: Amesse will send Dr. Carr wording on criteria for Engineering Scholarship, which will be presented to the Foundation in enlisting their expertise in establishing a scholarship fund.

    • Club Room Update: Jones has been reminding Dean Brown of our needs. Hopefully we can get something temp. by Fall. Permanent may take a year, depending upon when the Writing Center moves out of the AC Bldg.

    • Web Page Update: O’Connor is working on it http://www.tccengineeringclub.com/ . Put a link to the e-club blog on it! And a calendar.

    • Instead of Fall class visitations by club members to advertise the club, it was decided to set up a table at the front of the SM Bldg sometime during the first week or so of classes – with promotional material such as Engineering Club pencils. There will be a sign-up sheet.

    • Our next meeting will be Fri., 7/13/2007 at 12 noon. As Loftis and Carr pointed out we’ll need to secure at least a Vice Chair and a SGA rep. at that time. Other officers (esp. a Sec!) would be helpful (Jones is an advisor, not a Sec!) Jones will put an invitation on the Blog for Officer Candidates. After this meeting we’ll go to the Turbocor tour.

    • We’ll probably have the FSU vs GATOR Engineering meeting on or about the 3rd Fri. in Sept. (as per usual).

    • Meeting adjourned at about 4:30 pm.



Tuesday, June 19, 2007

TCC ENGINEERING CLUB JUNE MEETING

June Meeting:
Tues. 6/19/07
3 pm
SM 260



Thursday, June 14, 2007

Update on Scholarships

The deadline for the $2500 STEM-STAR scholarship has been extended to July 31.

See an earlier blog entry for details about this scholarship. The main requirement is a 3.0 GPA and a planned major in a technical area such as engineering or computer science after completing an AA degree, and that you be a full-time student at TCC through the spring of 2008.

Tuesday, June 5, 2007

JOA (Job Opportunity Announcement) // UPDATE

The following information was sent to me by Michelle Baragona, TCC, EWD.

Talquin Electric Cooperative, Inc.
Immediate opening for
ASSISTANT STAKING ENGINEER
Now accepting applications for a position in the Electric Operations Department at the Bradfordville location. The position requires completion of a Civil Engineering two-year degree or equivalent program. Excellent benefits. Starting salary is $19.02 per hour. Application may be submitted to: Talquin Electric Cooperative, Inc., P.O. Box 1679, Quincy, Florida 32353. For more information, please call Ken Cowen at 878-4414.

=============================================================

UPDATE -- From Michelle Baragona ( BARAGONM@tcc.fl.edu )


"Thank you for your help regarding Talquin Electric. I have information from Danfoss-Turbocor regarding their needs for an intern. Please see below. Thank you again.



Here is a short list of the duties for Manufacturing Interns. "

  • Develop Process Sheets
  • Assist Manufacturing Engineers with assigned projects
  • Set-up work cells
  • Lead improvements on processes
  • Assist with Training of new employees
  • Correct Quality Issues

Monday, June 4, 2007

JUNE TCC ENGINEERING CLUB MEETING

The JUNE meeting of the
TCC ENGINEERING CLUB will be on TUESDAY, June 19, 2007, rather than on Thursday.

An agenda will be posted soon.

Thursday, May 17, 2007

Florida Space Academy

Extracted from an e-mail forwarded to me by a former student now in the FSU engineering program. Note that this program is for U.S. Citizens only, but community college students are eligible to participate.


Space Academy Florida Undergraduate Program
August 6-18, 2007

Thank you for your interest in the Space Academy. The Florida Undergraduates program will be held this summer, August 6-18, 2007. Please complete the application on our website: http://www.spaceflorida.gov/EducationPrograms.shtml, by clicking on the PDF file “Undergraduate Application”. This opportunity is open to all Florida undergraduates.

What you will learn and do:
  • Build & Test Payload for Weather Balloons
  • Build Autonomous Robots
  • Tour Historic Launch Sites
  • Attend KSC lab Sessions
  • Learn about Global Positioning system (GPS) through Hands-On Activities
  • Participate in Q & A Session with Guest Speakers and Astronauts

Session:
August 6-18, 2007

Location: Kennedy Space Center, Center for Space Education (CSE)

Academy Details: Hotel Accommodations Provided, Applicants must be 18 years of age, and a US Citizen attending a Florida Technical Institute/Junior College/College/University.

Application Deadline: July 23, 2007

Please let us know if we can be of further assistance.

Linsley Pietsch
Education Program Associate
321.730.5301
lpietsch@spaceflorida.gov

Monday, May 14, 2007

TCC ENGINEERING CLUB MAY MEETING

THE MAY MEETING WILL BE ON THURSDAY, MAY 17, 2007 IN SM 260, STARTING AT 3:00 PM.

MR. WILBERT BUTLER will speak on the STEM Star Scholarships ($2500). Come to see if you are qualified.

Other Agenda Items will be announced here as they develop.

Saturday, May 12, 2007

ASME LUNCHEON FRIDAY, MAY 18

*** MODIFICATION OF ORIGINAL POSTING ***
*** SEE FLYER FOR UPDATED INFORMATION ***


On Fri, 5/11, I received the following NOTICE from the ASME Senior Section:

(Please note that the luncheons are now being held at the new Residence Inn on Gaines St. Also, the certification LEED AP stands for "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, Accredited Professional." See
http://www.usgbc.org/DisplayPage.aspx?CategoryID=19 for more information.)

It looks to be a very interesting event, and I urge you to attend.... Don't forget the RSVP.

/////////////\\\\\\\\\\\\\/////////////

NOTICE:

As a part of the Tallahassee’s Section’s “Bring a Co-Worker With You toLunch” informal luncheon meetings, following is information about the meeting.

I apologize for this extremely short notice, but we learned just today of a speaker who is ready to present a great program to the TallahasseeSection.

Date: May 18, 2007
Location: Tallahassee Residence Inn by Marriott
600 West Gaines Street
Tallahassee, FL 32304
Tel.: 850-329-9080
Time: 11:45 AM to 1:30 PM

Fee: (Updated 5/14/07) $10.00, ASME members and non-members submitting paid new-member application; $5.00, ASME student section members; $15.00, non-members.

Program Topic: Smart District Energy - Hot, Cool and Smart; How an internet-based energy generation and distribution system can change the rules of the power game and provide more affordable, reliable and sustainable energy.

Speaker: Raymond Kaiser, LEED AP.

Raymond Kaiser is the Director, Whole System Division for Stewart Engineering, and is a LEED AP. He has worked closely with Pareto Energy to develop the Smart Energy District architecture. Currently, Mr. Kaiser provides business development and technical support to developers, municipalities, and utilities seeking to implement a Smart Energy Network. More information is available on the Tallahassee Section website: http://sections.asme.org/tallahassee


Please RSVP by May 16, 2007

To:

Sid Kamath, PE
Email: Kamaths2@asme.org
Phone: (850) 414-4276

Or:

Rick Meeker, PE
Email: Meeker@caps.fsu.edu
Phone: (850) 645-1711



Wednesday, May 2, 2007

How To Do an Engineering Problem


George Heller, shown at left, is an alumnus of TCC and a current student in the Mechanical Engineering department of the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. He is also a blacksmith.

George is acting as the liason between TCC and the FSU ASME chapter this year, so he attends most club meetings. He will gladly share what he has learned there, as he did last week.



Information presented at the 20 April meeting:


Before the meeting even began, George shared one of the things he learned this semester: How to do a problem, engineer style. He was pleased to point out that some of the steps are ones he learned in my class, but his real point was that a correct answer would not be given full points if it was found while skipping some steps that a physicist like me will normally omit. That may be why he was laughing.

Side comment: I suspect he never took a class from Doug Jones. Students who have taken a class from Doug Jones will understand this comment, although even Doug does not emphasize some of those points because they rarely appear in math problems.

The image above is clickable, but the one below might be more readable. The point he emphasized the most was step 1. There is no explicit penalty for not reading each word (emphasis added by George in the original), but you might get zero for a problem if you miss a key adjective or participle. A careful, close reading of each problem is crucial, and might be a point I will emphasize in the fall.

I already emphasize step 2, primarily as a result of past conversations with engineering faculty about what weaknesses students bring with them from physics classes. George added that you would lose 5 points if the right pictures are not drawn, and drawn well, whether your answer is right or not. Turning words into pictures is as important as turning words into equations (which are steps 3 and 4). He added that you would lose one point for each given value you did not specify (with units) in step 3, and lose a point if your specification of the equations was incomplete in step 4.

Steps 5, 6, and 7 (what students correctly consider "solving" the problem) should be automatic by the time you get out of TCC, so you will get the right answer if you do the first parts correctly. That is, in fact, the reason for the emphasis on the work that has to be done before you can "solve" the problem.

Finally, a point will be taken off if you do not box your answer.



Thanks, George!

Sunday, April 29, 2007

Congratulations, FSU Graduates!

While waiting for the TCC graduation ceremony to begin, I found a copy of the FSU booklet listing all of the Spring 2007 graduates from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. There were a number of familiar names in it. Almost 10% of the spring graduates had been in my physics class at TCC! They span several years of students, due to the usual delays due to part-time or full-time jobs, so some may not even know they share a history at TCC.

Congratulations to every one of you!

Your faculty at TCC wish you well as you move on to a career in engineering.

Two deserve special note: Kristin Brown completed a Masters degree. I remember well her growth as a student at TCC, and am pleased to see that she has reached this level of achievement. Her success might help others realize that they can do the same. Ali Hemmati graduated with a double major in ME and mathematics. For those of you who don't know, Ali got the club started as a student chapter of ASME. His initiative laid the groundwork for what we have today. Keep up the good work, Ali!

Now the full list:

Master of Science in Civil Engineering:
  • Kristin Brown

Bachelor of Science:
  • Tristan Appenfeldt (Electrical Eng)
  • Jonathon Davis (Mechanical Eng)
  • Jennifer Graham (Industrial Eng)
  • Joseph Greene (Computer Eng)
  • Ali Hemmati (Mechanical Eng and Mathematics double major, Magna Cum Laude)
  • Coby McColgin (Mechanical Eng, Magna Cum Laude)
  • Christopher Monzingo (Electrical Eng)
  • Tushar Patel (Computer Eng and Electrical Eng double major, Magna Cum Laude)
  • Aung-Zaw Sie (Electrical Eng)
  • Brian Van Straton (Mechanical Eng, Summa Cum Laude)
  • Lucas VanSickle (Civil Eng)
Congratulations Again!

Although I cross-checked the list with my old grade books, I can't guarantee that I got everyone. I have also heard news of some who graduated in December. I should try to track those down and update this list.

Tuesday, April 24, 2007

NASA Guest Speaker at North Florida Community College

Subject: NASA guest speaker,
Tues. April 24, 6 pm,
Fine Arts Auditorium (NFCC)


Please share this message with students and friends — Thomas Pentrack, NASA’s deputy director of the International Space Station will speak on “The Vision of Space Exploration,’ 6 p.m., Tuesday, April 24 in the Fine Arts Auditorium.

Mr. Pentrack will share information about current and future plans for the Space Shuttle, International Space Station, robotic exploration of the solar syste, and our travels to the moon…and on to Mars. The presentation promises to be both information and entertaining.

If you have any interest in space exploration…you’ll not want to miss the presentation by someone on the scene.

—This announcement was forwarded to me from Terry Zimmerman.

Saturday, April 21, 2007

"STEM Star" $2500 Scholarships

You may have seen this flyer around campus. (It has been posted in many classrooms and some of the display cases around the Science and Math building.) You probably did not realize that it was announcing the availability of $2500 scholarships for current TCC students planning to major in science, technology (specifically including computer science), engineering, or math for the 2007-2008 school year with an application deadline of June 1 July 30.

(Click on the image to see a jpeg rendering of the M$ doc file the faculty got via e-mail.)

The long version of the story is that TCC was awarded a National Science Foundation grant to fund scholarships and additional support (mentoring, internships and placement assistance, study groups - probably within MESA) to students starting college at TCC this fall. Entering students (with demonstrated financial need and a 3.0+ GPA) would get a $2500 per year scholarship for their first two years at TCC. Probably because this is a new program this year, they have not gotten enough applications from high school students, who must apply by May 1. As a result, the program has been opened up to current TCC students who are planning to attend both the Fall 2007 and Spring 2008 semesters.

Updated details:
I learned more at our Monday (4/23) faculty meeting. This scholarship can be used in conjunction with other awards (such as a Bright Futures scholarship), limited only by your financial need as determined from your FAFSA form. [See application details below.] You can work with a financial aid advisor to optimize your use of these funds.

Students must be US Citizens, enrolled full time, have a 3.0 GPA, submit an on-line TCC scholarship application, two letters of recommendation, an essay, and a resume, and demonstrate financial need through a FAFSA application. Contact Wilbert Butler, butlerw@tcc.fl.edu, in office SM223 for more information.

Side comment:
Students who have had me for the physics lab might look at this announcement and begin to realize why I emphasize putting the most important information at the top. The headline of the flyer does not mention that it is for a scholarship, the amount is in fine print, and the application deadline is not mentioned anywhere on the flyer. Worse, the clever use of a "stem" of a rose surrounded by "stars" reflects the name of the program but not its intent. How many of you saw this in a classroom and figured someone was selling roses?

Friday, April 20, 2007

AGENDA for TODAY'S MEETING (4/20/07)

1. Planning for Summer 2007 events.
2. Thanks to all who are Graduates.
3. Words of Encouragement.
4. Policy
5. Graduation
==================
6. Firing of the Potato Cannon!

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

LAST MEETING of SPRING SEMESTER.

REMINDER....
THE LAST MEETING OF THIS SEMESTER IS THIS Friday AT 3PM IN SM260.

I'LL PROBABLY SEND OUT AN AGENDA TOMORROW. BUT BASICALLY WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT SUMMER ACTIVITIES.

IF ANYONE HAS AN AGENDA ITEM FOR DISCUSSION, PLEASE HIT THE RETURN ICON AND SEND IT TO ME.

THERE WILL BE SNACKS.
(SOMEBODY NEEDS TO GET HERE AT ABOUT 2:30 TO GO GET THE FOOD).

==============================================

SINCERELY,
DOUG JONES
Math Department
Tallahassee Community College
850-201-8120
jonesd@tcc.fl.edu

==============================================
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Today, we are also Hokies

Let us pause to remember the students at Virginia Tech who were murdered on Monday. Many of them were, like our club members, planning to become engineers. In addition, three of the victims were professors of Engineering, one of whom (Prof. Librescu) gave up his life blocking the door to protect his students.


President Law has declared Wednesday, 18 April, to be a day of mourning that will include a ceremony at the flagpole at 1:30 pm, and a minute of silence at 9:15 am. See below for details.

Here I link to the Virginia Tech bio pages for the three deceased professors, each of whom was clearly distinguished in his field:


A virtual memorial, but a memorial nonetheless.


From TCC President Bill Law:

"The Tallahassee Community College family is deeply grieved by the inexpressible tragedy at Virginia Tech, and our hearts and prayers go out to our sister institution. That students, teachers and staff should perish in the life-giving pursuit of learning serves to remind us how noble our work is and how much we treasure our students."

Campus activities for Wednesday, April 18, 2007

* We will wear the Virginia Tech colors, maroon and orange.

* At 9:15 a.m., 48 hours after the tragedy, we will leave our classrooms and go outside for a campus wide moment of silence. [eliminated due to last-week exams]

* At 1:30 p.m., we will meet at the flagpole in the center of campus to mourn, and then move inside to the Student Union Ballroom, where counseling will be available and students, faculty and staff will be able to share their thoughts on the tragedy.

Sunday, April 8, 2007

Announcements from FAMU-FSU ASME chapter

George Heller (TCC alumnus and ASME liason between FSU and TCC) forwarded the following information from the FAMU-FSU student chapter:

  • Wednesday, 11 April - - student chapter meeting
Time: 5:30 to 6:30 pm
Place: College of Engineering B-135
Topic: Student Design Competition Results and Display; Upcoming year; Guest Speaker.

Comment: Several TCC alumni are involved in this year's competition, which is to build a human-powered water purifier that operates by distilling water. Also, if you come in the front entrance to the college, you have to zig left down a narrow hallway to get to the B building. A display by the front door has a map showing you the way.
  • Saturday, 14 April - - Spring Picnic!
Time: noon to 6:00 pm
Place: Dr. Dave's house

Location is on
Lake Talquin, on Coe's Landing Road off HWY20. Directions available if needed. Future mechanical engineers from TCC are definitely welcome.

Friday, April 6, 2007

Tour of the Magnet Lab (6 April 2007)

We had about 20 members and guests, including several alumni, at our tour of the Magnet Lab this afternoon. (We even had a few guys who were just visiting and joined our group.) Special thanks to Khalid for getting this all arranged on short notice.

I'll upload some photos here right now, and fill in a few details later.

(As with the other articles, you can click on the image to get a larger version but the pictures have been resized and "saved for web" to keep them in the 100k range.)

Part of the group getting an overview of the lab and its mission:



Our tour guide explaining the features of the 900 MHz NMR magnet:



Resistive magnet construction area



One experimental bay (magnet in background)





Although several students had already left, we too the mandatory Group Photo in the lobby:



And, since no single picture can get everyone looking at the camera, we took another ...



... and a third, to show they can act like college students instead of future professionals



Thanks, Lina, for taking these last pictures!

Wednesday, April 4, 2007

Belated Stu-Fac Day report

We had a very successful day, distributing information and picking up 19 contacts for the future. Special thanks to Julia (for getting a nice poster display made) and Komlan (who spent most of the day there, actively recruiting new members).

Friday, March 30, 2007

Special meeting, Friday, 30 March

Meeting is in SM260 conference room at 3:00.

Report from Wednesday (28 March) planning meeting:

[1] Date for Mag Lab tour fixed (see previous blog item). [2] Information on developing a scholarship for Engineering students: requires $30,000 endowment through TCC Foundation, criteria and account in place before fund raising begins, fund raising ideas. [3] Progress on getting an engineering study room in the MESA facility when it moves to first floor of AC building, but followup work needed.

Report from Today's meeting:

Agenda item 1: Pizza (pickup at 2:30) and discussion until 3:00
  • Eight members and advisers were present.
Agenda item 2: Announcements
  • Plans for Mag Lab tour (Friday, 6 April) - See previous blog for directions.
  • Quincy 6th grader's Water Rocket Lab - Contact Carol Zimmerman (zimmermc@tcc.fl.edu) if you can help on Thursday (4/12) or Friday (4/13) afternoon. She leaves at 1:00 for the 1:45 to 2:30 class and returns by 3:30.
Agenda item 3: Plans for Stu-Fac day (Wednesday, 4 April)
  • Julia will organize a poster-making group on Monday. We will have club info on the posters, flyers for interested students, along with the potato cannon and possibly our club rocket at the table.
  • Staffing plan was put together to cover 10:00 to 2:00. [Update: StuFac Day acitivities run from 11:00 to 1:30, but we need to be set up and ready before 11:00.] Julia will handle setup (by 10:30) and shut down (1:30). Komlan will staff it from 10:30 to 1, along with Dr. Carr (11:15 to 12:oo) and Robert H (11:30 to 1:15); Chris L will cover the gap from 1:00 until Julia can get there and close down the operation. Others are welcome to help or visit. Use the comments area to volunteer for a particular time slot.
Agenda item 4: Proposed Engineering Club scholarship fund
  • Tentative criteria for the scholarship were discussed and generally approved. Next step is to clarify what logistical requirements (application form, selection committee) must be in place to get this certified by the Foundation, along with more detailed fund raising plans.

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

MAG LAB tour update

Voting is over and Friday, 6 April, has won by a landslide.

The tentative plan is to meet at the Mag Lab between 2:45 and 3:00, with the tour to run from 3:00 to 4:00, but we can start later if necessary.

So .... if you will go on the tour on April 6 but need to have it start later due to a class conflict, then please post a comment to this blog entry telling us the earliest time that works for you.

Directions:
The NHMFL is located on Paul Dirac Drive in "Innovation Park".
You should see a green arrow pointing to the Mag Lab (lower right corner) and see TCC in the upper left corner. (That is how it displays in a big window, at least. You might have to slide it around a bit or zoom out one step to see both TCC and the Mag Lab on your screen.) I have it set to show the "hybrid" view that combines the road map and a satellite image. Click on the "map" tab to get a clearer idea of the road layout.

The easiest route from TCC zigzags from Pensacola to Mabry (turn at Goodwill) to Roberts Road (turn left immediately after crossing the railroad tracks) to the back entrance for Innovation Park (top of the hill, just before TurboCor), then left around the circle to the Lab.

Friday, March 23, 2007

Pick a day for the MAG LAB tour

We have two good options for a Magnet Lab tour before our final meeting of the semester:
  • Friday, 30 March
  • Friday, 6 April (Good Friday)
Please click on "comments" and post a reply telling us your preference for the tour date.

If you have a preference for the start time (see below), include that also.

The tour has to start before 4 pm, so a reasonable plan would be to meet at the Magnet Lab sometime between 3:15 and 3:45. That allows plenty of time to drive there from TCC after the late calculus class gets out.

UPDATE -
This blog now allows anyone to post a comment. Just select "other" and put your name in the box to sign your comment. You also need to type in a string of nonsense text, which serves as a spam-bot filter.

Saturday, March 17, 2007

Report from 16 March meeting

Business:
  • Komlan Amesse was elected President-elect for next year.
  • Julia Edel is going to chair a group to develop a display for Stu-Fac day
  • Khalid Rasul will arrange a tour of the Magnet Lab for later this month.
Other:

Before the meeting, Dr. Carr made a short presentation of the site plans for construction of the new parking ramp and the location of temporary parking that will be needed during construction. After the meeting, some of us visited the site to get some "before" pictures.

Click on the picture to see a larger version. (These photos have all been edited to about 600x500 pixels to keep them in the 100 kB range. High quality originals are available if needed.)


This first picture shows part of the group at the location where we expect a new footbridge will be built to allow access to a new parking area to the north of the drainage ditch. We expect a sidewalk and bridge will be here in the near future, and that a parking lot will be cut into the woods before the end of summer.


From there, some of us walked around the outline of the new parking ramp. This picture was taken at what we think will be the north-west corner of the building. Kevin, Doug, George, and Sarah are lined up along the virtual west wall of the ramp.



This picture shows Kevin standing next to the southwest corner of the building (marked with a blue arrow). Kevin is probably where a future sidewalk will be located, and I am taking the photo from a location that will probably be the center of an access road along the south side of the ramp.


The other arrow points to George, who is standing next to the southeast corner of the parking ramp. The new road will run straight down the right side of the photo.


This last photo was taken standing at the entrance to the TPP health programs office, looking west along the north side of the new parking ramp. One blue arrow shows the northeast corner, while the arrow in the distance shows the northwest corner where the first picture was taken. This view will be easy to update as construction proceeds, because the faculty parking lot on the right will not be affected by construction.

Friday, March 16, 2007

TCC ENGINEERING CLUB MEETING TODAY

The meeting today (FRI., 3/16) will be at 3:00 pm in room SMA 140. Somebody needs to get there early in order to get the pizzas and sodas. Also, somebody needs to bring a camera. We may go to look at the area where the parking garage is to be constructed.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

MEETING NOTICE


A Joint Meeting of the:
FAMU-FSU College of Engineering –
ASME Student Section
AIChE Student Section
and the
ASME Tallahassee Section

Monday, March 5, 2007

TCC SPRING BREAK

Beginning at 5pm, Friday, March 2, and extending until 7:00am Monday, March 12, "School's Out!" —
TCC is on SPRING BREAK.

Wherever you go, whatever you do, take your textbooks and study, study, study.... And keep away from balconies!


P.S. Our next meeting will be on FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2007.
The meeting time will be 3:00 pm.
However, there has been a change in our meeting place – We'll meet in room SMA 140.

Sunday, February 18, 2007

Report from 16 February meeting

During the meeting, Robert Bell explained his job overseeing the TCC infrastructure (heating, cooling, power, water, fire safety, etc). We then adjourned for a walking tour of two facilities.

Central Utilities Plant:

The two gas-fueled boilers that produce hot water. Only the one in the background was operating that day.

The hot water is distributed across campus to heat the million square feet of classroom and office space on campus.


One of several chillers that provide cold water to cool the buildings on campus. The green pipes carry waste heat to the cooling towers.

The silver pipes carry chilled water across campus to provide air conditioning to every building on campus.



Mechanical Room of the Student Union:

Our next stop was the "third" (or mezzanine) floor of the Student Union.


We could not resist a group photo in front of the arched window that is one of the architectural features of TCC buildings. This one can only be seen when you are in the "attic" of the building! Above our heads you can see the hot and chilled water pipes that come from the Central Utilities Plant we just visited.


Robert is explaining the other half of the system to the group, while Kevin turns to look at the camera. The large box contains fans, filters, and a heat exchanger. It heats or cools the air as needed, then distributes it around the building.

Hot or cold water from the central utilities plant comes in through the pipes you see and is then recirculated back to the plant.


We also saw how mechanical and civil engineering meet in the building. The students were amazed at all of the things that are above the ceiling. Here we see pipes carrying hot and cold water to other parts of the building, air ducts, wires holding up the ceiling below us, and the roof structure.


There were also some things you would never suspect from the outside of the building. What looks like a roof behind Robert actually is a roof. Here we are standing in an addition to the original building. They just put a new roof over the old one and cut a hole in the end wall to get from one to the other.



Look closely and you can see the old roof and even the old rain gutter. No money was wasted removing the old roof. The frame for the new roof was put right on top of the old one. The gray material you see is fireproofing.