bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Natural genetic variation shapes root system responses to phytohormones in Arabidopsis
Authors: Ristova Daniela , Giovannetti Marco , Metesch Kristina , Busch Wolfgang
Published: July 2018

Plants adjust their architecture by modulating organ growth. This ability is largely dependent on phytohormones. While responses to phytohormones have been studied extensively, it remains unclear to which extent and how these responses are modulated in non‐reference strains. Here, we assess variation of root traits upon treatment with auxin, cytokinin and abscisic acid (ABA) in 192 Arabidopsis accessions. We identify common response patterns, uncover the extent of their modulation by specific genotypes, and find that the Col‐0 reference accession is not a good representative of the species in this regard. We conduct genome‐wide association studies and identify 114 significant associations, most of them relating to ABA treatment. The numerous ABA candidate genes are not enriched for known ABA‐associated genes, indicating that we largely uncovered unknown players. Overall, our study provides a comprehensive view of the diversity of hormone responses in the Arabidopsis thaliana species, and shows that variation of genes that are yet mostly not associated with such a role to determine natural variation of the response to phytohormones.
Vacuum Degassing Yields Stronger Steel
Authors: Valenti Michael
Published: July 2018

This article discusses the vacuum degassing technology that improves quality of products and shortens processing cycles. This technology is becoming more popular thanks to the greater demand for better steels by customers in the automotive, construction, and rail markets. The future of vacuum-degassing systems is bright, in spite of their hefty price tag. Kvaerner Metals has built vacuum-degassing systems costing $25 million on the low end up to $55 million for its steel-making clients. Maintenance of the vacuum system is an ongoing challenge for the steel plant. To maintain high availability, routine searches and repair of air leaks is required. Special attention is needed for the refractory systems to maximize their life cycles. Despite those concerns, Kvaerner Metals’ Holmes remarked that vacuum-degassing systems are likely to become more widely used by major steel companies striving to keep their competitive edge in the niche applications now under assault by smaller competitors already equipped with the equipment.
Fluid-structure Interactions
Authors: Bathe Klaus-Ju¨rgen
Published: July 2018

This article reviews finite element methods that are widely used in the analysis of solids and structures, and they provide great benefits in product design. In fact, with today’s highly competitive design and manufacturing markets, it is nearly impossible to ignore the advances that have been made in the computer analysis of structures without losing an edge in innovation and productivity. Various commercial finite-element programs are widely used and have proven to be indispensable in designing safer, more economical products. Applications of acoustic-fluid/structure interactions are found whenever the fluid can be modeled to be inviscid and to undergo only relatively small particle motions. The interplay between finite-element modeling and analysis with the recognition and understanding of new physical phenomena will advance the understanding of physical processes. This will lead to increasingly better simulations. Based on current technology and realistic expectations of further hardware and software developments, a tremendous future for fluid–structure interaction applications lies ahead.
Palm-Size Spy Planes
Authors: Ashley Steven
Published: July 2018

This article discusses that today’s squad leader must still risk troops to scout out what lies over the next hill, beyond the next tree line, or inside the next building. The Department of Defense is trying to help ground troops at the platoon, company, or brigade level with this crucial task by giving them tiny spy planes, called micro aerial vehicles (MAVs), to search the local terrain. Planners at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) envision equipping small combat units with their own “organic” intelligence assets that can locate and monitor possible threats. DARPA planners define a MAV as semiautonomous airborne vehicles, measuring less than 6 inches in any dimension and weighing about 4 ounces that can accomplish a useful military mission at an affordable cost. The most likely parameters to sense for MAV stabilization are inertial angular rate, differential and absolute pressure, acceleration, and the Earth’s magnetic and electrostatic fields; optical sensing could be used for angular position and rate stabilization. Developing useful micro aerial vehicles is going to be a severe design engineering challenge.
A Fighter With Flexibility
Authors: Ashley Steven
Published: July 2018

This article focuses on the US Defense Department planners who have opted to develop a single, affordable strike fighter flexible enough to match or surpass the capabilities of its varied predecessors. Efforts to build one plane for more than one armed service are risky—witness the failed attempt by General Dynamics and Grumman in the 1960s to develop the swing-wing F-111fighter/bomber for both the Air Force and the Navy. The prevailing belief today is that advanced integrated systems design and extensive simulation will help engineers avoid the pit-falls associated with combining the services’ diverse goals. To succeed, the department’s Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) Program will entail a degree of cooperation and frugality not seen previously among the American armed forces. At stake for the aerospace/defense industry is perhaps the largest US military procurement program ever. Although the aircraft from the JSF competition will be developed using some •of the most advanced engineering design techniques currently available, they will also have to satisfy today’s political and fiscal constraints.
Crime-Fighting Sensors
Authors: Paula Greg
Published: July 2018

This article discusses crime fighting sensors that are being designed to identify ceramic weapons, plastic explosives, chemical weapons, and organic materials. They are also being developed to help protect citizens from terrorism and aid police in solving crimes. One organization leading the development of innovative antiterrorism sensing technologies is Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, N.M. Among Sandia’s projects is an explosives-detection portal, designed for the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The portal is intended to help prevent airliner hijackings and bombings by identifying passengers, airport visitors, and employees who have been recently working with any of a wide variety of explosive chemicals. Upcoming tests with the Albuquerque Police Department’s crime lab are designed to help work out any bugs in the technique, define what kinds of evidence it can help find, and determine whether the system will be practical as a tool for law enforcement. Its most promising features are its portability and the fact that it does not contaminate evidence.
Streamlining Fluid Dynamics
Authors: Hamill Nathalie
Published: July 2018

More-intuitive pre-processors and advanced solvers are making computational fluid dynamics (CFD) software easier to use, more accurate, and faster. CFD techniques involve the solution of the Navier-Stokes equations that describe fluid-flow processes. Using MSC/ PATRAN as a starting point, AEA Technology plc, Harwell, Oxfordshire, England, has developed a pre-processor for its software that is fully computer-aided design (CAD)-compatible and works with native CAD databases such as CADDS 5, CATIA, Euclid3, Pro /ENG INEER, and Unigraphics. The simplicity of modeling complex geometries in CFX allows more details to be included in models, such as gangways between coaches, bogies, and even some parts of the pantograph. CFX 5's coupled solver offers a radically different approach that solves all the hydrodynamic equations as a single system. CFX 5 has demonstrated its ability to deliver much faster pre-processing and shorter run times, thus increasing productivity for its users. CFX 5.2 should be a further step forward in commercial CFD, with its mixed element types combining the accuracy of prismatic meshes adjacent to surfaces with the speed and geometric flexibility of tetrahedral elements in the remainder of the grid.
Sound Waves At Work
Authors: Ashley Steven
Published: July 2018

Researchers have devised a new technique to use sound waves, opening the way for simple acoustic compressors, speedy chemical-process reactors, and clean electric-power generators. MacroSonix Corp. in Richmond, Vermont, has developed a technique by which standing sound waves resonating in specially shaped closed cavities can be loaded with thousands of times more energy than was previously possible. Company’s wave-shaping technology is known as resonant macrosonic synthesis (RMS). With some clever engineering, he said, the elevated acoustic-energy levels produced using RMS can be tapped for a wide range of industrial applications, including simplified compressors, pumps, speedy chemical-process reactors, and clean electric-power generators. MacroSonix has already licensed the RMS technology to a large appliance manufacturer to develop acoustic compressors for home refrigerators and air conditioners. MacroSonix has demonstrated the ability to produce high-pressure amplitudes inside resonator cavities. The MacroSonix technology relates to pressure waves in gases, which tend to be nonlinear in behavior. MacroSonix is working on a new licensing deal for an RMS air compressor and another with an electronic-component supplier. The company would like to enter larger research consortia with private, university, or government research labs to explore the RMS electric-power-generation concept.
Linear Motors Take Center Stage
Authors: Paula Greg
Published: July 2018

Linear motors offer significant advantages over ball screws and rack-and-pinion systems as they can produce high forces without sacrificing speed or precision. Driven by electricity, linear motors provide direct linear motion without the potential complications associated with pneumatic and hydraulic systems, and without mechanical linkages such as ball screws or rack-and-pinion systems. Linear motors are potentially effective in any application requiring linear motion, and some uses can derive a great many benefits from the technology. Linear motors cost more than their traditional counterparts; however, the price has decreased significantly in recent years because of increases in the volume sold. Also, manufacturers have begun to invest more heavily in tooling and equipment geared specifically for the manufacture of linear motors. As acceptance of linear motors has increased, so has the number of competitors; one expert estimated that the number of manufacturers has gone from four to 30 in the past four years.
Energy-Efficient Appliances
Authors: Ashley Steven
Published: July 2018

Washing machines and other household devices are being redesigned for greater efficiency. Key to creating an energy-efficient washer is to cut the use of water, because 85 to 90 percent of the energy used in washers goes to heating the water. This is typically accomplished by a front-loading unit with a tub that rotates around a horizontal axis. Studies by Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI), Palo Aldo, CA, show that horizontal-axis machines use about one-third less water and two-thirds less energy than the vertical-axis machines that have captured almost the entire U.S. market. Maytag Laundry Appliances Research and Development’s new front-loading Neptune washer features a horizontal-axis tub that is angled up 15 degrees to improve visibility and access. Rather than agitating wash loads in a full tub of water like standard top loaders, the Neptune washer substitutes a clothes-dryer-like tumbling action that dunks fabrics in a smaller volume of water.
A Drier Way To Clean Turbines
Authors: Valenti Michael
Published: July 2018

A high-pressure injection system that needs less water to clean gas turbines than conventional methods can reduce equipment maintenance costs for aircraft, offshore platforms, and power plants. Gas Turbine Efficiency (GTE) in Jarfalla, Sweden, has developed a high-pressure injection system that cleans turbines using atomized droplets and needs 90 percent less liquid than previous methods. With this technique, the operators of offshore oil platforms, power plants, refineries, and aircraft in several countries are reducing the purchase costs of new fluids, the disposal costs of spent cleaning fluids, and maintenance downtime. In creating their washing system, designers considered the differences in cleaning aviation and stationary engines. The turbine-washing system is available in mobile versions for aircraft engines and permanently installed versions, for the off-line cleaning of stationary turbines. GTE also designed two models to serve the very small and very large turbines. The GTE 30 A services the small turbines, ranging from 0.5 to 10 megawatts, that are used in industrial, power-generation, marine, and test-cell applications as well as turboprop aircraft, turbofan craft, and helicopters.
As the Antiworld Turns
Authors: Hughes Jennifer
Published: July 2018

This article focuses on the fact that a single atom of antimatter—in particular, antihydrogen—may unlock fundamental mysteries of our universe and could lead to revolutionary advances in medicine and space travel. Physicists, through experiments due to begin soon in Geneva, Switzerland, hope to produce a relatively large amount of antihydrogen on a regular basis to compare matter and antimatter. Athena and Atrap share the goal of producing antihydrogen atoms at low energies, in a magnetic trap, and comparing the energy levels and behavior of antihydrogen with hydrogen. The Athena collaboration developed out of an attempt to measure the gravitational acceleration of antiprotons toward Earth. Its experiments, which are to cover a range of considerations, will include studies of gravitational acceleration of antimatter. A tiny asymmetry in the way particles of matter and antimatter decay could help substantiate the belief that, at a somewhat later time after the Big Bang, collisions between the matter and antimatter destroyed all the antimatter but left an excess of matter, from which our universe evolved.
Rapid Harvest
Authors: Morrison Gale
Published: July 2018

Deere & Co., the Moline, IL, agricultural equipment giant, has been using rapid prototyping (RP) for about a decade, and is now finishing a wider examination of its entire product development process. Deere is seeking to cut development time by as much as 50 percent, and is looking at how the different prototyping techniques can help that along. Using solid modeling software, as Deere did, is critical for engineering teams wishing to use RP technology. Deere has expended considerable effort recently developing a new product-delivery process (PDP). Such processes can be difficult to hammer out and then follow faithfully, especially in today’s work environment of lean staffs and greater profit pressure. Although RP materials have improved significantly since the first stereolithography machine came into use a little over 10 years ago, none of the current materials to date have the durability required for use on John Deere products sold to customers.
Restoring a Piece of History
Authors: Valenti Micheal
Published: July 2018

This article discusses that the French have traditionally maintained the appearance of their historic buildings by using the same materials and techniques used by the artisans who originally constructed them. While this strategy guaranteed the architectural integrity of the structures, it also limited the use of the buildings after their restoration, because historic materials are often unable to withstand the stresses of 20th century use and cannot meet modern building codes. Monuments Historiques reasoned that using modern materials would speed up restoration, adapt a building to modern uses, and still preserve its historic appearance. They demonstrated the feasibility of this marriage of 20th-century materials and 17th-century building styles with the restoration of the Brittany Parliament in Rennes after it had been gutted by fire. Investigators assessing the damage said that 50 percent of the soft stone would have to be replaced, as well as 70 percent of the stone in the building’s southeast pavilion.
Trash, Heat, and Ash
Authors: Valenti Michael
Published: July 2018

This article highlights about process of incineration that offers French municipalities a number of advantages. First, it reduces the volume of solid waste to a fraction of its bulk. A metric ton of household waste leaves about 250 kg of bottom ashes and 30 to 50 kg of fly ash. This is an important consideration in France, which has much less landfill space than New World giants such as the United States or Canada. Combustion also sanitizes by destroying any microbes present, and the heat produced by the waste furnace can generate steam or hot water to heat residences, supply factories, or generate electricity in a turbine. Two popular French waste incinerator designs are rolling hearth and inclined grate furnaces. The former type contains a sloping series of rollers turned continuously by motor. As fuel slides down the rollers from top to bottom, solid residues drop out. Electricite de France is researching several ways of reducing the costs of vitrification. In laboratories near Fontainebleau, fly ash is fed into an electric arc furnace equipped with a graphite electrode.
Psuing the Limits
Authors: Chalmers Peggy
Published: July 2018

This article focuses on DuPont’s goal to produce a low-cost, reliable, easy-to-maintain high-temperature superconductivity (HTS) magnetic separator that will meet the commercial needs of remote ore processing operations. DuPont’s superconductivity business is finishing the detailed design of a pilot separator for processing kaolin clay and titanium dioxide ore. The separator will incorporate the largest high-temperature superconductivity magnet, in terms of combined size, magnetic field, and stored energy, that has ever been built. The 0.8-m-dianleter magnet will deliver a 2.5 tesla magnetic field and store 800 kilojoules of energy. DuPont is addressing the strength issues with a mechanical support structure that reinforces and supports the windings and does double duty as part of the conduction cooling process.
Striking the Proper Balance
Authors: Valenti Michael
Published: July 2018

This article reviews about rotating machine shaft that whether it serves an air compressor or machine tool, it should be balanced to ensure smooth performance. Over many hours of service, rotors can become increasingly unbalanced due to material deposition, erosion, or shifting of components. This imbalance causes vibration that wears down the machinery and impairs its function. A leading manufacturer of active balancing systems is BalaDyne Corp. of Ann Arbor, Mich. The company’s EM-2000 system corrects imbalances in turbomachinery used in chemical processing, oil exploration, and power generation, while the BalaDyne IV system balances industrial fans and grinders. PCS Nitrogen, a chemical processor, has reduced the overhauls of turbomachinery at its Lima, Ohio, ammonia processing plant by installing the EM-2000 active balancing system on its main process air compressor train. This installation reduced the repair costs and production downtime.
Return Flight
Authors: Chalmers Peggy
Published: July 2018

This article focuses on the fact that using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and design of experiments (DOE) software, researchers are in pursuit of aircraft fluidics thrust control without moving component parts. Fluidics’ performance is dictated by complex interactions among approximately two dozen geometric and fluid properties. These complex interactions probably proved overwhelming to early researchers seeking a stable, reliable rocket flight control system. A major advantage of DOE is that it allows all the parameters to vary simultaneously. A single permutation, on the other hand, varies one parameter at a time and cannot deal with interactions among the fixed parameters. There is still more development work to be done, but indications are that CFD and DOE are leading Lockheed Martin to a promising design. Physical testing reinforces the belief that a fluidic nozzle can achieve the performance levels required. The technology that never got off the ground in the early rocket era may find itself flying high in the next generation of high-performance tactical aircraft.
Twisting and Turning
Authors: Pribonic Edward M.
Published: July 2018

This article explains rapid advances in science and computer technologies, especially simulation software that supports engineering analysis. The author's firm created an engineering simulation using physics-based Mechanical Event Simulation software from Algor Inc. of Pittsburgh to verify the integrity of a cinematic motion simulator ride. With the help of Algor’s technical support, the engineers determined that replicating the actuating movement of the hydraulic cylinders using Algor’s new actuator element technology and Mechanical Event Simulation (MES) software was the best method of evaluating real dynamic loads over time. The MES results showed that the stresses experienced by the bearings under loading from the six cylinders were well within the acceptable range. The actuating motion produced by the MES appeared to be very realistic when the analysis replays were viewed in real time.
Advances in the Skin Trade
Authors: Morrison Gale
Published: July 2018

This article discusses biomedical engineers who are producing materials on which human skin cells can thrive to be used as grafts to treat wounds. Advanced Tissue Sciences of La Jolla, Calif., and Molecular Geodesics of Cambridge, MA, are employing not just awe-inspiring molecular and cell biology and biochemical knowledge, but the most advanced skills in computer-aided design, exacting refrigeration systems, micron-level stereolithography, and an understanding of FDA regulations. Advanced Tissue Sciences’ (ATS) ability to create the tissue involves many disciplines-not just cell biology, but also biochemistry and biomedical engineering. ATS takes stromal cells, like fibroblasts from neonatal tissue (which reproduces the fastest and is the most likely to be healthy), and expands and seeds them onto biocompatible scaffolds. Molecular Geodesics Inc. (MGI) uses laser-based rapid-prototyping technologies to render its biomimetic material designs in solid form. The geodesic scaffolds may incorporate polymeric hydrogels with solid-phase catalytic or chemosensing capabilities, optical fibers for delivery of sterilizing radiation, or any other desired chemical or structural features required by the user.
Touching the Right Nerve
Authors: Morrison Gale
Published: July 2018

De Ruyter from the University of Groningen in the Netherlands has been studying nervous system of blowflies. These insects have extremely sophisticated visual and tactile perception that is much more sophisticated than our own. De Ruyter placed a tiny tungsten probe into the fly’s head, near one of its motion-sensitive neurons to understand motion control system. With the necessary second probe that acts as a ground (and allows for a current), a nearby oscilloscope feeds the air with an audible indication of voltage. When de Ruyter runs his hand across the fly’s field of vision, the oscilloscope’s output becomes loud and continuous, like old radio static. Davidowitz illustrated how sophisticated these sensory systems are and, therefore, why they would be studied in order to model sense and control systems. Roaches run—when they can—along a wall, with one antenna touching that wall for positioning information. This system checks, feeds information, and makes the control corrections for positioning 25 times a second.
It's All in the Packaging
Authors: Flockton Dean
Published: July 2018

This article discusses it has become a basic assumption that prices do not rise but instead they should fall in the economics of electronic products. It was precisely to meet customers’ expectations of lower prices that a Canadian manufacturer went to an essentially mechanical redesign of a telecommunications device. Nortel’s work on the redesign followed the principles of a system called DFMA, or design for manufacture and assembly, a design analysis tool developed by Boothroyd Dewhurst Inc., Wakefield, RI. It enables product designers to pinpoint parts and assemblies that add unnecessary costs to a product, and then design to avoid them. DFMA is designed to give engineers a structured way to evaluate ease of assembly and the overall manufacturability of a product. Design for assembly requires the user to assess whether each part is necessary, and to consider the time and cost of assembling the product. Design for manufacture integrates information about manufacturing processes, allowing users to estimate manufacturing costs and make informed decisions about materials.
In for the Long Haul
Authors: Kittredge Phil , Urbas Thomas , Shintaku Wayne
Published: July 2018

This article focuses on the fact that engineers at Meritor Automotive decided to learn how truck components really held up on the highways. So they outfitted an 18-wheeler with the company’s products for a 24,000-mile trial, in real time and in the real world. According to Meritor, the comprehensive data generated by the test has spurred improvements in brake components, clutches, drivelines, axles, and transmissions. The company claims that the data opens opportunities for improvements in virtually every type of heavy-duty truck component that Meritor builds. The engineers in Meritor’s experimental mechanics unit enlisted support from all the groups in the heavy vehicle division. The use of a channel to record clutch pedal displacement helped engineers improve their model for determining the number of clutch applications in a line-haul duty cycle. Meritor expects that this information will lead to improved durability of several clutch components.
Superconductors Power Up
Authors: Morrison Gale
Published: July 2018

This article reviews the copper cables in Detroit Edison’s Frisbie Station to be retrofit in mid-2000 with high-temperature superconductor (HTS) cables to support a major urban redevelopment project in downtown Detroit. American Superconductor’s partner, Pirelli, is participating in this project. The three HTS cables, weighing 250 pounds, will carry 100 megawatts of power, a job that nine copper cables, with a total weight of 18,000 pounds, are doing. In Germany, Siemens AG has invested hundreds of millions of dollars into researching HTS, because the capability can bring improvements across the German conglomerate’s businesses, from power to transportation to electronic devices. The principal commercial US players are American Superconductor, 3M, and Intermagnetics General. Each has organized efforts to develop commercial processes for manufacturing HTS tape based on coated conductors.
Double Wrapped
Authors: Valenti Michael
Published: July 2018

This article discusses that a probabilistic study showed that the use of double-hulled shuttle tankers could reduce the probability of spillage resulting from collisions, contact with non-ship objects, and groundings by 75 percent. American petroleum companies are already using double-hulled tankers. The efficacy of double-hulled vessels in preventing environmental threats was borne out in October 1997 by Conoco Inc.’s tanker Guardian. Conoco, based in Houston, has operated a 100 percent double-hulled U.S. tanker fleet since August 1998. Indeed, the company decided to build only double-hulled tankers months before Congress passed OPA 1990. Two new craft will join Conoco’s flotilla of four twin-hulled vessels in 1999. Conoco engineers met a number of challenges when they embarked on building a double-hulled fleet. Double-hulled vessels are inherently more expensive than single-hulled vessels. Maritrans Operating Partners LP, a wholly owned subsidiary of Maritrans Inc. in Philadelphia, operator and owner of one of the nation’s largest fleets of oil tankers, tugboats, and oceangoing petroleum tank barges, found a way to reduce those costs, which may serve as a model for other shipping firms. The 65-year-old company converted a two-decade-old single-hulled tank barge into a double-hulled vessel.
Foams on the Cutting Edge
Authors: Erikson Ray
Published: July 2018

This article focuses on how manufacturers have pushed the limits of plastic, glass, and other materials by turning them into sturdy foams. Materials created by mixing a solid with minute spheres of glass ceramic, or polymer are finding an increasing range of uses in industrial and high-tech applications. Microspheres, both solid and hollow, have wide commercial uses. Polymer microspheres appear in the medical, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries, for applications ranging from blood circulation tracers in research, to time-release capsules in medicines, to facial oil absorbers in makeup. At Northeastern University in Boston, Teiichi Ando is producing metallic microspheres to investigate various metallurgical phenomena. When the spheres are subjected to extremely high cooling rates, they can form as metallic glasses, supercooled metals that have not crystallized. The resulting spheres are free of grain boundaries and other flaws. Syntactic foam ingots of various alloys have been produced using moderate pressure infiltration of silica-alumina spheres.
The Cost of Troubled Waters
Authors: Williams Ken , Diaz-Tous Isidro , Ulvog Peter
Published: July 2018

This article highlights that engineers at TU Electric’s largest plant tested the flow rate of the water circulating system, which helped them to reduce its pumping power consumption by 9 percent. The plant hired a company to run a calibrated turbine meter through the pipes. The total generating capacity at TU Electric’s plants tops 20 million kilowatts. TU Electric’s Martin Lake plant, in Rusk County, Texas, has three units, each with a capacity of 750 megawatts, which makes it the largest-capacity plant in the utility’s system. The first field measurements at the Martin Lake plant were conducted for TU Electric by Encor–America Technologies 1nc. Encor subcontracted with Flow Simulation Services (FSS) to perform a CFD simulation. CFD involves the solution of the governing equations for fluid flow at thousands of discrete points on a computational grid.
Nowhere to Hide
Authors: Valenti Michael
Published: July 2018

This article discusses about a global monitoring system that detects nuclear detonations either in remote areas or underground. Scientists at the US Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory have developed the Automated Radioxenon Sampler/Analyzer (ARSA), and the Radionuclide Aerosol Sampler/Analyzer (RASA), to provide more detailed and accurate data on surreptitious nuclear detonations faster than other systems. According to the test ban treaty, in the event of a valid question regarding whether a nuclear detonation has taken place, any member state may request onsite inspections of any other state party, or in any area beyond government jurisdiction , such as the open ocean. ARSA analyzes air samples for radioactive xenon, or xenon isotopes, primarily xenon 133 and xenon 135, which are major indicators of fission that seep into the atmosphere from underground nuclear explosions. Detonating atomic weapons beneath the earth is the primary method of avoiding detection. RASA is designed to detect fission products from atmospheric nuclear explosions that attach themselves to dust particles.
Staying Cool
Authors: Silverstein Calvin C.
Published: July 2018

This article reviews heat pipes that address thermal management problems inside high-performance aircraft engines. Higher performance engines demand that compressors develop higher pressure ratios which, in turn, result in higher temperatures at the entrance to the combustor. CCS Associates of Bethel Park, PA, proposes tackling the problem by using pipes to distribute heat more effectively throughout the combustor. The heat pipe liner must handle both acceleration and vibration. The heat pipe arrays, including half-thickness webs, can be fabricated into gas-side and air-side halves by extrusion, forging, stamping, chemical milling, or some combination of methods. The liquid flow channel would be formed as an integral part of the gas-side valves.
From Trash to Cash
Authors: DeGaspari John
Published: July 2018

A new continuous recycling system has been developed at Argonne National Laboratory of Argonne, IL, which can separate auto shredder residue into distinct material streams that can eventually be reprocessed into useful products. The lab signed its first license agreement with N.V. Salyp, a recycler in Eiper, Belgium. The company plans to incorporate the system into a demonstration facility for recycling vehicles and will sublicense the Argonne technology to automobile shredders worldwide. Argonne's technology separates previously ‘unrecoverable’ residue—a mass of plastic, rubber, glass, fibers, and dirt—into useful product streams of polyurethane foam, thermoplastics, and inorganic fines. In the wash section of Argonne's foam cleaning operation, a conveyor moves the foam forward, then compresses and releases it to remove entrained oils and dirt. The company plans to incorporate Argonne's separation and foam cleaning technology into the demonstration plant, but is opting for a mechanical separation technology to separate mixed thermoplastics. Salyp plans to license a technology for mechanical separation of mixed plastics. The demonstration plant will also include a bumper shredding facility.
Fluid Rising
Authors: Valenti Michael
Published: July 2018

This article describes that ergonomic design, improved operation, and increased lifting capability are key elements in the latest models of hydraulic forklifts. More supportive seats and touch-sensitive hydraulic controls are among the ergonomic innovations that Mitsubishi engineered into its latest generation of forklifts. Mitsubishi forklift engines are equipped with hardened steel valve inserts and automatic valves to extend their reliability throughout the length of their performance life. The Mitsubishi designers worked on improving the operator's ability to see through the forklift truck's mast, the structure that carries the forks, by repositioning the hydraulic cylinders and the multiplying chain. Outdoor forklift trucks, also known as rough terrain lift trucks, have been undergoing a change as well. These vehicles offload pallets of bricks, concrete blocks, insulation, and lumber delivered to construction sites. An operator mounts the Manitransit forklift on the rear of a trailer by inserting its forks into the truck's sleeves so that it can be transported to and from unloading sites. The forklifts give drivers full visibility because the telescopic boom needs no mast that might obstruct the view over the forks and load. The boom is mounted low on the truck to ensure a clear field of vision.
To License or Not to License: That's the Question
Authors: Smith Emily M.
Published: July 2018

This article discusses the importance of Professional Engineering (PE) license in the United States. The debate in United States was sparked by a proposal last year to create a single US license for each of the engineering disciplines. The proposal was made to enhance the ability of engineers to transport their expertise across state lines as well as across national borders to better compete in the global marketplace. The high number of industry exemptions also contributes to the decline of licensed engineers. Although those exemptions are considerable for most engineering disciplines, in Texas and New York, for example, the number of exemptions is highest among electrical and mechanical engineers. Between 1993 and 1998, the number of engineers taking the Fundamentals of Engineering exam, a precursor usually required to apply for a PE license, shrank significantly. While most companies include money to support the professional growth of their employees in their annual budgets, licensing appears to be held in a separate, unrelated category.
Power Moves
Authors: DeGaspari John
Published: July 2018

This article discusses developments in electric motors and drives that are boosting efficiency, simplifying setup, and cutting costs. New drives offer compact designs and simplified installation, and start-up. An inexpensive controller for single-phase ac induction motors has been developed by Anacon Systems Inc. of Springfield, Montana. The controller is targeted to a huge installed base of fan, pump, and compressor motors. The company also has introduced a Smartcom series of motor controllers specifically designed for residential and light commercial Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) applications. New products currently under development by Anacon Systems will extend the range of offerings to cover power ranges up to 2 hp. The company also plans to offer controllers for three-phase motors. A new energy-efficient integrated ac drive/motor, combining plug-and-play installation and compact design, has been introduced by ABB Drives & Power Products of New Berlin, Wisconsin. The new drive has power cables at the bottom rather than on the side. The drive's compact size allows it to fit into many retrofit spaces and frees up panel space that would be occupied by a larger drive, according to ABB.
Penetrating New Ground
Authors: Thornton Jack
Published: July 2018

Sensors & Software Inc. (S&S) is adapting its original line of ground penetrating radars (GPR), which is meant for deep soundings and reconnaissance in rough terrain as well as shallow-depth, high-resolution imaging systems for utilities, roads, and bridges. S&S wanted a molded plastic housing, preferably a high-density polyethylene for high durability. Plastics permit molding complex parts in quantities small or large, as needed. Plastics also allow for curved, ergonomic, and visually appealing shapes nearly impossible to match in machined metal. The big learning experience for S&S was in replacing the machined steel housings for the electronic components, sort of a housing within a housing. Ove Industrial Design simplified the packaging of a ground penetrating radar system, to create a lower-priced version of the product for its manufacturer. Ove used mechanical computer-aided design/computer-aided manufacturing packages called PowerSHAPE and DUCTS from Delcam International Inc. of Windsor, Ontario, which presented S&S with a new experience.
A New Turbine for Natural Gas Pipelines
Authors: Wilson Jay M. , Baumgartner Henry
Published: July 2018

The new Cooper-Bessemer power turbine is a high-efficiency, center frame-mounted, three-stage unit that can be driven by either the existing RB211-24 gas generator or the new improved version. The upgraded gas generator combined with the new power turbine offers an increase in nominal output from 28.4 MW (38,000 hp) to 31.8 MW (42,600 hp). The new coupled turbine, now being tested, is called the Coberra 6761. Besides improving core engine performance, the program's objectives included improved fuel efficiency and reliability, and easier site serviceability; extension of the modular concept from the gas generator into the power turbine with improvements in sealing, materials, and temperature capability as well as interchangeability of both upgraded turbines with existing hardware. The Rolls-Royce industrial RB211 turbine, derived from an aircraft engine, is the basis for the gas generator end of Cooper Energy Services' Coberra coupled turbines. The power turbine design capacity has a significant effect on the power at a given speed. The flow capacity was optimized to achieve the best thermal efficiency and lower IP speeds to optimize IP compressor efficiency and permit future throttle push.
Ready for the Future?
Authors: Goldin Daniel S. , Venneri Samuel L. , Noor Ahmed K.
Published: July 2018

The potential benefits for product development and scientific research have led many organizations to initiate programs to design collaborative distributed virtual environments. The goal of NASA's programs, Intelligent Synthesis Environment (ISE) and Intelligent Systems (IS), is to revolutionize scientific research and engineering processes by creating a distributed collaborative environment that will enable the linking of design teams and scientists from NASA, industry, and universities in the creation and operation of aerospace systelT1S and in synthesizing their missions. The programs' broad framework also will be used for scientific research and product development in complex non-aerospace applications. The advent of intelligent agents, which enabled the learner to manipulate cognitive artifacts from several perspectives or viewpoints, led to the interactive learning systems of the 1990s. The contributions of ISE and IS can be incorporated into three categories of advanced learning environments: expert-led group learning; self-paced individual learning; and collaborative learning; which, in combination, can reduce the time and cost of learning, and sustain and increase worker competencies in engineering organizations.
A Port in the Storm
Authors: Pierson Steve , Richardson Steve
Published: July 2018

Computer simulation of the inlet port is helping to provide improved fuel economy and emissions in up-coming Jaguar models. Jaguar engineers have long wanted to improve the inlet port design process by simulating flow in alternative inlet port designs. The engineers, however, experienced problems in modeling the complex internal contours of the inlet port and chamber. The dramatic improvement in modeling speed combined with the high accuracy of sin1.ulation has made it practical to integrate computational fluid dynamics into the inlet port and chamber design process. Jaguar engineers are now able to evaluate concept designs within one week compared to the month or more that was required in the past. Engineers have been able to make significant improvements in the performance of their most recent inlet port designs, increasing flow efficiency by an average of 10 percent, while maintaining turbulence at acceptable levels. These improvements will provide significant reductions in fuel consumption and emissions in future Jaguar engines.
Sealed and Delivered
Authors: Clark Ray , Azibert Henri , Oshinowo Lanre
Published: July 2018

Engineers at A.W Chesterton Co., Stoneham, MA, applied computational fluid dynamics (CFD) to a new model of their heavy-duty cartridge dual seal Chesterton's dual seal consists of two pairs of seal rings. Mechanical seals are widely used to prevent leakage from fluid-handling equipment such as centrifugal pumps and mixers. Outer pair rotates with the shaft; inner pairs are fixed and contain a channel for the barrier fluid. The seal confines process fluids to the areas on the left. Taper is visible along the lower edge of the inner seal rings and on the corresponding surface of the shaft covering. CFD images described in the article depict the axial circulation of the seal's barrier fluid for a typical untapered seal design and the improved circulation resulting from the tapered surface design. The change in flow patterns results in an improvement in heat removal, from 0.7 to 1.1 kW. In order to validate the accuracy of the CFD results, physical experiments were conducted in Chesterton's seal test laboratory, using a variety of flow rates, rotation speeds, and fluids. The seals that do incorporate the innovative design have performed well in the field, operating at cooler temperatures that should result in seal life at least 30 percent longer,
CAD meets CAE
Authors: Thilmany Jean
Published: July 2018

This article focuses on engineering developments to integrate computer-aided engineering (CAE) and computer-aided design (CAD) capabilities in a software. CAD/CAE software suites are making their way to the forefront of current design practices, because they contain capabilities that allow designers to build an initial prototype that has already been analyzed by the CAE system for design flaws. Engineers at Cannondale have used an integrated CAD/CAE package to cut one year from the design time of their full-suspension Raven frame, which is both lightweight and stiff and has a suspension fork and a rear swing arm. The CAD software is used to design the bicycle frame while the CAE software immediately analyzes design flaws, which are then corrected, eliminating the need for continual prototyping. Companies are finding that the easy-to-learn nature of these CAD/CAE programs allows them to put analysis capability in the hands of design engineers for the first time.
The Molding Influence
Authors: Harry Hutchinson
Published: July 2018

This article presents study that shows beta testing shapes software to the users’ hands so the product will fit the marketplace. MoldWizard is intended to reduce the time necessary to design complex mold tooling, such as this mold used to manufacture the plastic housings for high-quality nail guns. Depending on the complexity of a mold and its eventual use, the design process can require as many as 50 different steps, including tasks such as importing and cleaning up the CAD model of the part, adjusting its size for shrinkage, separating the core and cavity, generating mold bases, and adding sliders, inserts, and other standard components. Minco Tool & Mold uses Unigraphics to design molds like the one shown in the article for an automobile hubcap. Minco participated in the MoldWizard beta test program. A news group at the website let the test users communicate directly with each other. When beta testers had questions about how to use the program, they posted them in the news group and other testers would respond.
Smooth Body
Authors: Sharke Paul
Published: July 2018

This article describes features of a car which is General Motors' (GM) technology demonstration entry in the Partnership for a New Generation of Vehicles, the PNGV program. Compared to the EV1, the ultra-efficient two-passenger electric vehicle GM has been selling in California since 1996, the new concept car has 34 fewer counts (0.034) of aerodynamic drag. The engineers needed to establish the vehicle's architecture early, knowing that any mistakes there would be irreversible. They had to evaluate armrest positions and side-window clearance. By wearing its cooling-air intakes on the rear fenders-a benefit that comes with mounting the engine in back—the new shape borrows from sibling EV1's success with low ram air inlet. While the shape investigation was under way, an EV1 test mule aided the concurrent development of features. A full- size model of the technology demonstration shape was ready for wind-tunnel testing by June 1998.
PDM and the Internet
Authors: Mendel Alan
Published: July 2018

Internet technology is reshaping the product data management (PDM) software business. Product data management on the Internet is a natural extension of this distributed arrangement. The Web browser essentially becomes a new kind of client, one that's uniform across all applications. Currently, most PDM servers are simply not configured to handle so many concurrent users, and the processing burden assumed by the client in the client/ server system shifts to the server in a browser-based system. One of the main reasons for the increase in Internet activity for PDM is the success of the World Wide Web throughout society and business. The primary security mechanism currently used on PDM systems is the use of passwords that identify users, telling the system what each person can see or change. While client/ server systems maintain state, Internet communication between a browser and a host typically is stateless; that is, once the server satisfies the request for data from the browser, it completely forgets about the existence of the browsers and maintains no pointers linking the user to the on-line database.