Replacing Lost Fingers Global Gas Turbine News Freezing in Place

Replacing Freezing Global Gas lost ﬁ ngers in place Turbine News

THE MAGAZINE OF ASME

SPLIT DECISIONS

E iciencies improve when the engineer and project manager see eye to eye.

VOL.133/NO.8 AUGUST 2011 | WWW.MEMAGAZINE.ORG Great engineering requires ingenuity . So does great insurance.

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!"# #$%$# &' #()*&&$&&+! $# me.hotims.com/34756-02 or circle 02 ,+$!+-&$!,$#%'. #/ features Focus on Engineering Management 30 SERVING TWO MASTERS It takes judgment and thought to balance the ethical engineer and ON THE COVER capable project manager. 08 VOLUME11 133/NO.8 By Brian Porter 35 PATENT TROLLS Even those who make and sell nothing are devising new ways to make money from U.S. patent laws. By Kirk Teska 39 EVERYDAY FINGERS Prosthetic limbs have been around a long time; but until Dan Didrick came along, working artiﬁcial ﬁngers didn’t exist. By Jean Thilmany

Focus on Plant Engineering 42 ALTERNATIVE MEASURES When instruments can’t reach the pump, there’s another way to go with the flow. By Ray Beebe 44 A FREEZE IN TIME 6 Editorial An ASME post-construction standard leads 8 a refinery maintenance team through an Letters unfamiliar but efficient repair. 12 News & Notes By Jaan Taagepera and Nathan Tyson 16 Washington Window 48 A PUMP WAR STORY: 18 Global Window BACK TO BASICS By Gary Wamsley 20 Computing 23 Software Exchange 72 INPUT OUTPUT 24 Awards Show Off Robot Advances Tech Focus By Alan S. Brown Fluid Handling & Fluid Power 61 ME Bookshelf

departments ME-Vol51-3-Aug2011_ME-Vol51-3-Aug2011 6/28/11 10:49 PM Page 49 62 New Products

Special supplement 64 !"#$%!& $'( )*+(*,*- Resource File %!&$'( )**./! 0)* %!&$'(*.&!,*., "#$ 2*!3 !"#$ !)*,.)*.!* , '())* ,1+*! 0* )*+(*,* %!&$'( - ! IGTI’S GLOBAL GAS !" ## $ '( " # $%## %& #$!% &'(!($ & )& * )+ #, - ## 67 . - 0 ! & !)*+ ,!)'" Positions Open )) ( 0 0 1 / ))+ , 0 # & 0 . . 3 ' !# !- # 0 " # $%## % ! . 2 0 $# % & 4 "'(!$)!)"... & 4 0 0& TURBINE NEWS 0 0 5 5 # 60 +!""$) " # %& $%## % & 4 *(* $ !&!/!,!&!)' 0 69 '$. 0)1 )1$)!! $# $ '$.&& 0 & Ad Index ,!%*" 7 ###& - 0 0 # ,0 0 0& &,$)1,$,$$'2 0 0 0 +$-+'+& ,0 # )-)'$)!*" & 49+60 $)! )1$)! # % 0 89* 0 0 0 $!" # & ! , 0 ! " : 0 0 , ; , " " # $ 0 +&$)'$)" < ! , 0 $ %& ' 70 )*"'$"$)! 0 # 0 %! & % % $-+' )1$)! ( " ) & ' ( 0 0 # = ASME News !-()12%*" $ #& )! ! & B@B * +, - +. 0 0> ! * & ( *(* ?@@+@AA✲ !%!-()$- $ * & ' C && &&$''!! ++$-!" ",

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90 years ago vault this month , August 1921 what our community is saying online

The Infl uence Exerted by the Automobile Re: The FDA is opening a dialogue on nanotechnology by publishing proposed on the Machine-Tool Industry guidelines on how the agency will identify nanomaterials in FDA-regulated products. By Henry J. Hinde president and general manager of the Toledo Machine and Tool Co. If this initiative were to be correlated with the joint efforts of existing worldwide The art of producing sheet-metal stampings from a fl at standardization entities, we soon would sheet while cold has made marked progress in recent years, have appropriate regulations in this “ and many articles are now made of sheet metal which were challenging area. formerly produced by casting or forging, or in a lathe, milling machine, drill press, or at the bench. Re: President Barack Obama is making a push to train 10,000 new American Forming and stamping operations especially have in many engineers a year. classes of work become very complex, and the art of drawing sheet metals, stimulated by the enormous demand of the Major engineering companies will automobile industry in particular, calling for most intricate continue to outsource . Having a bunch of new engineers won't help any unless there shapes, has reached a state of perfection hardly imagined is some sort of domestic policy to keep possible a few years ago. The results achieved by the ingenuity engineering services domestic. of the present-day press and die designers, and to no small degree also by the metallurgist, who comes into consideration Does he mean that he will retrain the through his improvements of the physical qualities of the thousands of engineers that are out of metals used, are indeed revelations in economy of production, work or in temporary jobs while they look strength of stamped articles, and the absolute interchange- for jobs in their fi eld? Or does he mean that ability and beauty of appearance of the fi nished products. ... he will fi nd work for the 2008, 2009, and 2010 graduates that are looking? At the same time the economical production of motor cars was made possible solely on account of the ability of the press Our modern culture does not promote and die manufacturers to successfully control the fl ow of the (or even value) the work ethic that is cold sheet metal into certain forms and shapes. required to earn a degree in mechanical engineering. The obsession with entertainment, computer games, and Editor’s note: The author was one of several who delivered” papers materialism has deceived many young on the subject at the Spring Meeting, held under the auspices of the people into thinking that adult life will ASME Machine Shop Practice Division. A selection of the papers was be easy —a simple extrapolation of the published in the August issue. carefree indulgences of youth. Much of what made our country great (and I believe will continue) is our entrepreneurial ethic and the environment to incubate and create new opportunities . THIS MONTH IN ASME.ORG I would propose that encouraging students What’s your engineering degree worth, and how much to harness the DIY spirit that, I believe, are your peers earning? Find out in the 2011 Engineering is having a recent renaissance will lead to capable engineers who can create new Income and Salary Survey conducted by ASME and ASCE. technology, new businesses, and ultimately jobs and demand for engineers —and new Hydrodynamic models of large bodies of fresh water may engineering fi elds! be helpful to the public in understanding ecosystems and how pollution affects them. From ASME LinkedIn groups

ON.FB.ME/MEMAGAZINE | MEMAGAZINEBLOG.ORG | MEMAGAZINE.ORG | ASME.ORG

Mechanical Engineering (ISSN 0025-6501) is published monthly by The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Three Park Avenue, New York, NY 10016-5990. Periodicals postage paid at New York, N.Y., and additional mailing ofﬁ ces. POST- MASTER: Send address changes to Mechanical Engineering, c/o The American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 22 Law Drive, Box 2300, Fairﬁ eld, NJ 07007-2300. Return Canadian undeliverable addresses to P.O. BOX 1051, Fort Erie, On, L2A 6C7. PRICES: To members, annually $32 for initial membership subscription, single copy $7; subscription price to nonmembers available upon request. COPYRIGHT © 2011 by The American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Canadian Goods & Services Tax Registration #126148048. Printed in U.S.A. Authorization to photocopy material for internal or personal use under circumstances not falling within the fair use provisions of the Copyright Act is granted by ASME to libraries and other users registered with the Copyright Clearance Center Transactional Reporting Service, 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923. Request for special permission or bulk copying should be addressed to Reprints/Permissions Department.

4 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | August 2011 Reduce Your Plant’s Energy Consumption Call in the Baldor IBE Team

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Executive Editor CONGRATULATIONS! YOU’RE and part voodoo. Harry Hutchinson HIRED. Now you’re in charge of a A recent Harvard Business Review Associate Editors large engineering team. It’s the job article stresses that getting every- Alan S. Brown, Jean Thilmany, you always wanted. one on your team to share a purpose Jeffrey Winters You hold an engineering degree does not come simply from a corpo- Electronic Publishing Editor from a good school, and you have 15 rate statement, or even from a single Benedict Bahner years of excellent appraisals under charismatic leader. It comes from a Art & Production Designer editorial your belt. You’re a good engineer, combination of often intangible ele- Teresa M. Carboni and you’ve had plenty of experience ments that create a long-lasting and Director, Advertising Sales on how not to manage from all those e/ ective work culture. and Publishing Development boneheaded bosses you’ve had along One way to do that is to collabo- Nicholas J. Ferrari the way. The ones you swore had no rate at all levels of the enterprise. Marketing and Promotion Manager clue how to manage people. You can’t expect people on your Anthony Asiaghi The H.R. manager who gave you team to get along if you don’t engage Classifi ed and Mailing List Manager the good news about the 18 percent in similar behavior yourself. (212) 591-7534 raise that comes with the job tells The HBR article recounts the story you the fi rst thing you’ve got to do is of Microsoft’s ill-fated tablet com- Circulation Coordinator Marni A. Rice focus on getting the technical team puter that could have preempted and the project management folks Apple’s iPad by more than a decade Managing Director, Publishing & Unit Support to see eye-to-eye. Upper manage- —if it hadn’t been for internal com- Philip V. DiVietro ment, she says, is afraid of another peting divisions at Microsoft that “Deepwater Horizon thing”—a new conspired to kill the project. Micro- Online catchphrase in today’s engineering soft had not learned to collaborate www.memagazine.org (212) 591-7783; fax (212) 591-7841 reality for a failed system. with itself. E-mail: [email protected] “Good luck, don’t mess up,” she Certainly inciting collaborative says as you leave her o, ce. behaviors among workers is saddled The American Society of Mechanical Engineers with many complex dimensions President Victoria A. Rockwell Managing people, under the best President-Nominee Marc W. Goldsmith of circumstances, is hard enough, that include personal convictions, Past President Robert T. Simmons Governors Richard C. Benson, Betty L. Bowersox, but navigating between those cultural values, and the particular Julio Guerrero, Said Jahanmir, Robert N. Pangborn, concerned with safety and those on enterprise’s operating norms. But Thomas D. Pestorius, Edmund J. Seiders, J. Robert ฀ the other side of the fl oor who push when it comes to complex systems, Sims Jr., Charla K. Wise for e, ciency is even harder. Over “Demands to sacrifi ce performance Executive Director ฀ the past 50 years, engineers have are out of the question,” Porter says. Thomas G. Loughlin realized they must balance budgets “Learn from the past; use it today, Deputy Executive Director ฀ and meet business demands, says for a successful future.” Michael K. Weis Brian Porter, who we commissioned Now that you’ve been on the job a Secretary and Treasurer ฀ to write this month’s cover story, few months you realize that managing Wilbur J. Marner “Serving Two Masters.” The require- teams isn’t as easy you thought. You Assistant Secretary ments to meet technical needs such also realize the importance of collabo- Warren R. Leonard as specifi cations, public safety, and ration in the process. Not to put more Senior Vice Presidents Centers Clark McCarrell reliability, and the business require- pressure on you, but the stakes are Standards & Certifi cation Kenneth R. Balkey ments such as budget and schedule high. Failure is not an option. Institutes Dilip R. Ballal Knowledge & Community Thomas G. Libertiny “are frequently confl icting in na- Strategic Management Stacey Swisher Harnetty ture, even when they theoretically ME Editorial Advisory Board serve one another,” Porter says. John G. Falcioni, Editor-in-Chief Robert E. Nickell, Chairman; Harry Armen; Getting workers to collaborate falcionij)asme.org Leroy S. Fletcher; Richard J. Goldstein; Thomas G. Libertiny e/ ectively is part science, part art, twitter.com/johnfalcioni

For reprints, contact Edward Kane, (866) 879-9144, ext.131 [email protected]

Opinions expressed in Mechanical Engineering magazine do not necessarily reﬂ ect the views of ASME.

6 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | August 2011 COMSOL CONFERENCE BOSTON 2011 OCTOBER 13-15 13-15 Join us for the COMSOL Conference 2011 The premier event for multiphysics simulation GOLD SPONSORS ฀ Discover new multiphysics modeling strategies

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© 2011 COMSOL. COMSOL and COMSOL Multiphysics are registered trademarks of COMSOL AB. Other product or brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. me.hotims.com/34756-05 or circle 05 Headquarters ASME Three Park Avenue letters New York, NY 10016-5990 (212) 591-7722 fax: (212) 591-7674 Engineer vs. Rock Star www.asme.org JOHUNL`V\YWLYJLW[PVUVM To the Editor: I enjoyed and agree with some Information Central Service Center of the points and suggestions made in the ar- ASME ticle “Has the U.S. Lost Its Technical Edge?” 22 Law Drive (May). We as a country have probably not Fairfield, NJ 07007 done our best to promote science, technology, (973) 882-1170; fax: (973) 882-1717 engineering, and mathematics (STEM—or In U.S., toll-free (800) THE-ASME; should it be STEAM?). Perhaps we have lost international (973) 882-1167 our steam. e-mail: [email protected] STEM education at the middle school levels can only help. However, I believe there are other factors being overlooked. ASME Washington Center 1828 L St., N.W., Suite 906 One of the most influential factors in young teens’ lack of interest in STEM- Washington, DC 20036-5104 related programs is the media and public interest in rock stars, celebrities, (202) 785-3756 athletes, and Wall Street tycoons. fax: (202) 429-9417 It appears to be more than just interest; it’s closer to worship. And the com- www.asme.org/NewsPublicPolicy/ mon denominator is money and flash—quite intoxicating to middle school GovRelations teens or even old engineers. As a teeny bopper would you want to be Justin Bieber or Joe Engineer? The ASME International rock stars, etc. get recognition, respect, status, and reward. Gas Turbine Institute What does Joe Engineer get? If anything, Joe Engineer gets a bad rap when 6525 The Corners Parkway, Suite 115 Norcross, GA 30092-3349 a pipeline blows up, or an oil rig spews oil, or even when commuter trains col- (404) 419-1646 lide. I’ve managed a few multi-disciplined engineering groups, and it’s been fax: (404) 847-0151 my observation that for the most part engineers feel they lack respect, rec- http://igti.asme.org/ ognition, status, and reward within their companies and with the general public. They feel this way because that’s the way it is. ASME International So, if we want to home grow technical talent, we must at least match the Petroleum Technology status that engineers and scientists receive in other countries. A tough task. Institute RUSSEL KOELSCH, P.E. 11757 Katy Freeway, Suite 865 FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CALIF. Houston, TX 77079-1733 (281) 493-3491 fax: (281) 493-3493 To the Editor: In reply to Delores Etter’s piece in the May issue, I will certain- www.asme-ipti.org ly laud her—and others’—desire to advance technical careers and help America keep its technological edge. I love my job as a mechanical engineer and tell my ASME Europe Field Office wife that most days I go to work and play; that’s how much fun I have at work. Avenue De Tervueren, 300 Yet missing in all this is the demand-side. Kids are not stupid. They look at 1150 Brussels, Belgium %;/0:0:56;;/,:6*0(37(9;6-;/,7961,*; factories closing all around them. They go to stores and see “Made in X,” with phone: (32-2) 743-1543 X not being U.S.A. They watch the news, and hear of more and more jobs being fax: (32-2) 743-1550 .YPKKPUN PZ H SVULS` I\ZPULZZ ,]LYÌVK` W\[Z WYLZZ\YL VU `V\ [V sent overseas where the labor rates are cheaper. ASME Asia Pacific LLC NLULYH[L TLZOLZ X\PJRS` HUK HJJ\YH[LS` I\[ P[»Z \W [V `V\ HSVUL A recent issue of another engineering magazine had several letters from en- Unit 09A, EF Floor, East Tower of Twin Towers gineers discussing the lack of respect they received in their positions, and all No. B12, Jianguomenwai Avenue, Chaoyang District [VNL[P[KVUL>L»]LILLUPU[OLTLZOPUNI\ZPULZZMVYHSVUN[PTL strongly discouraged engineering as a profession. Beijing, 100022 Peoples Republic of China And while “I don’t get no respect” is a comedic line, the universal head- (86-10) 5109-6032 HUKV\YL_WLYPLUJLK[LJOUPJHSZ\WWVY[Z[HMMPZZ[HUKPUNI`[VWYV]PKL nodding at the antics of the Pointy-Haired Boss in virtually every Dilbert fax: (86-10) 5109-6039 cartoon points to a serious problem with management bred in business `V\^P[OWLYZVUHSWYVMLZZPVUHSZ\WWVY[@V\»YLUV[HSVULHU`TVYL India Office schools, with no knowledge of the actual product and a belief that people are *HSS\ZMVYHMYLLL]HS\H[PVU>L»YLYLHK`[VOLSW 7605;>0:, but “talent” or “human capital,” and completely interchangeable and ex- c/o Tecnova India Pvt.Ltd. 335, Udyog Vihar, Phase IV, pendable assets. 9LSPHISL7LVWSL9LSPHISL;VVSZ9LSPHISL*-+4LZOPUN Gurgaon 122 015 (Haryana) STEM careers are rewarding, but nobody can deny that achieving academic (91-124) 430-8413 ;VSS-YLL 7;>0:,^^^WVPU[^PZLJVT success in these fields is di.cult. There is a lot of work, and a lot of classes. Fax (91-124) 430-8207 [email protected] 8 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | August 2011 JOHUNL`V\YWLYJLW[PVUVMMESHING

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me.hotims.com/34756-06 or circle 06 With companies so eager to send those COOLING WITH GAS tors are not as susceptible as LWRs to jobs overseas, why would a rational per- To the Editor: The author of “Remov- loss of cooling events, and retain fission son examining a future career invest so ing Heat From a Reactor in Shutdown” products better in unpredictable sce- much for such a risky proposition? (May) writes as if light water reactors narios like Fukushima. Make engineering jobs more secure, were the only reactors in the world. Perhaps one positive aspect of Fuku- more respected, and create technical Indeed most of the world’s 442 reactors shima will be that the world’s reactor career paths for those not interested are LWRs—but not all. Britain’s historic designers reconsider non-metal core in management, and you will see more Magnox and AGR reactors, along with reactor designs. They o2er much di2er- people interested in STEM careers. the high-temperature gas reactor in the ent and potentially safer performance DAVID HUNT, P.E. U.S. are not. LWR evolved from the U.S. in unpredictable “beyond design basis NASHUA, N.H. Navy submarine program of Admiral events.” Rickover. LWR technology today re- J.K. AUGUST, P.E. FROM WHALES TO OWLS mains nearly the same as in the 1950s ARVADA, COLO. To the Editor: I genuinely enjoyed read- when it was designed: very high power ing “From Whales to Fans” (May). Alan density, low heat capacity metal clad Editor’s note: The author chairs the Brown did a wonderful job following fuel in a fixed geometry maintained by American Nuclear Society’s Committee 28 the evolution from inspiration to mar- zirconium alloy under fixed tempera- on gas reactors. ket. It’s valuable for younger readers to ture limits. As temperatures rise, the observe that great ideas may take years alloy changes phase and loses strength, ACID AND MERCURY to make their way into production, and becoming reactive with its water cool- To the Editor: I was shocked that Dmit- that to do so takes persistence, drive, ant, H 2O. That reaction created the free ry Paramonov (“Some Aspects of the and an ability to sell your ideas. hydrogen that combusted at Fukushi- Fight Against Climate Change,” ASME I do however have one small point to ma, and was also problematic at Three Nuclear Engineering Division News, add with regards to the history of the Mile Island. May) would say in his article on climate discipline’s understanding of such lead- Although compact and comparatively change as it relates to the consump- ing edge features. Although it is perhaps cheap in contrast with other technolo- tion of fossil fuels: “... consequences of somewhat obscure, Paul T. Soderman gies, the LWR has one fundamental global warming are not necessarily bad produced a rather comprehensive study weakness—metal clad fuel. Indeed, at for all countries or social groups.” Two (NASA TM X-2643) of the e2ects of both Three Mile Island and Fukushima things he failed to consider in making leading edge features in the 7-foot x Dai-ichi, the two principal variants—the that statement were ocean acidification

10-foot wind tunnel at NASA Ames at pressurized water reactor and boiling caused by CO 2 absorption, and mercury

Reynolds numbers of 1 million and 2.3 water reactor—both su2ered cata- that is often emitted along with CO 2 from million. It would appear that the study strophic failures. Economic losses that coal-fired plants. was originally inspired by the desire resulted from undercooling following Both of these things will increasingly to reduce the acoustic signature of the shutdown caused as much anguish as and negatively impact the quantity and wing passing through the air, and many nuclear meltdown fears to their owners quality of food we are able to harvest of the leading edge features rather and financiers. Other reactor types don’t from ocean sources, not to mention the strongly resembled owl feather leading have these limitations. For example, rivers and pristine streams that are ex- edge combs. the high-temperature gas reactor has a hibiting increased mercury levels as well. I do not o2er up this reference to deni- nonreactive coolant (helium), high heat Thus it is doubtful that anyone on this grate in any manner the tenacity or ex- capacity core (graphite), and ceramic Earth will ultimately be immune from tent of the work of Dr. Fish and his col- fuel particle coating analogous to clad- the consequences of global warming as it leagues, which I have admired for years. ding. The structural graphite heat sink relates to the burning of fossil fuels. None of the leading edge features tested performs well at very high temperatures BOB BALHISER by Soderman resembled the sinusoidal compared with metal cores. These reac- HELENA, MONT. and three-dimensional nature of whale fin tubercles and their abstractions tested by Dr. Fish and his colleagues. letters to I simply believe that the evolution of + Letters to the Editor the idea and the history of such lead- the editor Mechanical Engineering Three Park Avenue ing edge features had been so well ex- Mechanical Engineering welcomes New York, NY 10016-5990 pressed in the story that it would have comments from our readers. been a shame not to mention the exten- Letters can be typewritten or fax: (212) 591-7841 sive work done by Soderman at NASA e-mailed, and must include the e-mail: memagVasme.org Ames back in 1972. author’s full name, address, and The editors reserve the right to edit letters for clarity, AARON ALTMAN telephone number. Address your style, and length. We regret that unpublished letters DAYTON, OHIO submission to: cannot be acknowledged or returned.

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©2011 National Instruments. All rights reserved. LabVIEW, National Instruments, NI, and ni.com are trademarks of National Instruments. Other product and company names listed are trademarks or trade names of their respective companies. 01197 NEWS&NOTES

Next-Generation Wind Gets a Boost he U.S. Department of Energy tional companies are already deploying in June selected six projects to some advanced turbines of their own. split some $7.5 million to work In June, Siemens installed the ﬁ rst T on advanced designs for wind prototype of its new direct-drive wind turbine drive trains. turbine. Among the companies receiving awards The SWT-6.0-120, which was is GE Global Research, which will design deployed in Høvsøre, Denmark, fea- and test a 10 MW direct-drive generator tures a rotor 120 meters in diameter employing low-temperature supercon- and is rated at 6 MW. ductor technology, and Advanced Mag- The new turbine design, which is net Lab of Palm Bay, Fla., which is devel- intended for use in o. shore wind farms, oping a new drivetrain coil conﬁ guration. is less massive than other turbines of Another company receiving an award, similar power, weighing in at just 350 Clipper Windpower of Carpinteria, metric tons. The hope is that a lighter Calif., will be testing a drivetrain design nacelle will enable the turbines to be intended to increase serviceability. installed on thinner towers, reducing the Any advances that make turbines more cost of construction. ▲ Installing the rotor reliable and e* cient will help drive down on Siemen’s new turbine Siemens plans to install other proto- costs of wind power. type wind turbines for testing over the SIEMENS Other organizations receiving DOE Energy Laboratory in Golden, Colo. next couple of years. If all goes according funds are Boulder Wind Power of Colo- While the DOE program is aimed at to plans, the advanced turbines could rado, Dehlsen Associates of Santa Bar- developing American manufacturers begin production in 2014. bara, Calif., and the National Renewable of wind turbine technology, interna- JEFFREY WINTERS

Study Proposes Goal-Driven Regulations for O" shore Wind new report from the National The committee found that offshore sion lines to urban centers is high. Research Council recom- wind farms pose signifi cantly lower Offshore facilities, located where winds mends that regulations risks to safety and the environment are higher and more consistent, would A covering offshore wind farms because they are unmanned and do not sit relatively close to major population focus on performance goals rather than handle hazardous substances. There- centers and existing transmission lines. prescriptive rules in order to accom- fore, they do not require as stringent a The Cape Wind project, the fi rst modate future innovation. The recom- regulatory approach as other offshore offshore facility to win U.S. approval, mendations cover structural integrity, industries. The committee calls for suggests what is coming. The 468 MW environmental performance, and power industry to propose specifi c standards, farm will consist of 130 wind turbines. generation. guidelines, and recommended prac- Each tower will rise 258 feet tall, and the U.S. Department of the Interior’s tices to meet the bureau’s performance blades will rise 440 feet above the water Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, requirements. surface. The farm will lie just off Cape Regulation, and Enforcement, which Industry can build on the procedures Cod in Massachusetts. regulates offshore wind farms, asked pioneered in Europe, where more than In addition to suggesting the Bureau of the NRC to develop the recommenda- 800 offshore turbines are connected to Ocean Energy set performance targets tions. The resulting report is Structural the grid. and allow industry to set standards, the Integrity of Offshore Wind Turbines: Over- The United States operates some of report recommends that certifi ed third- sight of Design, Fabrication, and Installa- the world’s largest wind farms. Most sit party evaluators review project propos- tion. It draws on the offshore experience astride the wind belt that stretches from als. One reason is that the bureau lacks of European wind farms and U.S. oil, Texas to the Dakotas. While land there the workforce and expertise to take on gas, and marine industries. is cheap, the cost of building transmis- that role. ALAN S. BROWN

12 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | August 2011 by the robot—is a circuit board about Sensitive Skin for Robots the size of a penny. Each board contains ust as we receive feedback about search for the source of contact, he said. four infrared sensors. the world through more than just Retreating or looking for the source “We thus simulate light touch,” Mit- J our eyes and fi ngers, so too—one of contact is especially important for tendorfer said. “This corresponds to our day—will robots. robots that work as helper machines for own sense of the fi ne hairs on our skin Scientists at Technical University of people who live in constantly changing being gently stroked.” Munich in Germany are developing environments, even if that environment The artifi cial skin also contains six an artifi cial skin for robots that they is their own apartment. temperature sensors and an accelerom- said will provide important tactile The centerpiece of the robotic skin— eter that allows the robot to register the feedback about its world to the robot which is actually a series of plates worn Continued on page 15 to supplement perceptions formed by camera eyes, infrared scanners, and gripping hands. The sense of touch gives robots one more sense on which to rely as they fi nd their way around a room or new environment, said Philip Mittendorfer, a scientist who is helping develop the artifi cial skin at the university’s Insti- tute of Cognitive Systems. As with human skin, the way the artifi cial skin is touched could lead the robot to retreat when it hits an object or cause it to use its machine vision to One Global Code Symbol ASME is taking steps to replace its current 28 separate product certifi cation marks with a single certifi - cation mark. The primary reason for the change is the global success of ASME Standards and Certifi cation programs. There are 28 ASME code symbol stamps in use by various certifi ed companies in 75 countries. Having them use a single certifi cation mark will greatly help ASME monitor its trademark around the world. The new mark was introduced in the 2011 Addenda to the Boiler and Pres- sure Vessel Code published in July. Cer- tifi ed companies may request and use the new mark immediately, and they will have the option of using the old marks until Jan. 1, 2013. After that date, the new certifi cation mark becomes mandatory and the old stamps are to be returned to ▲ The new mark. ASME. me.hotims.com/34756-08 or circle 08

August 2011 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 13 “Innovation distinguishes between a leader and a follower.” - Steve Jobs

As the leading manufacturer of OEM pumps and compressors, our innovation in design and technology has helped our customers create new innovative products and become leaders in their marketplace.

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planning and management for the Butte- Grid-Positive College Glenn Community College District, A community college in northern which runs the college, said the installa- California believes that it has be- tion cost about $24 million after rebates. come the ﬁrst college in the United The system will generate electricity AN ILLUSTRATION IN INNOVATION states to become “grid-positive.” That during the day, when rates are at their is, it expects the value of the electricity highest. Excess electricity will be sent 2450Z Series it generates to exceed the cost of the to the grid, and the college will receive electricity it consumes. credit for that power at the day rate. BLDC Pump The school, Butte College, is in Oroville. The evening rate is about half the cost The campus has 25,000 solar panels, of electricity during the day. When the The innovative 2450Z BLDC pump is which are expected to generate more sun goes down, the college will draw perfect for medical and other applications than 6.5 million kilowatt-hours of elec- electricity from the grid, but the total requiring a small lightweight pump with a tricity a year. cost will likely be lower than the credit it high performance to weight ratio.

Michael Miller, the director of facilities earned during the day. 8Efficient, variable speed brushless DC motor conserves power by Test Code Updated for Hydro Turbines matching output to requirement 8Lightweight – 6.8 lbs. vs. 9.5 lbs with he ASME standard Hydraulic ﬂow rate, head, and power, from which AC motor Turbines and Pump-Turbines has e*ciency may be determined. It also T been published in a new edition, speciﬁes requirements for pretest 8* ))%,,1-/(+17 5 5 PTC 18-2011, which includes arrangements, types of instrumenta- 8())$00#$0(&+ updated test techniques for continuous tion, methods of measurement, testing performance improvement. procedures, methods of calculation, and 8 5(*2*9,47

It defines methods for measuring contents of test reports. 8 5(*2*-/$002/$7 The standard, which replaces the 2002 edition, also includes revised illustra- Sensitive Skin tions and new tables. Some older test For more information on the Continued from page 13 methods, such as the volumetric and innovative 2450Z BLDC pump movement of individual limbs and in pressure-time Gibson flow-measure- go to gd-thomas.com/me8. that way determine what body parts it ment method, have been deleted. has just moved. PTC 18-2011 Hydraulic Turbines and “We try to pack many di1erent Pump-Turbines is available for pur- sensory modalities into the smallest of chase online at www.asme.org. The spaces,” Mittendorfer said. “In addition, price is $140. it is easy to expand the circuit boards to later include other sensors” BRIEFLY NOTED For the machine to have detection ability, the signals from the sensors Spatial Corp. of Broomfield, Colo., has must be processed by the central com- released its Convergence Geometric puter that controls the robot, he added. Modeler, a 3-D geometry kernel that of- Only a small piece of skin is currently fers a consistent interface, foundation- based tolerant modeling to maintain complete. But the principle has already geometrical and topological precision, been demonstrated to work, Mittendor- and large-model capacity. /// West- fer’s supervisor, Gordon Cheng, said. port Innovations Inc. , a developer of The scientists will place the plates that alternative-fuel engine technologies, constitute the skin together to form a has entered into an agreement with honeycomb-like, planar structure to be General Motors to develop natural donned by the robot. gas engine controls, emissions, and “This will be a machine that notices performance strategies for light-duty when you tap it on the back. Even in the vehicles. Westport said it plans to open dark,” Cheng said. a technical center in Michigan. The Improving lives through innovation TM JEAN THILMANY company has about 15 employees in Farmington Hills, Mich., and plans to Editor’s note: Prosthetic fingers covered by expand there as demand grows for artificial skin are the subject of the feature, natural alternative-fuel vehicles. “Everyday Fingers,” on page 39 of this issue.

August 2011 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 15 WASHINGTON WINDOW

Agency to Expedite O#shore Drilling Applications he Bureau of Ocean Energy significant sta$ time is spent reviewing ing and 18 permits have been returned Management, Regulation, and an application, and the development of to operators with requests for additional Enforcement said it is mak- clear permit review priorities that will information, particularly information T ing improvements in the oil expedite agency reviews. regarding containment. The proposed and gas permit application process. According to the U.S. Energy Infor- changes may reduce the number of per- Improvements include publication mation Administration, oil production mits returned to operators. of a permit application checklist to in the Gulf of Mexico has been rising. Exxon Mobil announced in June that assist o$shore oil and gas operators in In 2010, nearly 600 million barrels of it had identified a substantial oil and gas submitting complete applications to oil were produced, the highest level in source in 7,000 feet of water, and about drill, the implementation of complete- three decades. 230 miles from the nearest shoreline in ness checks by bureau personnel before There are currently 24 permits pend- the Gulf of Mexico. Senate Bills Back Modular Reactors Two bills, S.512 and S.1067, before Costs are a major issue in large nuclear WHITE HOUSE WEIGHS the Senate Energy and Natural plants. The cost of a nuclear power plant IN ON THE SMART GRID Resources Committee seek to with a 2,000 MW capacity can exceed $14 establish research programs to reduce billion. The White House has released the cost of nuclear plants by using small The Committee also received testimony a 108-page report, “A Policy reactors. on S.937, which includes a number of Framework for the 21st Century Grid: Enabling Our Secure Advocates of small modular reac- provisions that would seek to increase Energy Future,” which specifies tors, designed to generate less than the use of transportation fuels that are various smart grid initiatives. not petroleum based. While there was 300 MW, believe they can reduce the The report was prepared by costs of nuclear plant construction. agreement that diversifying the nation’s the National Science and The committee has received testimony transportation fuels would be a clear Technology Council. from proponents who said that modular benefit to both national and economic The initiatives include $250 construction techniques will permit plant security, there were concerns raised that million in loans for smart-grid subassemblies to be built which can be some of the bill’s provisions might have technology deployment. delivered and assembled on site. high environmental costs. The report is aimed at closely monitoring and guiding energy Senate Votes to End Ethanol Credit policy. It also clearly explains where the newly budgeted he Senate has voted 73-27 to refiners get for blending ethanol in gaso- federal dollars will be going and adopt an amendment to the line, as well as the 54-cents-per-gallon what the administration hopes Economic Development Revital- tari1 on imported ethanol. to achieve. T ization Act of 2011 that e1ec- Ethanol also is mandated by provi- The policy report aims to set up tively repeals the $5 billion blender’s tax sions contained in the Energy Indepen- a framework for implementing credit enjoyed by industry as part of the dence and Security Act (P.L. 110-140). that technology e.ciently, secur- nation’s ethanol mandate. The law mandates that 36 billion ing the connected power grid The amendment was introduced by gallons of biofuels must be in use by the from cyber threats, and creating Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Tom country by 2022. The House has not yet an energy framework that will Coburn (R-OK). “The 73 votes sent a followed suit, although House Appro- put more control in the hands of powerful message that the days of big priators did manage to successfully consumers using energy. subsidies for ethanol are coming to a adopt an amendment to the fiscal year close,” Sen. Feinstein said. “We must be 2012 agriculture appropriations bill, serious about addressing the debt and H.R. 2112, by a vote of 283-128, which deficit, and this is a good first step.” would prohibit the use of funds for the This section was compiled by ASME Govern- The amendment would eliminate both construction of an ethanol blender ment Relations. Links to more information at the 45-cents-per-gallon tax credit that pump or an ethanol storage facility. http://bit.ly/MEWashingtonWindow

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".251=:514&)=4:7 Looking at Water: Is There Enough? 24)*1 rops consume large proved inaccurate because no one accu- which demand more water. The greatest &3)(-448*9-* amounts of water, so is rately predicted the rise in energy prices change over the past 30 years has been '*89459.43+47 “ there enough to meet nor the world recession and the impact the shift away from starch-based diets to =4:73**)8 future demand or will these factors would have on food prices. meat, eggs, and dairy products to a point C 3 supplies run out? ... Of the 110,000 km The impacts of climate change are now were livestock products account for about of rain that falls annually on the earth’s only beginning to unfold as are the stress- 45 percent of the global water embedded surface, 36 percent ends up in the sea; es of population growth and water scar- in food products.” forestry, grazing lands, and fisheries, and city. But the simple answer to the question From “Water for Food: Innovative &(-.3.3,.3?)&=8 biodiversity consume 57 percent; towns, is—yes we have enough water but only if water management technologies for *89+47?5&798 cities, and industry use just 0.1 percent we act now to improve how water is used, food security and poverty alleviation,” 7.(*)+742 (11 km 3); while agriculture consumes 7 particularly in agriculture which is the United Nations Conference on Trade and -448*+742 3 percent (7,130 km ). Some 22 percent of main consumer. What is certain is that the Development, Current Studies on Science, ).A*7*39 agriculture’s water consumption (1,570 future of food security and water security Technology, and Innovation, No. 4. 2&9*7.&18 .3(1:).3," km 3) is ‘blue water’—water withdrawn are inextricably connected. =143 *17.3 from rivers, streams, and groundwater for “If water usage continues at the present $ # BRIEFLY NOTED 3/*(9.43 41).3,.3?)&=8 irrigation purposes. Most of agriculture’s rate, global water consumption will almost &1:2.3:2 *89+47?5&798 &3)'7&88 water consumption (5,560 km 3) is green double by 2050. However, a more optimis- Tang Rongyao, director of China’s 7.(*)+742 water—water available to crops from tic assessment suggests it may rise from State Electricity Regulatory Com- rainfall stored in the soil root zone. 7,130 km 3 to 8,515 km 3/yr by 2050. This is -448*+742 mission , said that the provincial grids -:3)7*)84+ “Predicting future water demand is not only based on predictions of population in ten provinces, including Beijing, *3,.3**7.3, fraught with difficulties. Forecasts made increase but also on improving socioeco- Shanghai, Hebei, Jiangsu and Zheji- ,7&)*7*8.38 less than 10 years ago have already been nomic conditions and nutrition—both of ang, are experiencing power supply .3(1:).3, tensions. The vice general manager of 41=5745=1*3* "!!&"% %" the State Grid Corp. of China , Shuai " "! (*9&1 # China’s Government in the Red for 2010 Junqing, predicted that electricity -448* 2&(-.3.3,47.3/*(9.43 41=(&7'43&9* 241).3,<-.(-*;*7.8'*89+47=4:7 The Finance Minister of China, Xie session of the Standing Committee of the shortages will reach 30 million kW in =143 574/*(9$514&)=4:724)*1&3) Xuren, told a session of the National 11th National People’s Congress. peak periods, the highest shortages 41=&2.)* 7*(*.;*&3&:942&9*).39*7&(9.;* ever recorded. /// Li Canrong, assis- &3) People’s Congress that the country's He said revenues totaled more than 6:49*.3-4:78 3(*&5574;*)4:7 tant to China’s Minister of Commerce , central government expenditures $655 billion, about $277 billion more (1:89*7(425:9.3,9*(-3414,=&3) said that China’s export situation will exceeded revenue in 2010 by the equiva- than the budgetary figure, and expendi- &:942&9*)2&3:+&(9:7.3,8=89*28 remain complicated this year. He said lent of about $123.5 billion U.S., accord- tures reached nearly $780 billion, $128 <.11)*1.;*77*&15&798:8.3,7*&1 that China should accelerate the trans- 2&9*7.&18.3&81.991*&843*)&= ing to a report by Xinhua, the o*cial million more than the budgetary figure. formation of the foreign trade develop- 3)9-&989-*7*&18947= news agency of the People’s Republic of The total central fiscal expenditure ment model, promote internationaliza- China. According to Xinhua, Xie said the included about $246 billion of central tion of strategic emerging industries, @ 7494 &'83(" *79.>*) deficit was about $7.7 billion less than government spending, and more than and entirely improve the quality and #"# the annual budget. benefits of international trade. $498 billion of tax rebates and transfer $!" ! Xie reported the figures during the 21st payments to local governments, Xie said. China’s Account Surplus in First Quarter Reaches $29.8 Billion hina’s current account surplus, plus in commodity trade worth $20.8 by $141.2 billion in the quarter, and a measure of the country’s for- billion, a service trade deficit worth $138 billion of that was kept as foreign eign trade, reached the equiva- $10.2 billion, a revenue surplus worth exchange reserves. "# " :73*<*89)*8.,3&.).8&(4410&1*.)4(=(1* C lent of $29.8 billion U.S. in the $7.6 billion, and a current transfers By the end of March, China’s foreign 9-&98-4<89-**A*(94+2&9*7.&1843>3.8-*8 first quarter of this year, an 18 percent surplus worth $11.6 billion. exchange reserves had reached $3,040 %.8.9 "! 94)&=&3) decrease from the quarter a year earlier, The surpluses under the current and billion, up 24.4 percent from a year ear- 7*6:*89=4:7+7** 7494,&2.39*7(4)* according to the State Administration capital and financial accounts raised lier, according to figures from China’s of Foreign Exchange. This includes sur- China’s international reserve assets central bank. &11 47;.8.9 "!

This report was prepared in part by ASME's Asia Paciﬁc LLC ofﬁce.

18 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | August 2011 !*&15&798!*&11=+&89

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-448*+742 -:3)7*)84+ *3,.3**7.3, ,7&)*7*8.38 .3(1:).3, 41=5745=1*3* "!!&"% %" " "! (*9&1 # -448* 2&(-.3.3,47.3/*(9.43 41=(&7'43&9* 241).3,<-.(-*;*7.8'*89+47=4:7 =143 574/*(9$514&)=4:724)*1&3) 41=&2.)* 7*(*.;*&3&:942&9*).39*7&(9.;* &3) 6:49*.3-4:78 3(*&5574;*)4:7 (1:89*7(425:9.3,9*(-3414,=&3) &:942&9*)2&3:+&(9:7.3,8=89*28 <.11)*1.;*77*&15&798:8.3,7*&1 2&9*7.&18.3&81.991*&843*)&= 3)9-&989-*7*&18947=

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me.hotims.com/34756-11 or circle 11 This section was written by COMPUTING Associate Editor Jean Thilmany.

Three-Wheeling n Australian industrial design firm, Design+Industry, recently gave shape to what a client hopes could be the next big thing in automobiles: a three-wheel, high- performance vehicle. Design+Industry designed it with the help of 3-D modeling, painting, and rendering software. Strike Motors Australia, an automotive A company, asked Design+Industry to turn its concept for a three-wheel vehicle into a commercially manufacturable automobile. The result is Trike, a half-car, half-motorcycle that seats two people and combines quick acceleration with ride stability and cornering capability, said Ben Car- m The Trike, designed by a firm of industrial engineers in Australia roll, industrial designer at Design+Industry. with the help of rendering software, seats two people and combines Design+Industry designers took the specs for the car and the benefits of car and motorcycle.

used the creative tools and modeling and rendering capa- DESIGN+INDUSTRY bilities in the software package modo 501 from Luxology of tic design, Carroll said. Mountain View, Calif. Their aim was to create a design that “We began using modo when clients started requesting would appeal to car enthusiasts and style-minded drivers, features we were not able to provide with the visualization and catch the attention of bystanders with a sleek, futuris- software we were using at the time,” Carroll said.

How Sustainable? ability standards from their particu- hether it’s a software evaluate and implement sustainability lar business perspective. Complex developer, manufac- standards most appropriate for them, standards are broken down into six turer, or food pro- Sudarsan said. different levels of detail—from the con- W ducer, businesses of Business leaders can call upon the textual view used by planners down to all stripes are looking to implement customized framework to view sustain- discrete data levels—and distilled into sustainability standards. But what categories to answer six questions: standards should they adopt? what, how, when, who, where, and why. To help, researchers at the National Results are arranged in a 36-cell Institute of Standards and Technology, matrix, Sudarsan said. in Gaithersburg, Md., have adapted the NIST is pilot testing the framework on so-called Zachman framework, a for- its new Sustainability Standards Portal mal approach developed in the 1980s at www.mel.nist.gov/msid/SSP/. to deﬁne organizational structures and Many incentives motivate businesses to classify and organize speciﬁcations to improve sustainability efforts. These and data accordingly, said Rachuri range from concerns like cutting costs Sudarsan, a lead researcher for the and reducing scrap, to compliance with project and a NIST computer scientist. regulatory and customer requirements, Recently, the Zachman framework to corporate citizenship. But businesses has been used to describe and catego- must be able to identify applicable rize complex health-care and cyber standards across entire lifecycles of security standards. But NIST research- products, processes, and services, ers have prototyped an adapted frame- Sudarsan said. NIST intends the frame- m work to help organizations of all types Software from NIST helps businesses evaluate sustainability standards. work to help leaders identify gaps and

sort through the welter of choices and overlaps in sustainability strategies. NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY

20 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | August 2011 well-known forecasting approaches. What Do You Think? Options for gathering opinions usually include convening esearchers from the RAND Corp. have come up meetings of experts where opinions are expressed face to face with a new way to analyze opinions culled from a (the nominal group technique), organizing panels of experts large group of experts and laypeople to aid com- who share their opinions without meeting in person (the Del- R plex decision-making. phi method), and putting out an open call for input to a large “Expert panels have long been used to pursue research community of people (the crowdsourcing method), he added. across a broad area of policy,” said Siddhartha Each of the approaches has certain strengths and Dalal, a lead researcher on the project and weaknesses, he said. Face-to-face meetings chief technology o- cer at RAND, a nonprofi t can be expensive and di- cult to organize. research organization in Santa Monica, Calif. In addition, such e0 orts usually are lim- “This new system allows expert panels to be ited to small groups of people with narrow done online in a robust way that resembles areas of specialization and can become face-to-face meetings, but with lower costs and dominated by a small number of strong easier analysis of the information gathered.” personalities. The online system and its associated method could While crowdsourcing methods can reach have applications within public policy, health care, large groups of people online, they also can be inef- fi nance, and marketing, where expert panels are fre- fi cient and unfocused unless there is clear direction and input quently used to help solve problems or predict an unknown is monitored, Dalal said. future, Dalal said. ExpertLens leverages the advantages of both Delphi method The system, called ExpertLens, incorporates elements of and the nominal group technique. It also uses modifi ed principles of crowdsourcing to o0 er a means to elicit opinions from a broad and diverse pool of experts who are in di0 erent Brainy Antennas locations, Dalal said. Just as too many cooks spoil the broth, too many users In general, in the fi rst phase of an ExpertLens process par- may interrupt the Wi-Fi signal. ticipants answer a series of questions. In the second phase, To ease signal interference, researchers in the new Continued on Page 22 Smart Antenna and Radio Laboratory at Gonzaga Uni- versity in Spokane, Wash., are investigating reliable high- bandwidth wireless communications via Wi-Fi. The researchers aim to overcome wireless signal interference caused when many users try to communicate STAR-CCM+: POWER with ease. simultaneously over the 2.4 GHz band used for wireless Delivering the power of integrated fluid dynamics & heat transfer communication, said Steven Schennum, an engineering simulation technology with the ease of automated meshing professor at the university, who helms the research. of complex geometries. The smart technologies developed by the team will allow antennas to focus on one user signal at a time. For example, for a Wi-Fi user working on a laptop with a weak or cross-polarized signal, a smart antenna system would use algorithms to optimize the signal to that individual laptop. Software from Ansys Inc. of Canonsburg, Pa., will enable the university to test the performance of antenna designs virtually, to reduce time and costs associated with build-and-test methods, Schennum said. “We’re creating a state-of-the art anechoic chamber for testing our physical antenna prototypes, but even the best antenna test chambers are limited in their size and shape, the performance of their absorptive materials, and the range of frequencies they can accommodate,” Schen- SOLUTIONS THAT SPAN THE TURBOMACHINERY INDUSTRY

num said. “By simulating electromagnetic ﬁ elds and cur- “The applications of this software seem to be inﬁnite. rents in a virtual environment using Ansys software, we The user-friendly interface makes it easy to learn and a very powerful tool” can test the performance of our antenna designs for any SEAN ALEXANDER - SOLAR TURBINES INC. location, plane, or geometry—and over a limitless range of frequencies—before moving to the prototype stage.” For more information: [email protected] The new laboratory was funded with the help of a nearly www.cd-adapco.com/starccmplus $1.2 million award from the National Science Foundation. me.hotims.com/34756-12 or circle 12

August 2011 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 21 COMPUTING Quicker at the Core in Parallel esearchers at North Carolina ers are expensive, and access to them that control access to shared data,” State University in Raleigh can be limited. Williams said. “This allows all of the have developed a new way to “Our goal was to develop software cores on the chip to work together to R use multi-core chips, which that enables scientists to run biologi- solve a unified problem.” they said will help computers more cal models on conventional computers The researchers tested the approach e#ciently process models of biological by using their multi-core chips more by running three models through systems. e#ciently,” he said. chips that utilized one core, as well as Computer models of biological sys- The brain of a computer chip is its chips that used the new technique to tems have many uses, from predicting central processing unit, or core. Most utilize two, four, and eight cores. In all potential side e%ects of new three models, the chip that used drugs to understanding the The process of breaking eight cores ran at least 7.5 times ability of plants to adjust to “down a program into threads faster than the chip that used climate change, said Cranos only one core. Williams, an assistant profes- is called parallelization, “This approach allows us to sor of electrical engineering at which allows computers to build complex models that better the university and a research- run programs very quickly. reflect the true characteristics er on the project. of the biological process, and do The new technique has improved personal computers now use chips ”it in a more computationally e#cient the e#ciency of algorithms used to that have between four and eight way,” Williams said. run models of biological systems cores. However, most programs only “In order to understand biological more than seven-fold, creating more operate in one core at a time. For a systems, we will need to use increas- realistic models that can account for program to use all the cores, it must ingly complex models to address the uncertainty and biological variation, be broken down into separate threads uncertainty and variation inherent in according to Williams. so that each core can execute a di%er- those systems.” Developing models for living ent part of the program simultane- Ultimately, the researchers want to things is challenging because, unlike ously, Williams said. see if this approach can be scaled up machines, biological systems can have The process of breaking down a for use on supercomputers and wheth- a significant amount of uncertainty program into threads is called paral- er it can be modified to take advantage and variation, he said. lelization, which allows computers to of the many cores that are available “When developing a model of a run programs very quickly. on graphics processing units used in biological system, you have to use In order to parallelize algorithms for many machines, Williams said. techniques that account for that models of biological systems, Wil- uncertainty, and those techniques liams’s research team created a way require a lot of computational power,” for information to pass back and forth What Do Williams said. “That means using among the cores on a single chip. powerful computers. Those comput- “We used threads to create locks You Think? Continued from Page 21 they review the group’s responses and BRIEFLY NOTED discuss their answers using online discussion boards. In the third phase, Structural engineering software developer, CSC , of Chicago, has released an update participants re-answer phase one ques- of its structural calculation software, Tedds. The update provides compatibility with tions based on the information Word 2010. /// Design Science of Long Beach, Calif., has released MathType 6.7 for they received during the Macintosh, featuring support for Microsoft Office 2011 and Mac OS X Lion. The appli- feedback and discussion cation helps communicate math on the Web and in print. /// Skew Matrix Software in the second phase, LLC of Louisville, Colo., has upgraded its OpenSceneGraph, which powers 3-D graph- Dalal added. ics rendering in visualization, simulation, virtual reality, and other 3-D applications. The online nature of /// The recently released SimulationX CAD interface from ITI Group of Dresden, ExpertLens allows the results to be Germany, allows assemblies to be imported into Creo Elements/Pro CAD software from PTC of Needham, Mass. /// NEi Software of Westminster, Calif., has released rapidly compiled and the findings to be an embedded Nastran solution for Creo Parametric, also from PTC. The software analyzed quickly, said Dmitry Khodya- allows engineers to perform finite element analysis using Nastran technology within kov, another ExpertLens developer the Creo environment. and an associate behavioral and social scientist at RAND.

22 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | August 2011 SOFTWARE EXCHANGE

materials. Imported data can be selected Hardware: PC running Inventor 2011 by appearance, part, body, or face and or 2012. new layers can be created to highlight Developer: Autodesk Labs, 111 McInnis specific parts of the design. Pkwy., San Rafael, CA 94903; (800) Hardware: PC running the Windows 964-6432; http://labs.autodesk.com. operating system and the SolidWorks Cost: Free. Preview will expire on Jan. CAD system. 31, 2013. Developer: Luxology LLC, 2525 East www.me.hotims.com/34756-73 or circle 73 Charleston Road, Suite 104, Mountain View, CA 94043-1636; (650) 336-1380; PHONE SCAN LUXION l Photo quality images from CAD models. fax (650) 336-1386; www.luxology.com. Capability: The iPhone app Cost: $299. Trimensional from a research sci- LOOKS REAL www.me.hotims.com/34756-71 or circle 71 entist in Georgia Tech’s College of Capability: KeyShot 2.2 is a ray-tracing Computing, allows users with an program that creates photorealistic DATA CONVERSION iPhone 4, iPad 2, or a recent iPod Touch images from 3-D CAD models. It sup- Capability: MultiCAD Direct Import to make 3-D models of everyday objects ports the SolidEdge, Autodesk Alias, XVL converters translate all major from photos and share them by e-mail. and Pro/engineer CAD programs. CAD and 3-D data formats into XVL. With the latest update, users can also Users can see results at the same time The converters access CAD models e-mail animated videos of their 3-D they make changes to the image. The through the user’s respective CAD sys- models. For a few dollars more, artists regular edition includes 2.1 megapixel tem. They express the model as highly and designers can even export their real-time resolution and 4.1 megapixel compressed 3-D surfaces that maintain creation to CAD programs or 3-D illus- o8ine rendering resolution; the pro- the accuracy and the visual integrity of tration applications. It produces a full fessional version includes unlimited the original data. The converters can 3-D model users can zoom into, pan real-time resolution, unlimited o8ine compress 3-D data up to 0.5 percent around, and view from any angle. rendering resolution, and 360-degree of its original size. All converters on Hardware: iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad. turntable animation. o3er can perform post-processing com- Developer: Grant Schindler, Georgia Hardware: PC running Windows 7, mands after conversions. Direct CAD Institute of Technology, 801 Atlantic XP or Vista, or Macintosh OS 10.5 or file input into the vendor’s XVL Studio Drive, Atlanta, GA 30332-0280; schin- higher. solution is available via the MultiCAD [email protected]. Developer: Luxion, 18201 Von Karman Direction Option for XVL Studio. Cost: 99 cents, available through the Ave., Suite 970, Irvine, CA 92612; (949) Hardware: PC running supported iTunes app store. 274-8871; fax (949) 266-9523; www. CAD system. www.me.hotims.com/34756-74 or circle 74 keyshot.com. Developer: Lattice Technology Cost: $994; Keyshot Pro $1,995. Inc., 582 Market St., Suite 1215, San www.me.hotims.com/34756-70 or circle 70 Francisco, CA 94104; (415) 274-1670; submissions fax (415) 274-1671; www.lattice3d.com. CLEAR VIEW Cost: $2,495. for software Capability: The modo for SolidWorks www.me.hotims.com/34756-72 or circle 72 + exchange Kit simplifies the importation of SolidWorks CAD models into Luxology MESH IT Describe the software program LLC’s modo 501 3-D modeling, paint- Capability: The Inventor Mesh Enabler in detail, following the format ing, and rendering software. The kit is a technology preview that enables shown here. You may include artwork. includes additional options for import- Inventor 2011 and 2012 users to work Send your submissions to: ing parts and assemblies. Inside the with imported mesh data. The 3-D CAD visualization software, users are pre- application can import mesh data from Software Exchange sented with a SolidWorks-style layout Catia files. The Mesh Enabler adds the Mechanical Engineering and navigation controls along with drag- ability to post-process the imported Three Park Avenue and-drop support for changing materi- mesh data to convert the mesh features New York, NY 10016-5990 fax: (212) 591-7841 als and selecting lighting environments. to Inventor base features. The base e-mail: memagMasme.org Tools included within the visualization features are then available for further software allow imported models to be operations, including drawings and ME does not test or endorse any software program described in this section. reorganized so that it’s easier to apply measurements.

August 2012 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 23 This section was edited by TECHFOCUS Executive Editor Harry Hutchinson Fluid Handling & Fluid Power Wireless Monitoring of Water Usage pharmaceutical plant in Ireland is using costs of cables by opting to try Rosemount wireless fl ow Emerson Process Management’s Smart and pressure transmitters on the new storage tanks. Wireless technology to keep track of According to Emerson, wireless communication lets a the water it uses. By going wireless, plant create a network and inexpensively add process we’re told, the company saved money on instrumentation. installation costs, and it has the option GlaxoSmithKline installed ten Smart Wireless devices: of expanding its network in the future at six Rosemount pressure transmitters, two Rosemount fl ow reasonable cost. transmitters, and two Rosemount The plant, operated in Cork by level transmitters. The Smart A Wireless technology integrates GlaxoSmithKline, produces active ingredients that are used in the with the plant’s automation formulation of prescription drugs. equipment. Flow data is trans- The Cork plant found that its mitted every 30 seconds and water storage facility was too pressure and level data every 300 small, so it added two new storage seconds to a Smart Wireless Gate- tanks along with a new pipework way positioned on the control infrastructure. room roof. According to Emmett Martin, The Gateway is connected using GlaxoSmithKline’s site services a serial connection to the Del- and automation manager, “Water taV digital automation system is a considerable overhead to the that controls the plant utilities. plant so it is important that we From here the fl ow and pressure monitor fl ow rates to manage con- measurements are sent to a data sumption, and to help identify any historian and are available to plant usage trends.” operators for regular monitoring n Wireless technology The tanks are about 300 meters monitors GlaxoSmith- and reporting. from the main control room and Kline’s water usage. GlaxoSmithKline said it is able there was no instrumentation or to identify water usage for di+ er- EMERSON PROCESS MANAGEMENT cabling in place. A wired installation would have required ent areas of the plant and has improved its understanding the addition of power and data cables buried in trenches. of the costs. The company said the information puts it in a The company avoided the acquisition and installation position to consider changes.

Polymer Piping Aims for Greater Sea Depths wo British companies—Victrex Victrex Polymer Solutions, a division environments where existing technolo- Polymer Solutions and Magma of Victrex plc, supplies Magma Global gies are reaching their limits, particu- Global Ltd.—are cooperating to with a proprietary PEEK polymer larly in very deepwater applications. T develop technology designed to formulation that is the key ingredient According to Magma Global, m-pipe’s support increasingly deep subsea oil of m-pipe. weight in water is one-tenth that of and gas extraction. Magma Global describes m-pipe steel risers and withstands opera- Magma Global introduced at the as carbon polymer pipe that offers tional temperatures to 390 °F with Offshore Technology Conference in improved reliability, increased perfor- no effect on corrosion or fatigue Houston earlier this year a trade- mance, lighter weight, and longer life performance. The company said it is marked product called m-pipe, which than conventional unbonded ﬂ exible currently designing m-pipe to opera- is intended for risers, ﬂ ow-lines, and pipe or steel alternatives. Magma Glob- tional pressures of 20,000 psi. Surface jumpers in very-high-pressure and al is marketing m-pipe as a solution roughness averages 0.05 µm. extreme-temperature environments. to meet the challenges faced in harsh The product is available with internal

24 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | August 2011 Mixer Seal Gets Major Makeover BY VIC LUNDBERG The second obstacle was the length Quadna redesigned the mixer stu4 ng of the shaft. The mixing operation uses box for a John Crane Type 3740D car- ealing the agitator shaft entry a long unsupported shaft, where it is tridge split seal using the Vespel sleeve point in a tank used for high common to experience excessive shaft bearing. This represented one of the temperature mixing of tita- run-out at the mechanical seal. fi rst John Crane dry-running beta split S nium tetrachloride (TiCl4) at We recommended installing seal installations. its Henderson, Nev., plant was a crucial a sleeve bearing made of During fi nal assembly of worker-safety issue for Titanium Met- DuPont Vespel CR6100 the bearing and split-seal als Corp. (Timet). TiCl4 is an aggressive polyimide. The additional system, a slight dimen- chemical that has a tendency to fl ash o( sleeve would help the long sional issue prevented to form a potentially noxious vapor and shaft run true and mini- installation of the John toxic white cloud. In addition, when the mize shaft run-out at the Crane seal. Because chemical comes into contact with water, mechanical seal. time was running it can become hazardous. The typical clearance short, the mixer had In late 2010, Timet sought out the for a steady bearing for a to be placed back into engineering team at Quadna to advise shaft of the diameter used service. During subsequent the best way to seal the mixer shaft for this mixer (3 to 5 inches) operation the Vespel sleeve JOHN CRANE INC. entry point. We faced two major is 0.020 in. of total clearance. bearing alone sealed nearly challenges in developing an e( ective The Vespel sleeve bearing m John Crane dry- 100 percent of the vapor solution. was machined for a total running split seal. and also demonstrated its The fi rst was to determine how to clearance of 0.007– 0.010 in. e( ectiveness in reducing maintain a strong positive seal. The seal The reduction in clearance between the run-out. So, Quadna and plant o4 cials design was of paramount importance bearing and shaft allowed the Vespel decided to continue operating the and there were critical metallurgy sleeve bearing to act as a primary seal unit without the seal while the minor issues as well. Previously, the system as well as to keep shaft run-out well dimensional issue was addressed. employed a double mechanical seal with below maximum acceptable levels. Then, at the fi rst opportunity, we put a mineral-oil barrier fl uid that provided The reduction in clearance was pos- in the dry-running seal to ensure com- lubrication between the inboard and sible because of the unique coe4 cient- plete containment of vapor. The split outboard faces. of-thermal-expansion properties of seal took only hours to install during a Timet wanted to use a split mechani- Vespel. Thermal growth is largely brief outage (versus the days required cal seal instead—because its installa- confi ned to the z direction (along the for a double seal) and has operated tion and eventual replacement takes shaft)—growth in the x and the y without a hitch. far less time. However, to enhance the directions is extremely small. In addi- Several vessels in the plant that operation, a dry seal was needed. tion, the material is chemically inert to were experiencing similar problems The problem? At the time, no manu- TiCl4 and can operate without lubrica- now have received John Crane Type facturer was producing a dry-running tion because of its very low coe4 cient 3740D dry-running split seals as well split seal. of friction. as Dupont Vespel 6100 sleeve bearings for their mixer shafts, resulting in the containment of all TiCl4 vapor. These enhancements have provided other benefi ts, too. Signifi cant savings diameters of 2 to 24 inches. M-pipe tion Procedures for New Technology , come from eliminating the mineral-oil with internal diameters up to 15 with independent assurance from barrier fl uid and specialized seal- inches can be spooled. Lloyd’s Register as the basis for quali- support equipment to regulate fl ow and Magma said it has carried out a wide fi cation of its risers, jumpers, and pressure required by double mechani- range of structural tests including spools. In addition Magma said it has cal seals. In addition, seal replacement four point bend, tension, compression, made detailed reference to DNV-RP- in the future will take much less time. creep, collapse, burst, inter laminar F202, DNV-RP-F204, DNV-OS-F101, Quadna team members are incorpo- sheer strength, compression ring, DNV-OS-C501 and DNV-OS-F201 to rating all the modifi cations as standard stress cycling, and impact. ensure it has fully captured industry o( erings for new mixers that Timet is Magma told us that, for qualifi cation best practice for these products. purchasing for the plant. Installation of m-pipe, the company has chosen The two companies are based in of these mixers should be completed by the risk-based approach advocated in England, Victrex in Thornton Cleveleys the end of 2011. Det Norske Veritas RP-A203 Qualifi ca- and Magma in Portsmouth. Vic Lundberg is a process engineer for Quadna, a DXP company.

August 2011 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 25

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August 2011 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 27

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August 2011 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 29 FOCUS ON ENGINEERING MANAGEMENT

It takes judgment and thought to balance the ethical engineer and capable project manager. By Brian E. Porter Serving

e’ve all been there: an executive, manager, or client pressures the Wengineer to make decisions based on business economics rather than technical merit. Last year was ﬁ lled with stories of missteps: BP’s loss of Deepwater Horizon , and Toyota’s problems with brakes and accelerators. Earlier this year, on Jan. 28, we remembered the explosion 25 years ago of the Space Shuttle Challenger . The Rogers Commission, appointed to investigate the incident, attributed the accident to “failure in the O-rings sealing a joint on the right solid rocket booster.” The House Committee on Science and Technology, however, published its own ﬁ nding: “that the underlying problem which led to the Challenger accident was not poor communication or underlying procedures …. Rather, the fundamental problem was poor technical decision-making over a period of several years by top NASA and contractor personnel, who

30 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | August 2011 erving Two Masters

failed to act decisively to solve the increasingly serious anomalies in the solid rocket booster joints.” Michael Roberto, Trustee Professor of Management at Bryant University, is a recognized authority on decision-making. When he was a Harvard Business School professor, he wrote a book on the subject, Why Great Leaders Don’t Take Yes for an Answer. In that book, Roberto drew parallels between the culture of NASA in 1986 and that of the 2003 Columbia Shuttle disaster. In both circumstances, there was su, cient data to indicate the dangers, but fl ight managers pressed forward. Deepwater Horizon , Challenger , and other disasters were overseen by managers who were also trained engineers. How did they miss critical details or make decisions with such disastrous results? Brian E. Porter, P.E., PMP, is the Many individuals in engineering director of technical product and fi rms—many reading this article, in market development for Semler Industries in Franklin Park, Ill., and fact—carry credentials for two jobs. vice president of Marcus Goncalves They are licensed Professional Consulting Group in Boston. He is also an adjunct professor at Engineers and certifi ed Project Nichols College in Dudley, Mass.

August 2011 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 31 Management Professionals. Whether to legally perform certain criti- or territory requires project manage- you have the P.E. initials behind cal services. The requirement is ment licensure. your name or PMP, the titles are less intended to protect individuals and The benefit is usually hiring or pro- important than the responsibilities society. “Professional Engineer” motion-related, but enough research they bring. is a legal designation in the United has been done to demonstrate There is not supposed to be a con- States and is enforced by each of the much better on-time and on-budget flict in combining the engineer’s role states according to their specialized performance from those that have with that of project manager because requirements often involving local the PMP certification. It also unifies they are supposed to complement issues such as hurricanes, tornadoes, terminology so that PMPs in the U.S., each other. The engineer and the earthquakes, killer bees, etc. Licen- Brazil, China, India, or elsewhere are manager share responsibility on a sure requires education, experience, speaking the same “language.” project for “getting it right.” good character, and the passing However, over the past 50 years, of a rigorous examination. with the flattening of management, Many engineers may be com- engineers also must balance budgets petent to do so, but only P.E.s and meet business demands. The are legally permitted to stamp challenge remains for each engineer drawings and approve final to balance the P.E. and PMP respon- designs, for instance. sibilities. The requirements to meet The PMP designation is a technical needs (functional specifi- certification provided by the cations, public safety, reliability, etc.) Project Management Institute. and business (such as budget and It requires job experience, schedule management) are frequent- references, formal education, ly conflicting in nature, even when ongoing education, and an they theoretically serve one another. exam to become accredited— The Professional Engineer holds many of the same require- a license. Just as a doctor, attorney, ments of the P.E. license. But as or architect, one must be licensed of today, no governmental body

Engineer’s Creed

As a Professional Engineer, I dedicate my professional knowledge and skill to the advancement and betterment of human welfare. I PLEDGE: » To give the utmost of performance. » To participate in none but honest enterprise. » To live and work according to the laws of man and the highest standards of professional conduct. » To place service before proﬁt, the honor of standing of the profession before personal advantage, and the public welfare above all other considerations. In humility and with need of Divine Guidance, I make this pledge.

32 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | August 2011 The licensed engineer and the In practice, deciding the technical Young engineer vs. certified project manager both have and business goals will require judg- senior business manager: codes of conduct that set high moral ment of what is “best” for the client. Early in his career, an engineer was and ethical standards such as honest tasked with testing a new prototype enterprise and doing what is best for Ethical device. The equipment would recycle the client. The conflict often arises water-based fluids on site to reduce with the question of what “best for Considerations transportation and labor costs. A the client” really means. The greatest challenge to both single alpha prototype proved prom- Meeting the schedule and budget is engineers and managers is that many ising, and three more units were critical for a customer. So is the qual- corporate leaders feel pressure from built for beta testing in a controlled ity of the product. stockholders and other stakeholders test facility. After the first day’s test- more immediately than they do the ing, a senior business manager called urgency of safety or engineering the engineer and announced that he obligations. Sometimes manag- was going to take the beta prototypes ers will ask for actions that cross out to several customers. the line of reasonable risk. These The young engineer refused to circumstances require an engineer remove the equipment from the test to oppose business drivers. In situ- facility because the units needed a ations of safety and health, there is few more weeks’ evaluation of their no choice. Deciding where that line safety and performance. The busi- is—well that’s the challenge. ness manager got upset and demand- Consider a few real-life examples. ed, “You will package them up, and

Project Management’s Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct (Excerpt)

As practitioners of project management, we are committed to doing what is right and honorable. We set high standards for ourselves and we aspire to meet these standards in all aspects of our lives—at work, at home, and in service to our profession. This Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct describes the expectations that we have of ourselves and our fellow practitioners in the global project management community. It articulates the ideals to which we aspire as well as the behaviors that are mandatory in our professional and volunteer roles. The purpose of this Code is to instill conﬁdence in the project management profession and to help an individual become a better practitioner. We do this by establishing a profession-wide understanding of appropriate behavior. We believe that the credibility and reputation of the project management profession is shaped by the collective conduct of individual practitioners.

August 2011 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 33 I’m taking them to customers.” Demands to sacrifice When it came time to deliver the During the first night’s testing, final product, it was on time, on two of the three units failed to meet safety are out budget—and not very good. It had been performance metrics and a safety rushed and details were missing. Per- component on each one failed. Their of the question. formance was marginalized to meet primary containment vessels, full Demands to sacrifice schedule and budget. It was the engi- of liquid, collapsed and leaked into neer’s own doing. After the product the facility’s containment area. This performance must report was first delivered, the manager information was relayed to the busi- be evaluated. o*ered some advice, “Remember this: ness manager. people will remember good work (or You might think that the story is bad work) a lot longer than they will over, but instead, the manager demanded that the third remember if you were a week late or over budget.” The unit be packaged and delivered to a customer. The engi- engineer went back to work and delivered the product late neer refused and called the vice president and directors and over budget. There was short-lived chiding from some of both departments to the see the failed equipment. The in management over the failure to meet the deadline, but business manager was escorted out of the R&D facility when the product was successful, ultimately the engineer and told that he had no further say as to when the units was rewarded. would be shipped for field evaluation. Your Call Three engineers vs. marketing: As engineers, we have obligations to be conscious of During the design of a new electromechanical product, a the budget and schedule, but it is far more important to company with revenues greater than $1 billion decided to prevent oil well blow-outs, braking problems, or O-ring hire an outside engineering firm and assigned an engineer failures on a rocket booster. When in doubt, get a team of on its payroll as the project manager to oversee the e*ort. other individuals to help evaluate decisions. Those within After six months of design, testing, redesign, and retesting, the company and external resources may be helpful. the product was proposed to marketing. The engineering Demands to sacrifice safety are out of the question. firm, one of its third-party engineering consultants, and the Demands to sacrifice performance must be evaluated engineer acting as project manager all agreed to the design. diligently and sensitively. Take some time to consider deci- The marketing director determined that the cost was sions you’ve made: Learn from the past; use it today, for a too high for the overall product and suggested removing successful future. ■ one of the safety features. All three engineers recommended keeping the device and recorded their opinions in writing. The three engineers consulted a nationally recognized testing laboratory, which noted that, while no standard mandated the safety device, if the three engi- To Read More neers felt it important to include, then it should be included. The marketing director decided against the engineers PMI. Project Management Institute Code of Ethics and stating that they were too risk-averse, and ordered the Professional Conduct. Retrieved Jan. 13, 2011, from removal of the device, since it was not mandatory under http://www.pmi.org/About-Us/Ethics/~/media/PDF/ the standard. Ethics/ap_pmicodeofethics.ashx. Six months after this decision, several thousand Roberto, Michael, Why Great Leaders Don’t Take Yes machines were recalled from the field because of a fire risk. for an Answer: Managing for Conflict and Consensus , The safety device would have prevented the fire risk. The (Wharton School Publishing, 2005). cost? Several million dollars in recall promotion, equipment rework, and labor versus $30,000 to have installed Rogers Commission report, “Report of the the components initially. Presidential Commission on the Space Shuttle Challenger Accident” (1986). http://history.nasa.gov/ Engineer vs. self: rogersrep/v1ch4.htm. Sometimes the worst enemy to quality is not business or U.S. House Committee on Science and Technology, fiscal demands, but engineers themselves. There was an “Investigation of the Challenger Accident: Report engineer in the middle of his career, working for a company of the Committee on Science and Technology, that set a reasonable deadline. Unforeseeable circum- House of Representatives” (Government Printing stances forced several delays. None of the management Office, 1986). http://www.gpoaccess.gov/ team required the engineer to make up the time, but the challenger/64_420.pdf. engineer was focused on meeting a self-imposed deadline to prove his worth.

34 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | August 2011 Even those who make and sell nothing are devising new ways to make money from U.S. patent laws. By Kirk Teska f you want to address something, as the fi rst step, you have to defi ne the thing. Take patent trolls, for instance. Much maligned, they have never been clearly defi ned and thus can be dif- fi cult to handle. Meanwhile, opportu- nistic new species of this interesting creature ikeep popping up. The earliest trolls were fi rst called “submariners.” The typical profi le was someone who had numerous patent fi lings for futuristic ideas (futuristic at the time, anyway), who didn’t actually manufacture or sell anything, and who purposefully delayed letting the pat- Kirk Teska is the ents issue (often for twenty years or more) managing partner of until the marketplace had fully embraced the Iandiorio, Teska, and Coleman; an adjunct technology mentioned in the patent fi lings. professor at Suffolk Law Then these submariners surfaced, allowed School, and the author of two books: Patent Savvy for their patents to issue, and sued or threatened Managers (Nolo) and Patent to sue many of the businesses in an entire Project Management (ASME Press).

August 2011 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 35 industry (for example, wafer production or barcode tech- less device) and which then aggressively sued the biggest nologies) often seeking a small percentage of a large com- players in the industry surrounding that idea. pany’s entire yearly revenue. Proposed legislation that would thwart these trolls has, A change in the patent laws put an end to these sub- to date, not made it into law probably because it’s di+cult mariners: patents, beginning in 1995, now have a life of to outlaw patent trolling if you cannot adequately define twenty years from the date of the application (instead of it. Under some definitions, the legendary independent seventeen years from issuance of the patent) meaning the inventor toiling in his garage could be a troll. Under other submarining tactic of keeping a patent application pend- definitions, well-known productive companies could ing eats up the life of any resulting patent. sometimes be deemed trolls—for example if they sue over Trolls subsequently came to mean, in many cases, a patent which covers a product the company doesn’t cur- companies which existed only to own broad patents for an rently sell. idea (for example, the ability to receive e-mail on a wire- Where Con gress has failed, though, the courts have limited, in some ways, certain aspects of patent trolling. That has certainly not stopped all of the conventional trolls, however, nor has it a#ected the proliferation of new, somewhat unconventional trolls. Recently, for example, the first patent marking troll made its appearance. Often, this troll isn’t even an inventor of any kind. Patent attorney marking trolls, for example, prey on mistakes made by companies when their products are incorrectly marked with patent numbers. The customary practice when a new gizmo is engineered is to put “patent pending” on it and later, when a patent is won, to begin marking the gizmo with the patent number. Patent marking trolls seek the recovery of a $500 fine for every gizmo sold with a “wrong” patent number. The wrong number scenarios include the situation where a patent naturally expires after its full term (or expires even earlier in the case where certain government required patent maintenance fees are not paid) and yet the now expired patent number remains on a product. Or, a patent could change or even be adjudicated invalid. Still another scenario is when the gizmo itself changes to the extent that it no longer has any of the features covered by the patent. A fine of $500 for every falsely marked gizmo could far outweigh the profits made on the gizmo. How did this sad state of a#airs come to be? It’s a little complicated. Under one section of the patent statute, if a competitor produces an infringing product which violates a patent marked on a product, the competitor is deemed to be “on notice” of the patent and, if found guilty of patent infringement, will have to pay damages for all sales of infringing products from the date the patented products were marked. Remarkably, this is true even if the competitor never saw the product, the patent marking on it, or the patent. This is a strong incentive to mark a patented product with a patent number. Conversely, if you sell a patented product and don’t mark it with your patent number and I copy the product and violate the patent, I don’t have to pay damages for sales I make before you actually notify me about the pat- When sued over patent ent, by sending me a letter, for example. marking, Solo was able to prove Since patent infringement lawsuits cost millions, they that it had no intent to deceive. are usually not brought unless the infringer has a lot of sales revenue and was “on notice” for all or most of the

36 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | August 2011 sales. And so, patented products typically have a patent number or two on them. What happens, though, if a company falsely marks its products with a patent number in an attempt to scare people away from copying the product? In our system of laws where fairness is at least a goal, you would expect such acts are illegal. They are: another section of the patent statute makes companies liable for up to a $500 fi ne per false patent marking o* ense. The $500 is split evenly between the U.S. government and the person who brings the charge of false marking. So far, so good, but think about it: Would a rational person sue if the maximum total recovery was $250? No, and as a PATENT CENTRAL: result the false patent Intellectual marking statute histori- Ventures owns a cally wasn’t used much. store of intellectual That all changed property and has when the U.S. Court of fi led suits. RPX was Appeals for the Federal formed to avoid Circuit determined, in IP lawsuits. a case between com- petitors, that the statute actually means a $500 fi ne on a per-article basis public.” In the case, Solo suc- rather than a $500 fi ne cessfully proved that it had based on a decision to falsely mark a product. no intent to deceive because the company, as individual You can now see where this is headed. If I fi nd a lot, say molds wore out, replaced them with new molds lack- millions, of identical products which are marked incor- ing the expired patent numbers—a practice which was rectly, we are talking some real money. I’ll pick some kind blessed by Solo’s attorneys. As a result, Solo never had to of disposable product like, say, those plastic lids on co* ee pay any fi ne. Another defense is that the statute allows an and soda drinks provided at Starbucks and other establish- individual judge to award less than the $500 upper limit ments. That is exactly what a patent attorney did when he per false marking o* ense. sued Solo for false marking in a case where a $500 fi ne per Congress too is taking notice of the situation: A bill article could total almost the U.S.’s national debt. (S.515) has now been proposed which would require a Others too saw the potential for big recoveries—by some false marking claimant to prove economic injury to the accounts, hundreds of false patent marking cases have been claimant. If this bill becomes law, most patent marking fi led. And it’s not just low-tech disposable products that are trolls couldn’t fi le false marking actions. targets. High tech companies like 3M, Pfi zer, Medtronic, So far, there is no report of anyone coming away from any and Cisco currently face false marking lawsuits. of these lawsuits a millionaire, but it could happen were it Based on the ruling in the Solo case, though, these proven a given company actually meant to deceive people companies have at least a little ammunition with which to into believing a product was patented when it wasn’t. defend themselves. The new troll is the über troll. Funded to the tune of $5 In the Solo case, Solo did once have patents covering billion and armed with 30,000 patents and patent appli- the lids. To provide the notice which would enable it to cations, Intellectual Ventures LLC located in Bellevue, recover damages for any infringement of the patents, Solo Wash., urges high tech companies to become customers made it so the molds marked the relevant patent num- of the company lest they fi nd themselves defendants in bers on the lids at the time of manufacture. The problem patent litigation lawsuits. IV, formed in 2000 by ex- was the molds lasted longer than the patents. When the Microsoft CTO Nathan Myhrvold, spent its fi rst 10 years patents expired, all later lids produced by the molds and building a huge patent portfolio. Some originated from containing the patent numbers were falsely marked. inventions conceived by IV personnel; others were pur- Even so, the court noted the false marking statute chased. Verizon and Cisco reportedly paid hundreds of requires false marking with an “intent to deceive the millions of dollars to IV. But recently, when a few targeted

August 2011 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 37 companies balked at licensing IV’s it can still help with the defense using IV’s portfolio but patents, IV promptly sued them. that won’t necessarily work if the patent owner is a troll: A byproduct of the über troll trolls don’t care about patents you have (or have access are companies like RPX Corp., to) because trolls don’t manufacture or sell anything which is paid by other com- which could infringe a patent. panies to buy up potentially So, paying into IV and/or RPX is not the same as an threatening patents a troll insurance policy. And, even with the “help” of IV and could use against them. RPX, RPX, history proves new and improved breeds of trolls which declined to be comment will inevitably emerge. ■ for this article, prom- ises to never litigate the patents in its portfolio. Annual memberships are available and di,er in price from tens of thousands to millions of dollars based on the subscribing company’s operating income. These “Troll Shields” might ﬁll in the gap between a Congress which might not act and court cases which only slightly impede various kinds of trolling. The problem is even if a company doesn’t mismark its products, and even if it pays into both Intellec- tual Ventures and RPX, there’s still nothing to stop some other “regular” troll from alleging a patent violation. Consider a new startup desiring to design, manufacture, and sell a new smart phone. There are likely numerous patents that would have to be traversed or licensed in order to sell the smart phone without “Actually, it’s not magic at all… liability given its many subsystems: these guys just like to dress up!” processors and other chips, cam- “At Forest City Gear, you see, we produce the highest quality, engineered solutions era and GPS technology, software, to our customers’ requirements and we do it using the best gearmaking machines and the like. IV calls this intellec- and test equipment we can afford. If there’s any magic in us at all, it’s found in the tual property a company needs an people who make those gears, splines and assemblies at our company, every day, “invention gap” and IV says it can then deliver them to you on time and at the best price possible.” ﬁll the gap (but will not disclose its “Our company motto is Excellence Without Exception and we try to live by that deal terms). code, on every part on every job. To do less would make us bad wizards and, worse, So, the startup signs on as an IV it would disappoint our worldwide customer base, some of whom are you folks customer and, for good measure, reading this ad, right now. That’s a witch’s brew and you’ll never find such a becomes a member of RPX. But, concoction at our company…ever.” “That’s one spell you can count on!” what if a patent owner owns a patent -Fred Young, CEO and Chief Wizard, violated by the new smart phone and Forest City Gear what if that patent is not in either IV’s or RPX’s portfolio? In such a Scan this code on your smart phone and see Fred walking through the plant. case, the startup’s membership in (He’s really the guy who likes to dress up!) RPX and the fact the start-up is a www.bit.ly/ForestCityWizard 11715 Main Street Or visit www.forestcitygear.com for the rest of our story! Roscoe, IL 61073 815-623-2168 customer of IV is unavailing. IV says me.hotims.com/34756-13 or circle 13

38 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | August 2011 Everyday Fingers

n a former life, Dan Didrick fabricated cosmetic fi ngers. Prosthetic limbs have been The key word in that phrase Iis cosmetic. around a long time; but until Dan Didrick came “The fi ngers were only a silicon cap that doesn’t bend,” Didrick said. “We along, working artifi cial call them Sunday fi ngers because fi ngers didn’t exist. you wear them to church or dinner By Jean Thilmany, and then throw them in a drawer for Associate Editor the week.” Bedeviled by the cosmetic fi ngers’ shortcomings, he invented X-Finger, surgical steel fi ngers that move, fl ex, and grasp, just like the wearer’s original fi ngers. “You can move them as quickly as

August 2011 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 39 you can move your prior finger; plus because it’s common tearing. Think of what an artificial fishing worm feels like to flex your finger from open to closed and the X-Finger and how it can stretch. follows motion of a residual finger, there’s no learning “We actually contacted a company that was doing a job curve,” Didrick said. “A patient can use the device right for the military, and they’d formulated thermoplastic to away after putting it on. They could immediately catch a the same durometer reading as human skin; so it’s almost tossed ball that they see from the corner of their eye.” eerie to touch it, in that it feels like skin,” Didrick said. Along the ten-year path since his first prototype, Didrick Each finger contains 23 moving parts, though depending patented the device—which uses no electronics—himself, on the complexity of the case—such as whether the wearer sought and received coverage from all major medical retains a residual finger or not—it could contain more. insurers for the fingers, and taught himself computer- For those without residual fingers, a wire runs into the aided design. That last bit, he said, was the easiest. webbing between the fingers to receive open and flex A huge proportion of nonfatal accidental amputations impulses. The device is attached to the wrist and fitted involve fingers. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics over the hand and the residual fingers. estimates that finger losses account for about 94 percent “It was really challenging replacing the ring and middle of job-related amputations. finger. The joint that controls those residual fingers is in So Didrick—who got his start in prosthethics as a child, your hand,” Didrick said. “But in this case it needs a probe by using materials from his father’s dental o-ce to make that goes down into the webbing between the fingers to be movie-quality monster masks—put his skills to use controlled by that joint. fabricating prosthetic fingers. For those who have lost four fingers, the device allows the But his world, and his job, changed when he met a man movement of the palm to control all the artificial fingers. who had lost several fingers in an accident and who was deaf. The loss of the fingers made it impossible to Post Engineering communicate in sign language. Though he’d invented the world’s first active prosthetic “I started by actually carving components out of finger (the passive type is the cosmetic “Sunday” finger), wood and assembling them into reciprocating series of Didrick, who now owns Didrick Medical Inc. of Naples, components that, through leverages, force the mechanics Fla., was still an industry outsider. in the shape of a finger to move from a straight to a bent He bought a book called Patent It Yourself by David position; from straight to a fist,” Didrick said. Pressman (1979 McGraw-Hill and since updated) and Many amputees retain part of their finger. So the device, spent a year writing his own patent. when fitted over the hand and the residual finger or Once the device was patented, FDA representatives and fingers, lets a patient move his or her X-Finger by moving some online help taught him how to write a 513(d) document the residual finger from extended to bent. necessary for device evaluation. Didrick sent his evaluation “So I came up with the assembly, but I was just carving to the agency and soon received a positive response. it out of wood,” Didrick said. “Then I started seeking out X-Fingers (the plural, used when the device contains more design engineers. That’s when I realized it can cost tens of than one finger) had been registered with the FDA. thousands of dollars to have a design engineer create an The next step was receiving insurance approval for the assembly of this nature.” fingers. After he won approval from the FDA, he went on Though he had majored in business in college, Didrick to get approval from all major insurance companies, which rose to this first challenge as he would rise to many others now cover X-Fingers. while launching X-Finger. He simply bought a CAD “From there, the device began taking o.. The need was package—SolidWorks, from the company in Concord, great,” Didrick said. “Many amputees had been awaiting Mass.—and quickly ran through the tutorial. something like this.” “Then I just started designing the components,” he said. What’s little realized, he said, is how many children “It only took about two weeks to get the first design. I lose fingers. The largest group of people who lose fingers shipped those to a manufacturer and they replicated them outside the workplace are children under five, who using an EDM machine and sent back components.” undergo finger amputation due to accidents like slamming Because all amputation cases are di.erent, Didrick them in a car door. went on to develop what he called an erector set of parts He also has learned that one out of 200 people will lose that could be assembled into more than 500 di.erent one or more fingers within their lifetime. That statistic configurations. That number is likely much higher than takes into account people living all over the world. 500, but “once I got that high, I became confused counting “It’s not only machinists who lose fingers,” Didrick said. them,” he said. You can see a video demonstration of the X-Finger at The device is composed of stainless steel, with a plastic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dEX_0by9_30. cap that sits on the tip of the finger and another bit Many of Didrick’s customers pay a deposit in advance, of plastic that sits at the flange. This is covered with which helps finance the four-employee company and its a thermoplastic cosmetic skin that is soft and resists continued innovations.

40 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | August 2011 X-Fingers invented by Dan Didrick, are prosthetic fingers that can be manipu- lated by wearers through use of their residual finger or fingers. The device lets them regain full use of their finger

DIDRICK MEDICAL INC. or fingers. Didrick taught himself CAD to model and manufacture the device, then patented it and sold it himself. What’s New and Next? After his initial success, Didrick began routinely traveling Didrick is also trying to help children whose insurance to the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio and companies deny them coverage because they grow out of to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, their prosthetics too fast. The costs of producing children’s D.C., to fit wounded soldiers. He has also fitted British X-Fingers are high because of the variation in injuries soldiers with the device. and finger dimensions in smaller fingers and hands. He’s The U.S. Department of Defense asked him to design recently established the nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization, an artificial thumb, which he has also done. It’s, not World Hand Foundation, to cover costs to provide surprisingly, called the X-Thumb. X-Fingers for those who cannot a,ord to pay for them. He’s now at work on a thin glove that would enable those And he’s still using his original CAD package. with paralyzed hands who retain some mobility in the “If we needed the funds to hire a professional design wrist to use that mobility to control their hands. team we’d never be able to do this,” Didrick said. ■

August 2011 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 41 FOCUS ON PLANT ENGINEERING AND MAINTENANCE

hen a system is not performing as expected, we record and study its w vital signs in an e" ort to diagnose the problem. When some key parts cannot be reached for measurement, we have to fi nd an alternative way to get the information we need. Here is a case in point. The managers of a coal-fi red power plant believed that the ash removal system was not operating as e& - ciently as it should. Ash fell from the fur- nace and was sluiced out at intervals, When along with the instruments fi ne ash and dust can’t reach from the plant’s the pump, there’s another electrostatic pre- way to cipitators. The go with resulting slurry the fl ow. collected in an underground By Ray Beebe sump, from which it was pumped to a disposal pond some distance away. Two ash disposal pumps were installed, one being for standby. Ash settled out in the disposal pond and the carrying water over- fl owed to a reservoir. Two return pumps

Ray Beebe is a senior lecturer in moved the water from there to a tank, lo- the School of Applied Sciences and cated above ground and above the ash sump, Engineering at Monash University and director of MCM Consultants where it would be available to re-enter the Pty Ltd. in Victoria, Australia. ash removal process. Editor’s note: This article is adapted In theory, the system should have operated from a paper presented at the ICOMS 2007 Asset Management Conference almost as a closed loop. There would be loss- in Melbourne, Australia. es attributable to evaporation from the pond,

42 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | August 2011 which had a surface area of several acres, and the system was All fl ow from the tank was replenishing the ash sump, accord- set up to add water from the municipal supply to make up for ing to the detected sump level change and the autovalve. The those losses. In practice, though, it was drawing much more level of the tank was measured at regular intervals of one min- town water than expected. ute, and resulted in a plot relating volume contained vs. time. Not only was the town water expensive, but there was also When I was plotting the data afterwards, I observed that the a risk that adding so much outside water to the system would level in the tank rose, and so the return water pump has a great- overfi ll it, with the possibility of spillage via an e$ uent pond to er fl ow rate than the disposal pump. The gradient of the line the main power station cooling pond, leading to unacceptable showed the di2 erence in fl ow averaging 10.4 liters per second. chemical content. As a plant engineer, it was my job to fi nd the This was a moment of serendipity. It was evident that the dis- cause of the problem and to put the system into proper balance. posal pump fl ow was less than the incoming fl ow, and could be I began an investigation to fi nd the fl ows required of each found by taking the di2 erence: 136.7 – 10.4 = 125.3 L/s . It gave us pump to maintain a closed-system operation. Getting the nec- a way of measuring ash pump fl ow that could be used for future essary information required tests of the pumps’ performance. condition monitoring. I knew that comparing the head (i.e. generated pressure) Another experience with this system taught us some addition- against the fl ow is a method that reveals the condition of the al lessons. A disposal pump had its impeller severely worn from pump and also of the system it serves. Head is readily measured the abrasive ash slurry and was sent for repair. A replacement with standard test pressure gauges or electronic transducers. impeller was obtained from store and fi tted. Non-intrusive fl ow meters work well where a suitable length of After the pump was reinstalled, operators reported that it pipe is accessible. could not maintain the required fl ow. As the pump was newly If conditions for direct measurement do not exist, a suitable overhauled, worn clearances were unlikely, so a head-fl ow test tank of uniform dimensions may be available in the system. was run using the return tank as the fl ow meter again. The System setup is arranged so that its change in level can be mea- retest confi rmed that the pump’s performance was below re- sured with time and the fl ow rate calculated. Even in sealed quirements and, in fact, corresponded to that expected from tanks containing liquids less benign than water, such as hydro- a smaller impeller. When the pump was dismantled a smaller carbons, there may be a manometric level indicator. impeller was found inside. This task presented a few challenges. The disposal pump The power station has four stages, each with an ash sump serv- conveyed the ash slurry from the sump to a disposal pond ing a pair of 200 MW units. The pumps have the same external some kilometers distant through a cement lined pipe, so direct appearance and dimensions, but have more than one inter- measurement of its fl ow was impossible. The sump was under- changeable impeller size available to suit the duty at each of the ground, of irregular dimensions, and inaccessible for taking four locations because the distance to the disposal point varies. rate-of-fl ow measurements. Attention was obviously needed to both stores coding and The return tank, however, was accessible and of uniform di- overhaul instructions. mensions from its top down through most of its height. I decid- During the various investigations and tests on the pumps, op- ed to use the rate of change in the tank level as the fl ow meter. erators reported that one of the return water pumps was down The tank had a capacity of 169 kiloliters; throughout its section in performance. I went to the pump-house, which is unmanned with parallel walls volume was 27.75 kL per meter of depth. and located outside the power station over 500 meters from the Because water infl ow causes surges in the tank level, the elec- control room. Both pumps appeared to be running, contrary trode that controls the return pump is in an internal chamber to instructions. A call to the operator confi rmed that his panel the height of the tank and open at its bottom. This gives a stable showed only one pump to be in service. water level and, because it is accessible from the top, a conve- On closer inspection, the pump that was not in service was nient way to measure the depth of water in the tank. seen to be rotating in reverse. As most motor noise originated Measuring the level change rate could be done with a stop from its cooling fan, it appeared to be in service. A very close watch and a weighted tape measure. For the tests, during which look was needed to confi rm rotation direction. the system was run on water only, only one return water pump The suction and discharge isolating valves on these pumps are was operating at a time. Input fl ow was found to be 136.7 liters of the knife-gate type, operated by actuators. The limit switches per second. on the actuators of the o2 ending pump were out of adjustment, The tank outlet automatic valve was manually isolated for the such that the valves did not fully close. This allowed water from tests of the return pumps. Although the water level surged vig- the service pump to recirculate through its partner, rotating it orously as it gushed in, the level in the side chamber inside the in reverse. This of course reduced the fl ow to the system. When tank was nicely damped and showed no oscillations. pumps are installed in parallel, each usually has a check (non- Finding the output fl ow from the disposal pump was a di2 er- return) valve and reverse running can also occur if this valve on ent problem. After the head-fl ow tests had been run on the re- the out-of-service pump sticks open. turn water pumps, one ash disposal pump was started, and the Once the proper adjustments had been made—the correct im- system set to auto operation. The tank’s automatic outlet valve peller installed on the disposal pump, proper parallel operation was controlled by the sump level electrode to open whenever restored for the return pumps—the plant managed to obtain the sump level dropped to the low setting, and in turn, to close the desired closed-system operation for ash removal. It had also when the high level setting was reached. found a method to measure the fl ow of its disposal pump. ■

August 2011 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 43 FOCUS ON PLANT ENGINEERING AND MAINTENANCE afreeze intime

lant processes and operations are carefully engineered to An ASME prolong the life of piping and post-construction equipment. What’s more, standard leads penormous e$ort is invested in tracking a reﬁnery the inevitable deterioration in process maintenance plants so that repair or replacement of team through an various components can be planned. unfamiliar but When an unexpected problem emerges, it e#cient repair. triggers a reaction by plant personnel. Piping must be repaired, components replaced—and By Jaan Taagepera and Nathan Tyson often these things must be done very quickly to minimize costly plant downtime. But exactly what is the best response? In an industry where safety comes ﬁrst, there is little appetite for attempting novel repairs that

Jaan Taagepera is technical team leader of the engineering analysis team at Chevron Energy Technology Co. and vice-chair of the ASME Post Construction Committee’s Subcommittee for Repair and Testing. Nathan Tyson is a design engineer at Chevron Global Manufacturing. They are based in Richmond, Calif.

44 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | August 2011 are not carefully studied—and when process plants are branch line o+ a 50-year-old cooling water utility system down, often there is no business case for the delay that that services several independent plants at the refinery, careful study of untried alternatives would require, when and only this plant was scheduled to be out of service for there are better-understood repair options whose costs maintenance at the time. may be significant but are known. One way of taking the line out of service to replace the Reluctance to innovate, however, could be costing com- inoperable valve would require that the entire utility be panies substantial sums of money. It was to address this shut down, along with all the plants it serves. Unplanned dilemma that ASME published a standard in 2006—PCC-2 shutdowns of this nature usually cost refineries hundreds Repair of Pressure Equipment and Piping—to guide plant of thousands to millions of dollars, so plant personnel personnel in the swift and safe execution of several lesser were eager to identify other ways to safely isolate the valve known but very valuable repair techniques, regardless of for replacement. their experience. One such repair technique that is well documented in ■ ■ ■ PCC-2 is the use of freeze plugs, which prevent flow in pipes evaluating and planning to allow for downstream maintenance activity. It was this Besides a general shutdown of the cooling water system, section of the document that solved a critical problem and two other options for isolating the exchanger were evalu- avoided a shutdown at a busy refinery on the West Coast. ated: A hot-tap and stopple, and a freeze plug. During a recent maintenance shutdown at the refinery The evaluation revealed that a nitrogen freeze plug operated by Chevron in Richmond, Calif., routine work had been planned to dismantle a heat exchanger for inspection and refurbishment. Heat # exchangers are key pieces of equip- '$(-# ment for refiners. They control temperatures of process streams and recycle heat to make processes run more e*ciently. A typical exchanger will employ '$(- anywhere from tens to thousands of parallel tubes in a bundle, configured so that one process stream flows through the inside of the tube, and a di+erent one flows over the outside ')- of the tube, exchanging heat through the tube wall. Over time, the integrity of this pressure boundary—the +- tube wall—is compromised by corrosion, and when it becomes too thin, &)- the tubes must be replaced. This ## exchanger needed its tube bundle &,- &%- replaced. "## Once the plant was shut down, +- cleaned up, and prepared for main- '*- tenance work, operators discovered that a key valve normally used to separate the heat exchanger from &%- its supply piping was broken beyond Not to scale repair, and would no longer close. Without closing this critical valve to Not to scale ! isolate the bundle, the maintenance on the heat exchanger could not oc- ■ A schematic of the plant and the plan for a freeze plug: Ultrasonic cur, and the plant would not be able measurements confirmed that the thickness of the pipe was well above to return to service. the minimum to withstand hoop stress. A leaking plug was of concern To complicate matters further, this because a small amount of flow can prevent plug formation. valve was on an eight-inch diameter

August 2011 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 45 provided the best solution for this work due to its low complexity and low cost. The more familiar hot-tap and stopple—in which a welded sleeve is attached to the pipe, a hole is drilled through the pipe wall inside this sleeve, and an inflatable plug is inserted in the pipe for isolation—was determined to involve higher complexity, and was expected to be more costly as well. A freeze plug, unlike the hot-tap, does not compromise the integrity of the pipe pressure boundary by welding or drilling. The freeze plug is created by installing a bolt-on jacket around the pipe through which liquid nitrogen (at -321 °F) is circulated until the water in the line freezes. The concept is simple, but execution must be well planned. The company’s engineers were aware of freeze plugs, which had been used successfully on many occasions elsewhere by Chevron, but because no one on the immediate team had direct experience with them, they resorted to PCC-2 Article 3.2 for guidance. A third-party contractor was brought in to perform the freeze plug, and Chevron’s engineer worked closely with the contractor and other owner representatives to ensure the procedure was comprehensive. The contractor’s trained and experienced personnel o-ered valuable insight into the job. Prior to execution of the freeze plug, all parties involved in the work gathered to assess the risks to health, safety, and the environment. PCC-2 addressed the issues and concerns regarding freeze plugs. Some of the risks discussed include: Flow in pipe preventing plug formation —a threaded connection on the section of pipe to be isolated was dripping. Even a small amount of flow can prevent plug formation. Determining positive isolation prior to beginning maintenance —if the broken valve was unbolted prior to achieving isolation, the flanges connecting the valve to the pipe would leak and, with an influx of warmer water, the plug would fail. Downstream e!ects of ice plug —if the pipe was returned to service prior to allowing the ice plug to completely melt, the plug could flow downstream and severely damage equipment and piping.

■ ■ ■ setting up Physical setup for the freeze plug began with ultrasonic thickness measurements taken in a 1-inch square grid for the full length of the area to be occupied by the jacket. The data revealed that the pipe was well above the required minimum thickness for hoop stress required by the ASME B31.3 Process Piping code, and close to original thickness in many ■ The new valve (top) was installed without places. The ultrasonic data gave conﬁdence that the plug lo- shutting down the entire water utility. The repair site was isolated by circulating liquid nitrogen through cation could endure the mechanical loads likely to be applied a jacket mounted several inches before the broken while it was below the brittle transition temperature. valve to create a dam of frozen water. One of the key concerns on this job was minimizing the potential for impact loading the frozen pipe. Before

46 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | August 2011 initiating the freezing operation, all bolts connecting the valve to the pipe were changed out one by one—in case any of them had seized during the course of their 50-year life— with new lubricated bolts, and every other one was removed to minimize the amount of mechanical work necessary while the pipe was frozen. Sca'old- ing was erected to support a chain hoist to ensure gentle installation of the new valve, and the written plan for the job ■ A view of the included carefully lifting out plant showing the the piping above the broken repair location. valve and the valve itself using a crane, which would immediately remove those components from the job site. valve replacement work. During this work, the contractor To minimize the duration of the mechanical work, all mate- continued to monitor the temperature in the jacket to en- rials and tools required for the work were brought to the site sure the plug integrity was properly maintained. and organized prior to introducing nitrogen to the jacket. In less than 20 minutes the upper pipe section and the In preparation for the unlikely event that the piping was broken valve were removed and lifted out of the way. fractured during the freeze operation, operators of all po- Once the old gasket—which had sealed the old valve to tentially a'ected plants were notified so they could review the pipe—had been successfully scraped o' the flange, their emergency procedures. the new gasket and valve were carefully set in place using The section of piping to be isolated contained a branch the chain hoist and gently bolted down. The space inside connection available for a pressure indicator and drain con- the pipe between the ice plug and the valve was filled with nection, so pressure could be monitored and bled o' as the water to eliminate the possibility of the ice plug violently ice plug expanded into the trapped volume. This pressure dislodging during the thaw and damaging the new valve. rise is one of the indicators that a plug has fully formed. The valve was then closed, and the pipe was left to thaw overnight. ■ ■ ■ Upon completion of these activities, the planned work to execution replace the heat exchanger was able to proceed immediately. The jacket was installed on a vertical pipe 16 inches from The following day, after the pipe thawed, the new bolts on the upstream flange of the broken valve. Thermocouples the valve were tightened to a final value and the freeze jacket above and below the jacket monitored the pipe wall tem- was removed. The new valve was ready for permanent use. perature, which correlates with plug formation. Although none of the engineers on the team had worked Upon completion of setup activities, the job was ready with freeze plugs before, after establishing that in this to begin. The nitrogen trailer was pressured up to 35 psig case it was the safest alternative, they were able to imple- —enough to ensure that the freeze plug jacket remained ment one successfully on short notice, as part of a discov- full of liquid nitrogen, and not the warmer nitrogen va- ery job within a planned maintenance window. Employing pors. The trailer was sized to contain three or more times a freeze plug proved more e0cient both in terms of cost the required volume for the work, to mitigate against un- and schedule than the other repair alternatives, and was foreseen events. executed safely and with confidence due to the guidance The nitrogen was delivered to the jacket through a provided in PCC-2. ¾-inch diameter nitrogen hose and nitrogen gas vented It is clear that the ASME has once again delivered a stan- from the jacket through two 1-inch diameter vent lines. The dard that provides great business value, meeting a recog- lines vented downwind of all work areas in the vicinity. nized need and enhancing the safe and reliable operation It took 18 minutes for the liquid nitrogen to reach the of existing process plants. ■ jacket, and just under two hours later, temperature and pressure readings indicated the plug was fully formed. The authors would like to acknowledge management at the This was verified using the bleed connection, and workers Chevron Richmond Refinery and at Chevron Energy Technol- were given the green-light to drain the pipe and begin the ogy Co. for their support of this e$ort.

August 2011 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 47 A Pump War Story: Back to Basics

BY GARY WAMSLEY

id you ever work for a crusty old boss who has out the equipment. The installation looked quite normal, but seen and done about everything around your vibration was high. So, how does a perfectly good pump that facility? Well, I sure did. Never will forget him was just rebuilt, aligned, and inspected have high vibration? giving me the following advice (in the midst After collecting some data and making a quick sketch, I Dof a big equipment rebuild project—when things were a bit asked to see the installation and operation manual. It took behind schedule): over two hours to find the book (in the back of an engineering “Remember that about 95 percent of what you do in plant department file cabinet). engineering has already been done by someone else. This The Goulds instruction book was for a Model 3796, size 4x4- stu+ is not rocket science, you know. If you are having some 10 with a suction lift of eight feet nominal. Return water to di,culty, just go get some good advice from your peers. At the pit entered through a concrete channel from the settling least, find out what not to do. Profit by their mistakes. It may basin. As such, there was a large stainless screen on the end of eliminate a lot of time-wasting e+ort and expense.” the suction pipe to keep out rats, snakes, cattails, paper, etc. Recently a company had The plant fabrication draw- hired me to visit its plant and ing indicated 62 square inches conduct some pump train- Process Water Pump Design Issues of opening in this stainless ing for sta+ engineers and mesh screen. The Goulds maintenance guys. About manual clearly specified a mid-way through the first screen opening requirement morning session I learned of three times the open area that the plant engineer was of the pipe (86 square inches new. The previous one had for the recommended 6-inch been “let go.” Moreover, the suction pipe ). main reason that the compa- However, the suction pipe ny wanted the training was was 4 inches with a short- that the plant process water radius elbow bolted pumps were experiencing How does a pump that directly onto the very high failure rates (like was just rebuilt, aligned, pump 4-inch intake and inspected have high one every six months). vibration? The schematic flange. For 500 gpm There were three Goulds 100 hp end suction ANSI process suggests some answers. flow, I calculated a pumps that supplied all of the cooling and washdown water for net positive suc- the site. Normally one pump operated continuously. During tion head available of 21.1 feet. Above 500 gpm, the NPSH daily washdowns a second unit would come on automatically required is 25 to 35 feet. to supply the additional demand for two or three hours. The Here was a classic case of cavitation gone wild, especially for units were rated for 300 gpm at 130 psig, but often ran out on high flow rates before a second pump started up. The pressure the curve to well over 700 gpm (therefore the large motors). controller was a rudimentary device. Operating a single pump The system was an open-circulation design. Most of the above 400 gpm was cause for the cavitation related vibration. water discharged into trenches and returned to a large set- I made a sketch of the conditions and pulled the plant engi- tling basin for re-use. A shallow well reservoir pump replaced neer aside the second day to show him what I’d identified. He evaporation and blowdown losses. had suspected a technical issue, but was swamped with the The problem with the 100 hp pumps was bearing and demands of the new job. He agreed with my suggestion that mechanical seal failures. At a rebuild cost of $15,000 every six “when all else fails–read the instruction book.” months, the boss was quite frustrated. The maintenance guys At the end of day two all the maintenance guys agreed were doing the rebuilds with no success. I quickly learned that that they had learned a lot during the training session. They the engineers were blaming maintenance and maintenance planned to get right into making system piping changes. was blaming the buyer in purchasing. They had even called in That crusty old boss had given me sound advice that still the local Goulds service technician to handle a pump rebuild applies today. and train the maintenance crew how to “do it right.” That Gary Wamsley is an engineering consultant at JoGar Energy rebuild job also lasted only six months. Services in Atlanta with over 30 years of industrial utilities The maintenance guys took me to the pump house to check experience. He can be reached at www.jogarenergy.com.

48 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | August 2011

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ENERGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT: the range of mechanics problems sharing their decades of experi- SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNOLOGICAL from one-dimensional particle ence at the American Productiv- PRINCIPLES, SECOND EDITION. kinematics to three-dimensional ity & Quality Center. This book James A. Fay and Dan S. Golomb. rigid-body dynamics, including shows the reader how to imple- Oxford University Press, Inc. an introduction to Lagrange’s and ment a proven organization-wide 198 Madison Avenue, New York, Kane’s methods. The authors aim knowledge management strategy. It New York 10016. 2011. 384 pages. for an easy-to-read, conversational details the American Productivity $90.48. style that addresses the physics and & Quality Center’s framework for a ISBN: 978-0-47173-989-0. mathematics of engineering dynam- knowledge management program, ics, and emphasizes the formal, which includes determining an Now updated in its second edi- systematic notation students need organization’s most critical knowl- tion, Energy and the Environ- to solve problems correctly and edge, ensuring that knowledge ment: Scientific and Technological succeed in more advanced courses. flows where it needs to, selecting Principles , explores fossil, nuclear, The textbook features a number of the right portfolio of knowl- and renewable energy technolo- real-world examples and problems. edge management approaches, gies and explains their e#cien- incorporating those approaches Power Boilers: cies for transforming source into employees’ daily work life, A Guide to Section I of the energy to useful mechanical or STEEL STRUCTURES DESIGN. and measuring a KM program and ASME Boiler and Pressure electrical power. The focus is on Alan Williams. The McGraw- ensuring it continues to add new electric power and transporta- Vessel Code, Second Edition. Hill Cos. Inc., 1221 Avenue of the value. This hardcover book is also tion vehicles, whose technological Americas, New York, NY 10020. available as an e-book. John R. MacKay and James improvements increase energy 2011. 888 pages. $154.56. T. Pillow. Founding authors: e#ciency and reduce air pollutant ISBN: 978-0-07-163837-1. Martin D. Bernstein and Lloyd emissions. The authors also ana- STEAM COFFIN: CAPTAIN MOSES W. Yoder. ASME, Three Park lyze the source of toxic emissions The purpose of this book is to ROGERS AND THE STEAMSHIP Avenue, New York, NY 10016- to air, water, and land that arise introduce engineers to the design SAVANNAH BREAK THE BARRIER. 5990. 2011. 330 pages. $95; from energy uses and their e%ects of steel structures using the John Laurence Busch. Hodos ASME members, $76. on environmental quality. Special International Code Council’s Historia LLC, distributed by ISBN: 978-0-7918-5967-4. focus is given to climate change, 2012 International Building Code. Independent Publishers Group, the contribution attributed to it by The theoretical background and 814 North Franklin St., Chicago, This is a completely revised and energy uses, and the salient tech- fundamental basis of steel design IL 60610. 2010. 736 pages. $35. updated edition of the classic nologies that are being developed are introduced, and the detailed ISBN: 978-1-893616-00-4. and comprehensive guide to the to mitigate this e%ect. A bibliog- design of members and their construction rules for power boil- raphy is presented in each chapter connections is covered. The book There has been some interest in ers—their intent, application, and for the reader who wants to pursue provides interpretations of the this book among ASME mem- interpretation. This unique guide some aspects of the exposition in AISC Specification for Structural bers, many of whom have heard to the current, 2010 edition of greater depth. This book is written Steel Buildings , 2010 edition, the the author speak at local chapter Section I provides expert advice for upper-level undergraduate and ASCE Minimum Design Loads for meetings. That’s understandable and useful information for design first-year graduate students, as Building and Other Structures , 2010 because the connection between engineers, project managers, well as professionals in the fields edition, and the ICC International ASME and steam goes back to the architect engineers, manufactur- of energy and environmental sci- Building Code , 2012 edition. The organization’s roots. Busch tells ing engineers, boiler operators, ences and technology. code requirements are illustrated the story of the Savannah , the first insurance inspectors, and other with 170 design examples with con- steamship to cross the Atlantic power boiler professionals. It cise step-by-step solutions. Each Ocean. The title of his book refers also includes information on ENGINEERING DYNAMICS: example focuses on a specific issue to a nickname given to the vessel other sections of the ASME Boiler COMPREHENSIVE INTRODUCTION. and provides a clear and concise by skeptical sailors. The Savannah and Pressure Vessel Code that N. Jeremy Kasdin and Derek solution to the problem. This book was equipped with side wheels and affect construction, with chapters A. Paley. Princeton University is intended for a wide audience a steam engine. The ship was lim- on boiler life extension, repairs, Press, 6 Oxford Street, Wood- including practicing engineers, ited in the amount of fuel it could and alteration of boilers under stock, Oxfordshire OX20 ITW. professional engineering examina- carry, so it was a vessel with hybrid the rules of the National Board 2011. 704 pages. $97.52. tion candidates, and undergraduate propulsion. When winds or cur- Inspection Code. ISBN: 978-0-6911-3537-3. and graduate students. rents were adverse, the crew could deploy the paddle wheels and use The authors say their intent is to steam power. But the ship was also present an introduction for under- THE NEW EDGE IN KNOWLEDGE. fully rigged, and much of the time it graduate students to engineering Carla O’Dell and Cindy Hubert. crossed the Atlantic under sail. But dynamics using an innovative John Wiley & Sons Inc., 111 River this was a first, and it happened in approach that is both accessible St., Hoboken, NJ 07030. 2011. 1819. Under Captain Moses Rogers, and comprehensive. The book 256 pages. $29.70. the ship sailed from Savannah, Ga., combines the strengths of begin- ISBN: 978-0-470-91739-8. to St. Petersburg, Russia, where ner and advanced dynamics texts, it stayed a while before returning allowing students to solve dynam- The authors present a source home. The story of the preparation ics problems from the start and for performance analytics, best and crossing is told in detail, as is guiding them from the basics to practices, process improvement, the subsequent history of the ship more challenging topics. It spans and knowledge management, while and its captain.

August 2011 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 61 NEWPRODUCTS

Pipe inspection crawler Aero type gauges ENVIROSIGHT LLC, RANDOLPH, N.J. The new ROVVER PALMER INSTRUMENTS INC., X pipe inspection crawler has an extended crawl range ASHEVILLE, N.C. The new J-2000 of 1,000 ft., with options up to 1,650 ft. A bolt-on car- series of aero type gauges features riage broadens the crawler’s a frictionless gauge movement. stance and raises its height, The gauges can indicate low pres- to inspect pipes of 6 to 48 in. sures, whether positive, negative, or with the camera centered. di/erential. Magnetic components of The system captures a day’s the spiral movement have been replaced worth of MPEG video and with a rubber film, a sensitive component in measuring pres- JPEG images, and logs obser- sure. The design resists shock, vibration, and over pressures vations for direct upload. The without fluid fill. The result is no di2culty with evaporation, crawler is operated by twin freezing, or leveling. Pointers in green, yellow, and red let the joysticks, and macros auto- user set reminders of safe, warning, and danger ranges. The mate everyday inspection gauge is designed to be readable from a distance. routines. ROVVER X has a WWW.ME.HOTIMS.COM/34756G41 OR CIRCLE 41 detachable remote-operated camera lift, three illuminated onboard cameras (forward pan/tilt/zoom, cable view, and elevated rear-view), integrated sensor package (dual lasers, Level transmitters inclination, roll), and concurrent control for all system EMERSON PROCESS MANAGEG functions. The crawler has a high-power, high-torque drive MENT, AUSTIN, TEXAS. train, proportional steering, and zero-radius pivot. The Rosemount 5400 Series of WWW.ME.HOTIMS.COM/34756G40 OR CIRCLE 40 non-contacting radar level transmitters are approved for safety instrumented systems. The 5400 Series comes with the required Failure Modes, E/ects and Diag- nostic Analysis (FMEDA) report. This means that companies in the oil and gas production, refining, petrochemical, chemical, and power industries can benefit from the superior performance of radar technology, while ensuring compliance with the associated International Electrotechnical Commission standards. The FMEDA report provides safety instrumentation engineers with the required failure rates per IEC 61508 and with proof test recommendations. With a longer proof test interval, the proof test can be co-ordinated with plant turnaround, minimizing process interruption. The Rosemount 5400 Series (with 4-20 mA output) was evaluated in accordance with the ! hardware assessment IEC 61508 by the Technical Research " Institute of Sweden. # $%&& ' WWW.ME.HOTIMS.COM/34756G42 OR CIRCLE 42 ( !) *) + Clamp-on meters OMEGA ENGINEERING INC., STAMFORD, CONN. The model HHM590 Series has more than 10 full-featured models of meters to choose from. All clamp-on meters include a free set of safety test leads, 9 V alkaline battery, type K beaded wire thermocouple (for temperature models only), and a complete operator’s manual. Each unit has a GS-Mark EN61010-1 approval Voltage Category III 600 V, Pollution Degree II, and

62 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | August 2011 ac/dc current clamp. These units have 1,999, 2,500, 3,999, Compact servo motors or 4,300 counts resolution. Models HHM592, HHM592D, B&R INDUSTRIAL AUTOMA0 HHM596, HHM596C, and HHM599 come with auto-ranging TION CORP., ROSWELL, GA. operation. Battery life is 200 hours. Their dimensions are: The 8LV series servo motors 250 mm x 100 mm x 46 mm (9.9 x 3.9 x 1.8 in.) and their are equipped with an absolute weight is about 320 g (10.8 oz). Prices start at $60. encoder system with a resolu- 18 WWW.ME.HOTIMS.COM/34756043 OR CIRCLE 43 tion of 262,144 (2 ) steps per revolution. In order to save weight, installation space, and the amount of mass being moved, gearboxes are mounted directly on the motor. The Dewpoint transmitter new mounting system was made possible by totally recon- KAHN INSTRUMENTS INC., WETHERS0 structing the motor’s output flange and adapting it com- FIELD, CONN. The Easidew PRO I.S. is pletely to the gearboxes. The center gear rests directly on a ruggedized version of the Easidew I.S. the motor shaft and replaces the input shaft on the gearbox. Transmitter and is designed for continuous This type of mounting renders an adapter flange, the clamp measurement of moisture content of gases in system, and the gearbox input bearing obsolete. hazardous areas typically found in natural WWW.ME.HOTIMS.COM/34756047 OR CIRCLE 47 gas, petrochemical and process industries. It is FM/CSA certified for Class I, Div. 1, Groups A, B, C, and D T4 hazardous location Sound level meters use. It has a heavy-duty process type NEMA SCANTEK INC., COLUMBIA, MD. The NL-42 and NL-52 data- 4 / IP66, weatherproof stainless steel housing with half-inch logging, integrating sound level meters meet both ANSI and NPT conduit entry fitting. It withstands operating pressure IEC specifications and di5er only by Class type (2 or 1, respec- up to 5000 PSIG. The Easidew PRO I.S. transmitter has a tively). They have dust- and water-resistant cases, 3-in. high dewpoint measurement range of -148 °F to 68 °F, accuracy of contrast color TFT screen, 26-hour battery operation using ±3.6 °F and operates from any 12 to 28 VDC power source. regular or rechargeable batteries, and available software. WWW.ME.HOTIMS.COM/34756044 OR CIRCLE 44 WWW.ME.HOTIMS.COM/34756048 OR CIRCLE 48

Digital pressure sensor SENSORTECHNICS GMBH, PUCHHEIM, GERMANY. HCLA pressure sensors measure gauge or di5erential pressures from 2.5 mbar (1 in. H 2O). The HCLA series provides a digital I6C bus interface plus an analog output signal at the same time. The sensors can directly communicate with microcontrollers without the need for additional A/D converters. Digital SPI bus and custom specific outputs are available on request. HCLA pressure sensors use a special compensation technique to achieve a very high o5set stability and virtually no position sensitivity. HCLA pressure sensors can be modified according to a customer’s specific requirements. WWW.ME.HOTIMS.COM/34756045 OR CIRCLE 45 ! ! "! #! !$ %"$ &'$ #! (!" $ %($ ) ) *+ )) ,-. )) )! %! ) / Ground fault sensors ! ! ' ) 0 AUTOMATION DIRECT, CUMMING, GA. The GFS series of 0 0/!! 0 0 / ! ground fault sensors monitors current-carrying conductors in grounded single and three-phase delta or wye systems. Available in fixed-core models, the GFS series features jumper-selectable set points of 5, 10 or 30 mA. The sensors can accommodate up to 14 AWG copper wire and feature mechanical relay outputs with either manual or auto reset. They are UL- and CE-approved. Prices start at $136. WWW.ME.HOTIMS.COM/34756046 OR CIRCLE 46 me.hotims.com/34756-15 or circle 15

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64 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | August 2011 CIRCLE ON READER SERVICE CARD, OR VISIT WWW.MECHENG.HOTIMS.COM/34756 AND CLICK ON NUMBER More than just basic stainless Forest City Gear uses the latest technology for gearmaking, as steel tubing we constantly reinvest to stay ahead of the pack. Customers who need the very best gears for medical devices, instruments, Swagelok offers instrumentation grade, avionics, aerospace (we’re on the Mars Rover) seamless 316L stainless steel tubing in and even high-performance consumer products fractional, metric, and imperial sizes. (we helped the America’s Cup winner cross the The stainless steel tubing is chemically nish line rst), look to us for top and thermocouple-cleaned to comply quality and innovative with specific ASTM standards. engineering support. Ultrahigh-purity stainless steel tubing is also available. http://www.swagelok.com/products/ tubing-tube-accessories.aspx Contact: [email protected] Phone: 440-349-5934

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CIRCLE ON READER SERVICE CARD, OR VISIT WWW.MECHENG.HOTIMS.COM/34756 AND CLICK ON NUMBER August 2011 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 65 Yaskawa’s Sigma-5 Catalog contains AC Servo Drives Series Product Catalog information relating to all Sigma-5 servo products including rotary, linear, direct drive servo motors and servo ampliﬁ ers. The ë catalog also includes speed/ ë ë torque curves, dimensional ë drawings, and other accessories such as option modules. Sigma-5 delivers the highest performance in the industry with a wide range of models and options to match your individual application requirements.

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Reserve Your Booth Space at the Joyce Ginsburg at SPONSORSHIP AND EXHIBITOR OPPORTUNITIES INCLUDE: [email protected] 2011 ASME International t Sponsorships of opening reception, keynote presentation, Cyber Café, buffet lunches, or Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition. delegate bags, lanyards 1-773-456-2153 t 10’ X 10’ exhibition space November 13-16, 2011 t Complimentary Colorado registrations Convention to the conference Center tsess Denver,ions Colorado t Bonus: advertising in Mechanical Engineering Magazine t 66 MECHANICAL ENGINEERINGt | August 2011 Southwest Research Institute ® (SwRI ®) is recruiting POSITIONS for the following position located in our San Antonio, TX office. Research Engineer/Senior Research Engineer (Mechanical Testing) Job Code: 18-00835 TENURE-TRACK POSITIONS SUMMARY: Develop and lead large complex experimental efforts in support of multidisciplinary in experimental-analytical and numerical, materials modeling, The Department of Mechanical, Materials and Aerospace Engineering structural integrity analysis, and reliability assessments. Define experimental (MMAE) of the University of Central Florida (UCF) invites applications approaches designed to quantify the required mechanical behavior for complex life for tenure-track faculty positions in multiple areas of Mechanical or prediction models and actively participate in model development; prepare proposals, Aerospace Engineering. Of particular interest are candidates with OPEN reports, and technical papers for both government and commercial clients, research should ultimately lead to the development of a sustained program area. Lead multi- research interests in A) human motor control, B) rehabilitation/ discipline teams in the development of innovative testing and instrumentation medical robotics, C) GNC, D) novel methodologies for complex methods; participate in and lead individual and collaborative research projects as well systems design, E) all aspects of turbomachinery, and F) multi-scale as develop, promote, and write proposals for research programs. Interact with both commercial and government client; manage tasks and projects to successful modeling and simulation. Of particular interest are candidates with completion within technical, budget and schedule constraints. broad teaching interests in one or more areas of mechanics, mechanical EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE: Requires a MS degree in Engineering Mechanics or systems, thermo-fluids and aerospace engineering with a desire to be Mechanical Engineering with 0-3 years experience in experimental mechanics, test involved in teaching engineering design. A doctoral degree in a relevant protocol development, servo-hydraulic test machines, fixturing and instrumentation, Engineering field is required. UCF is seeking candidates at Assistant, and data acquisition. PhD Degree preferred. Must have at least a 3.25 GPA. Must be intimately familiar with developing, defining and performing fracture, fatigue, and Associate and Full Professor levels to support its rapidly growing fatigue crack growth testing; understanding of solid mechanics, including theoretical engineering program. The successful candidates will have an excellent and analytical and numerical mechanics is required; hands-on experience with servo- opportunity to build collaborative partnerships with nearby industry hydraulic test machines, instrumentation, (e.g., strain gages, extensometers, strain including Lockheed Martin, Siemens, Boeing and Harris as well as the gages); must have understanding of non-visual crack length measurement; ability to design intricate test fixtures and specimens. Environmentally-assisted corrosion- Kennedy Space Center and many other companies located within close fatigue experience is considered a plus; project or team management experience is proximity to the UCF campus. The Central Florida Research Park is required; must be able to develop technical approaches to meet customer located adjacent to the UCF campus and is home to the nation’s largest requirements and research activities to successful conclusion; must be able to promote activities and proposal development experience is considered a plus; must cluster of government agencies and industries specialized in training have good oral and written communication skills; must be an effective team member; and simulation R&D. For more details regarding the department, visit must be able to work independently with relatively little supervision and function www.mmae.ucf.edu or e-mail [email protected] . effectively as part of project teams; supervisory experience of lab personnel desired but not required. A valid/clear driver's license is required. Review of candidates will begin on August 15, 2011 and will continue SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS: Applicants selected will be subject to a government until the positions are filled. Candidates should submit (a) a cover letter security investigation and must meet eligibility requirements for access to classified with a subject line identifying one or more interest areas listed above , information. (b) curriculum vitae, (c) a brief one page description of research and SwRI offers competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits package. Interested applicants may apply at www.swri.jobs. The selected candidate will be subject to teaching plans, (d) the names and contact information of at least three a background investigation and must be a United States Citizen. referees, and (e) an application at www.jobswithucf.com/applicants/ Central?quickFind=76538. Southwest Research Institute ® Benefiting government, industry and the public through innovative science and technology The University of Central Florida is an equal opportunity/affirmative An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer MF/D/V Committed to Diversity in the Workplace action employer.

Coming in September

The Hong Kong Polytechnic University is the largest government-funded tertiary institution in Hong Kong in terms of student number. It offers programmes at Doctorate, Master’s, Bachelor’s degrees and Higher Diploma levels. It has a full-time academic staff strength of around 1,200. The total consolidated expenditure budget of the University is in excess of HK$4 billion per year. DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING The Department of Mechanical Engineering is one of the five academic units in the Faculty of Engineering. It offers a wide range of programmes, at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, over a large spectrum of topics including product analysis and design, environmental technology and transportation, aerospace and aviation, design and manufacturing, computer aided engineering design, etc. To Focus on Design: underpin teaching, the Department is presently engaged in the following research areas: combustion and pollution control, fluid-structure interactions, materials and mechanics, sound and vibration, and product design and development. Please visit the website at > Human factors in http://www.me.polyu.edu.hk for more information about the Department. mechanical design Assistant Professor in Thermodynamics and Energy Utilization The appointee will be required to (a) teach at undergraduate and postgraduate levels; (b) conduct research that leads to publications in top-tier refereed journals > Designers for the and awards of research grants; (c) engage in scholarly research/consultancy; and (d) undertake academic and departmental administrative duties. world’s poor Applicants should have (a) a PhD degree in a relevant discipline plus several years of teaching/research/practical experience; (b) solid research and publication record or strong potential to publish in top-tier refereed journals; (c) strong commitment to Also: excellence in teaching and research; and (d) competence in teaching subjects such as Thermodynamics, Heat Transfer and Energy Technology. Remuneration and Conditions of Service > Clothes that monitor Salary offered will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. Initial appointment will be made on a fixed-term gratuity-bearing contract. vital signs Re-engagement thereafter is subject to mutual agreement. Remuneration package will be highly competitive. Applicants should state their current and expected salary in the application. > Tech Focus: Application Please submit application form via email to [email protected]; by fax at Materials and assembly (852) 2364 2166; or by mail to Human Resources Office, 13/F, Li Ka Shing Tower, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong . If you would like to provide a separate curriculum vitae, please still complete Special Supplement: the application form which will help speed up the recruitment process. Application forms can be obtained via the above channels or downloaded from http://www.polyu.edu.hk/hro/job.htm. Recruitment will continue until the > Design Engineering position is filled. Details of the University’s Personal Information Collection Statement for recruitment can be found at http://www.polyu.edu.hk/hro/jobpics.htm. Division

August 2011 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 67 POSITIONS OPEN POSITIONS OPEN POSITIONS OPEN

DIRECTOR, NATIONAL GAS MACHINERY Professor level. Outstanding applications with ics and systems and design, who can comple- LABORATORY AND FACULTY POSITION experience at the Associate Professor and Pro- ment existing strengths within the department. KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY The KSU Na- fessor levels will also be considered. Applicants (Refer to webpage http://www.engr.uky.edu/ tional Gas Machinery Laboratory (NGML) con- for the position must have earned doctorates in ME/ for more details). The department is rapidly ducts research and testing programs related to Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related growing, centrally located to the automotive and large-bore and medium size industrial internal eld that contributes to the strategic initiatives aerospace industries and housed in the new combustion (IC) engines with full-scale labora- of the department. ME-EM seek to attract ex- Ralph G. Anderson Building with state of the tory facilities to support these activities. The Di- ceptional candidates whose interests and ca- art computational facilities, research labs and rector has overall administrative responsibility pabilities align with recent initiatives in energy, classrooms. Opportunities for multi-disciplinary for NGML including development and conduct specically those with a research thrust in hybrid research exist with a number of college-affiliated of funded research programs and services. The vehicle technologies such as powertrain sys- centers and institutes.To apply for a position in Director is a member of the Mechanical and tems and their components. This faculty position any of the four technical areas a UK Academic Nuclear Engineering Faculty and holds a ten- leverages existing and expanding facilities and Prole must be submitted to http://www.uky.edu/ ured or tenure track appointment with rank com- a multidisciplinary undergraduate and graduate HR/UKjobs/ using the corresponding job num- mensurate with qualications. The Director is a program (http://www.doe.mtu.edu/hybrid_ve- ber as follows: manufacturing systems and pro- full member of the faculty, supervises graduate hicle_engineering). Available facilities include cesses, job# SM536332; heat transfer and uid students, and teaches courses related to her or vehicle and powertrain component laboratories mechanics, job# SM536337; computational me- his expertise. A detailed position description may along with a mobile HEV lab for education and chanics, job# SM536340; systems and design, be found at: www.ngml.ksu.edu Requirements for research. Successful candidates are expected job# SM536331. If you have any questions, con- the position include: to create and sustain an active research pro- tact Human Resources, phone (859)257-9555 r1I%JONFDIBOJDBMFOHJOFFSJOHPS gram, advise graduate students and develop (option 2), or email [email protected]. The closely aligned eld and teach courses at the undergraduate and application deadline is September 30, 2011 and graduate levels. Michigan Tech is a state insti- applications will be reviewed on a continuing r&YQFSJFODFJOUIFBSFBTPGFOHJOFT turbo machinery, or other elds related to tution dedicated to both teaching and research, basis beginning October 1, 2011; the application the gas pipeline industry with an excellent reputation in engineering edu- deadline may be extended as needed. Upon offer cation and research. For 2011, the US News & of employment, successful applicants for certain r%FNPOTUSBUFESFTFBSDISFDPSEBOE World Report ranked the ME-EM Department’s positions must undergo a national background record of extramural funding Graduate Program 48th among doctoral-grant- check as required by University of Kentucky Hu- r%FNPOTUSBUFEBCJMJUZPGTVQFSWJTJPO ing mechanical engineering departments in the man Resources. The University of Kentucky is research leadership, and research U.S. For 2008 the Undergraduate Program was an equal opportunity employer and encourages program development ranked 22nd among doctoral-granting mechani- applications from minorities and women. r%FNPOTUSBUFEBCJMJUZUPQSPWJEF cal engineering departments in the U.S. In the quality instruction NSF Research Expenditure rankings for FY2008 Applications and nominations should be directed the ME-EM Department ranked 18th among all to NGML Director Search, Engineering Experi- ME departments in the U.S. at $12.695 million. ment Station, 1048 Rathbone Hall, Manhattan, KS The Spring 2011 graduate student enrollment 66506-5202 or sent by e-mail to was 267, of which 103 are PhD students. The with “NGML Director Search” in the title line. Ap- ME-EM Department and Michigan Tech encour- plications should include a resume, a two-page ages minority and female applicants. Michigan maximum cover letter summarizing the candi- Tech is an ADVANCE institution, one of a limited National Sun Yat-Sen date’s qualications, and contact information for number of universities in receipt of NSF funds in support of our commitment to increase di- University Department ve professional references. Initial review of ap- of Mechanical and plications will begin on September 1, 2011 and versity and the participation and advancement will continue until the position is lled. Kansas of women in STEM. Michigan Tech has a Dual Electro-Mechanical State University is an equal opportunity em- Career Assistance Program (DCAP), which fa- Engineering ployer. Kansas State University actively seeks cilitates the hiring of partners. The website for diversity among its employees. A background our DCAP is http://www.dual.mtu.edu/. Lake Su- FACULTY RECRUITMENT check is required. perior is just a few miles from campus and the Faculty Opening: Several Assistant surrounding area is perfect for four seasons of outdoor activities. For full consideration, applica- Professors, Associate Professors, and THE MECHANICAL AND AEROSPACE ENGI- Professors from August 2012. NEERING DEPARTMENT (MAE) AT THE UNI- tions should be received by November 1, 2011; VERSITY OF MIAMI (UM) invites applications however, applications will be considered until Specialties: Mechanical and and nominations for tenure-track positions at any the position is lled. Applicants should submit a Electro-Mechanical Engineering. professorial level in all areas of mechanical and vita, teaching and research interest statement, names and contact information of three refer- Application Process: The following aerospace engineering, with the emphasis on documents are needed: aerodynamics, energy, and biomechanics. MAE ences, experience with diversity issues, diverse is seeking candidates with a strong record of students, working in multicultural environments, • Curriculum Vita (including studying and scholarship with a focus on obtaining external and copies of three publications to: William W. working experiences, specialties, teaching funding, a demonstrated excellence in graduate Predebon, Chair, Department of ME-EM, Michi- gan Technological University, 1400 Townsend interests, and research interests) and undergraduate teaching, and a thoughtful • One hardcopy of degree certiﬁcation commitment to university and professional ser- Drive, Houghton, MI 49931-1295 (www.me.mtu. vice. For a senior-level appointment, a proven edu). Only complete application packages are • Grade reports of both undergraduate and record of extramural funding support is required. guaranteed full consideration. Michigan Techno- graduate program A Ph.D. in mechanical engineering, aerospace logical University is an Equal Opportunity Edu- cational Institution/Equal Opportunity Employer. • One piece of representative work of SCIE engineering, or a related discipline and one year (including accepted ones) work related experience is required prior to the In addition to the present search, a search to appointment. Salary: Competitive. Qualied ap- ll ten growth positions in “Transportation” and • At least one piece of referable work of plicants should mail (a) a letter of interest, (b) a “Water” are under way and qualied candidates SCIE (including accepted ones) resume and (c) at least three (3) references to: are encouraged to send a separate application, following the “How to Apply” guidelines at www. • List of publications Dr. Shihab Asfour, Associate Dean for Academ- • One hardcopy of ID (both sides) ics, College of Engineering, University of Miami mtu.edu/sfhi. Visit www.me.mtu.edu for more in- 1251 Memorial Drive, McArthur Engineering formation about the ME-EM Department. Please submit to: Dr. Der-Min Tsay, Bldg., Room 247, Coral Gables, FL 33146. The Chairman of Department of Mechanical and University of Miami offers competitive salaries THE DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL EN- Electro-Mechanical Engineering, National and a comprehensive benets package includ- GINEERING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF KEN- ing medical and dental benets, tuition remis- TUCKY invites applications for multiple tenured/ Sun Yat-Sen University, No. 70, Lien-Hai sion, vacation, paid holidays and much more. tenure-track faculty positions at the Lexington Rd, Kaohsiung 80424, Taiwan. The University of Miami is an Equal Opportu- campus beginning spring or fall semesters 2012. Application Deadline: August 15, 2011 nity/Affirmative Action Employer. These positions require a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering or a closely related discipline and Further Information: please contact: FACULTY POSITION IN HYBRID ELECTRIC a commitment to excellence in research, teach- Phone: 886-7-525-2000 ext: 4202 VEHICLES: MECHANICAL ENGINEERING- ing and professional service. Preference will be ENGINEERING MECHANCIS DEPARTMENT. given to those at the assistant and associate FAX: 886-7-525-4299 World-Class Research with Outstanding Col- professor ranks, and to those in the targeted E-mail: [email protected] leagues: Michigan Technological University’s areas of manufacturing systems and processes, Website: e13.nsysu.edu.tw/ ME-EM department invites applications for a heat transfer and uid mechanics (CFD and www.nsysu.edu.tw tenure-track faculty position at the Assistant experimental uids), computational mechan-

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August 2011 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 69

ASMENEWS Compiled from ASME Public Information dispatches.

Rockwell Becomes ASME President ictoria A. Rockwell assumed her role as President of ASME in June during the ASME Annual Meet- ing held in Dallas. Rockwell is the 130th person in V the history of the society to take on that role. During her inaugural comments, made during the Presi- dent’s Dinner, Rockwell expressed enthusiasm for the future of ASME. She said that the contributions of the Soci- ety’s membership can make a di( erence in the world. “These are exciting and dynamic times for ASME,” Rock- well said. “The only thing that can hold us back is our lack of imagination, drive, and focus. “Our mission a+ rms our desire to serve our diverse global communities by advancing and applying engineering knowl- m (Left to right) Marc W. Goldsmith, president-nominee (2012- 2013), ASME President Vickie Rockwell, and Immediate Past edge for improving quality of life and communicating the President Bob Simmons. excitement of engineering,” she said. Rockwell has been an active member of ASME for more publications, conferences, and courses keep ASME mem- than 30 years, and she has held a variety of Society leadership bers current as existing technologies expand and evolve, positions, including a term on the Board of Governors from and new technologies emerge. 2006 to 2008 and as senior vice president of the Strategic “I have great conﬁ dence that our profession will take the Management Sector. A strong advocate of engineering educa- lead in shaping our world’s future through engineering tion, she also served on the ASME Council on Engineering innovation and determination,” Rockwell said. “More than Education and on the Board of Pre-college Education. any other profession, engineers have the opportunity to Rockwell stated that ASME has at its core continuing edu- improve the lives of billions of people. I see ASME making a cation and professional development, and that the Society’s world of di( erence.”

Goldsmith Named President-Nominee, Other O# cers Announced The ASME Nominating Committee Innovative Technologies Institute and Vice Presidents named Marc W. Goldsmith vice president of the Center for Public Ą Guido Karcher, Pressure president-nominee. Goldsmith’s Awareness. He is also a recipient of the Technology Codes and Standards nomination and that of several other ASME Dedicated Service Award. Ą Richard Swayne, Nuclear Codes and ASME offi cers were announced at the Standards Annual Meeting. ASME also recognized incoming Ą Andrew Taylor, Leadership and Goldsmith is president of Marc Society offi cers and standing committee Diversity Goldsmith & Associates LLC. He is a chairs who began their terms in Ą Richard Williamson, International registered Professional Engineer in June 2011: Petroleum Institute California and holds a Master of Science degree in nuclear engineering from Members-at-Large Chairs of the Board of Governors Massachusetts Institute of Technology. on the Board of Governors Standing Committees Goldsmith, an ASME Fellow, has Ą Betty Bowersox Ą Sam Zamrik, Committee of served in a number of leadership Ą Julio Guerrero Past Presidents positions during his 24 years with Ą Charla Wise Ą Robert Pangborn, ASME, including a term on the Board Committee on Governance of Governors from 2007 to 2010 Senior Vice President, Ą Bob Simmons, Executive Director, and terms as chair of the General Standards & Certifi cation Evaluation and Staff Compensation Management Board of the ASME Ą Ken Balkey Ą Karen Thole, Committee on Honors

70 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | August 2011 Miaoulis: STEM Education Cultivates Engineers he vital role that science, tech- the museum is integrating nology, engineering, and math engineering as a new discipline education plays in both prepar- in schools via standards-based T ing and inspiring pre-college K-12 curricular reform and students for future opportunities in the developing technology exhibits engineering workforce was the theme and programs. of the 2011 Roe Lecture, delivered “Technological literacy is basic by Ioannis N. Miaoulis at the ASME literacy for the 21st century,” Annual Meeting in June. Miaoulis said. “We live in a Miaoulis is the president and direc- technological world. We need to tor of the Museum of Science in Boston m Ioannis N. Miaoulis presents understand how human-made and his address, “Re-Engineering the the 2011 Roe Lecture. things like shoes and bicycles Curriculum,” was the featured talk at are created and how they work.” the 2011 Roe Lecture and Luncheon, ning with K-12 students. “Engineering A mechanical engineer, Miaoulis was sponsored by the ASME Foundation. brings math and science to life, dem- dean of the School of Engineering at Miaoulis explained the importance onstrating that they are relevant and Tufts University in Medford, Mass., of fostering scientifi c and technical motivating students to pursue them,” prior to joining the museum in 2003. literacy in men and women begin- Miaoulis said. Miaoulis will receive the ASME Ralph Miaoulis and the Museum of Science Coats Roe Medal, during the 2011 Hon- K&C ENCOMM launched the National Center for Tech- ors Assembly at the ASME Congress nological Literacy in 2004 to enhance in November. The medal is bestowed TALKING POINTS knowledge of engineering and technol- on individuals who have made out- In order to provide technical infor- ogy for people of all ages and to inspire standing contributions toward a better mation in a condensed, easily digest- the next generation of engineers, inven- public understanding of the engineer’s ible format to maximize its value to tors, and scientists. Through the NCTL, worth to contemporary society. the public, the Knowledge and Com- munity Energy Committee has begun issuing a series of Energy Talking Rose-Hulman, Montana St. HPV Champs Points containing nonpartisan, techni- ose-Hulman Institute of Technol- vehicle class, winning that category’s $650 cal information. ogy and Montana State Univer- fi rst prize. The California State University, The ETPs seek to incorporate the sity were the top winners in their Northridge, team was the runner-up in collective expertise of K&C EnComm respective categories at the ASME the speed class, and students from San members to identify energy-related R Human Powered Vehicle Challenge West. Jose State University placed third. Unlike opportunities and challenges. They Students from 18 universities designed vehicles in the unrestricted category, those provide highly technical peer-reviewed and built prototypes of advanced human- in the speed class compete only in the speed data, and their release is based upon consensus by the EnComm. powered vehicles for the competition, held races, not the endurance challenges, and The Energy Committee comprises 40 in May at the Montana State campus in are not judged on their practicality. members from 17 divisions of ASME, Bozeman. The vehicles built by the stu- ASME and Knovel Corp. co-sponsored representing approximately 40,000 dent teams were tested for their overall the event. ASME members. The ETPs are issued performance, speed, safety, and p This student entry as K&C EnComm “public statements” technical design. from Missouri S&T and do not represent the views of The team from Rose-Hulman in won the Knovelty Award for Innovation. ASME as a whole. Terre Haute, Ind., placed fi rst over- The fi rst Energy Talking Point to be all in the unrestricted vehicle cat- released was “Three Signs the End egory with its entry Helios, winning of Oil Exports Is Coming.” The paper the $800 top prize. The teams from suggests that action is needed now to Missouri University of Science and ensure a stable supply of oil to reduce the risk of economic disruptions. Technology and the South Dakota The ETPs are available to review at the School of Mines placed second and Knowledge and Community section of third in the category. ASME.org, located at http://www.asme. ThunderCat, the entry from host org/groups/centers-committees/ school Montana State University,

NEIL HETHERINGTON knowledge---community-sector-(1). ﬁ nished ﬁ rst in the overall speed

August 2011 | MECHANICAL ENGINEERING 71 Technology Transfer Awards INPUTOUTPUT Show O! Robot Advances

he European Robotics WINNERS: Association has chosen 1 KUKA won the European Robotics Germany’s KUKA Association’s Roboter GmbH for its top tech transfer 2011 Technology Trans- honors for an innovative carbon fer Award. While the fi ber robot, the fi rst company’s humanlike designed to work robotic arm is impres- around human beings without a sive, the awards highlight just how fast gate. 2 Runner- Tthe industry is moving away from plain up 3B Scientifi c’s vanilla industrial robots. Finalists SIMone, simulates birth so doctors included an interactive birth simulator, can practice simple virtual fi tting room, surgical robot, and and complicated dual-armed robot. deliveries. 3 Fits.me was third with a KUKA’s Lightweight Robot originat- virtual fi tting room. KUKA ed at the German Aerospace Center, which needed a robotic arm for a 1993 “mature technology that could open up space mission. To make it a+ ordable numerous robotic applications in our to boost into space, the researchers daily life, such as in manufacturing, needed to slash its weight-to-payload services, and medicine.” ratio by an order of magnitude. They The second prize went to 3B Scien- did it by building from carbon-rein- tifi c’s SIMone, an interactive birth forced composites. simulator developed by Technical They designed an arm with human University München, the Swiss Federal fl exibility (seven degrees of freedom) Institute of Technology Zurich, and and integrated power and signal pro- 3B Scientifi c. The simulator enables cessing electronics. Other innovations doctors to practice deliveries, deter- included active vibration damping and mine how patients respond to di+ erent

programmable joint sti+ ness. medications, and learn the proper use 3B SCIENTIFIC Another new feature, contact detec- of forceps and vacuum tools. It tion, is especially important, also simulates complications claims it has sold 50 systems worldwide. because the arm stops if it makes that few medical interns see The runners-up were equally inno- the slightest contact with a human on a regular basis. vative. Fits.me, an Estonian start-up, worker. “The LWR is the fi rst robot The robot, which models teamed with Tallinn University to to be rated safe to operate without a pregnant woman’s create a virtual fi tting room for online a protective fence—a abdomen and the fetal clothing companies. Customers enter historic milestone,” head, uses advanced their measurements and they can see said Ralf Koeppe, haptic feedback how di+ erent clothing of di+ erent sizes who received to simulate a real and cuts would fi t. The company claims the award for delivery. The robot its software boosts sales 57 percent KUKA. The mimics forces gener- (primarily for higher-ticket items) and LWR weighs ated by friction, tissue reduces returns by 28 percent. only 14 kg elasticity, uterine Italy’s Surgica Robotica worked and users can contractions, and with University of Verona to develop program it by attempts to extract Surgenius, a surgical stereoscopic guiding it by hand the baby. The vision robot. Germany’s pi4_robotics through the desired company asked collaborated with Fraunhofer Institute motions. 51 doctors to for Production Systems and Design Martin Hägele, a evaluate SIMone. Technology to produce Workerbot, a jury member who Four out of fi ve reconfi gurable, two-handed robot that heads robot systems found it “highly” can be programmed by moving the at Fraunhofer IPA, or “very highly” arms through their routines.

called the robot a realistic. 3B ALAN S. BROWN FITS.ME

72 MECHANICAL ENGINEERING | August 2011

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