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).
Showing posts with label NEWS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label NEWS. Show all posts
Monday, June 8, 2009
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Floating Wind Turbines
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.
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.
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Historic Amateur Rocket Launch
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.)
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.)
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Laser pointer danger
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Engineering-related News Stories
Two stories that recently came to my attention:
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.
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.
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.
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.
Friday, January 30, 2009
New Dam caused Earthquake?
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.
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.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
TV Programming Note
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.
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.
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
Concrete can last forever
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:
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.
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.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Video of fatal NC bridge collapse
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.
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.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Report on Minnesota I-35 Bridge Collapse
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:
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.
News articles from 12 and 13 November:
- AP: Safety Board to release report
- Duluth: State of Minnesota improves bridge inspection process
- AP: Extra load of construction material contribute to collapse
- AP: Design errors led to collapse
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
- 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.
Friday, November 7, 2008
Computer aided bridge inspection
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.
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.
Friday, September 12, 2008
Civil Engineering news story
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.
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.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Electric and Solar Assist Vehicle News
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
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
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Prof. George Cobb killed in motorcycle crash
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.
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.
Saturday, February 16, 2008
VISIT THE ENGINEERING CLUB FORUM
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.
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.
Friday, February 1, 2008
MESSAGE FROM AARON:
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
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
Thursday, January 24, 2008
INFORMATION from SGA
The following items came up in yesterday's SGA meeting, attended by your VP/SGA Rep. Kory Rash.
1. SGA is planning on sending a party of student volunteers to New Orlenas, LA, Feb. 22-24, to build houses with Habitat For Humanity. Apparently the cost per student will be around $50. If you are interested in some genuine humanitarian service, this would be it. We'll provide more information, including the contact person in SGA in the near future.
2. The Club with the MOST PARTICIPANTS WHO CROSS THE 5K FINISH LINE in the GIRL SCOUT "Run for the Cookies" gets a free pizza party.
Here is the entry form. If you enter, please let us know. Also be sure to SIGN IN FOR THE ENGINEERING CLUB when you CROSS THE 5K FINISH LINE.
(Click on the form to enlarge it.)
1. SGA is planning on sending a party of student volunteers to New Orlenas, LA, Feb. 22-24, to build houses with Habitat For Humanity. Apparently the cost per student will be around $50. If you are interested in some genuine humanitarian service, this would be it. We'll provide more information, including the contact person in SGA in the near future.
2. The Club with the MOST PARTICIPANTS WHO CROSS THE 5K FINISH LINE in the GIRL SCOUT "Run for the Cookies" gets a free pizza party.
Here is the entry form. If you enter, please let us know. Also be sure to SIGN IN FOR THE ENGINEERING CLUB when you CROSS THE 5K FINISH LINE.
(Click on the form to enlarge it.)
Monday, January 21, 2008
Cause of Minnesota Bridge Collapse
My dad may be retired but he is still a member of ASCE, the professional society for civil engineers. He forwarded a copy of the urgent e-mail sent by ASCE to all members about the cause of the collapse of the I-35W bridge in Minnesota last fall that killed 13 people.
The collapse was due to a design error, not corrosion or maintenance problems that were assumed to be the problem during the discussions immediately after the disaster.
You can read the NTSB Safety Recommendation Letter and a detailed interim report by two engineers with the Federal Highway Administration on one specific part of that bridge design on the web. Links to these reports are also prominently featured on the ASCE web site.
It is unclear if the undersized plates used at two key joints were the result of a calculation error, an error in developing the plans, or even a drafting error. The documentation on file is still unclear at this point. What is clear is that you don't need a computer to do the calculation, one part of which would be a basic PHY2048 problem. What is important is that, wherever the error was made, the fact that this error ended up in the final plans indicates a significant error in the design process and a failure of the review process used by the engineers responsible for the design. The design review process itself, particularly when renovations are made to an existing bridge, has become the focus of the investigation.
Speaking of presentations, I'd love to hear one of our alumni walk through the part of the calculation I know nothing about, the stress calculation and the treatment of rivets in the net force and torque calculation.
The most striking thing to me was the similarity between the way they presented their results and the way the West Point Bridge Design computer program works to highlight strong and weak points in a design, although this particular design element is not part of the simple bridge designs used in that program.
The collapse was due to a design error, not corrosion or maintenance problems that were assumed to be the problem during the discussions immediately after the disaster.
You can read the NTSB Safety Recommendation Letter and a detailed interim report by two engineers with the Federal Highway Administration on one specific part of that bridge design on the web. Links to these reports are also prominently featured on the ASCE web site.
It is unclear if the undersized plates used at two key joints were the result of a calculation error, an error in developing the plans, or even a drafting error. The documentation on file is still unclear at this point. What is clear is that you don't need a computer to do the calculation, one part of which would be a basic PHY2048 problem. What is important is that, wherever the error was made, the fact that this error ended up in the final plans indicates a significant error in the design process and a failure of the review process used by the engineers responsible for the design. The design review process itself, particularly when renovations are made to an existing bridge, has become the focus of the investigation.
Speaking of presentations, I'd love to hear one of our alumni walk through the part of the calculation I know nothing about, the stress calculation and the treatment of rivets in the net force and torque calculation.
The most striking thing to me was the similarity between the way they presented their results and the way the West Point Bridge Design computer program works to highlight strong and weak points in a design, although this particular design element is not part of the simple bridge designs used in that program.
Saturday, September 29, 2007
SUMMARY of SGA MEETING // 9-26-07
MIGUEL MARQUINA [MARQU977@tccemail.fl.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 6:57 PM
To:
DOUG JONES
I wanted to report what happened at the SGA meeting today. I would also like for someone to send mass emails to everyone in the club that way we are all informed as a club. For anyone who is interested there are two major events going on.
The first is the relay for life, early registration begins Thursday, Sept27,2007. The ACS would like everyone to register by Oct23,2007 which they are offering any club to register before then to qualify to enter a drawing to cover all registration fees. If there are any further questions, contact Ms. Smith 850-321-5952.
The second is the Aids walk this will take place Oct 14,2007 at Tom Brown Park from 2-5:00pm and there will be a walk that will be 1.5 miles but it's not mandatory.
Next, I made it to the paper! My story and proposal is in the paper! It can be found in the Talon.
I have the registration papers for both events so let me know if anyone is interested or if we want to get known as a club.
Thank you and have a blessed day.
y.
Sent: Wednesday, September 26, 2007 6:57 PM
To:
DOUG JONES
I wanted to report what happened at the SGA meeting today. I would also like for someone to send mass emails to everyone in the club that way we are all informed as a club. For anyone who is interested there are two major events going on.
The first is the relay for life, early registration begins Thursday, Sept27,2007. The ACS would like everyone to register by Oct23,2007 which they are offering any club to register before then to qualify to enter a drawing to cover all registration fees. If there are any further questions, contact Ms. Smith 850-321-5952.
The second is the Aids walk this will take place Oct 14,2007 at Tom Brown Park from 2-5:00pm and there will be a walk that will be 1.5 miles but it's not mandatory.
Next, I made it to the paper! My story and proposal is in the paper! It can be found in the Talon.
I have the registration papers for both events so let me know if anyone is interested or if we want to get known as a club.
Thank you and have a blessed day.
y.
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