Tallahassee Community College ENGINEERING CLUB

Plan for the Mag Lab Open House

2012-01-24T19:47:00.003-05:00

As in the past, I plan to be at the Mag Lab Open House (link to announcement) to lead an informal tour of specific parts of the lab. I will go to areas of particular interest to students taking PHY2049, but others are welcome.

My usual plan is to start at the Mag Lab itself at 10:00 sharp and finish in the CAPS engineering labs in the afternoon, so I recommend parking in the large lot behind CAPS (off Levy, to the east of the Mag Lab) so you won't have far to walk at the end of the day.

A map and details from past years are in a blog entry from 2009. They did not do "crush a coin" or demo the triple point of water in 2011, so I hope those are back this year. If so, they will be our first stops.

Engineering Club Meeting 10/7/2011

2011-10-05T17:57:00.003-04:00

There will be an Engineering Club meeting on Friday, 7 October, at 2:30 in the SM-260 conference room that is just to the left of the Science and Math office.

Our guests will be several students from the College of Engineering at FSU and/or FAMU representing different majors in the college. They will be talking about what students in their major do and what it takes to succeed in engineering. I understand that all majors (Civil and Environmental, Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, and Industrial) will be represented.

I know that the mechanical engineering student will bring a few robots from the STRIDe Lab where she works.

Each will give a short talk about the kinds of projects you might work on in their field and the skills you need from your basic courses (chemistry, physics, and calculus) to get off to a good start.

Rumor has it that there will be some food available.

Public Open House at Hopkins Power Plant

2011-09-27T16:49:00.002-04:00

FSU isn't playing football, so this weekend is when they schedule things like the Flying Circus of Physics at FSU (Saturday from 10 am to 4 pm) and an open house at the Hopkins Power Plant (Sunday from 1 to 5 pm).

If you read this announcement you should notice that cameras are no longer allowed inside the power plant during the tour. You also need real shoes on your feet to go on the tour.

I learned about the power plant open house because I heard from TAEVA (Tallahassee Area Electric Vehicle Association) that they are going to have some electric vehicles on display there. That collection might include one or two that are "shade tree mechanic" conversions. The city also usually has their rescue people there showing how they cut you out of a car wreck along with other demos.

A map of the FSU Physics area and other info about the Flying Circus is available here. Some of the lab spaces include demos that we don't have the equipment to do at TCC, most available to play with "hands on".

Info about National Concrete Canoe results

2011-06-21T20:49:00.003-04:00

FYI, my Dad sent me a link to the American Society of Civil Engineers 2011 Concrete Canoe results.

The article includes a nice photo gallery showing the different canoes entered in the competition as well as the winners.

Concrete Canoe -- TCC Alumni program

2011-05-25T12:56:00.002-04:00

Tuesday, May 31, at 2:30 in SM-116

Although this is not an "official" Engineering Club meeting because it is summer, you are all invited to attend a presentation by several TCC alumni who are now at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering.

The main presentation will be about the design and construction of a concrete canoe by a team of civil engineers, but they and their friends studying other fields of engineering will also talk in general about what is needed to succeed after transferring from TCC to FSU or FAMU.

The presentation will be informal, so I think those of you with work or class conflicts could still show up at 3:30 and ask questions.

Background Info:

Two TCC alumni were part of a team that participated in the national "concrete canoe" competition last spring. Among other things, they will be bringing a mockup showing how the canoe was designed and samples of the extremely lightweight concrete they designed.

The presentation is in the SM116 classroom at 2:30 pm on Tuesday, May 31. I expect their presentation will last about an hour, but they say it will continue informally as long as there are questions. The only constraint is that we have to clean up and leave before a 5:00 class uses that room.

Although the team is made up of civil engineers, they are planning to have friends from mechanical, electrical, and chemical engineering present next Tuesday to provide a broader perspective on the skills needed to survive and become an engineer.

Two Announcements

2010-09-23T19:10:00.002-04:00

1) There is a meeting this Friday (9/24) at 2:30 in the SM260 conference room. I believe there will be a presentation about a thorium reactor project in addition to other club business.

2) On a less serious note, BBC America (Comcast digital cable 114) is having a "Top Gear" marathon this weekend to lead into their new season opener Monday. This show is an acquired taste, but where else could you see a test drive of the Ariel Atom?

Fall Meeting Schedule

2010-09-10T13:46:00.003-04:00

Today is the first meeting of the Engineering Club for the fall semester.

All meetings are at 2:30 PM in SM-260, the conference room just to the left of the Science and Math reception area.

We meet on the 2nd and 4th Fridays of each month, plus the Tuesday after the 2nd Friday, except when holidays mess up that schedule.

Meeting Dates:

Friday, Sept 10
Tuesday, Sept 14
Friday, Sept 24

Friday, Oct 8
Tuesday, Oct 12
Friday, Oct 22

Friday, Nov 12
Tuesday, Nov 16

Friday, Dec 3

ASME "Lunch and Learn"

2010-08-18T21:08:00.001-04:00

There will be a "Lunch and Learn" lecture about solar energy this Friday, August 20, at about 11:30. Food (pizza) supplied by the ASME professional chapter.

The location is the second floor conference room in the Frenchtown Renaissance building.

Students are encouraged to attend. You can usually meet some FSU and TCC students as well as engineers at these sessions.

Hopkins Plant Tour

2010-08-18T21:03:00.003-04:00

The ASME professional chapter will be hosting a "Welcome Students Back Hopkins Plant Tour" on Sept 8 (Wednesday) in the early evening.

See the September 9, 2009 posting for directions from last year's trip.

I cannot attend because it conflicts with my evening PHY2048 class, but I highly encourage you to go on this combination tour, meet-and-greet (engineers and FSU engineering students), and feeding frenzy.

Club Announcements

2009-09-22T23:44:00.002-04:00

From Gillian ...

(1) FSU Advising Day

Wednesday is FSU Advising in the SU ballroom from 10-2pm. This is a chance for all of you to speak to an advisor from the FSU Engineering Program, to see what classes you'd need and how many attempts that you're allowed.

(2) Club meeting Friday

We have a meeting this coming Friday at 2pm in SM260. I will e-mail the agenda tomorrow or Thursday. We'll be covering Spirit day, the solar cart, and the upcoming Hopkins Power plant tour. Also, those of you who attended the Latin Festival can sign the form for personal points and SOC points.

Hopkins Power Plant tour / ASME welcome party

2009-09-16T12:03:00.003-04:00

From Ben Cowart for ASME student members, but I believe any TCC students interested in mechanical engineering are welcome to attend and get recruited. (Student memberships are cheap.)

September 30, 2009

Topic: Tour of AB Hopkins Power Plant
Host: Triveni Singh, City of Tallahassee

Agenda

4:45 p.m. - 5:00 p.m. Registration
5:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. Introductions, Announcements, and Recognitions
5:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. Tour
6:30 p.m. - 7:15 p.m. Dinner and Q&A
7:15 p.m. - 7:45 p.m. Clean-up

The Tallahassee Sections welcomes back the student members, with a tour of the Hopkins Plant and cookout. Students, please RSVP to your student Club Advisor NLT Monday, September 28th, so that we can get an approximate head count for buying food. Thank you in advance to Triveni Singh and the Hopkins Plant for hosting this “Welcome Back” Students Event.

The Plant is located about 5 miles west of Capital Circle SW on 1125 Geddie Road, between US 90 West (W. Tennessee) and HWY 20, Blountstown Highway.

Safety and Dress Code:

This is an operating power plant, please do not wear shorts or loose fitting shirts. Shoes must be closed toe preferably leather. If you have a hard hat and safety glasses, please bring them, as the plant has a limited number.

Please contact Gillian if you plan to attend. They want an RSVP head count so they can plan for the right amount of food.

Detailed directions are in this article from 2008.

Rocket Team Meeting

2009-09-13T10:59:00.002-04:00

UPDATED:
The meeting is Thursday, 9/17, at 3:00 in the SM260 conference room.

Gillian sent out an e-mail requesting a meeting of team members early this week to set the budget and finalize our entry by Friday. Check your mail for details.

FSU Advising Day

2009-09-13T10:55:00.002-04:00

I just got an e-mail saying that FSU Advising Day will be Wednesday, 23 September.

This is the perfect time to meet with an academic adviser from the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering and plan the transition between TCC and FSU (including when it might be appropriate to dual enroll while finishing your math at TCC).

Advisers will be available from 10 to 3 in the SU Ballroom. You can make an appointment through the Success Center, but you need to bring a copy of your unofficial transcript because they don't have access to that info.

Hopkins Power Plant - ASME tour and cookout

2009-09-09T15:30:00.005-04:00

UPDATE (9/16):

The tour will be on Wed, 9/30.

Details will appear in a new posting.

- - - - - -

E-mail from the ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers) local section had the following information about the planned tour and cookout at the Hopkins power plant. I expect we will get final details in a week or so.

You should go on this tour even if you have seen the plant during one of the city's regular October open house events. They give a better, more detailed, tour to engineers -- plus you can talk to FAMU-FSU students, some from TCC!

Date and time:

Thursday, 9/24, from 5 - 7:30

Sadly, this conflicts with my night class so I can't be there except maybe at the end. I haven't seen the final result of the "repowering" project, but maybe I can see that if they have the public open house in October.

Other details:

I don't have them, but clearly they plan to tour the Hopkins power plant, which is quite convenient to campus (5 miles west of Capital Circle SW, between HWY 20 and US 90 on Geddie Road). You can see more detailed directions and a Google map by following this link to info about a previous tour, and you can read information about the dress code for the tour by following this link.

In past years they wanted RSVP information by the preceding Monday (meaning by 9/21) so they could get enough food. Stay tuned for more details.

Thursday, September 10, in SM116

2009-09-09T09:00:00.001-04:00

There is a club meeting scheduled for Thursday, 9/10.

The meeting will be in classroom SM-116 because the conference room is in use all day by the Science and Math Division Dean.

Primary item of business will be deciding on what competition to enter, because some of those deadlines are very close.

First meeting of Fall 2009

2009-08-31T15:00:00.001-04:00

Our first meeting of the year will be this Thursday at 2:30 in the Science and Math conference room, SM260. This room is just to the left of the receptionist.

See you there!

Internships ...

2009-07-15T16:06:00.001-04:00

I got the following e-mail today:

According to an article in Forbes Magazine (July 7, 2009 written by Joyce Lee), large scale internship programs can lead to full-time employment, even in a tough economy. CollegeGrad.com completed a survey of businesses that consistently use interns and assembled a list of 213 businesses hiring more interns in the past 12 months than anyone else in the U.S. Although layoffs are common and our nation has a 9.5% unemployment rate, CollegeGrad.com concluded that internship offers have been reduced by only 8%.

The TCC Internship Program is proud to agree with the CollegeGrad.com survey. Our very first intern in 2007, John Lawless, was offered permanent employment with his Internship Provider, Coaxis International. Since interning and accepting their offer, John has been promoted to management and is now supervising TCC interns.

Many of our local businesses are in need of entry-level staff but simply don’t have the budget to hire them. Their solution is internships. The TCC Internship Program has become a common outlet for organizations to pre-screen candidates and bring in fresh talent.

Faculty referrals are critical to our program’s success and we truly appreciate your support. Please let your students know that we are currently accepting Fall applications and premium internships fill quickly. For more information on the TCC Internship Program or to request an in-class presentation contact Christy Mantzanas at (mantzanc @ tcc.fl.edu).

PAID Internship Available Immediately

2009-06-30T14:42:00.002-04:00

Catie Goodman, TCC Internship Coordinator, forwarded the following information concerning a PAID internship (paid clerical work) located in Southwood (about 15 miles to the east of the TCC campus) that is available IMMEDIATELY. Details are quoted below.

Any interested students should contact Christy Mantzanas at mantzanc @ tcc.fl.edu OR call 850.201.6172. Catie writes that "The candidate needs to be VERY reliable and intelligent. Math/Engineering majors preferred."

We have an opening for a clerical assistant in our Southwood Office. The position is part time (15 hrs a week) and temporary, but may develop into long-term for the right candidate. The position is paid hourly (probably $7.50 per hour) and the rate is based on experience. The main duty will be data entry into our standard Quickbooks program, but some other general office/clerical duties may be required as needed. Previous experience with Quickbooks is not required, but attention to detail and concern for accuracy is vital, as the data is critical to our project operations. Since the data entry is based on a unit map of the project, a candidate with experience in maps, and/or construction plans and documents, may be preferable. Please let the candidate know that the position is located at our onsite office in the Southwood Community (about 15 miles from campus), and not at our main office on Mahan Drive. We would like to interview any eligible candidates as soon as possible, as we are looking to fill the position immediately. Thank you for your time and I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you,

Jen Saurino, Administrator
All Pro Land Care of Tallahassee, Inc.

Collapse of a Parking Ramp in Atlanta

2009-06-29T15:11:00.002-04:00

Here is a breaking news story for you:

A parking ramp near the Georgia Tech campus in Atlanta has collapsed.

This would appear to have a design that is at least superficially similar to the one on our campus although I can see some obvious differences. This will bear looking into, because I know our ramp was fabricated just outside Atlanta.

When you take a look at the slideshow, notice that a beam was launched about 20 feet or so out from the side of the building. This is what holds up the floor panels. One of these on a floor below has also been dislodged from its mountings as that floor also pancaked onto the level below under the impact of the first one that fell.

I wonder what the weakest link turned out to be in this case?

Electric Vehicles - Lunch and Learn

2009-06-24T20:19:00.003-04:00

Put this on your calendar if you are interested in all-electric vehicles.

Topic: ASME Lunch and Learn: Electric Vehicles

I assume the talk will be about amateur conversion of regular cars to all-electric or plug-in hybrid operation because that is what members of TAEVA (Tallahassee Area Electric Vehicle Association) do.

Speaker: Andre Smith of TAEVA

When: Friday, June 26, 11:45 to about 1:15

Where: Ole Times Country Buffet

This is located on the east side of North Monroe, just north of Lake Ella and south of Tharpe Street, across the street from the Lake Ella Publix.

Details

Lunch starts between 11:45 an 12:10. I recommend getting there by 11:45. Just go in, pay your money at the register (one price for all meals at this place), then find the engineering group in one of the private dining areas. Speaker introduction and talk will be from 12:10 to 1:00 with time to inspect the cars in the parking lot before the group adjourns at 1:15 to go back to work.

I'm hoping the all-electric Miata will be there. (An article in the paper last month showed a "shade tree" conversion that replaced the engine with a bunch of DieHard batteries and an electric motor.)

Summer Advising Notes available

2009-06-24T17:42:00.003-04:00

I put a pdf copy on the web of the notes from the group advising session I ran early this month. You can find it from several places in my TCC web pages. The best starting point is

http://faculty.tcc.fl.edu/scma/carrj/Engineering/

I cleaned up the PowerPoint notes I had prepared for the meeting so they addressed some common questions students had, and then "printed" it to a pdf file with six slides per page. It can be read OK if printed out, but it is best read by zooming to about 200% while viewing it on a computer.

There is additional information, including info about scheduling classes, in the page identified as "Pre-Engineering advising notes".

Contact me at my TCC address if you have any questions.

UCF stormwater management

2009-06-08T13:57:00.002-04:00

I ran across this story about the development of a mixture of ground up used tires, sawdust, and sand that can be used to improve septic tank drain fields.

The story mentions the Wekiva River drainage basin, but it could also be useful in the Wakulla Springs drainage basin - particularly southern Leon and northern Wakulla county - as an alternative to expensive "advanced" septic tanks.

One important detail: The article points out that a normal septic system puts out 40 to 60 mg of N per liter (this is 40 to 60 ppm), and that the proposed system would drop this to 10 mg/L (10 ppm). For comparison, the Advanced Wastewater Treatment system being installed in Tallahassee will reduce the nitrogen load to about 3 ppm (3 mg/L).

Floating Wind Turbines

2009-06-06T15:02:00.002-04:00

Here is an idea by way of Norway:

This news story reports on the start of a 2-year test of a floating wind turbine. By combining the technology of land-based wind generating systems and the technology of floating oil drilling rigs, they have come up with a way to put a wind turbine in ocean waters (up to 700 m, which is over 2000 feet, deep) where a conventional off-shore turbine could not be built.

This is a way to build a wind turbine far enough off shore that it cannot be seen from a tourist area (a big problem for plans to build wind turbines off of Cape Cod and a potential issue in Florida as well) or interfere with shipping lanes.

Engineering Advising Meeting

2009-06-03T19:57:00.002-04:00

I had a very productive meeting with about a dozen students interesting in becoming engineers. Once I clarify a few details in the PowerPoint file I used as an information resource during the meeting, I plan to make a pdf copy of it available on the web and announce it here in this blog.

I'd be happy to answer any questions this summer, and I expect to repeat this session as a program at the TCC "STEM Center" this fall. Watch for announcements on campus.

Please stop by my office (SM 290) or e-mail me (carrj -at- tcc.fl.edu) if you are interested in pre-engineering advising or joining the Engineering Club.

Historic Amateur Rocket Launch

2009-05-02T11:31:00.003-04:00

Although our team did a nice job, this launch of a 1/10 scale Saturn V really takes the cake. At 1648 pounds and 36 feet tall, it is one serious rocket. I've seen a K motor launch a 7+ foot hybrid rocket to about 3500 feet. That went up with an impressive roar. This one must have been something to see in person.

See also this guy's photographs, such as this one (notice the person in the foreground for scale!), and some of the "related" videos. For example, this video follows the flight from launch to deployment.

By the way, notice the scaling laws at work here. It is 1/10 as tall as a 363 foot tall Saturn V, but a tiny fraction of the 6,699,000 pound original. This is not just due to the difference between length and volume scaling. Scaling up the mass by a factor of 10³, which keeps the density constant, only gives 1,648,000 pounds. The missing factor of four or so is due to the fuel (and extra thrust) needed to put a 260,000 pound payload (a lot even if scaled down to 260 pounds) into low earth orbit rather than "just" send the rocket up to 4440 feet.

The thrust of the model rocket was 7700 pounds force, almost exactly 1/1000 of the 7,648,000 lb-force thrust of the Saturn V's first stage. The much greater thrust-to-mass ratio of the model makes it take off "like a rocket" rather than lumber off of the pad as the real one did, but the latter could burn for 150 seconds. If you never saw the Apollo rocket go up, here is one video of the usual TV launch view we saw (where you get a sense of the fact it took more than 10 seconds to clear the tower), and another (higher resolution) view looking down at the first stage engine section from the point where the final fueling connection is broken, about a dozen seconds before ignition. (A similar sequence is used on the Shuttle, which also has a connection to the main fuel tank that remains until it is time to pressurize the tank.)

Rocket Project Success

2009-04-16T16:14:00.003-04:00

Many of you know this already, but the rocket project has been carried out EXTREMELY WELL by our team. Their official competition launch was successful and came within 86 feet of the target altitude of 2000 feet. One test launch (over at the launch site in Madison County run by the NFCC Sentinel Rocket Club) had reached 2900 feet, so the rocket was capable of much more than the competition demanded.

This was the only non-hybrid rocket, so it was guaranteed to win its class. However, I was particularly pleased to read the following in the e-mail from the director of the competition:

... we had 6 teams competing in the hybrid competition and your team was the most consistent with your reports and you were closer to 2000 ft.

I believe that means our team would have won an "open" competition against the teams launching hybrid rockets! As I said above: you did an EXTREMELY IMPRESSIVE job.

By the way, team members, don't think that detail about "most consistent with your reports" is a minor compliment. Teams have won major national competitions (like the concrete canoe race in civil engineering or some of the robot competitions in mechanical or electrical engineering) because their documentation and project presentation took top marks over a team that was slightly better in what they thought was the main competition. Being tops in both metrics (consistent reporting and hitting the target altitude) is a real triumph.

Laser pointer danger

2009-04-08T22:12:00.002-04:00

I told one of my classes this semester about the availability of Class IIIb laser pointers (at a non-trivial cost) and their legal use for pointing out stars - and the serious risk of a felony conviction if they are misused.

Today I saw an article from the BBC about a police helicopter equipped specifically to detect, locate, and arrest persons who point such devices at aircraft that includes video of a demonstration. You can see the dangerous effect of the laser in an aircraft cockpit as well as the use of FLIR (infrared vision) to track the perpetrator. Side links to earlier articles indicate that misuse of these lasers has been a growing problem in the UK over the past year or so.

Update: Electric Cars

2009-04-08T22:04:00.002-04:00

One of my students told me the electric car show yesterday was excellent. Among other things, he got to see a Tesla Roadster!

The Tallahassee Democrat has a photo gallery from the event. (Yep, there he is in two of the photos.) I've seen the plug-in converted Prius (pictures 5 and 6) around town, but only heard about the Dodge Caravan last Friday. Now that is a serious bit of home-brew car conversion!

SPACE - - - THE LAST FRONTIER

2009-04-07T07:43:00.003-04:00

IF YOU CLICK ON IT, THEN IT WILL GROW ON YOU!
DJ

Electric Vehicle Event (April 7)

2009-04-03T15:41:00.002-04:00

Attention Solar Cart workers!

The Tallahassee Area Electric Vehicle Association (taeva.org) and Electric Auto Association (EAA) are having a special event in conjunction with a TAEVA chapter meeting on Tuesday, April 7, at 3 PM.

There will be hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and all-electric vehicles (including locally built conversions) on display, but the real attraction is the Spirit of FC plug-in hybrid that is on a tour of all US state capitals. That link takes you to the blog describing the tour. Today (April 3) they are on their way to Birmingham, Alabama, then on to the capital in Montgomery before heading to Tallahassee.

The meeting location, at the Tallahassee city "Fleet Management" center (400 Dupree St), is convenient to TCC so it would be easy to go over there after class on Tuesday afternoon. TAEVA has a map showing the meeting location on its website. Dupree is halfway between Appleyard and Mabry, south of Pensacola.

Engineering-related News Stories

2009-03-28T12:43:00.002-04:00

Two stories that recently came to my attention:

Wind-powered car reaches 136 mph

This is a really amazing design for a high-speed land yacht. There are lots of details, pictures, etc at their web site and blog.

Ann Arbor (MI) concrete bridge failing

This is a really good article, complete with pictures (some of which have links to higher-resolution versions), about the deterioration and partial failure of an important multi-lane bridge in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Additional background information and pictures are in an earlier article about the bridge.) You might find the engineer's drawing of the problem area, designing the layout for lane closures, interesting. It shows that "beam 8" is at the centerline of the bridge, so a problem with it would require reducing this to a one-lane bridge.

The engineering part of the problem is that concrete is very strong in compression but very weak in tension. A concrete beam will break like a piece of chalk when a load is placed at its center. Steel cables (which are strong under tension but weak under compression) are placed along the bottom of the concrete beam to keep it from breaking. In this case, the effect of salt (used to deice the bridge in winter) and water has been to rust the steel cable and weaken one beam so much that it cannot even hold up its own weight without sagging.

By the way, despite the appearance of the area around the bridge, this is not in some rural area. State St is the main N-S street through Ann Arbor, sort of bisecting the University of Michigan main campus (academics to NE, athletics to the SE), and Stadium (surprise surprise) goes by the football stadium (whose main entrance is at Stadium and Main) and the basketball arean. On game day, this bridge would normally be four lanes one way to or from the stadium and a major freeway interchange! (FYI, here is a link to the Google satellite map centered on this bridge.) Because of the railroad tracks that run parallel to State St, this bridge and route provides one of only two convenient paths between parking in the residential area to the right and the stadium. (Normal game-day parking in AA includes people's front lawns.)

By the way, the current set of satellite images shows the recent reconstruction work on the UM stadium. That area of the east stands where the concrete has been torn out goes back to the 1930s, I believe.

Mag Lab and CAPS Open House Saturday!

2009-02-17T16:08:00.006-05:00

The annual Mag Lab Open House will be this Saturday, February 21, from 10 AM to 3 PM.

Two of the things you can see were highlighted in this blog last February:

You will actually see a pulsed magnet that gets to about 60 T for a few milliseconds -- before it becomes tiny pieces of copper -- and the switch and capacitor needed to make it work.

CAPS, the Center for Advanced Power Systems, will be having an open house (with lots of hands-on activities) in conjunction with the Mag Lab activities. CAPS is across the street from the Mag Lab, adjacent to the large parking lot where most people will have to park.

Updated: My plan is to get there early (about 10 AM) and tour the Magnet Lab with whatever group of PHY2049 (and other) students shows up at that early hour. We can go over to CAPS after that. Meet me in the main lobby of the magnet lab.

Directions:

CAPS is in one of the two buildings marked with the "A" on this map.

View Larger Map
The Mag Lab is the building complex to the left. There is a new building (Materials Research) filling the empty field to the south of CAPS.

SOMETHING TO LOOK FORWARD TO - - - AFTER YOU GRADUATE FROM E-SCHOOL

2009-02-04T23:28:00.007-05:00

Click on the image to enlarge it.

Opportunities like this happen when you become a member of a professional organization. And there are student clubs in most engineering disciplines at the university level.

New Dam caused Earthquake?

2009-01-30T14:32:00.002-05:00

My dad sent me a link to a story that falls in the range of "things a civil engineer might not normally worry about" - an analysis that suggests the major earthquake in China last year was triggered by the additional weight of water behind a new dam.

The story is in an on-line USA-Today blog called "ScienceFair". It refers to a new article the in the journal "Science", which is in the FSU Dirac Science Library if it is not in our TCC library. A quick search indicates it is in the 16 January 2009 issue, on page 322. The article is only available to subscribers or at a library.

TV Programming Note

2009-01-15T08:15:00.004-05:00

This morning's newspaper reports that the National Geographic Channel will carry a one-hour program about the I-35 bridge replacement in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that was led by Tallahassee's world famous Figg Engineering Group. It will follow this "design build" project from concept to completion, offering invaluable insight to any future civil engineers in the club.

The business side is interesting as well. By completing the project three months ahead of schedule, the engineers and contractors shared in a substantial (up to $27 million) bonus - although much of that bonus paid for overtime needed to finish early.

The program originally airs at 8 PM today, Thursday 1/15. National Geographic Channel is on Tallahassee Comcast digital 109 and HD 413.

It will be rerun at 11 PM the same day and is also scheduled for 1/22 at 4 PM.

Some of you might find this article about engineering the bridge, from Popular Mechanics, interesting.

Software Engineering: 25 worst coding errors

2009-01-13T19:16:00.002-05:00

The National Security Agency (NSA), has released its "top 25" list of coding errors that will produce software vulnerable to attack. (See this article from the BBC for an overview.) Anyone serious about developing computer software should take a look at this story and the related links.

If crypto history interests you, the very first set of NSA documents ever put on the World Wide Web concerned the VENONA project, a hand (not computer) break into Soviet ciphers used after 1943. It was responsible for identifying the Rosenbergs and others responsible for sending US atomic secrets to the Soviets, although this fact was not known until many decades after the Rosenbergs were tried and executed for espionage.

If computer-based crypto history interests you, the NSA has a page indexing various articles that include ones about work during WW II breaking German codes with computers. More recent work is not so public. Yet.

Engineering Club meeting on Friday

2009-01-09T21:54:00.004-05:00

The first club meeting of 2009 will be Friday afternoon, January 16, probably at 2:30 or 3:00. We have some important club business to take care of, plus planning for this year's meetings. One thing I would like to do is invite some faculty and students from FSU to talk about your options when you transfer and what you have to prepare for when you leave TCC.

UPDATE: The meeting will be in classroom SM 124. SM260 is in use.

The other thing we have to do is thank Doug Jones for all he has done for the club. His official retirement party is that same night. If you want to know what he might do after he retires, check out this video that my dad got from his brother:

What an engineer does after he retires.

It is awesome.

Concrete can last forever

2008-12-10T17:28:00.003-05:00

Check out this photo of a concrete bridge built in 1926 that has been submerged behind a dam since 1952. (Details about the ghost town and the maintenance work being done on the earthen dam used to supply water to the Santa Clara area are in this article from the Mercury News in San Jose, California.)

My dad made two observations about this bridge:

It is very similar to bridges my grandfather designed when they were building the first highways in Michigan in the early 20s
Concrete in fresh water simply cures and gets stronger. This bridge not only looks like new (having been washed by an artificial lake every day), it is stronger than new.

Concrete is made from Portland cement, sand and gravel, and water along with various chemicals and other additions to suit a specific purpose. The water and cement form a hydrate that glues together the rocky "aggregate" material. Concrete actually gets stronger over a period of decades before slowly weakening. (There are many examples of concrete Roman structures that are 1800 years old.) It loves being in fresh water, but anything that likes to remove water (particularly salt) will attack it and weaken it prematurely. Concrete bridges along the gulf, like ones up north where salt is used to de-ice roads, have a hard life. This bridge has had an easy one.

Ran into one of my former students a year or two ago, and he was finishing up his degree in Civil Engineering with a advanced course in concrete. If civil engineering interests you, get a start by reading what Wiki has to say about concrete. That appears to be a high quality, very detailed article including information about newly developed types of concrete that are still in the research stage.

Video of fatal NC bridge collapse

2008-12-09T09:19:00.003-05:00

The collapse starts at about 2:39 into this video. For details, read the news article from StarNews Online.

You need to be looking at the very top of the picture. The pre-stressed concrete girder that fell is the second from the left. The left-most girder was being placed by the crane at the time. It's too bad that the camera is looking down at the crane at this moment, because a change in the shadows between the girders makes it seem like the failure started at the top plate of the girder. If you look closely around 2:39 and 2:40, it would appear that some material breaks off and falls before the entire girder falls.

It would have helped a lot to see the entire girder during the failure, but forensic work will probably identify the point of failure and its cause. Did the new girder bump the previous one, or was there a manufacturing or design flaw? We will find out in a few months.

Report on Minnesota I-35 Bridge Collapse

2008-11-13T17:08:00.008-05:00

Two links to news stories about the pending NTSB report on the collapse of the I-35 bridge in Minneapolis, MN. Check back; I plan to update this article with additional links as they become available.

News articles from 12 and 13 November:

NTSB Presentation and related articles:

NTSB Official Press Release
Synopsis of NTSB conclusions
Presentation by Jim Wildey on conclusions of investigation (11 Mb pdf)
Links to other presentations and flash or wmv animations

Anyone who has seen my class lecture on the static equilibrium calculation for the gusset plate (based on the January 2008 NTSB Interim report (400 kb pdf) about gusset plate design flaw) will recognize many of the details in this presentation.

WP: article on the report
ASCE article about the report
and collection of ASCE info on the investigation
CNN: Design flaw led to collapse
AP: Design errors led to collapse (includes photo of deformed gusset plate)

The final NTSB report does not seem to be in their publication archives yet. Based on the publication dates, it might not appear there for some time.

Fourier Analysis of the Beatles

2008-11-10T00:03:00.002-05:00

I mentioned this in class late last week:

The mathematical technique of a Fourier Transform (see pg 230 of the Wolfson physics textbook we use, but also any number of math or physics textbooks) has been used to solve the mystery of the unique opening chord of the Beatles' "Hard Days Night". The mathematical software used to do this is capable of isolating the fundamental and all harmonics of a note played by a particular instrument, which made it possible to find the missing fourth instrument (George Martin on piano) responsible for the sound.

The article in Wired includes a sample of this chord, and a link to the pdf version of the report.

Computer aided bridge inspection

2008-11-07T14:36:00.002-05:00

News story forwarded to me by my dad:

German scientists say they have developed an image-processing software program that automatically detects irregularities in bridge materials. (United Press International)

Quite interesting. This program would probably have warned of the defect in the Minnesota I-35 bridge that was in photographs taken several years before it collapsed, but not noticed at the time.

IMPT. ENGINEERING CLUB MEETING FRI. 10/31/08 @ 2:30 SM 260

2008-10-29T09:17:00.002-04:00

In case you are not on Vernon’s email list… Here is a
MESSAGE FROM VERNON

I hope to see all club members at SMA 260 at 2:30 this Friday. In addition we will be going over our club roster for submission to the SOC. If any members would like to email me their name and student id number in advance to the meeting for convenience, feel free to do so. The Space Grant Consortium has received our W-9 form and we should be receiving funding for the rocket competition soon. All who are interested in continuing research for our rocket team should attend the meeting. Next month we begin building and planning for testing!!!
Vernon Babich
Engineering Club Chair
850-510-2473
________________________________________

Space Station Viewing

2008-10-10T13:54:00.005-04:00

The International Space Station (ISS) can be seen in skies over Tallahassee tonight (Friday, October 10) between 7:47 pm (rising in the NW) and 7:52 pm (setting in the SE). It will be very high in the sky (68 degrees above the horizon, just 22 degrees from overhead) to the NE at about 7:49. It should be very bright (-2.4 magnitude).

You can use this link

The Heavens Above web site (set up for Tallahassee)

to get detailed information for the ISS and other objects orbiting the earth.

Tour of Florida DOT Structures Research Center

2008-10-01T13:32:00.004-04:00

Plan ahead! Friday, October 10, at 2:45 pm.

We have scheduled a tour of the Florida Department of Transportation's Structures Research Center, which is located in Innovation Park at 2007 East Paul Dirac Dr. (See map info below.) It is kitty-corner across the street (south east) from the Mag Lab. Plan to leave TCC right after your class gets out so we can meet at the building by 2:45.

This will be a real treat for any Civil Engineers, but my student (who works there) says it should also interest electrical and mechanical engineers because of the instrumentation and equipment used to do the tests. This facility is used to "test to failure" (engineer-speak for "break") bridges. Example: take a 60' concrete beam that would normally be part of a bridge, and measure everything that happens as they break it. We can't actually witness one being broken (that happens this week), but we should be able to see the results and how it is done.

Example from their web site, showing I-75 bridge beam to be tested
pdf of report about test of I-75 bridge beam

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 (right at the top of the hill, just before TurboCor), then left around the circle to Pottsdamer Road. Parking is off of Pottsdamer and there is additional parking across the street and to the south.

Follow this link to a Google Map of the area

TCC should be in the upper left corner of the page and the Research Center (marked with an A) in the lower right corner of the view if your browser display is similar to mine. I've also embedded the map below, but you can't see TCC in the smaller view of the embedded map.

View Larger Map

"REPORT" WRITING

2008-09-22T11:26:00.002-04:00

OK, Vernon is going to write a summary of the ASME SLS @ ORLANDO.
Thanks, Vernon.

Now I need somebody to step-up and write a summary of the HOPKINS TOUR & COOKOUT.

--- DJ

HOPKINS POWER PLANT TOUR and ASME SLS ORLANDO MEETING

2008-09-21T11:09:00.004-04:00

STUDENTS ---

Many of us have recently had the privilege of attending either the HOPKINS POWER PLANT TOUR or the ASME SLS (Student Leadership Seminar) in ORLANDO. What I request is that two (different) students step forward and write brief summaries of these events for publication in both the ENGINEERING CLUB BLOG and the ASME MONTHLY NEWSLETTER.

If you are willing to volunteer for this job, please email me ASAP (As Soon As Possible) with your choice of assignment and a proposed submittal date. I'll post the names of the two report-writers on the BLOG and via EMAIL as soon as I receive responses.

If selected, you should at least run a spell-check on your work, but I will proof-read and edit as necessary. So don't be fearful of giving it a "try."

Remember, ultimately, as a professional you will "get paid" for writing reports. Science involves the dissemination of information. And, although I'm asking for a descriptive summary, not an analytical report, this can be a start to your writing experience.

--- DJ

SM 243
850-201-8120 (Office)
850-201-8119 (FAX)
jonesd@tcc.fl.edu

FSU ADVISING DAY // 9.24.08

2008-09-20T00:36:00.005-04:00

YOU CAN "CLICK" ON THIS FLYER TO ENLARGE IT.

Civil Engineering news story

2008-09-12T11:25:00.005-04:00

My dad sent me a link to a story in the Engineering News Record about an unusual bridge design being used in Columbus, Ohio.

One of the photos (bottom of the story) shows the arch under construction. You can see the pair of column trusses needed to hold it up until the keystone piece is added.

The Wiki article about this bridge points to a local news story and the pdf file of a detailed paper about the bridge design submitted to an international bridge engineering conference that should interest anyone who wants to go into structural engineering.

I'm not sure about the claim that this is the only bridge of its kind in the US, since I know I have driven over something similar on I-65. It could be that this one uses one arch for a divided roadbed, while the one I remember had an arch for each of two separate bridges, with the two arches tied together in the middle.

POWER PLANT TOUR & COOKOUT

2008-09-12T07:27:00.006-04:00

REMINDER!!!!!

The Tallahassee Section ASME welcomes back the student members with a tour of the City of Tallahassee's Hopkins Plant, and cookout. Menu will be hot dogs, chips, drinks and cookies.

The Plant is located about 5 miles west of Capital Circle SW on 1125 Geddie Road, between Us 90 (West Tennessee Street) and HWY 20 (Blountstown Highway).

Date: Thursday, September 18th from 5:30 PM to 9 PM.

RSVP: Monday, 9/15/08 (to get an approximate head count for buying food)

STUDENTS - Please request RSVP by MONDAY 9/15 to your student Club Adviser:

(DOUG JONES ===> EMAIL: jonesd@tcc.fl.edu
Send me your name and your email address.
Subject line: HOPKINS TOUR )

Thank you in advance to Triveni Singh and the Hopkins Plant for hosting
this “Welcome Back” Students Event.

PS There is another post on this blog addressing the dress required to tour a power plant:
http://engineeringtcc.blogspot.com/2008/09/dress-code-for-power-plant-tour-thurs.html

[ The heart of this message is an email that I received from the TALLAHASSEE SECTION ASME which I modified to contain information specific to the TCC ENGINEERING CLUB. ]

-- DJ

NOTICE // MEETING FRI. 9/12 2:30 @ SM260

2008-09-10T15:26:00.000-04:00

HI, STUDENTS

I have the Science/Math conference room (SM 260) reserved Fri. 9/12 at 2:30pm.
I am finally driving myself, so I’ll be able to attend. There are lots of important things that we need to go over; however, if we get right down to business, it should not take too long.

So, if you have any interest in
(a) T-shirts;
(b) Seeing a power plant in operation & eating free food,

you should come to this meeting.

Also, if you are going on the Orlando Trip, you really need to come.

Also, if you have the key to the Engineering Club Room (SM 244), you should come to the meeting or find some way to get me the key.

Also, if you know where the solar panels are, you should come to the meeting or email me with the information.

Also, if you would like to help the Calc students in the math club (Mu Alpha Theta) at Chiles Hi, please come to the meeting or email me.

Sincerely,
Doug Jones, P.E. (Inactive)
Instructor of Math
Engineering Club Faculty Advisor
Tallahassee Community College
850-201-8120 (Office)
850-201-8119 (FAX)
jonesd@tcc.fl.edu

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

DRESS CODE for POWER PLANT TOUR THURS. SEPT. 18.

2008-09-09T14:55:00.002-04:00

Safety and Dress Code:

The Hopkins Power Plant is an operating power plant.

Please do not wear shorts or loose fitting shirts.

Shoes must be closed toe preferably leather.

If you have a hard hat and safety glasses, please bring them, as the plant has a limited number.

TCC ENGINEERING CLUB MEETING

2008-09-05T11:35:00.001-04:00

ANNOUNCEMENT

TCC ENGINEERING CLUB MEETING TODAY, FRI. 9/05/08 2:30-4:00 PM SM 260 (SCIENCE/MATH CONFERENCE ROOM, 2ND FLOOR SM BLDG.

-- DJ

Sept. 18 Tour of Power Plant and Cookout

2008-09-03T13:44:00.005-04:00

Doug left out one important thing from the e-mail:

Students, please RSVP to your student Club Advisor no later than Monday, September 15th, so that we can get an approximate head count for buying food. Menu will be hot dogs, chips, drinks and cookies.

The Plant is located about 5 miles west of Capital Circle SW on 1125 Geddie Road, between US 90 West (W. Tennessee) and HWY 20 (Blountstown Highway, which you join by heading west on Pensacola from TCC). It is easier to reach the plant from Pensacola/ Blountstown Highway. You have to go over a nasty railroad crossing if you come down from Tennessee St.

Follow this link to bring up a Google Map with a tag at the plant entrance, or use the embedded map below. The map linked above is a little bit better because it is centered so you should be able to see TCC (and Appleyard Dr) on the right side with the power plant location on the left side.

View Larger Map

SEPTEMBER ASME TOUR and COOKOUT

2008-09-03T08:57:00.003-04:00

Please "click" on the flyer to enlarge it.

FSU X and Y Requirements

2008-08-29T09:43:00.003-04:00

FACULTY recently received the following communication from our Administration. This may be important information for Engineering Students ---

We had a student inquiring about FSU’s X and Y requirements so Bruce from FSU provided me this link that I wanted to share with all just for a better understanding of the requirement. I will also post the link out on the Academic Advising portal under the Student Support Tab. (In the future, we plan to develop an advising portal piece for students for information such as this.)

For TCC students planning to transfer with an AA degree, they will only have to meet one X or Y requirement before graduating from FSU. They do not have to complete it here but for some majors (e.g., Engineering and Business) it is highly recommended that they take one of our courses to meet that requirement because there are no options in those majors at the junior/senior level (per Bruce at FSU). The TCC courses that will satisfy either the X or Y multicultural requirement for FSU are identified on the AA Planning Guide.

Go to http://studentsfirst.fsu.edu and hit the Check Course Requirements link (second one on the academic information box)

MEETING FRIDAY 8/29

2008-08-28T17:25:00.002-04:00

THERE WILL BE A MEETING OF THE TCC ENGINEERING CLUB
FRIDAY, AUGUST 29, 2008
2:30 UNTIL ??
SM 260 (SCIENCE/MATH CONFERENCE ROOM)

AMONG MANY IMPORTANT ITEMS TO BE DISCUSSED IS
THE TRIP TO ORLANDO SEPT 19 & 20
TO THE ASME SLS (STUDENT LEADERSHIP SEMINAR).

++++ THE RESERVATIONS MUST BE MADE BY AUG. 31!!! ++++

WHO WANTS TO GO???

-- DJ

Internships Available

2008-08-25T15:53:00.003-04:00

I got an e-mail from Catie Goodman, who is the Program Coordinator for the TCC Internship Program about some internship opportunities.

Her office is CT 242 and her e-mail address is saurinoc (at) tcc.fl.edu.

One is an UNPAID internship at The Brogan Museum in their early childhood through elementary age science programs, including Family Day activities on the weekend.

The other is a PAID internship with the Rose Printing Company, which sounds like a part-time job (running printing and binding equipment).

I have a copy of the information sheets (so come by my office if you want to see it), or contact Catie directly via e-mail or in person.

UPDATED:

I just got another e-mail, announcing an "Interships 101" program to introduce students to the options available to them. It looks like it was sent to the entire campus, so you might have one in your TCC e-mail. The schedule is:

Wed 9/3 from 10 am to 11 am in CT 108
Wed 9/3 from 6 pm to 7 pm in CT 108
Thurs 9/4 from 10 am to 11 am in CT 120
Thurs 9/4 from 6 pm to 7 pm in CT 118

It sounds like they will also help you with preparing your resume to help you get into one of those programs.

ORLANDO ASME SLS -- SEPT. 19 & 20, 2008

2008-08-20T23:05:00.010-04:00

Here is a link to the web page copied above: http://districts.asme.org/SLS/FL/index.htm

This web page announces the ASME Student Leadership Seminar. It is very worthwhile to attend. Generally speaking it is for Officers of the Student Sections (Side note: Who are our Fall Officers going to be?), but I believe that other members can go -- we may just have to find some outside money to spring them.

I have taken delegations from TCC and FAMU/FSU for the last two years -- first to Atlanta and then to Tuscaloosa. The students seemed to have profited by the experience.

Question is: WHO IS INTERESTED?

Post a comment to this notice, email me or Dr. Carr or Ms. Williams ASAP.

We have deadlines to meet.

-- DJ

Some results from the Cart-to-Solar project

2008-08-04T22:20:00.008-04:00

With a deadline looming (and past) and no students around since the start of summer final exams, I spent part of last week and this weekend putting together a mid-point report to the Foundation on the Cart-to-Solar project. As you all recall, Aaron did a great job getting this funded and on its way to a successful conclusion this summer, organizing a team that carried on the work even when he was not here. However, I was not aware of just how well the project worked out until I processed the data into the form shown below.

The baseline data acquired during the spring are shown with diamonds on this graph. (The two green squares are results of an initial trial with the solar panels and should be ignored here.) I made the three points that were outliers red and excluded them when computing the mean and sample standard deviation shown with the blue band. The yellow band shows the average and standard deviation if all points are included.

You can see for yourself how consistent most of the data were. (The gap in March is Spring Break, and one of the anomalous points appeared when the cart sat idle while the campus was closed.) Aaron did some nice work to try to understand what might be going on with those red points, but I won't include the graph or try to explain it here.

FYI, getting about three miles per kWhr corresponds to an operating cost of about 5 cents per mile for "fuel". (This does not count the cost of amortizing the cost of replacement batteries every few years.) These carts are pretty efficient.

The data acquired after the solar panels installed are shown with squares. There are really three sets of data here: The green squares were some initial tests with three panels, the first set of maroon squares were tests with six panels used in one configuration, while the ones in the region following a break for spring finals, the area covered by the green band, used a different configuration.

You can see very clearly that almost all of the data in this last set show performance that is better than any of the baseline observations. I speculate that the three low points were overcast days but found no weather records to use to test this guess. The green band shows the mean and sample standard deviation for this set (including the three low points). The average value is about a 50% improvement on the efficiency of the cart, which is, I think, about what Aaron had predicted. The band is wider than for the baseline data because of the variability introduced by weather conditions.

FYI, adding the panels saved about $2 worth of electricity over those six weeks. An interesting question is whether they will improve battery life and reduce that cost as well.

In my opinion, the primary goals of the project have been completed but (as discussed at our meeting on July 11, there are still some great things to do this fall to wrap up work with one cart, improve how it works, do the final report, and possibly start a longer-term project monitoring battery life and/or convert other carts.

Good work, everyone!

ASME - TSS joint meeting on Biomass plant

2008-08-04T21:31:00.003-04:00

Ben Cowart writes about Thursday's meeting:

Subject: ASME - TSS joint meeting Time changed to 7 - 9 PM, August 7th

All - please put on your calendar to attend the August 7th meeting of the joint meeting with the Tallahassee Scientific Society meeting from 7- 9 at the City Hall Commission Chambers. The topic will be the BG&E Biomass Plant. Several local activist have been calling the project "incineration in disguise" and this forum is to hear the evidence from the Pro and Con groups on the project. Should prove to be lively.

Please try to attend.

This will be our August Meeting.

Thanks,
Ben

I've looked at the BG&E proposal and they do take an interesting angle. My reading of it is that at one point they argue (correctly) that they are not burning the waste materials so they are not governed by waste-to-energy incinerator rules. (They are converting it to gas in a low temperature process quite unlike the plasma torch process we heard about a summer or two ago.) However, at another point they argue that the power plant that burns this gas is not subject to emission rules for power plants because it is a waste-to-energy facility, so they don't have to account for what is in the gas they produce.

Ben may be able to tell us what they would have to do at Hopkins if they bought this gas from BG&E and burned it. That will, indeed, make an interesting discussion.

Notes from the 11 July meeting

2008-07-11T23:08:00.003-04:00

We had a very productive meeting this afternoon, even though part of the group thought it was at 2 and the rest showed up at the normal time of 3:30. Such is life.

Two things went on simultaneously. I spent much of the time winding a coil and making a small coil gun actually work (estimated muzzle velocity of 2 m/s). Now we actually know what we are doing, and Emma did a great job taking apart some more cameras and figuring out how the other type works.

The other half was devoted to design work on the Solar Cart charging control system, with the help if Ivan Baggett, a local EE who owns his own company, Bagotronix. From what I could see, that went really well and we owe him a lot of thanks.

Anyone interested in learning more about the controllers he designs and the tools he uses can find some links from his company web site. Thanks again to Ivan and whoever networked with him.

PS -
I rather stupidly managed to wait until I was writing this at 11pm to think what a good idea it might be to have him talk to us about the challenges of running a small company. I know some of my recent alumni are interested in being their own boss. Would the Business club be interested?

Innovative Architecture - Engineering

2008-06-25T13:17:00.002-04:00

Check out this story from the BBC about a planned building in Dubai where each floor will rotate independently under the command of its owner.

Dubail plans moving skyscraper

The building has 80 stories and is 420 m high, which is more than a quarter mile. The video showing a simulation of what it could look like is quite amazing.

In addition, there are wind turbines built into the building so it will generate its own power. There is a set of wind turbine blades between each floor of the building.

VIEW from the CHAIR // FRIDAY MEETING 6/20/08 @ 3:30PM

2008-06-18T19:13:00.004-04:00

Hello,

We have another meeting coming up this Friday (6/20/08) at 3:30 in SM 260 ‘the usual.’ Unfortunately I will not be able to attend. However we have everything in place that it should be fine.

We will be continuing the electronics exploration from last week.

The committee for the dolly rack will be reporting on the progress with the computer generated plans for the golf cart rack.

We are still building the club directory. If you would like your contact information in this directory email your desired contact information to babic541@mymail.tcc.fl.edu.

We have also finished our signup sheets which will be placed in the SM office for ease of access.

Have a great meeting,
Vernon Babich
TCC Engineering Club Chair

(850) 510-2473

MESSAGE FROM VERNON

2008-06-12T00:32:00.004-04:00

Hey Everyone,

Our last meeting was a great success. Some new plans for the upcoming weeks have been established as well as for the future. We will be finishing up a few mechanical things on the cart such as the dolly rack and the fans. The panels will also be glued on with electrical safe silicon based glue. For the future we are planning on utilizing new batteries for an ongoing project.

Our future meetings will be based mostly on education and application of electronics. Since our goal in the solar project is to increase efficiency, it is essential that we all know how to use and improve the basics of the cart’s electrical set up. These classes are currently being headed up by Aaron Bauldree who we all appreciate very much for spending his time teaching us. They will be starting out basic and if anyone misses a meeting you should contact someone in the club or email me at babic541@mymail.tcc.fl.edu. By teaching each other, we all improve and of course get to know each other.

It also seems that a specialization approach to the projects in the future is an idea held by most of the club. It’s been really exciting to see everyone breaking up things by engineering discipline and forming committees. Currently we have one committee for the dolly rack but others seemed to be unofficially forming. The club also wants to be able to understand every part of the project.

So much more to come! I hope to see you all at the next meeting this Friday at 3:30 pm in SM 260 “the usual.”

Vernon Babich
Engineering Club Chair.

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

Notes: The "last meeting" referred to above was on Friday, June 6, 2008 @ 3:30 pm in room SM 260. The next meeting will be Friday, June 13, 2008 @ 3:30 pm in room SM 260.
~~ DJ

SUMMER 2008 MEETING SCHEDULE

2008-06-04T12:33:00.002-04:00

Click on the FLYER to ENLARGE.

Calculus and Physics

2008-05-27T12:07:00.002-04:00

I Will Derive!

Doug sent around the URL for this YouTube video but didn't get around to embedding it in a post here. (My brother also sent it to me, from a different blog, so this has definitely gone viral in some part of the blogosphere.) If you click on the image to go to the YouTube site, you can read all of the lyrics in the "more info" area.

Obligatory math/physics comment:
This is a nice example of the application of calculus to motion in physics, a topic taken up in chapter 3 of the calculus textbook and chapter 2 of the physics textbook.

MEETING THURS 5/22 @ 3PM SM260.

2008-05-20T16:12:00.002-04:00

ASME TALLAHASSEE SENIOR SECTION's MAY LUNCHEON MEETING

2008-05-18T15:50:00.015-04:00

==========================
Click on the Flyer to Enlarge it.
==========================

THOUGHTS at the BEGINNING of the SUMMER.

2008-05-07T18:05:00.007-04:00

1. There is a meeting scheduled for FRI. 5/16/08 @ 2:30 in SM 260.

2. Here are some recent photos:

This is a major part of the crew who worked on the SOLAR CART PROJECT.

Here is the crew in the (temporary) TCC ENGINEERING CLUB room at SM 244.

Here is a photo of Aaron receiving the award from the SGA as Outstanding TCC ENGINEERING CLUB member for 2007-2008. ~~~ Congratulations, Aaron!

3. Is anyone besides Emma still working on the SOLAR CART? It is important that we "keep up" with the project. I invite all who are interested and motivated to contact either me at jonesd@tcc.fl.edu or any of the Summer Officers:

Chair: Vernon Babich
Vice: Dexter Bennett
Sec: Jakarry Williams

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

LAST ENGINEERING CLUB MEETING of the SPRING 08 SEMESTER

2008-04-17T05:37:00.002-04:00

The final meeting of the SPRING SEMESTER will take place FRIDAY, APRIL 18, 2008 @ 2:30 (until about 4pm) in SM 260, the Science/Math Conference Room.

Among other things, we need to ELECT NEW OFFICERS!

THINKING GREEN?

2008-04-17T05:30:00.003-04:00

I received this FLYER from Ben Cowart (City of Tallahassee) ~~~

ASME "LUNCH & LEARN" SERIES

2008-04-16T10:49:00.002-04:00

[[ Click on the FLYER for enlargement. ]]

As you can see, Aaron will be the featured speaker at the next ASME Technical Luncheon Meeting. I urge you to come out in support of Aaron and our Club. Also, they tell me that the food is good. And I believe that there will be a discount (through ASME) for students.

MOONDUST ARTICLE from NASA

2008-04-13T18:10:00.002-04:00

Here is an interesting article on MOON DUST from NASA. Enjoy.
DJ

Civil Engineering / Architecture / Planning Majors?

2008-04-11T15:58:00.004-04:00

An e-mail from the college announced an open forum presenting a revised version of the TCC Master Plan. If you are interesting in civil or environmental engineering or architecture and don't know what the words "Master Plan" mean, you should definitely attend! (Hint: a partial answer is at the bottom of this article.) This is a great chance to see this aspect of the engineering profession, where the focus is on the big picture.

It is also your opportunity to share your thoughts on current and future land use at TCC. (The reason for the forum is to get input on the plans that a consultant has been developing for TCC.)

The forum will be from 9 AM to 4 PM on Wednesday, April 16, in the SU Ballroom. There will be a 15 to 20 minute formal presentation of the plan at 10 AM and 2 PM by Tony Stallworth (new Director of Facilities Planning and Construction at TCC) and a consultant from EMO Architects, Inc. of Tallahassee that produced the plan. You should still drop by even if you can't attend a presentation. There won't be many people around, so you can probably talk to someone as long as you wish.

So what is a Master Plan?

Quoted from the TCC e-mail announcement:
Campus Master Plans are living documents that reflect functional relationships, environmental issues, academic mission and programs, vehicular/pedestrian traffic patterns, landscape design standards, architectural design standards and future campus expansion.

Space Station visible for next 7 days.

2008-04-11T15:36:00.005-04:00

The International Space Station (ISS) can be seen in skies over Tallahassee tonight and each night through April 17.

You need to use the Heavens Above web site (link takes you to a page suitable for Tallahassee) to get detailed information of where and when the ISS will rise and set so you know where to look in the sky. You should also use the web site to confirm the times listed below. The orbit times can change if they use the new "Jules Verne" space truck to boost the ISS orbit between now and next week.

It will be quite bright (negative magnitude) tonight and Sunday night, but not easy to see. Tonight (Friday) it will be only 20 degrees above the horizon to the north and will move into shadow at 21:35:25 (9:35 pm) at its highest point. It will be visible for less than 2 minutes. On Sunday it will reach 24 degrees above the horizon to the NE at 20:44 (8:44 pm) and be visible for several minutes before this. It will look like a very fast moving plane but not much brighter than the brightest star.

The best viewing will be Monday, April 14 (almost overhead toward the SW around 21:05), and Wednesday, April 16 (directly overhead around 20:12). It will be spectacularly bright (-2.3 and -2.4 magnitude) and easy to see even if the sky is in twilight, as it will be at 8:12 pm on Wednesday.

It is only visible for a few minutes, so get out early and check the time on your cell phone.

Hope for clear skies!

The next set of viewing opportunities will be in the early morning !! hours on April 30 and May 1.

Electric and Solar Assist Vehicle News

2008-04-10T17:08:00.003-04:00

Two items:

1) The final assembly of the Solar-Assist system started this afternoon and will continue on Friday at 10:30 until it is complete. I have most of the baseline data from monitoring the existing system and will post those real soon now.

2) I was forwarded the following notice: "Test Drive a Zap! Zap Corporation, manufacturers of all electric cars, will be in town this Saturday with cars that you can take for a test drive. These cars are viable, all-electric commuting cars, so if you get a chance stop by and take one out for a spin."
Date and Time: Saturday, April 12th 11 a.m.
Location: K-mart Plaza, corner of Apalachee and Blairstone Rd.

Go to http://www.zapworld.com/ for more information.

This is the first I ever heard of them, but

MEETING FRI. 4/4/08 == UPDATE

2008-04-03T18:08:00.002-04:00

THERE IS DEFINITELY GOING TO BE A MEETING TOMORROW, 4/4/08 AT 2:30 pm.
We are just not absolutely sure as to where it will be held.
Stop by the ENGINEERING CLUB ROOM, SM 244, at 2:30 and we'll have the location posted on the BULLETIN BOARD.
DJ.

MORE ANNOUNCEMENTS !!! --- FROM AARON RE: 3/28 - 3/30/08

2008-03-28T04:42:00.005-04:00

Hello Everyone,

Hope everyone's doing great in classes. We've got a lot of really exciting things happening with the club, and it's time to get things going strong. We have our movie night tomorrow night at Movies 8. The show is at midnight. We need to be there about 11:15 PM.

We also have finally received our order of solar panels. Come out tomorrow and get to check them out.

StuFac day is next wednesday. Be sure to check with Dexter and let him know when you can be at the booth.

Here is a brief list of all the things that will be going on this weekend:

*
Friday 3/28 1:30-5:00:
IMPORTANT
Golf Cart Data Collection and Design
Meet at SM 244 at 1:30 or go out to the mail room. We will be out there until at least 4:00
*
Friday 3/28 11:15 until:
CRITICAL/ ALL HANDS
Movie night at Movies 8 (ALL MEMBERS NEEDED)
*
Saturday Morning:
GOOD FOOD
Go support HP/MESA at the pancake breakfast
*
Saturday Morning:
IMPORTANT
Hydro, Wind, and other power demonstration construction workshop.
Build a real generator!!!
*
Saturday Afternoon:
Come visit TCC's booth at Springtime Tallahassee (not club related)
*
Sunday:
IMPORTANT
Construct temporary mounts for panels and build water balloon launcher for StuFac Day.

There is a lot to be done, and we need everyone's support to make it all happen. If you would like to participate in any of these events or need further information, please contact me by email or call me at 850.251.9955 (Please leave your number if you leave a voice message).

Don't Forget: Next Meeting is April 4, SM260, 2:30

Thank You Everyone,
Aaron Bauldree
Chair - TCC Engineering Club
850.251.9955

ATTENTION... UP-COMING EVENTS & ACTIVITIES

2008-03-27T10:43:00.007-04:00

[ A ] -- MESSAGE FROM VERNON BABICH --

This is a breakdown of the things we are working on up until Monday.

Today, Thursday ( 3/27/08 ), we will be selling tickets in the student union for the movie night at Movies 8. Miguel has already gotten a table. The people who signed up to help have been contacted and this is just a reminder that we need all the help we can in the union from 11:00 am until 2:30 pm.

Friday we will all be working on the solar data in the engineering room from about 1:30 until 5:00.

Saturday morning after the MESA breakfast, everyone is welcome to come and help set up the energy displays for the Stu Fac Day presentation. We will also be creating a water balloon launcher for a fundraiser during the Stu Fac Day event.

Either Saturday or Sunday we will be building a mounting board for the solar panels which we will be putting on the golf cart Monday morning.

[[ COMMENT BY DOUG JONES -- Volunteers are needed for all these projects. Please get in touch with Vernon, Aaron, and/or Miguel if you can help. ]]

[ B ] -- REMINDER FROM BEN COWART (ASME) --

Your weekly reminder that the next ASME meeting will be Friday, March 28th at the Golden Corral on North Monroe Street.

<>

A FLYER FROM TCC INTERNSHIP PROGRAM

2008-03-25T15:12:00.003-04:00

I received this flyer today. For more information contact:

Catie Goodman
Program Coordinator-Internship Program
Tallahassee Community College
850.201.8281-Direct Office
850.201.8495-Reception
850.201.8295-Fax
goodmanc@tcc.fl.edu
Office: CT 242

Prof. George Cobb killed in motorcycle crash

2008-03-15T17:48:00.003-04:00

Sorry this is a bit late, but I did not think of posting it here until today. If you knew George well enough to mourn his passing, there will be a combination wake and memorial service at Finnegan's Wake on Sunday, March 16, at 3:00 PM. I hope that takes the edge off of what will be a sad Monday morning when I walk past his empty office.

Some of the students in the club may have had George for precalc or algebra, and I am pretty sure some of our club members are currently in one of his classes. If you want a different perspective on George than what you saw in class, you should read a column in the Tallahassee Democrat by local runner Gary Droze. George ran the 800 m in college at Auburn and was still an active runner in triathalons in his 60s. He also loved riding the Kawasaki motorcycle he was on when he died.

I will remember a teacher committed to excellence. Students who came out of his classes were generally well prepared to succeed in physics (even if they still did not remember how to solve log problems). I don't think a day went by that he was not thinking about a way to get his students involved in learning the math they would need to reach their career goals.

Obituary from the Tallahassee Democrat:

George Leslie Cobb Jr.
George Leslie Cobb Jr. George Leslie Cobb Jr. of Tallahassee, died Sunday, March 9, 2008, from injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident. A celebration of George's life will be at 3 p.m. EDT Sunday, March 16, at Finnegan's Wake, 1122 Thomasville Road. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Stanislaus College, Attn: Michael Reso, 304 S. Beach Blvd., Bay St. Louis, MS 39520. He was born Sept. 24, 1944. A graduate of Auburn University, he was a math professor at Tallahassee Community College and an avid runner, cyclist and motorcyclist. Survivors include his parents, George and Dorothy Cobb of Southern Pines, N.C.; a sister, Jan Cobb of Fayetteville, N.C.; a son and daughter-in-law, Michael and Susanne Cobb of Charlottesville, Va.; a daughter, Dominique Clothiaux of Moscow, Idaho; and a special friend, Missy Andric of Tallahassee, Fla.
Published in the Tallahassee Democrat on 3/14/2008.

ASME MARCH LUNCHEON

2008-03-06T13:02:00.003-05:00

Here is the flyer for the March ASME Luncheon Meeting. Click on the image to enlarge it.

BUDWEISER / JACKSONVILLE TOUR

2008-03-04T00:43:00.005-05:00

On Sat morning March 1, at 8:15am the TCC Ford 350 12-person van departed TCC for Budweiser in Jacksonville. Your driver was Doug Jones, and his “cargo” comprised 6 FAMU/FSU students and 2 TCC students.

We arrived at the Bud Brewery at 11:30 and caught the tour immediately – perfect timing. The formal tour ended at 12:25 in the “Hospitality Room” where persons over 21 enjoyed complementary beverages. Your Driver drank Root Beer! At this time we were joined by the plant’s environmental engineer who spent about ½ hour describing some of the more technical aspects of the plant and answering our questions.

We lunched at a quaint establishment on Jacksonville’s famous Riverside and returned to Tallahassee, arriving at about 6:45pm.

I have only a few photos, as my camera’s battery ran low; however, I expect to receive more pictures from others on the tour. I post mine now and the others as I receive them.

DJ.

EMERGENCY NOTICE ...

2008-02-29T10:39:00.003-05:00

TOUR OF BUDWEISER PLANT IN JACKSONVILLE, FL
SAT 03/01/2008
DEPART: 8AM
RETURN: SAT AFTERNOON/EVENING.

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

IF YOU HAVE SIGNED-UP TO GO (OR IF YOU DIDN'T SIGN UP, BUT YOU NOW WANT TO GO) ON THE JACKSONVILLE FIELD TRIP (BUDWEISER PLANT), PLEASE CONTACT DOUG JONES AT ONCE. I MUST GET THE NAMES SUBMITTED BY YESTERDAY AT 4:30 PM.... BUT NOBODY RESPONDED TO MY EMAIL.

EMAIL ME AT
jonesd@tcc.fl.edu

OR CALL ME AT 850-201-8120.

WE'LL LEAVE AT 8AM (REVISED TIME) FROM THE FACULTY PARKING LOT BEHIND (TO THE IMMEDIATE NORTH OF) THE SCIENCE & MATH BUILDING.

WE'LL TRAVEL IN THE TCC FORD 350 13-PERSON VAN.

AND WE'LL RETURN THE SAME DAY (SAT).

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE CONTACT ME ASAP

Friday (2/29) meeting and tour

2008-02-26T09:27:00.003-05:00

There will be an Engineering Club meeting on Friday, 29 February. The meeting will be short so we can go on a tour of the the parking ramp under construction on our campus.

The meeting will be in SM260 as usual. We will leave for the tour about 3:30.

Compressing a Quarter

2008-02-24T21:30:00.004-05:00

After compared to Before ...

A standard quarter is electromagnetically compressed to the size of a dime in, literally, the blink of an eye, a flash of light, and a loud crack.

The forces on the coin are produced by an estimated 100 kA current in a 10-turn copper solenoid winding. The induced current (about 1 MA) in the outer edge of the copper core of the quarter interacts with an estimated 58 T magnetic field produced by the solenoid, compressing the quarter radially. The peak field last for about a millionth of a second because the coil is vaporized by that current.

The energy needed (about 4600 J) is delivered by a 178 uF capacitor charged to 7200 V. The capacitor, which contains about 1.28 coulombs of charge, takes several minutes to reach its final voltage. A display next to the demonstration included a page on the principles of operation of a quarter shrinker from "Stoneridge Engineering", the Teslamania web site of Bert Hickman that gave additional details for a system similar to the one we saw. My independent calculations at the bottom of this article roughly confirm what is on that page and the display at the magnet lab.

Side comment. You would get 4600 J of energy if you dropped 47 kg (about 100 pounds) a distance of 10 m (about 33 feet). Now imagine all of that energy concentrated int the small area of a quarter. Splat.

Tools of the trade:

An assembled coil is in the background. The coil itself (left foreground) is about 10 turns of 14 gauge wire (wire that would normally carry no more than 15 A in commercial use, and will melt if used with 166 A). The quarter is sandwiched between two cylinders of G10 fiberglass (right background) to center it within the coil. (Wood had been used in the past, but the G10 survives and can be reused from year to year.) Tape holds it all in place.

Centering the quarter and ensuring it is perpendicular to the magnetic field is crucial to making sure the forces compress the coin rather than twist it. Oh, yes, and the vial contains fragments of copper coils used in past experiments. The lighter colored pieces are probably stainless steel chipped off of the box that is used to contain the explosion of the coil.

This last photo shows the interior of the box used to contain the explosion of the magnet coil. You can see the copper from the used coils embedded in it. I also notice that the stainless steel panels on those three sides appear to have been added after the fact to the inside of Lexan panels that appear to have been the original design plan.

The Physics Details:

I collected a lot more details this year than I managed to get last year, correcting some of the information I used for back-of-the-envelope example in PHY2049 this year and last. [I had remembered the 1 MA current, but not that it was the induced current in the coin or the number of turns, and did not have enough info to estimate the R or L of the circuit being used here.] I now know he used 14 AWG 200C copper magnet wire with 10 turns in the coil. That info, and my estimate that the coil has an inner diameter of 2.4 cm (to fit around a quarter) and a length of between 1.7 cm (absolute minimum for the wire diameter) and 2 cm, are essential to a qualitative understanding of what is going on.

The length of the coil plus 10 cm for each lead is about 1 m, so we can estimate its resistance at about 0.008 ohm. All other conductors are large bus bars and will contribute little to the resistance of the circuit.

The coil that produces the magnetic field is too short to be correctly modeled as a solenoid. If we do that anyway, however, we require about 92 kA to produce 58 T, while 65 kA (see below) produces 41 T. These numbers assume 10 turns and a 2 cm length. Only 78 kA is needed to make 58 T (or 48 T from 65 kA) if the solenoid is 1.7 cm long. We always want the coil as tightly wound as possible!

We also get an inductance L = 2 uH for a 2 cm coil. An on-line calculator (of unknown reliability) says those dimensions would give 1.8 uH, while 1.7 cm gives 2.0 uH. I will use L = 2 uH as a conservative value. Notice that a shorter length makes the inductance bigger, which is a bad thing.

The RC time constant of 1.4 us (micro seconds), with an initial current of 900 kA, tells us what would happen if there was no coil (inductance) in the circuit. Unfortunately, the coil does not like a rapidly rising current. It would take 250 us (0.25 ms) for the current to reach 570 kA if we had just the coil with an ideal 7200 V battery. However, this is actually an un-driven LCR circuit, with all three elements playing a role. The circuit has an inductive time constant of 500 us and a natural frequency of about 53,000 rad/s. The solution to this problem says a peak current of 65 kA will be reached after 19 us. A smaller inductance makes the current bigger, by the way. The estimated inductance is a critical quantity. Reducing the inductance to 1.8 uH will increase the current to 78 kA. Notice that this is just what we need to produce 58 T in a 1.7 cm coil.

Faraday's Law says the large dB/dt produces a large EMF around the edge of the coin, which acts like a single turn in a 10:1 transformer. This leads to a rough estimate of an induced current of 650 kA (perhaps 780 or 920 kA) around the edge of the coin.

Even with "only" I = 65 kA and B = 41 T, the compressive force due to the 650 kA current induced in the outer edge of the coin would be something like 2 MN. If we really have I = 78 kA and B = 58 T, the force increases to 3.4 MN.

This force only acts for a micro second or so at the peak of the sine function that describes the current (before the coil is torn apart by the equal and opposite repulsive force of the field on the coil). The total impulse is not very large, although the total energy is significant even if a lot of it is wasted.

Tesla at the Magnet Lab

2008-02-24T14:58:00.009-05:00

"Conducting" Electricity

The large Tesla coil shown here was producing about 250 kV at 200 kHz. The presence of an aluminum rod nearby alters the spark pattern because the current being carried off by the sparks is drawn to the grounded conductor rather than something like the overhead lights up by the ceiling.

The sparks look purple because of the emission lines from nitrogen gas. (The spark results when air molecules, mostly nitrogen, get ripped apart by the high voltage. The current is carried by a plasma.) A bare hand works almost as well as an aluminum rod, since your body is a conductor.

At high frequencies (such as 200,000 Hz), the current flows over the surface of the body. The only risk is from a burn at the point of contact. Based on the reaction of one other demonstrator, you can definitely feel it. This photo was really spectacular. The yellow spots you see are where it is burning his hand.

Important Note:
Frequency is the difference between life and death. A low frequency (such as 50 or 60 Hz) Alternating Current would be fatal at those voltages. That would go through your body and, partly because it is so well matched to the frequency our nervous system operates at, would stop the heart. In contrast, we easily get 200 kV from a van de Graaff generator in lecture demos, but the resulting small Direct Current only produces a painful shock.

Musical Reindeer

The sparks emanating from a small stuffed reindeer sitting on a smaller Tesla coil produced music. (Click the photo for a much bigger version.)

What was happening was that the air gets heated by the glowing discharge you see in the photo. If the intensity of the sparks varies at 5000 times per second (too fast to see or photograph), you get a sound wave of 5000 Hz produced in the air instead of the crackling sound of the sparks. They modulating the amplitude of the voltage delivered to the coil (and putting wires in the stuffed animal to produce many sharp points for spark production) with a music source, and you hear music.

The music went away, or was altered, if a rod was used to draw off the current in a single spark rather than the discharge you see here. Very nice.

Lecture Schedule for Mag Lab Open House

2008-02-19T14:00:00.005-05:00

I got an e-mail today with the details for the special lectures that will be given in conjunction with the open house at the Magnet Lab on Saturday. Click the picture to see a bigger version.

The open house runs from 10 AM to 3 PM on Saturday, February 23. These are the only events that have a specific schedule. Everything else is self-guided with small presentations taking place every 15 to 30 minutes at various locations along the tour.

Schedule for Wednesday Town Hall Meeting

2008-02-19T13:48:00.004-05:00

Click on the image below to see the schedule for Wednesday evening's Town Hall meeting at The Brogan Museum. The program runs from 7:00 to 8:30 with (free) registration from 6:00 to 7:00 and a reception in the museum from 8:30 to 9:30. (The lunar eclipse is total from about 10:00 to 10:50, so there is plenty of time to leave the program and watch the eclipse. Telescopes will be set up at the gazebo on Lake Ella, in the science quad at TCC, and next to the Keen building at FSU if you want a close up view.)

"The Brogan" is located on Kleman Plaza downtown, behind City Hall and just NW of the Capitol. Parking is availble (for a fee) in the Kleman Plaza parking ramp as well as (for free) at meters along some nearby side streets.

Ion Sancho to lead voter education forum at TCC

2008-02-18T14:48:00.002-05:00

[[ Although this is NOT Engineering information per se, the topic is of great interest to all citizens of a representative democracy; therefore, I post it. DJ. ]]

As part of its Black History Month celebration, Tallahassee Community College will host a voter education forum from noon to 1 p.m. on Tuesday, February 19 in the College’s Student Union Ballroom.

With Floridians now looking ahead to November’s general election, the College will offer students, faculty and staff the opportunity to learn about the importance of voting as well as voter’s rights.

Ion Sancho, Leon County Supervisor of Elections, will serve as the forum’s keynote speaker. Sancho is a highly sought-after speaker in the area of voter’s rights and voting protocol. On Tuesday, he’ll educate attendees on the importance of voting and how it relates to what is sure to be an historic 2008 presidential election.

Tom Dinh, TCC’s Student Government Association President, and representatives from TCC’s College Democrats and College Republicans are also slated for Tuesday’s agenda. A brief question and answer session is also scheduled, time permitting.

TCC will offer additional opportunities during the remainder of the month of February to celebrate the accomplishments of African-Americans who have made significant contributions worldwide.

For more information on Black History Month events at TCC, contact Cherry Alexander at (850) 201-8396 or email alexandc@tcc.fl.edu.

ISS and Shuttle overflight

2008-02-18T14:08:00.002-05:00

If they sky is clear, the Space Station and Shuttle should be visible.

Time: from 7:22 to 7:26 pm, moving from WNW to SSE across the SW sky.

Highest point in sky: 32 deg above the horizon to the SW at 7:24 pm.

You can use the Heavens Above web site (link takes you to a page suitable for Tallahassee) to get this sort of info about anything that is in space.

VISIT THE ENGINEERING CLUB FORUM

2008-02-16T15:46:00.003-05:00

Here is a link to the new forum for the club.
http://www.tccengineeringclub.com/forum/index.php

You will want to visit the forum often, as that is
where many interesting Engineering Club topics
will be reported, including Aaron's report on the
last meeting (02/15/08) and the status of all the
club's on-going activities.

DJ.

Electric Car Program Monday

2008-02-15T13:25:00.005-05:00

This month's program of the local chapter of the Sierra Club concerns electric cars.

The meeting is Monday 18 February at 7:15 pm (snacks at 7:00 pm) at the United Church in Tallahassee. The church is at 1834 Mahan Drive, which is in the woods to the north of Mahan (US-90) just west of Blair Stone Drive.

Program info:

The speaker, Mark Hunt, will talk about his experience converting standard cars to electric cars or hybrids, the advantages and disadvantages of these vehicles, their economics, and the present state of commercial hybrid vehicles. He works at King Cobra, a shop on Orange Avenue, building and modifying race cars as well as electric cars. He learned his skills working on orange grove equipment on his father's farm in Indian River county.

I suspect he works with Al Simpler (who has some all-electric sports cars) and so I expect Al (of Simpler Solar Systems at 3118 W Tharpe Street) will be there also. FYI, Al Simpler has offered free assistance to Aaron's solar conversion project.

Driving tips:

If you are coming from the east (or turning from Blair Stone), their two driveways are right after Sasanqua Drive, only about 500' past Blair Stone. The first is the exit, the second is the entrance, so it is hard to miss if you are ready to turn right as soon as you pass Blair Stone.

It is very easy to miss if you are coming from the west (from TCC or FSU down Tennessee St, which becomes Mahan). You must slow down and look for the last median cut before Blair Stone. You turn left about 200' after you go past Pointe Ct (on the right). Their sign is small and eco friendly so it is easy to miss if you are going 50 mph. If you miss the turnoff heading west, you have to go quite a distance before you can make a legal U turn to come back.

Letter from Susan Ray @ MagLab

2008-02-11T14:32:00.000-05:00

Mr. Jones,

Just wanted to make sure the TCC Engineering Club is aware that the Mag Lab Open House is coming up – Feb. 23 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. I think this would be of great interest to the students. You can find out more here: http://www.magnet.fsu.edu/education/community/openhouse.html

In addition to the self-guided tour and demonstrations, there also will be talks this year, two by engineers.

I’d appreciate it greatly if you could forward this to Aaron so he can mention it at the upcoming club meeting. If any of the students is interested in volunteering, they can contact me directly.

Thanks!

Susan Ray
Associate Director, Public Affairs
National High Magnetic Field Laboratory
1800 E. Paul Dirac Drive
Tallahassee, FL 32310
(850) 644-9651
sray@magnet.fsu.edu
www.magnet.fsu.edu
P Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail

Upcoming events

2008-02-08T15:49:00.000-05:00

Thought I would bring you up-to-date on some events over the next few weeks.

Saturday, 9 February: Darwin Day
at Florida State (College of Medicine)

Among other things, Sir Harry Kroto, Nobel Laureate and FSU Professor of Chemistry will be speaking from 10 to 11 AM. He co-discovered fullerenes, more commonly known as Buckyballs. One variation of this, carbon nanotubes, are rapidly finding applications in engineering. One day they will be used in concrete. There will also be a hands-on bucky-ball building activity for children registered for it. Details are on the web.

Friday, 15 February: Club meeting

Wednesday, 20 February: ASME Town Hall meeting

This will be held in the evening in the TCC part of The Brogan Museum downtown. We plan to participate. Details at the club meeting on 2/15. See other entries in this blog.

Saturday, 23 February: Mag Lab Open House

This is a big deal, running from 10 AM to 3 PM. They will once again be using extremely high field (about 40 T) disposable (totally destroyed when used) pulsed magnets to compress a quarter. This is a must see.

Click here for details from the mag lab.

Other old standby demos (air powered potato cannon, diamagnetic properties of liquid oxygen) and tours will be done once again. You can talk one-on-one with members of the engineering faculty (mechanical, electrical, and civil) who work there building magnets and other devices.

They are also advertising a new feature, a musical tesla coil. I assume that they saw one of these videos from YouTube and said "we can do that!".

My brother told me about this "Lightning on the Lawn" show. Another one shows a guy in a mesh suit carrying a row of light bulbs around between the coils. Notice how the bulbs light up when struck by the electrical energy?

The mesh suit provides a "Faraday cage" effect that protects the wearer from AC high frequency "lightning" strikes.

CNC Machines (Computer Numerically Controlled Machines)

2008-02-02T04:57:00.000-05:00

If you are interested in CNC (see Aaron's UPDATE, below), here is a scan of the first page of an article on CNC in the Oct. 07 issue of "Mechanical Engineer." I've got the issue in my office, if anyone wants to read the whole thing.

DJ.

MESSAGE FROM AARON:

2008-02-01T15:07:00.000-05:00

Hello Everyone,

Just wanted to send out a few items to everyone and let you know what's going on with the club:

Cart To Solar Project
We were sucessful in receiving our grant from the College Innovation Fund for $2500. Thank you everyone that showed up in helping write the grant proposal. It was a great success. Now it's time to work.

The P3 KillAWatt has come in, and I have been running some preliminary tests with the device as well as arranging a data collection method that we can coordinate with the Plant Operations department that will work good for all of us. The majority of carts do not have working hour meters so I am looking into either purchasing new ones or designing one using a LM555 timer. Anyone interested in a small electronics project, let me know...

As far as the solar panels go, I was going to have them ordered monday, but the person that is in control of the grant money won't be in until next week. On monday, I will be going in to make the initial order of solar panels. However, we do have a decision to make. Since PowerFilm is giving us a 40% discount on the panels, we have the option to possibly have 4 or 5 carts running around with panels. Is that something we are interested in?

We have also been authorized to have all the work on this project to be accredited through TCC's Volunteer Office. I will be giving everyone that participates in this project a TallyScript form where you can log the hours that you work on the project. If you can get at least 20 hours of volunteer service this semester, the volunteer office will have that documented on your transcript. This looks VERY GOOD and may help you in the future if volunteer services might be needed. With the cart project as well as other things we'll be doing, there is more than enough opportunity for all of us to get some volunteer service on our official college transcript.

CNC Training at TCC
With great thanks to Beth Mann Pace, the TCC EWD will begin offering CNC training. Check out the news release on TCC's web site:
http://www.tcc.fl.edu/about_tcc/news_events/news_archives/2008/january_2008/tcc_division_of_ewd_offers_cnc_machine_training
CNC's are amazing machines and are an integral part to the manufacturing industry. I used to program vector images of diesel engine mounting brackets that were converted for use on a CNC. Anyone interested needs to contact Ms. Pace as soon as possible.

Trail Work Volunteers
This weekend there is an epic trail works project going on at the Cadillac Trail on Lake Lafayette. I will be going out there to work on this major redesign project that is being coordinated by Trail Dynamics and the City of Tallahassee Parks Department. THis is something that we can take part in, and get volunteer hours that can go on our transcripts. I will be out there on Saturday afternoon as soon as I get out of the lab, and again on Sunday. Anyone interested, please call me at 850.251.9955 for more information.

Beer Anyone?
Just trying to get your attention. Quinn Straub, the Chair of the FAMU/FSU ASME Club has extended the opportunity for us to join them in a trip on March 1 to tour the Budweiser Plant in Jacksonville. There is also planning for a possible nuclear power plant in the works. Keep it in mind. We'll talk about it more at the next meeting.

New Web Site!!!
Thank you Michael. The Site looks great! When you get a chance, check oiut the new design of the club's web site: http://www.tccengineeringclub.com
This new site will definitely help us communicate a lot better. Michael has done a great job on creating an integrated forum and is now working on getting the blog up and going. This is great. While you're visiting the site, make sure to register for the forum and post your energy questions for the Town Hall Meeting. 19 days until the meeting and we need a lot more questions.

I am sure that there are some other exciting things that I am missing. There are a few other items that are in the works right now and I will inform all of you as to the details as soon as they come available. Please email me with any suggestions/ concerns that you may have about the club. bauld9a5@mymail.tcc.fl.edu

Thank you for you time and support,
Aaron Bauldree
TCC Engineering Club Chair
850.251.9955

ASK AN "ENERGY QUESTION!"

2008-01-28T10:23:00.000-05:00

THIS MESSAGE WAS SENT BY DEAN FRANK BROWN TO ALL THE SCIENCE AND MATH INSTRUCTORS.

IF YOU COULD ASK ONE QUESTION OF THESE PANELISTS, WHAT WOULD IT BE?

SEND YOU QUESTION IN TO AARON.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

(1) Town Hall Meeting on Energy: co-sponsored by the TCC Engineering Club – Here are some details from Aaron Bauldree:

On February 20 at the Mary Brogan Museum, the American Society of Mechanical Engineers is holding the 5th Annual Engineers Town Hall Meeting at 7:00 pm. The topic is "Florida’s Energy Challenges - How do we Measure Up". The goal of this meeting is to address where Florida stands on meeting state, national, and global power and energy challenges, progress we've made, and where we're heading. Some of the topics covered will be:

􀂃 Greenhouse gas and emissions reduction

􀂃 Renewable and alternative energy

􀂃 Energy conservation

􀂃 Energy supply

􀂃 Fulfilling current and projected energy needs

􀂃 Ability to generate, transmit, and distribute electric power

􀂃 Ability to generate, store, and distribute fuel

􀂃 Traditional and alternative fuel vehicles

􀂃 Protection of energy supply during emergencies

􀂃 Energy efficiency in power and fuel consumption

This meeting, that will be televised on WFSU, will consist of a welcome speech from the President of TCC, Dr. Bill Law, followed by a keynote speech by Gov. Crist (invited). This will be followed by followed by a moderated discussion with a group of panelists, and questions from participants/attendees. The panel of experts will consist of:

Senator Mike Bennett - Chair, Committee on Communications and Public Utilities

Representative Stan Mayfield - Chair, Environmental and Natural Resources Council

Secretary Michael Sole - Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection

Chair, Gov.’s Action Team on Energy and Climate Change

Chairman Lisa Polak Edgar (invited) - Florida Public Service Commission

Mr. Tommy Boroughs - Chair, Florida Energy Commission

Mrs. Susan Story (invited) - President and CEO, Gulf Power Corporation

If you could ask this panel of experts one question concerning energy, what would it be?

Aaron is collecting questions to be asked during this forum. Please consider submitting a question or getting questions from your students concerning the topics outlined above. Questions may be submitted electronically to bauld9a5@mymail.tcc.fl.edu. If you have questions, please contact Aaron at 850-251-9955. Please see the attached flyer.

Engineering Club's "Cart-toSolar" Project Receives Grant!

2008-01-26T13:26:00.000-05:00

Dateline -- Fri. 01/25/2008

During an Engineering Club Budget Planning Meeting late Friday afternoon, word was received that the Club had been awarded a College Innovation Fund Grant for the furtherance of its "Cart-to-Solar" (Golf Cart) Project.

This is tremendously great news! Details will be forthcoming.

DJ.