Developed by engineers for engineers.

December 2009 Blog Posts (17)

green design

The optimization of any design is also expected to contribute to the Environment improvement. The old bulky designs say of steel required huge amount of carbon emmissions to produce the excess material.

Added by Sumit Basu on December 31, 2009 at 8:57pm — 1 Comment

Why Protecting Wind Turbines from Lightning is Critical

I. Lightning Vs. Wind Turbines

Exactly when and where lightning will strike is an unpredictable act of nature. If scientists could calculate the exact location of future lightning, the United States would be able to avoid the $2 billion in annual property damage due to this awesome yet terrifying natural phenomenon. However, the fact that lightning usually… Continue

Added by Beth Chittum on December 30, 2009 at 5:30am — No Comments

Cable Design with Pro-Engineer Wild Fire 2 (Part-1 Manual Wire Routing)

This blog is meant for Friends in this Engineering Exchange Society.

Here we go……

There are two ways of Design Approach for the Cable Assembly.

1. Top Down Assembly ( for Complex and Real World Assembly, Define Wire, Connector, from the Diagram and auto routing ,etc….)

2. Bottom up Assembly ( Define Wire ,Connector, Route by Manually)

In this exercise, I will go for Second Method. I prepared some… Continue

Added by Kratos72 on December 29, 2009 at 7:30am — 3 Comments

Root Valve for Diff. Press gage

In a colder climate like Utah do you wnat to install a root valve on a Magnethelic differential pressure gage? I have not used a root valve before and am not sure what value they offer.

Added by Tracy Black, PE, LEED AP on December 18, 2009 at 6:20am — No Comments

What to Expect from Hydraulic Seals

To attain their highest possible capacity factor, wind turbines must be sited where they will be exposed to as much consistent wind as possible. An assessment must often show a site to annually have about 2,500 hours of wind at about 25 mph to make it viable for a utility company. Consequently, all parts of a wind turbine are subjected to extremes of weather, ozone, unusual stresses, and vibration. Things get worse offshore where they must also withstand the rigors of the sea including exposure… Continue

Added by Taylor Johnson on December 17, 2009 at 6:00pm — No Comments

Innovative Designers, where are you?

A truly innovative product design comes from a truly innovative designer. It comes from the passion, insight, and creativity of one or two people, who together understand the indisputable, psychological process that the user undergoes when seeing and using a new product. It comes from a designer who “eats, breathes, and nourishes” his idea every waking and sleeping moment.

An innovative product does not come from consensus, a committee, a focus group, or a customer review board.… Continue

Added by John R. Gyorki on December 16, 2009 at 10:53am — 4 Comments

Podcast: Leveraging Technology for Newer Applications

Leveraging Technology for Newer Applications

Cathy Wilson of the Gates Corporation speaks with Miles Budimir, Senior Motion Control Editor for Design World Magazine, about how you can leverage belt technology to increase the capabilities of your… Continue

Added by John J. Currid on December 16, 2009 at 6:08am — No Comments

Podcast: New Developments in Flexing Cabling

Paul Warren of W.L. Gore speaks with Design World Magazine managing editor Leslie Langnau about the new developments in flex cables and how transitioning to a flex cable can help your… Continue

Added by John J. Currid on December 16, 2009 at 5:50am — No Comments

Cap and Trade-What does it mean to YOU?

Controversy has arisen around the House of Representatives’ approval of the American Clean Energy and Security Act (ACES) of 2009, also referred to as the Waxman-Markey bill. As you’d expect, many coal-powered utilities are taking a public stand against the bill which limits allowable carbon emissions, while firms with investments in carbon-neutral power production are big supporters. After much research and considering the effects of the ACES bill on the American economy and the environment,… Continue

Added by Taylor Johnson on December 14, 2009 at 11:30am — No Comments

ENGINEERING - PHYSICS REPORT NEEDED

Brief expert report from licensed engineer needed on impact of two 3200 lb cars for litigation in Bucks County, PA- must be in Phila area if needed for one day trial.

First car veered into opposite lane and struck second car along driver’s door and impacted behind driver’s door.

Added by PHIL SOCCI on December 12, 2009 at 7:56am — No Comments

First Assess the Site, Then build the Wind Plant

Wind developers come in all sizes. For those who would like to offset their electric bills with a small turbine or two, local ordinances provide sufficient guidance and permission. But those who would like to install units capable of generating a few megawatts and more will have to do a little homework. The homework in this case is a site assessment. It gets a bit involved and take some time but the payoff is worth the effort.

“We have this land…”

Many community members… Continue

Added by Taylor Johnson on December 11, 2009 at 5:30am — No Comments

Chronic Bearing Problems in a Turbine? Here's how to fix it

Although many wind farms in the U.S. are generating electricity and well beyond a testing stage, their debugging continues. Many of these turbines suffer design-related failures within their first few years of operation.

Damaged bearings, for instance, can cause generator failures, which lead to unplanned downtime and costly repairs. If down for a month, a failed 1.5-MW generator can account for over $48,000 of lost revenue, and a single month’s wait for parts is unrealistically… Continue

Added by Taylor Johnson on December 9, 2009 at 7:30am — No Comments

Self Healing Capacitors for Wind Turbines

Demand for wind turbines has spiked in the recent months/years due to two main drivers. The first is the ever rising cost of fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas. The other, the growing concern for climate change, although that might turn out to be bunk ;). As the demand for these systems increase, supply subsequently rises and efficiencies of a new product increase. One way electrical engineers… Continue

Added by Taylor Johnson on December 7, 2009 at 8:00am — No Comments

How to Keep Your Turbine Running for the Long Haul: 20 yrs and more

Standard wind turbine gearbox warranties generally last two to three years, and when they expire, operations and maintenance professionals become responsible for keeping the turbines running for the remainder of their service lives. Considering that the average wind turbine is expected to operate for up to 20 years, maintenance professionals are challenged to maximize equipment performance and minimize maintenance. So how do they do that?

Do more than change the…

Continue

Added by Taylor Johnson on December 4, 2009 at 11:22am — No Comments

Autodesk University class

Today, Andy Warren conducted a class at Autodesk University called "Using Inventor to Electrify the Grid." It was geared toward users who work for electric power utilities or engineering companies that do work for them. He taught how to use Inventor to design substations for power distribution. He covered designing lace-up type towers and bays, low profile design, and all of the switches, breakers, transformers, and insulators. He also showed how to test the clearances of all of the buses and… Continue

Added by laura carrabine on December 3, 2009 at 9:54am — No Comments

New Generation of Body Armor Takes the Load Off Soldiers

Wearing body armor for protection against bullets and shrapnel has been a double-edged sword for soldiers. While the armor provides an indispensable defense, its weight and placement on the body exposes the wearer to neck, shoulder and back discomfort, and possibly years of lingering pain. The problem is not just the armor, but also the heavy equipment that soldiers routinely wear for hours and days at a time that can weigh more than 60 lbs – including rifles, ammunition, grenades, radios,… Continue

Added by John J. Currid on December 1, 2009 at 8:45am — No Comments

laziness

I can't worry about damage to the moon,when our oceans continue to be used as a dump. Nonetheless, any gamer will tell you it's no fun unless there is a challenge. Engineers MUST find elegant, "safe" solutions because its the "right" thing to do. The easy, cheap, quick way is usually the dumbest and , indirectly, most costly.

Added by Walt Stanish on December 1, 2009 at 8:16am — No Comments