bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
The Psychology of Insight
Authors: Metz Susan Staffin
Published: July 2018

This article discusses various features of ENGAGE, a program funded by the National Science Foundation in 2009. Modeled afterc cooperative extension services at land grant institutions, ENGAGE identifies evidence-based retention strategies and develops ways to use them in the classroom. It recognizes that professors are pressed for time, so it develops turnkey tools and resources that implement retention strategies without spending time on course development. ENGAGE focuses on three evidence-based, easily implemented strategies to improve retention: (1) Integrate everyday examples in engineering into courses; (2) identify and remediate students with weak spatial visualization skills; and (3) improve how faculty and students interact inside and outside of the classroom. ENGAGE is currently working with more than 50 engineering schools and plans to expand to more than 65 schools this year. ENGAGE strategies support their efforts and facilitate student success.
Bright Bounty
Authors: Gibson Tom
Published: July 2018

This article is a case study on BrightFarms, which is a company in Midtown Manhattan that brings fresh, locally grown produce to underserved urban areas by engineering green gardening on a commercial scale. Based in Midtown Manhattan, BrightFarms builds and operates hydroponics greenhouse farms across the United States, mostly at supermarkets. The company tries to use renewable energy sources and waste energy from a host building. BrightFarms now focuses on commercial clients that can handle the high volumes of produce that come out of the greenhouses. The BrightFarms team has expertise spanning horticultural sciences, engineering, ecology, energy analysis, environmental education, and produce marketing. While much of BrightFarms’ work has focused on New York City till date, it is trying to build facilities not only wherever it makes economic sense, but also where it makes sense in the food system.
The Big Bang – Bird Strike Certification Testing
Authors: Mazzawy Robert S.
Published: July 2018

This article focuses on the multiple medium flocking bird test and also presents a memoir of Robert S. Mazzawy, Principal Engineer, Trebor Systems, LLC. Multiple requirements for demonstration testing of bird ingestion tolerance at takeoff power for new commercial transport engines have also been discussed in the article. For the engine test set up, the engine is configured only with production level instrumentation necessary for the engine control – rotor speeds, fuel flow, burner pressure, exhaust gas temperature, etc. The dynamics of the fan/booster decelerating more slowly than the core compressor created a situation in which the flow capacity of the core compressor drops below the level necessary for stable operation of the booster compressor. In recognition of these dynamics, engines are designed with a surge recovery bleed between the booster and core compressor to compensate for this flow mismatch. The key to resolving this dilemma is to have the engine control recognize that additional surges after normal closure of the surge recovery bleed are indicative of damage to the fan and loss of flow pumping.
Unknown Qualities
Authors: Thilmany Jean
Published: July 2018

This article reviews various tools that are evolving to help engineers work with complex composite materials. Specialized composite analysts are needed to help find the best material for a particular use and to determine if it can be manufactured with the chosen material and in a particular shape. The Falcon Heavy spaceflight system is planned to launch on a SpaceX-designed rocket engine. As composite materials are lighter than metal, SpaceX engineers realized that composites could improve the strength-to-weight ratio of its materials. In order to help engineers choose the best composite for the design, the software system contains a large library of material models that designers can use to explore a composite material and determine how it might behave under a variety of circumstances. Predicting how the cracks will affect the part long-term still cannot be done within software packages and must be prototyped.
Flying Boat
Authors: Winters Jeffrey
Published: July 2018

This article is a study of engineering concepts behind design and functioning of SailRocket, an innovative sailboat, and other ongoing experiments on different sailboats. Researchers believe that to push sail technology to the extremes of performance requires disregarding the child’s eye view of a sailboat. Conceptually, the SailRocket owes more to aircraft and wind turbines than it does to traditional yachts. The engineering concepts behind the sailboat design are: the hydrofoils lifting up as the wind tries to push the mast over; the sails on one side of the center of mass and the sailor on the other; the force of the water on the keel resisting the windward drift of the boat. According to the calculations, the only leftover force would push the boat forward—and at high speeds. After a series of incremental improvements followed by incrementally larger crashes, Vestas, the Danish wind turbine manufacturer, stepped in with enough sponsorship money to allow for a more thorough analysis. Even without the SailRocket’s success, the shape of wind-powered vehicles is moving away from the classic billowing sails.
Fracturing Rocks to Unlock New Oil
Authors: Crawford Mark
Published: July 2018

This article discusses various uses and benefits of hydraulic fracturing technology in the field of oil industry. Engineers continue to increase hydraulic fracturing efficiency by developing better multistage stimulation systems. These systems enable treatment of many intervals along a horizontal wellbore with a minimum number of pull-outs, or even in a single continuous operation. Many key advances in drilling and hydrofracturing have resulted from sophisticated modeling programs. Mechanical engineers play key roles in many aspects of hydrofracturing, especially the design of better down-hole tools, new materials, and improved numerical models. With the advances in modeling and real-time measurement, operators can deliver just the right type of fracking pressure, exactly where they want it, and repeat the process as needed, either in the same well, one that parallels it, or one that radiates out from the same central drill pad. The experts feel that if the world wishes to fully use its oil-and-gas resources, it will go hand-in-hand with hydraulic fracturing.
Powering Out of Trouble
Authors: Langston Lee S.
Published: July 2018

This article presents a study of Pratt & Whitney’s J58, till date the best and high-powered engine for manufacturing lessons required for the development of F35 Joint Strike Fighter. The J58 Blackbird engine is a variable cycle engine, a turbojet/ramjet combined-cycle engine. It is a conventional afterburning turbojet for take-off and transonic flight, and it approximates a ramjet during high-speed supersonic cruise. The power plant for the Blackbirds is a marvelous development on the part of Pratt & Whitney, as it is the only engine of its kind in the world. The noise and vibration from a J58 test was so great that it could rattle the side-view mirror off nearby cars. The engine was developed at an isolated research center in Florida. At take-off and low-speed flight, the J58 engine/afterburner provides most of the thrust. Both of the Blackbird’s twin nacelles contain an engine supersonic inlet, the J58 engine with its afterburner, and an exhaust ejector nozzle. All three components contribute to the Blackbird’s propulsive thrust in varying proportions, depending on flight speed.
Canned Heat
Authors: Yogi Goswami D. , Neti Sudhakar , Muley Arun , Roe George
Published: July 2018

This article highlights different research efforts to utilize thermal energy and thermal energy storage technologies. At several technical and panel sessions at the November ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition in Houston, there has been much discussion of cutting-edge work in thermal energy storage, including thermal energy storage materials, applications, and systems. Research into thermal energy storage is not limited to the confines of government and academia. Private companies are investigating whether they can incorporate thermal storage into some of their systems. Another potential advantage for solar thermal power is efficiency. Storing thermal energy as sensible heat is the most straightforward of the three methods, and the one that is the most widely deployed. A wide range of materials from simple concrete to synthetic oils has been tried for storing thermal energy. An energy storage system based on latent heat released as a material changes phase can be cost-effective. Thermal energy storage can become a game-changing technology wherever energy demand does not align exactly with energy supply. However, significant development challenges remain before these potential benefits can be realized.
Hydraulic Free Piston Engine Enabled by Active Motion Control
Authors: Li Ke , Sun Zongxuan
Published: July 2018

This article explores various functional aspects of hydraulic free piston engine (FPE) enabled by action motion control. Given the potential for high efficiency and flexibility, the FPE is well suited for mobile applications such as on-road vehicles and off-road heavy machinery. The advantage of the active motion controller lies in its ability to precisely track and shape the piston trajectory. FPE has a great potential for energy saving and emission control, but its reliable operation is limited by the complex dynamic coupling among the engine subsystems and the lack of the crankshaft. This inherent technical barrier for FPE could be overcome by active control with today’s sensing, actuation and computing technologies. A prototype hydraulic FPE is used to demonstrate the capabilities of active piston motion control. Experimental results demonstrate the feasibility and promise of the technology. Engine power control will be combined with piston motion control in the future to achieve a wider range of engine operation and higher engine efficiency.
MRI–Compatible Fluid-Powered Medical Devices
Authors: Ueda Jun , Comber David B. , Slightam Jonathon , Turkseven Melih , Gervasi Vito , Webster Robert J. , Barth Eric J.
Published: July 2018

This article introduces recent developments and challenges related to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-compatible medical devices. Recent advances in fluid-powered medical devices are described, including a needle steering robot for neurosurgery and a haptic device for hemiplegia rehabilitation. Recent three-dimensional printing technologies for fabricating integrated fluid-powered robots are also reported. The use of additive manufacturing conjoined with modern digital imaging techniques allow for the customization of components, a trait that is generally needed in medical implants and devices. Furthermore, the materials that are available in additive processes allow for direct end-use production of customized components and devices. In addition, the polymer-based materials have an inherently low permeability, allowing for use in an MRI environment while not causing imaging interference. Presently, selective laser sintering (SLS), stereolithography, and extrusion processes illustrate and suggest that they offer the greatest promise in MRI compatible end-use components. Future work is aimed at using Additive Manufacturing (AM) to develop inherently safe, compact, MRI compatible medical devices.
Smart, Connected and Electric
Authors: Phillips Anthony M. , McGee Ryan A. , Kristinsson Johannes G. , Yu Hai
Published: July 2018

This article introduces opportunities that are seen at the intersection of electrification, connectivity, and smart controls in the automobile industry. Computational Intelligence provides the vehicle the ability to reason, adapt, and learn based on historical usage data, the present operating conditions, and the predicted future states. Modern automobiles continue to grow in complexity and sophistication. Electrified powertrains now provide vastly improved fuel efficiency by utilizing high-voltage systems to overcome some of the shortcomings of traditional combustion engines. Smart controls have enabled a wealth of new vehicle features ranging from automatic climate control to vehicle dynamic control. Vehicle connectivity, having already empowered the driver through infotainment and telematics, now promises new computing resources and information that can be leveraged directly for improved vehicle performance. At the intersection of these three vehicle mega trends lies a field that is rich for development. In the future, drivers will benefit in everything from enhanced drivability to more durable vehicles.
Hybrid and Electrified Vehicles
Authors: Rizzoni Giorgio , Peng Huei
Published: July 2018

This article reviews the past successes and future challenges of model-based approaches for the analysis, design, and control of hybrid vehicles. Hybrid and electrified vehicles have demonstrated significant fuel economy improvement, especially for city driving, and are gaining market acceptance. The success of hybrid vehicles in Japan demonstrates the potential for hybrid vehicles in other urban markets with high fuel prices, such as large cities in Europe and Asia. Hybrid vehicles are generally classified according to their powertrain architecture. The electric grid and the transportation system are the two largest sectors that produce greenhouse gas emissions. When large numbers of vehicles are electrified and draw power from the electric grid, it is important to aim for reduced overall greenhouse gas emissions, rather than just shifting emissions from tailpipes to power plant stacks. The article concludes that the design, modeling, and control of hybrid vehicles is a subject rich in research opportunities for the dynamic systems and control community.
Why Manufacturing Matters
Authors: Kurfess Tom
Published: July 2018

This article explores the role of manufacturing industry as a key to innovation, economic health, and national security. As engineers and manufacturers develop new technologies, they build the capabilities to extend and innovate in new fields. Those innovations give manufacturers the performance or cost edge they need to compete in a crowded international marketplace. U.S. manufacturing innovation is lagging behind high-wage nations such as Germany and Japan. The article suggests that what the United States must do now is close the gap between innovation and commercial scale-up and production. It already leads the world in creating disruptive technologies and is rapidly moving towards energy independence. The imposing wage gap that once separated it from other nations is closing. Some American companies have begun reshoring manufacturing operations located in other nations already.
Stepping on the Water
Authors: Bejan Adrian , Lorente Sylvie
Published: July 2018

This study explores various uses of engineering as a tool for solving problems and improving the quality of life. The experiments in the article show that competitive athletes swim with their fingers spread slightly, because this configuration generates greater speed, the research being based on a principle known as constructional law. The constructional law has been applied to predict all the key features of the design of animal locomotion, which includes human running and swimming. In engineering, the discovery expands a domain of constructal-design results that has been growing fast. Bodies that generate heat volumetrically are endowed with maximum heat transfer density when the spacing between the solid surfaces internal to the volume have certain sizes that are smaller in forced convection than in natural convection. The volumetric cooling of future electronics, avionics, and self-cooling materials rests on this class of constructal designs. The swimming with spread fingers is the corresponding design of a body for maximum momentum transfer density.
Electricity in the Air: Tethered Wind Energy Systems
Authors: Vermillion Chris , Fagiano Lorenzo
Published: July 2018

This article summarizes the fundamental dynamics and control attributes and challenges faced by stationary and crosswind airborne wind energy (AWE) systems. AWE systems have undergone rapid and steady technological development over the past decade, with several organizations demonstrating basic economic and technical viability of their concepts. The theoretical and numerical analyses performed so far indicate that crosswind systems have the potential to achieve a power curve similar in shape to that of current commercial wind turbines, with rated power of 2–5 MW. The ongoing development activities are increasing the viability of the concept; yet, several technical issues remain and need to be addressed, to definitively show that this technology can be scaled up to industrial size. The expert analysis suggests that AWE technologies are at the dawn of their development, and there is significant untapped potential for the use of innovative solutions in multiple fields such as materials, power electronics, and aerodynamics, to tackle problems. These challenges present a wealth of opportunities for future, multidisciplinary research and development activities.
Holding Up the Middle
Authors: Thilmany Jean
Published: July 2018

This article highlights the introduction of new programs that keep science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education in focus for students between elementary and high school. The number of U.S. STEM middle school magnets grows every year thanks in part to a curriculum from Project Lead the Way. Magnet schools are public schools that tie curriculum to a certain theme; the schools offer choice to a diverse population by drawing interested students from surrounding districts. Middle school units focus on engineering design, sustainable energy solutions, aeronautics, astronautics, and green architecture. Schools that use the curriculum are required to implement the design and modeling and the automation and robotics units. Students in junior high already involved in STEM subjects need additional exposure to math, science, and engineering before high school. Students exposed early to a STEM curriculum often follow it through high school. The growth in middle school programs lets them do just that.
Pulling Power from the Road
Authors: Thornton Jack
Published: July 2018

This article presents an overview of charging technology called Shaped Magnetic Field in Resonance (SMFIR). It has been developed by a team of engineers and technologists at the Korea Advanced Institute for Science and Technology. An all-electric bus developed in Korea recharges its battery when it travels over electric coils buried at intervals along its route. The concept is called on-line electric vehicles, and the heart of OLEV technology is the transfer of enough electricity across gaps of up to 10 inches to power a fully loaded bus. Specifically, underground cables transfer power from the electrical grid to drive motors and on-board batteries via pickups beneath the OLEV bus bodies. The OLEV system wirelessly charges a bus, stopped or in motion, for continuous operation. SMFIR transfers rely on electromagnetic field resonance rather than inductive coupling. In SMFIR technology, the sending unit and the vehicle receiver resonate at 20,000 hertz.
Born in Europe, the Gas Turbine Launched a Global Industry 75 Years Ago
Authors: van der Linden Septimus
Published: July 2018

This article discusses the developments taken place in the gas turbine global industry in nearly 75 years. Several significant events for both the industrial and aviation gas turbine industry occurred as the dark clouds of WWII gathered. The first utility gas turbine to generate electricity was developed by Brown Boveri and installed in the town of Neuchâtel, Switzerland 75 years ago. On 7th July 1939, it was full power tested at 4 MW in Baden, Switzerland. In terms of energy conversion, the gas turbine is relatively new from a historic perspective, being only 75 years young. The potential of the gas turbine was presented in a technical paper in February 1939, by Dr. Adolf Meyer, former Director of BBC Brown Boveri, at a meeting of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers in London. The modern Combined Cycle Plant achieves better than 60% efficiency and possibilities of 65% are foreseen as cycle improvements will improve incrementally.
Jet Engine Fuel Burn Reduction Through Boundary Layer Ingestion
Authors: Langston Lee S.
Published: July 2018

This article explains various technical aspects of the boundary layer ingestion (BLI) concept. Using BLI, airliner designs featuring close-coupled, rear-mounted turbofans are being considered, with a fuselage sculpted to sweep a large part of the fuselage boundary layer into engine inlets for reduced fuel consumption. With an engine array fuselage-centered, rather than splayed out on wings, reduced rudder control is needed in the event of a single engine outage. This reduces the size of a BLI tail assembly, saving weight and reducing drag. A near-future goal of the BLI studies is to determine if modern engine front-mounted fans can be designed to operate efficiently and stably under BLI inlet conditions. The D8 design is aimed at the huge single-aisle, narrow-body market, now dominated by the Boeing 737 and Airbus 320 families. Airframe and engine designers strive to achieve 'clean' inlet flow conditions for jet engines.
CAD at the Nano Scale
Authors: Wang Yan
Published: July 2018

This article focuses on the nanotechnology-related research work at Georgina Institute of Technology. The Georgia Institute of Technology’s Multiscale Systems Engineering Research Group is working to integrate the modeling and simulation features of today’s computer-aided design (CAD) with materials design capability. These integrated features would be available at the nano, meso, micro, and macro scales, which is called multiscale CAD. In future CAD systems, engineers will be able to zoom in to specify material morphology and distributions. Offering the capability of designing materials in CAD requires the representation of many different kinds of shapes. The multiscale CAD would also allow engineers to design better functional materials, such as state-change materials. The geometric modeling of microstructures that make up material is still in its infancy. The efficiency and controllability of complex and porous shapes are the most important research topics for the interactive modeling and design of microstructures.
Nothing Small About Nano Technology
Authors: Thilmany Jean
Published: July 2018

The article presents an overview of nanotechnology innovations and applications through an interview. Due to basic mechanical scaling laws, nanoscale machines can operate at high frequencies, and nanoscale production systems will be able to process many times their own mass in a short time. Thermal fluctuations are a special concern at the nanoscale; however, they’re statistically predicable and are part of standard dynamic models. In current times, however, the modeling software used to describe and test atomically precise machines machine designs comes straight out of the molecular sciences, and it doesn’t directly support abstractions at the component level. The description is very fine-grained. Mechanical engineers today can work with the existing atomistic models and can make an enormous contribution to understanding the potential of advanced nanomachinery. In these models, they can build parts and machines, and after testing in simulation, they can calculate performance parameters and then try to come up with better designs.
What the House of Tomorrow Can Teach Us Today
Authors: Thimany Jean
Published: July 2018

This article discusses the housing engineering genius that was put in while creating the House of Tomorrow and House of Future. The House of Tomorrow at the Chicago Century of Progress Exhibition hinted at a future where airplanes would be common. The circular plan led to some odd-shape rooms, however, and the floor-to-ceiling windows led to overheating. The House of the Future was designed around a central core that housed the plumbing, heating, and ventilation systems. From the kitchen, living space radiated outward in 250-square-foot pods. The interior was furnished to reflect the ultramodern tastes of a family living in 1986. In 2010, Van Zante gave a presentation on the Monsanto House of the Future. When it was completed, Disneyland visitors could tour the house of the future set in the far-off year 1986, complete with an imaginary family and futuristic household appliances such as microwave ovens. Green and solar and wireless are the real key elements to the home of the future.
Maximum Zero
Authors: Crawford Mark
Published: July 2018

This article focuses on the research and development projects to ensure homes and office buildings implement the concept of zero net energy, i.e. self-sufficient in energy buildings. Net-zero commercial construction has doubled since 2008. Reducing energy consumption on the inside depends on ultra-efficient appliances, high-performance heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) systems, geothermal heat pumps, and lighting controls. Impressive advances are occurring in the field of solid-state lighting technology, which has the potential to reduce U.S. lighting energy usage by nearly 50%. The solar-energy technology company Vivint partnered with Garbett Homes to take on one of the biggest challenges for net-zero housing: creating designs that work in cold climates. The house that Vivint and Garbett built in Herriman, Utah, attained a Home Energy Rating System score of zero, indicating that the home is completely self-sustaining. The Habitat for Humanity house, in particular, shows how affordable zero net energy homes can be – especially for lower income homeowners.
Plasma Actuator Tip Flow Control
Authors: Langston Lee S.
Published: July 2018

This GE study represents the first open literature report of plasma actuators actually used on gas turbine blading at representative engine flow conditions. The exact mechanisms of interaction between weakly ionized gas and neutral air are still under study; however, the collisional processes between them are responsible for the momentum transfer causing the plasma actuator flow. Tip clearance effects are especially critical in gas turbine high-pressure compressors, where they are a large source of aerodynamic loss and stall inducing blockage. In the Dusseldorf discussion on the GE paper, it has been reported that the electronics associated with dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) are continuously being improved and miniaturized. Voltages needed are being reduced, and there is an unexplored area involving the great operational flexibility offered by frequency control. Given the flexible and superior response time of modern electronics, it should be possible to adjust DBD operation in response to transient flow phenomena associated with blade passing frequency.
Reconfigureable Logic Control for Manufacturing Systems
Authors: Tilbury Dawn M.
Published: July 2018

This article explores optimistic use of reconfigurable logic control for manufacturing systems. The rapid advancement of computing and networking technologies is enabling more data to be gathered, stored, and analyzed. It is possible for all of the machines in a manufacturing plant to be connected to the Internet of Things (IoT), with their production data stored either in a local database or in a cloud system. This opens up new avenues for online decision-making based on real-time data coming from the system. However, it also introduces significant cybersecurity challenges that will need to be addressed for successful deployment. Traditionally, security in a manufacturing plant was handled through physical separation and access gates with badge identification. Connecting the manufacturing plant to the Internet results in multiple opportunities for improving performance through better data analytics, as well as myriad challenges for safety, security, and privacy.
Making the Smallest Medical Devices
Authors: Alapan Yunus , Sayin Ismail , Gurkan Umut Atakan
Published: July 2018

This article presents an overview of various alternative methods of nanoscale fabrication to bring revolution in the medical device development. Carbon nanotubes are considered to have great potential in biology and medicine, thanks to their desirable properties. These nanotubes are a macromolecular form of carbon; although their diameters are suitably nanoscale, ranging from 0.4 nm to 100 nm, they can be as much as several thousand nanometers long. Nanoscale fabrication can create devices that can work on individual cells and provide treatments that would be impossible if we were trying to issue them in bulk throughout the body. Nanoparticles can be fabricated using both top-down and bottom-up fabrication methods. In the top-down method, nanoparticles are carved from the bulk materials using techniques such as electron-beam lithography, reactive ion etching, and wet etching. Hybrid methods promise to integrate bottom-up and top-down nanofabrication in new and innovative ways by leveraging the strengths and unique features of both approaches.
Thermal Storage for Solar Hybridized Gas Turbines
Authors: Ferrari Andrea Maria , Paraboschi Anna , Barberis Stefano , Alberto Nicola Traverso Matteo Porta , Traverso Alberto
Published: July 2018

This article presents technical aspects of concentrated solar power (CSP). CSP plants are seen as an attractive option to reduce pollutants and the emission of greenhouses gases not only for the United States regions of Sun Belt, but also for European Union, North Africa, and Middle East. CSP is achieving a growing penetration into global electricity markets. CSP technologies are based on the concept of concentrating solar radiation to be used for electricity generation within conventional power cycles using steam turbines. CSPs can achieve high operating temperatures of over 1000 ̊C, enabling them to produce hot air for gas turbine operation. It has long been recognized that the possibility for integration of Thermal Energy Storage (TES) is one of the key advantages of CSP over other forms of renewable energy. TES technologies are important to accelerate market penetration of CSP plants, overcoming the limitation due to the intermittence of the solar source.
Avian Avoidance and Aviation
Authors: Langston Lee S.
Published: July 2018

This article presents an overview of the current state of dealing with jet engine bird ingestion. At Turbo Expo ‘13 in San Antonio, Dr. Aspi Wadia of GE Aviation and Dr. Lee S. Langston (author of this paper) co-chaired a three-hour panel, ‘Jet Engine Bird Ingestion – Current Issues and Ways Forward.’ The leadoff panelist was Capt. Paul Eschenfelder, a retired Delta Airlines pilot, now with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, who gave an overall review of recent bird strike accidents around the world. Panelist John Dalton, who is a Technical Fellow in Airplane Safety Engineering for Boeing, gave the airframe original equipment manufacturer (OEM) history and his views on the bird strike problem. The panel’s fourth member was Dr. Nicholas Carter who is the Director of Finance for the World Birdstrike Association (WBA). Carter explained the role of the WBA, which is the international body that represents all states and countries in issues related to bird hazards at airfields and airports.
Building the Next Space Age
Authors: Vedda James A.
Published: July 2018

This article focuses on need of technical and industrial innovation in the U.S. Space Program. There is a need of a long-range national policy with clearly defined approaches to managing the evolution of the civil space sector and facilitating the growth of commercial space. It has been debated in the paper that in contrast to the ‘flags and footprints’ model, framing space strategy in terms of capabilities would bring benefits to earth and prepare to move outward to the rest of the solar system by first developing own back yard – the Earth–Moon System. Backed by billionaire investors, Planetary Resources, Inc. is developing space-based systems to identify and intercept mineral-rich asteroids. NASA is already working to identify potential targets, using the infrared cameras aboard the NEOWISE satellite to discover small bodies that come close enough to Earth to capture. Significantly, a capabilities-driven strategy would be the best way to get the commercial sector on board as indispensable partners. Private interests will have greater incentives to invest, and their partnership will eventually propel the movement beyond cislunar space.
What Really Matters in STEM Education
Authors: Brown Alan S.
Published: July 2018

This article presents the discussion on challenges, triumphs, and contradictions that were on display at Critical Thinking, Critical Choices: What Really Matters in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). The forum focused on middle school, where students become teenagers and develop many of the interests and attitudes that will guide their life choices. This makes middle school a critical time for STEM educators. Critical Thinking, Critical Choices is part of the ASME Decision Point Dialogues thought leadership program, where leaders debate the complexities underlying an issue by focusing on the decisions people must make in real life. Unlike typical conference sessions, the panellists’ opinions were challenged by other panellists and the moderator, Peabody and Emmy Award-winning journalist John Hockenberry. The conversation ranged from how to serve disadvantaged communities and the role of testing versus project-based learning to the contentious Common Core and Next-Generation Science Standards.
Better Batteries Through Electrochemistry
Authors: Moura Scott J. , Perez Hector E.
Published: July 2018

This article introduces key concepts in Electrochemical-based Control (ECC) systems for batteries, and highlights the fundamentals of battery electrochemistry, state-of-charge/state-of-health (SOC/SOH) estimation, and constrained control. Research on battery SOC/SOH estimation has experienced considerable growth, and can be categorized under equivalent circuit models (ECM) or EChem model-based algorithms. EChem models capture the spatiotemporal dynamics of lithium-ion concentration, electric potential, and intercalation kinetics. The most fundamental reduced EChem model is the single-particle model (SPM). The SPM idealizes each electrode as a single aggregate spherical particle. Advanced control systems that optimize battery performance and longevity are a key enabler for reducing costs and catalyzing deeper penetration into transportation fleets and electric power grids. The dynamic systems and control community are uniquely positioned to play a significant role, as batteries provide a rich opportunity for advancements in fundamental control science and emerging energy application areas.
Iconic Design
Authors: Brown Alan S.
Published: July 2018

This article presents expert comments of six leading industrial designers about products that inspired them. According to Charles Austen Angell, CEO, Modern Edge Inc., Herman Miller Aeron Chair inspires him as although it has a distinctive aesthetic, the Aeron Chair transcends the sculptural elements that people associate with design. For Don Chadwick, Principal, Chadwick Studio, Cinelli Road Bicycle, it represents minimal structure that provides a maximum benefit to the user. Xootr, designed by LUNAR, which is a high-end scooter, is one the product designs that has served as an inspiration. The Nest thermostat is a notable example of post-Apple integration of mechanical design with digital technology. That makes sense, because it was developed by Tony Fadell, who led Apple’s iPod and iPhone teams, and Frank Bould, whose designs incorporate an engineering aesthetic. It senses when you are not home and turns down the heating or cooling. It also uses wireless technology to communicate with remote temperature sensors in other rooms and with your smartphone.
The Internet of Very Big Things
Authors: Thilmany Jean
Published: July 2018

This article discusses the concept of industrial Internet, which is considered as a union of software and big machines. John Deere has created a system that combines embedded sensors, GPS antennas, and cellular communications technology to provide equipment operations data to anyone with an Internet connection. The system can even enable dealers to forecast impending maintenance issues and schedule repairs before there is a breakdown. Linking sensors to a network gives owners a way to gather data like vibration, voltage, sound, temperature, or electrical output from machines. This type of analog data, previously inaccessible or hard to measure, lets owners monitor machine health. When analog information is collected in the cloud, the supervisory control and data acquisition (SCADA)-type scale grows exponentially and so do its uses. Industrial Internet-type applications take a supervisory control and data acquisition system to the next level.
Hubbert’s Peak, Mitchell’s Boom
Authors: Wicks Frank
Published: July 2018

This article presents discussions conducted in an event held in Washington, D.C., dedicated to the topic of the international shipment of energy. The session was called, ‘The Geopolitical Implications and Mutual Benefits of U.S. LNG Exports.’ The broad consensus was that, to create greater stability in international energy markets, United States should increase its exports of liquefied natural gas. The panelists also had a view on the fact that there also are many concerns about the environmental impact and ultimate costs of the practice. Hydraulic fracturing certainly has extended the Oil Age, but it does not assure a supply of gas and oil forever. The industry is being confronted with bans and moratoria that must be resolved. The new abundance and the costs in achieving it have created euphoria in some quarters and deep concerns in others.
A Group Effort that Grew
Authors: Bernsen Sidney , Zudans John , Vogan Thomas , Ruggiero Tom , Kureck Aaron
Published: July 2018

This article discusses why it is essential to develop new codes and standards for nuclear power industry. The reason for developing new codes for nuclear power sector is simple to understand. It has to do with the fundamental purpose of all standards: Standards exist to serve not only all the stakeholders in an industry – manufacturers, regulators, insurers, operators of equipment, but also the members of the general public who happen to be in the neighborhood. Standards support prosperity and, more important than that, they maintain public safety. Presently, different committees are working on the next generation of their standards in the nuclear power sector. They are incorporating recent experience and integrating new technologies, from materials to theoretical tools. The ASME/ANS Nuclear Risk Management Committee is currently expanding the scope of the standard to cover risk at shutdown and include long-term maintenance of containment and releases to the public after an accident. In addition, requirements for advanced reactors and the lessons learned from the Fukushima accident are under development.
Essential for Safety
Authors: Dewees Dave , Jones Craig , Slater Megan , Weitzel Paul , Scavuaao Steve , Moot Dana , Becker Patricia , Tanzosh Jim , Cornell Ryan
Published: July 2018

This article discusses how ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code (BPVC) has continued to evolve in the past 100 years to meet the needs of the engineers using the most advanced technology. The first edition of what has now become the ASME BPVC was published in 1914. The Code has continued to expand and adapt over the years to meet the needs of new technologies, many unimagined 100 years ago. The Code continues to meet new challenges and to extend its influence in the cause of safety around the globe. The volunteers who meet four times a year to maintain and extend the Code are completely dedicated to translating sometimes painfully gained experience into rules that strive to protect people. It's why competitors come together and share critical knowledge with one another and the public, and why volunteers dedicate time that almost universally extends well beyond the traditional 40-hour work week.
Elevating the Pressure and Temperature
Authors: Berger David L.
Published: July 2018

This article discusses the modernization of the rules of Section I of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code to better accommodate the challenges of increasing temperature. At very high pressures and high temperatures, the current Section I rules require components to be comparatively thick, but making things thicker is not always better. In thick components, temperature gradients and consequent differential thermal expansion produce large secondary stresses. When pressure and temperature drive a component’s thickness to be very large compared to the size of the component, it can compromise that component’s ability to endure thermal transients that occur in service. One of the biggest challenges in addressing elevated temperature service is understanding creep and fatigue interaction and developing appropriate design rules to manage that. Another challenge is that corrosion mechanisms change with increasing temperature. The push to higher temperatures will spawn development of new materials to meet all the design goals. The BPVI standards committee on Power Boilers will also need to evaluate whether some of the construction details traditionally used will be appropriate at higher temperatures.
Game Changers
Authors: Noor Ahmed K.
Published: July 2018

This article discusses the recent development in “cognitive computing” technology. Unlike expert systems of the past, which required inflexible hard-coded expert rules, cognitive computers interpret unstructured data (sensory information, images, voices, and numbers), navigate through vast amounts of information, learn by experience, and participate in dialogues with humans using natural language to solve extremely complex problems. The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is funding a program called SyNAPSE (Systems of Neuromorphic Adaptive Plastic Scalable Electronics) to develop machine technology that will function like biological neural systems. IBM, Hughes Research Labs, and several universities are working on this program. The aim is to build an electronic system that matches a mammalian brain in function, size, and power consumption. It would recreate 10 billion neurons and 100 trillion synapses, consume one kilowatt (same as a small electric heater), and measure less than 2,000 cubic centimeters. Several other projects are also under way to apply cognitive technology to robotics, cars, and production systems.
Control-Oriented Modeling and Model-Based Estimation and Control for Diesel Engine Aftertreatment Systems
Authors: Wang Junmin
Published: July 2018

This article provides an overview of control-oriented modeling and model-based estimation and control for diesel engine aftertreatment systems. The chemical reactions and physical processes that occur in diesel engine after-treatment systems are quite complex. Computational models describing the chemical reaction kinetics, flow, and thermo-physical phenomena in engine exhaust aftertreatment systems have been coming forth since the 1960s when catalytic converters were introduced for vehicle applications {AQ: This word ‘catalystic’ is not found in standard dictionaries. Please check and correct if necessary.}. Such models can provide insightful understanding and mathematical descriptions on the chemical reactions, mass transfer, and heat transfer processes in one-dimensional and multi-dimensional fashions. The primary purpose of diesel engine aftertreatment system control-oriented models is to serve for the designs of real-time aftertreatment control and fault-diagnosis systems to reduce tailpipe emissions during real-world vehicle operations. Because such control-oriented models contain physically-meaningful parameters of the actual treatment systems, the model-based estimation and control algorithms can have excellent generalizability among different platforms.
Engine Characteristic Studies by Application of Antioxidants and Nanoparticles as Additives in Biodiesel Diesel Blends
Authors: Prabu A.
Published: July 2018

This study evaluates the outcomes of antioxidants and nanoparticles as additives with biodiesel diesel blends on the engine working characteristics, carried on a single cylinder direct injection (DI) diesel engine, operated at invariable engine speed of 1500 rpm, invariable injection timing of 26 deg before top dead center with invariable injection pressure of 216 bar, under five different engine load conditions (0.08, 0.15, 0.23, 0.30, 0.45, and 0.53 MPa). The antioxidants and nanoparticles blended test fuels are used as fuels in this experimental investigation. The antioxidant as additive in fuel found to be more effective in suppressing the NO emission by disrupting the chain propagating reactions, trapping free radicals, and decomposing peroxides. The high surface area to volume of the nanoparticles acts as fuel borne catalyst by ameliorating the engine working characteristics and downplays the NO emission by buffering the oxygen molecule. The obtained experimental results indicates that B20SNAlCe test fuel enhances engine brake thermal efficiency (BTE) by 13% and reduces level of pollutants such as unburned hydrocarbon (UBHC) by 38%, nitric oxide by 32%, smoke opacity by 21%, and carbon monoxide by 60% in compared with B100.
Determination and Implication of Ultimate Water Cut in Well-Spacing Design for Developed Reservoirs With Water Coning
Authors: Prasun Samir , Wojtanowicz A. K.
Published: July 2018

Theoretically, ultimate water-cut (WCult) defines stabilized well's oil and water production rates for uncontained oil pay underlain with water. However, in a real multiwell reservoir, the well's drainage area is contained by a no-flow boundary (NFB) that would control water coning, so the WCult concept should be qualified and related to the well-spacing size. Also, the presently used WCult formula derives from several simplifying assumptions, so its validity needs to be verified. The study shows that in multiwell bottom-water reservoirs, the production water-cut would never stabilize (after initial rapid increase) but would continue increasing at slow rate dependent on the production rate and well-spacing size. At each production rate, there is a minimum well-spacing size above which water-cut becomes practically constant at the value defined here as pseudoWCult. A new formula—developed in this study—correlates the minimum well-spacing with reservoir properties. Further, formula for pseudoWCult is derived by considering radial flow distortion effects in the oil and water zones. It is found that for well-spacing larger than the minimum well-spacing, the two effects-when combined-do not change the water-cut value. Thus, in practical applications, for sufficiently large well-spacing, the pseudoWCult values can be computed from the presently used WCult formula. The pseudoWCult concept has potential practical use in well-spacing design for ultimate recovery determined by the water cut economic limit, WCec. When the water-cut economic margin (WCec–WCult) is large, well-spacing has little effect on the ultimate recovery, so large well-spacing could be designed. However, when the water-cut economic margin is small, reservoir development decision should consider increase of final recovery by reducing well-spacing below the minimum well-spacing.