2007 Technology Articles
On this Post, you will provide a brief summary of a technology related article you recently read. The article should be approximately 2 pages long. The goal is to share something you have learned with me and the rest of our class. Make your comment in the format in the example below. A comment for a different article is due before the end of each marking period and will count as a project grade. Point values are in parenthesis.
Example:
Name: your first and last name (10)
Title: article title (10)
Source: Magazine Title or Website, issue date, pages (10)
Summary: minimum of 60 words that describe the article's content (40)
Interest: state why you chose this article in 40 words minimum (30)
posted by Mr. Turton @ 2/14/2007 09:23:00 PM
45 Comments
45 Comments:
My great EDD Students -
Where are your comments? If you don't comment today, you should do so during your break. You can find the link on my web page - which you can get to from the High School page.
Name: Mike Soltiz
Title: Technology Cuts Cycle Time
Source: Manufacturing Engineering, January 2006, pg. 55-63
Summary: Many recent advances in technology have changed the world of cutting by increasing tool life, improving cutting speeds and feeds, and reducing wasteful non-cutting time. This increase in productivity also can reduce the cost-per-part by 15%. Beta versions of new, stronger tools have been developed, too, that may increase productivity further in the future. One strong example of increases in technology is at Lamina Technologies in Wayne, NJ, where carbide inserts were designed for more accurate and consistent performance and longer tool life to reduce tool changes, setup, and gaging time. This and other advances are very helpful to the manufacturing industry.
Interest: I chose this article because I find it very interesting how fast parts can be manufactured by modern machines. It is amazing how rapidly technology is advancing to make it possible to create more and more parts with ease that can sell for much cheaper prices.
Shawn Klingelsmith
Leading the Way in the CAM Evolution
The entire CAM product line has been updated to the 9.1 version. The new version includes a new Multiple Pass option which according to the company allows for more complex 5-axis roughing and finishing. The update also includes sophisticated methods that result in finer tool control by letting users define exactly where the tool will go, while also permitting the tool to adjust to the specifies of challenging cutting situations.
I chose this article that in the previous classes we have used programs that are similiar to this in making a sucker mold. With the new update our sucker molds could have been more defined and a lot smoother making them better looking.
Name: Michael Roller
Title: "They Walk Like Men"
Magazine: Machine Design, pg 22, March 3, 2005
Summary: The main topic of the article talks about the use of robots. These robots at Cornell University and MIT are said to "walk naturally." One robot constructed at Cornell University is said to be about ten times more advanced than any other robot ever made. This robot takes in a specific quantity of energy per unit weight and distance comparable to a human walker. This robot, the Honda Asimo, uses ten times more energy than any human. Conservation of energy is very important to building a robot. They are becoming more energy efficient everyday.
Interest: I chose this article because I found it very interesting to me. I think the construction of robots is fascinating. It would be cool to work with them later on in my life. It is unbelievable how they get a mechanical machine to act like a human. I think a college career in robotics would be very interesting.
Desktop Engineering, February 2004, pg. 16-18
Ryan Aldinger
Deleting Mad Cow Disease
Popular Science September 2005, pg. 37-38
With the current Mad Cow crisis many scientists are looking for a cure to this disease. But instead of simple looking for a cure a few groups of scientists are looking for a way to make cows immune to mad cow disease from the start by means of genetic engineering. These groups intend to do this by altering a certain protein, called prions in the cow’s body that are lethal to the brain when it mutates. Hopefully this will put an end to Mad Cow Disease.
The reason I picked this article is because Mad Cow Disease is a very important topic right now and I find it interesting on how they plan to do away with the disease. I also find it interesting on how they plan to get rid of the disease by genetic engineering.
Name: James Myers
Title: Beyond Quality Toolmaking
Source: American Machinist, December 2005, pg. 38-41
Sumnmary: In the article, the company L.S. Starrett Co. and its state-of-the-art manufacturing processes are described. The processes that are described include using a program called DataSure to quickly and efficiently send data to statistical transfer control programs. The company also uses special blades called Gladiator Blades to increase efficiency. These blades are very accurate and fatigue-resistant alloy to create one of the most efficient tool making processes in the world.
Interest: I chose this article because it was very interesting. I find it fascinating to learn about the way that tools are made in factories. I also like learning about the processes that help make the things we use today.
Conor Kilcoyne
Article Title: The Internet is Sick....But We Can Make It Better
Source: Popular Science Oct 2006 pg 82-86
Summary: My article was about how unsafe the internet is. Every day more than300,000 computers are taken over by hackers and used in bot nets. These bot nets are used are sold to the highest bidder and used in various cyber crimes. Identity theft is also another major problem. Once a hacker is into your computer he can steal any saved information such as your name, address and even your bank account information. Now various people want to recreate the way the internet works so that it’s safer. However this will take a long time and billions of dollars.
Interest: This article is interesting because it looks into a possible future of the internet. If these cyber crimes continue to be widespread, we will be forced to rebuild the internet. I enjoy going on the internet so the article was very interesting
Name: Jesse Meyer
Title: Sawing in the 60's
Source: American Machinist, April 2004, pg.62-64
summary:During the 60’s in order to cut 60-62 Rc hardened steel, most cutting jobs had to be done with a diamond-grit-edge blade, not a conventional band saw blade. Well this was the case until one saw blade company successfully cut a 9-in.-diameter 60-62 Rc hardened steel part with a standard carbine-tipped blade. Then they created a new blade to make it possible so cut super hardened steel using a triple-chip grind.
Interest:I chose this artical because I found it interesting how they would use a diamond edge blade to cut hardend steel. I found it amazing that they can cut a super hardend peace of steel in less then 25 minutes.
Name: Konrad Reynolds
Title: “Shop Floor Productivity”
Source: Manufacturing Engineering, July 2005, Pg. 65-71
Summary: Companies need to open up to robotics to cut costs and keep factories on-shore. By using robotics they can machine products to lesser degrees of precision as needed and save time and money not paying someone to do the same thing and take twice as long. Also, by utilizing this technology companies can have bigger selections of products and smaller inventories of each to follow business trends. Lastly, companies can look at the positives and negatives of keeping their companies on shore.
Interest: I chose this article because of increasing job and factory relocation in other countries. The positives and negatives are both very strong. On one side it can lower prices and most products more readily available to the public, but on the other side you lose local jobs and captial.
Mathew Hawley
Playstation 3 offers supercomputer performance
http://www.isuppli.com/news/default.asp?id=6919
Playstation 3 is one of the most technologically advanced game systems of its time. The game consol supplies the best video game performance available; this could be due to the many software manufacturers that put efforts into this product. The console itself contains cards, chipsets, and processors from manufacturers like NVIDIA, Tobisha, IBM and many other software manufacturers. Due to the array of companies involved in production and the state of the art components that exist within the system, the cost of production is over 840 dollars but the retail price is 500 dollars. Even the production price is a good deal because to get the same graphics quality on a pc it would cost up to 2 thousand dollars. Even if you purchase such a computer you may not get the same high definition quality that playstation 3 can offer It is evident that this is the most advanced game system built so far because of the unprecedented components and its variety of companies that help to produce it.
This article was chosen by me not because I am obsessed with video games but because I am simply fascinated with the complexity of modern gaming computers. It amazes me that so many components are added from so many different places just to create one product. It is also a interesting topic because the gaming industry itself changes so fast as technology gets better and better
Michael Roman
"Timeless Power"
Popular Mechanics, March 2007, pgs. 42-44
Summary: Jay Leno, famous talk show host as well as early car and power enthusiast, recently purchased two early engines from the 19th century, one running by steam power and the other by gas. Leno bought these engines, made by Wright and Crossley (respectively), to not only examine how machinery used to be run in the past, but also to cleanly power his automotive garage more efficiently by putting these engines to work.
Interest: I chose this article because it was interesting to hear how different engines used to run pre-20th century and how they're still very capable of running just as well today as back when they were first made. It was also interesting to see a celebrity who took so much interest in historical artifacts and not just worry about the current world and the newer technology.
Bobby Valois
Can Coal Come Clean?
DISCOVER Vol. 27 No. 12 December 2006
The article I chose talked about the Polk power plant. The Polk power plant burns more cleanly than other power plants. It catches 98% of its sulfur. The polk power plnat uses an integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC). IGCC plants convert coal into gas and burn the gas. This process makes it possible to take out unwanted emissions like carbon dioxide and bury it instead of releasing it into the air.
I chose this article because I thought it was interesting that there is a way to make coal burn more cleanly. Global warming is caused by greenhouse gasses like carbon dioxide. If greenhouse gasses can be cought and buried by power plants instead of released into the air then we are closer to stoping global warming.
Rachel Holmstrom
"The Invisible Warship"
Popular Science
BY Gregory Mone
This ship is 600 ft long and is vertualy undetectable by enemy warships or even land based radar. The engines are silenced by a rubber skin on the hull of the boat that act like the skin of an elephant. This boat is the warchip of the future the development starts early next year and seven of these ships are to be delivered in the year 2012. It is called the ddg1000. The offense systems are even more impressive than its defense systems it can drop 6 missiles on one target similtaneously up to 95 miles away.
Earthquakes have been a huge natural disaster for many parts of the world and are almost completely unpredictable. But what if we could predict them? Geloigists have created a new program called QuakeSim which will make predicting earthquakes less guess work and more acurate. By studing interactions between tectonic plates and pressure changes in the earths crust, and by using a GPS system InSAR they can calculate latitude, longitude and elevation changes of various areas on the eart.
Intrest: I found this article interesting because it is sucha a large problem for the entire world and now we will be able to help prevent them before they happen
Bibliography for above comment
Title: Predicting Earthquakes From Space.
Author: Jim Wilson
Magazine: Popular science, December 2003
Name: Graham Mager
Title: Fast and Cool
Source: Design News, February, 2007 pg. 36-40
Summary: My article was about the Playstation 3. The article talked about the upgrades like the 3.2-GHz processor, the RSX graphics processor, the XDR memory and the FlexI/O. The new PS3 also plays blue-ray discs and incorparated blue-tooth wireless controllers. Since sony wanted incorparate HDTV they needed a better processor so they talked with IBM and Toshiba to develop one. Another problem Sony had to deal with is cooling the system. The engineers designed the box to maximize airflow so it draws heat away from components. Also they used large fans to drive the air. The risk of all this is that peopel might not want to buy such a powerful system for $599. All in all Sony has created a powerful system that has intense graphics and runs cool.
Interest: The reason i choose this article because im interested in gaming systems. I also purchased a ps3 mysleft so i can relate to what they are talkign about when they say they designed a powerful and cool system. I know first hand that the design is made to move the warm air away from the components . It also gave me the insight on the technology it has that i use when playing games.
Name: Matt Sitzman
Title: Blown away
Source: Popular Science, September 2005, pg. 22
Many moutain top campers would agree that one of the many problems they have with their tents is they get blown away by the strong winds experienced on mountain tops. Nrth FAce's new tent design was built to withstand up to 130mph wind gusts. The oncoming winds flow into a special dome that counteracts the downward force of the winds by using the winds to push up. This new tent beats teh current record of 100mph which failed after poles snapped. Yet the new tent only failed when the clasps ripped off the poles. The poles remained intact.
Interest: i choose this article because i am an avid camper and have seen many tents ripped apart from very strong winds. Also i enjoyed how the manufaturer used the wind to help solve the problem and still keeping it a low weight tent.
Name: Rachel Holmstrom
Article: "Do Cell Phones Kill Sperm?"
Source: Popular science
Scientist at the reproductive research center of Cleveland clinic tested three hundred sixty-one males to test the level of cell phone use to the sperm count in these males. Although they did find some alarming results that males who are on there cell phones for a total of four hours a day have 41% lower sperm counts then males who use there cell phones for little to no time per day. And males who are on the cell phone for only two hours per day have a 20% lower sperm count then the average male who does not use there cell phone. The scientists aren't going into panic mode yet because they have not isolated this variable yet there is a factor of stress, age or other factors. Although they haven't found the factor just yet other studies have proven that radio waves similar to the ones used in cell phones have been known to damage sperm development so for these heavy users keeping it on a belt or in a pants pocket may not be the way to go.
This article seemed interesting to me, being a teenager growing up in a world that puts out the message that we couldn't live in a world without our cell phones, laptops, or PDA's. Scientists are always coming out with new things that they think make cell phones dangerous but this would be the last thing that I would expect to happen from the use of cell phones.
Name: Ryan Aldinger
Title: Inventor, Fifth Dimension
Source: Popular Science, October 2006, pg.56
Summary: New physicist, Nima Arkani-Hameo, has a brand new theory to explain why gravity is so strong that it can move planets but so weak that a refrigerator magnet can resist it. His theory is that there is a leak in the universe and gravity is seeping in to two other dimensions. He is also betting on there being not just extra dimensions but extra universes, some 10^500 of them, each existing side by side. Proof of this could come when the Large Hadron COllider gets turned on in 2007. If his calculations are correct the LHC will reveal that half of all particles in the universe have partner particles, which will be "... a mamoth hint that the multiuniverse is real."
Interest: I found this article very interesting because it defy's everything that we know about physics with the whole concept of multi-universes and dimensions.
Name: Michael Roman
Title: Bugging Out On Homeland Security
Source: Popular Science, March 2007, p. 38
Summary: By using various creatures, the government may soon be able to manipulate a certain animal's traits to benefit government work or even public service work. Types of fish, bees, roaches, and moths can be used to do different tasks, such as examine toxins, find bombs, test water impurity. Another great possibility is to implant a chip in a butterfly at the pupal stage to be able to control its instincts to mate and eat and avoid certain environments.
Interest: I chose this article because I found it facinating how advanced science is becoming in that we can manipulate animals into different services that we would normally not think of them being able to do.
Name: Konrad Reynolds
Title: DIY Mega Server
Source: Popular Science, Oct. '06, pg. 96
Summary:The idea is to create a massive amount of space for your personal use and keep it as cheap as possible. With about $850 Pop Sci magizine made one with 1.2 terabytes of space, or 1,200 gigabytes. Roughly that could calculate into about 250k songs. Or if you have a lot of software or a work database you could tranfer all those files over to this mega server. Another plus is that you can create a network within your own home allowing any computer to access it. Different files on different computers? No jump drive needed. If you ever actually need more room you can trade the 300GB HDD's for larger ones in the future easily.
Interest: I see this as a way for the average person to create a space in which they can put anything they want. Literally. No matter what amount of songs, or movies, or photos you have this can hold it easily and keep your computer free for the programs you need.
Name: Shawn Klingelsmith
Title: Italian designed, American made, Iraq deployed
Source: American Machinest, December 2005, pg.30-36
Summary: In 1985 when Berreta moved to the U.S. from Italy, they signed a $56-million contract with the U.S. armed forces for 315,930 pistols but was raised to 321,260. Since 1985 500,000 pistols have been supplied to the U.S. military. Originally only emlpoying 20 people in the late 70's has increased to over 500 by the late 80's. Berreta pistols have been used in every military engagement since the late 80's.
Interest: What interests me about this article is that most of Berretas Business in selling pistols goes to the U.S. armed forces. It is amazing how many guns are supplied to the army by Berreta. By Berreta coming to the U.S. they also created jobs for Americans.
Name: Bobby Valois
Title: Next X Prize: Build a practical, hyperefficient car
Source: USA Today, April 4 2007
Summary:
There is going to be another X Prize compition to make a car that can be mass produced and emits almost no pollutants. The winner will recive ten million dollars like in the last X Prize compition. The new X Prize will start in 2009. The car must get 100 miles to the gallon or its energy equivalent. There are going to be to categories to enter a car in. One is a car with four wheels that seats four people. The other is a car that seats two people withe no restriction on the number of wheels it can have. Some people are complaining about the 100 miles to the gallon guide lines because they want to eliminate the use of fossil fules all together.
Interest:
I chose this article because I think it would be cool to have a car that gets 100 miles to the gallon or dosn't use gasoline at all. If someone can mass produce a car like that then it would probably be cheaper to drive and there wouldn't be so much pollution
Name: Konrad Reynolds
Title: Fast and Cool
Source: Design News, Feb. '07, pg. 37-40
Summary: The PS3 is a marvel of engineering genius. From top to bottom it's feat after feat of modern and almost futuristic technology. Boasting a 3.2ghz processor and Nvidia RSX graphics card. Also, the new console has large amounts of in game physics potential, which allows for more realisitic reactions of objects in game compared to the same explosion over and over. This and the blu-ray disc player and blue tooth enabled controllers the PS3 is employing the best of the best in one machine. The case itself has been engineered for optimum cooling, equivalant to a network server. Overall this system costs about as much as the cheapest computer you could buy and runs at a much higher level.
Interest: Owning a PS3 myself it's good to see that my intial investment has been worth it. Also I hope for the future of this system, new games, online features, and added hardware.
Name: Michael Roman
Title: "Is Any Of This A Good Idea?"
Source: Popular Science, September 2005, p.96-99
Summary: Currently, there are numerous studies and products to attempt to improve human life. For example, scientists are working on methods of gene therapy that can help to make someone work better and make decisions better when under stress. However, some scientists are questioning whether or not these methods will be completely ethical and necessary to helping better develop human life and easier harness skills.
Interest: I chose this article because it talks about new methods of gene therapy that I found very interesting. The article also discusses funny possibilities of what the future may hold (such as neon antlers for humans.)
Name: Mike Soltiz
Title: Will Artificial Muscle Make You Stronger?
Source Popular Science, September 2005, pg. 82 - 90
Summary: This article discussed an arm wrestling match between a 17-year-old girl and a robot. However, unlike the average robot that is made with gears and moving metal parts, this robot was made of a plastic materials called electroactive polymer that move when stimulated by chemicals or electricity. The robot was able to defeat the human in a close match, and bioengineers say that this material could be used by humans in the future to give them nearly unlimited muscle growth.
Interest: I chose this article because I found it interesting how strong a plastic robot could be. It is amazing that in the future this technology could be used to both cure people with muscle damage and make people much stronger than any illegal drugs can do now. I bet the robot could destroy Mike Roller in a fist fight because it beat the 17 year old girl.
Name: Mike Roller
Title: "CNC Machining Improves NASCAR Cars"
Source: Manufacturing Engineering
Summary: CNC machining has been a big part of NASCAR in recent years. The first CNC machining center for NASCAR was built in 1996 in Oxnard, CA. Right now there are 16 VMC's, 8 HMC's and seven CNC lathes in the NASCAR world today. The company using all these machines is called Haas Automotive. Hendrick Motorsports supplies engines to the Haas CNC racing team which fielded its own race car in 2002. The ownership has evolved so much in recent years. It has widely provided easy machining and better cars in the NASCAR world.
Interest: I chose this article becasue it seemed interesting to me how these machines helped with building race cars. I have never been a big NASCAR fan. I find it very boring watching cars drive in circles for a long period of time. I think it would still be cool to work in that area though as long as I dont have to watch the races.
Title: Windmills In the Sky
Source: Popular Science
Summary: The wrold is coming close to needing around 50,000 megawatts of power. Bryan Roberts of University of Technology in Sydney, Australia has developed a system of floating turbines that will produce 20 megawatts each. These turbines will float in the jetstream and be secured by tethers. These Flying Electric Generators will be able to power 2 chicago size cities if there are around 600. The prototype will cost 4 million dollars.
Name: Ryan Aldinger
Title: A Miniature Star on Earth
Source: Popular Science, February 2005, pg. 36
Summary: For the past 50 years that there have been nuclear reactors scientists failed at creating a nuclear fussion reactor that made more energy than it used. Hopefully this year that will change with the building of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor. The reactor heats up hydrogen gas to 100 million degress celsius which causes the ions to smash together and create helium while releasing large amounts of energy. The project is supposed to take 10 years and $6 billion to complete and will result in relatively low amounts of radioactive waste that becomes safe in only a few decades as opposed to the thousands of years for nuclear fission waste.
Interest: I chose this article because I find the field of nuclear energy very interesting and I think it would be really cool for scientist to create a synthetic star on Earth that creates renewable energy.
Name: Shawn Klingelsmith
Title: Dynamic Waterjet
Source: American Machinist, March 2004, pg. 30-35
Summary: The water jet cutting systems are capable of cutting both common and exotic materials from 1/16 to 8 inch thick within plus or minus 0.003 inches. Currently, 75% of all water jets in North America are cutting steel and aluminum. The water jet eliminates hard-tooling changeovers between jobs which saves time and money for the machinist.
Interest: I find this interesting because they use high powered water to cut materials that usually machinists use steel bits for. These machines are also a great way to save time and money.
Rachel Holmstrom
Junk in Power out
Popular science (popsci.com)
This article is about a machine that got its design from a cow and how the metabolic process of a cow works, because in one day a cow produces enough methane to power a house furnace for 24 hours. So they took that process and made it into a self contained machine for army troops that can not only eliminate waste that is left over but it can power the mess tent cheaply without having to buy diesel. This was designed by Purdue scientist.
How it works
1. The shredder rips up waste and soaks it in water.
2. The sludge is pumped into the bioreactor, and enzymes break it down into carbohydrates and then into simple sugars, which yeast metabolizes into ethanol.
3. The pelletizer compresses undigested waste into pellets and feeds them into a gasification reactor that burns them to produce a composite gas.
4. The ethanol is combined with the composite gas and injected into a diesel generator, where it's mixed with 10 percent diesel fuel to generate electricity.
I chose this article because it seemed interesting the fact that you can put in 2,500 pounds of waste and you have enough power to power three average size houses, it all total expels 60 kilowatts. This may be the future of getting rid of garbage and creating new power sources. This article shows how much that our technology is increasing since back when they thought it was ok to dump toxic waste in the ground and they thought nothing would happen.
Name: Conor Kilcoyne
Title: Tuna Power
Source: Popular Science April 2007, PG 32-33
Summary: A new form of alternate energy is being developed that takes advantage of ocean current. Tim Finnigan a professor at the University of Sydney in Australia developed the new Biostream design. It takes the most energy efficient tailfins, such as those on tuna and sharks, which uses a stiff crescent shaped fin to generate thrust. The side to side motion of the fin then turns a gear box which powers a magnetic generator. This creates electricity which is then brought to the surface.
Interest: Alternate energy is a major part of our future and this is a very interesting design. It takes part of nature and uses it practically. This idea is also interesting because it’s totally under the sea so it doesn’t effect anything and lets off no pollution.
Name: Jesse Meyer
Title: Invisible Warship
Source: Popular Science, Nov 2006, pg 86
Summary: The Zumwalt is a new warship that is going to be almost silent and nearly invisible to the enemy radar but the capability of dropping 6 powerful missiles simultaneously on a single target up to 95 miles away. The Zumwalt will be 600 feet long but to enemy radar will appear to be the size of a small fishing boat. This is possible because of DDG1000 hard wear that lies flat embedded in the deckhouse.
Interest: I chose this article because I found it interesting on how they would make a boat seem invisible. I also wondered how much a project like this would and found that it would cost $2.3 billion for each boat and they are planning on making 6.
Name: James Myers
Title: Technology Vs Terrorism
Source: Popular Science, April 07, 33-40
Summary: The article is about new technologies designed to prevent terrorist attacks. These include redesigned office buildings, constant surveillance of our borders by unmanned drones, safer stadiums, bomb and deadly gas sensors in airports, subways, buses, and stadiums, and a wall on our borders with sensors to prevent intruders. They are also making the internet safer from hackers, so that they cannot attack our banks and government organizations.
Interest: I chose the article because it was interesting and it had a lot of material. It covered many aspects of our daily life and the bad things that terrorists can do to us during them. Also, the technologies that were creating were very interesting.
Bobby Valois
Title: Nuking Nuclear Waste
Source: Popular Science.com
Nuclear power is the biggest source of energy we have that dose not contribute to global warming. The United States has 103 nuclear reactors that produce 2,200 tons of radioactive waste each year. The Global Nuclear Energy Partnership Wants to transform nuclear leftovers into fuel for new nuclear reactors. The new reactor could produce up to 100 times as much energy as a regular reactor but they would generate forty percent less waste.
I chose this article because I find it very interesting that there may be a way to use nuclear waste to fuel new nuclear reactors. Soon we are going to have to find new ways to make power without producing greenhouse gases. Nuclear waste isn't much better but it is cool that they are working on ways to reduce nuclear waste.
Name: Mathew Hawley
Title: Dishing Out Real Power
Source: Popular Science, February 2005, pg 31
Summary: In today’s society solar powered energy makes up les than 1% of the world’s power. In the face of increasing fossil fuel costs and environmental hazards the demand of solar energy will expand. Already coal powered plants, natural-gas plants and nuclear plants are running out of resources and support as the global warming effect becomes more real in the 21st century. To solve this new demand for clean energy, engineers have revolutionized how solar energy works. In the past there were solar panels that converted the radiational energy into electric energy, now engineers are developing a system in which the panels are actually mirrors that reflect solar energy to a hydrogen four cylinder generator that can produce up to 25 kilowatts. This produces a considerable more amount of electricity than conventional solar panels.
Interest: I chose this article because I believe that clean energy is the only way to preserve the planet and slow down global warming. Already much of my family is involved in for working clean energy companies and it is in my nature to support new forms of renewable resources.
Title: Forklifts now run on fuel cells and hydrogen
Source: Machine Design, March 2005, pg 40-42
Summary: As the price of gas rises and companies look to save money many warehouses and factories are looking towards Hydrogen power. General Motors of Canada is using a pair of fuel-cell powered forklifts. These forklifts are managing to take up less room because one fueling station can support 3 to 4 forklifts using less square footage then when the forklifts ran on batteries. Also the fuel-cells provide teh same output voltage at all times where as conventional batteries lose output voltage. and to refill the Fuel-cells it only takes 2 minutes for 8 hours of run time.
Interest: I choose this article because with the growing concern over gas prices and the ready availibility of hydrogen. Also since the only by prodcut of fuel-cells is water there are no really harmfull side affects.
Name: James Myers
Title: Rion-Antirion Bridge
Source: Popular Science, Apr 07 91-95
Summary: The article is about a large bridge that was built in Greece. The bridge is 7388 feet long, with a main span of 1837 feet. The bridge was first proposed in 1880, but the technology to build it was not available until the lat 20th century. The bridge is designed to withstand earthquakes up to 7.5 on the Richter Scale, winds up to 155 mph, and an impact of a 180,000 ton ship.
Interest: I chose the article because I found the bridge interesting. I thought it was interesting that the bridge can withstand violent winds and earthquakes, and that it was proposed in 1880. Also, the fact that it is larger than the Golden Gate bridge is interesting.
Name: Jesse Meyer
Title: Tokyo Underground
Source: Popular Science
Summary: Tokyo has the worlds largest storm drain made to take the edge off of a typhoon. The room is larger then 2 football fields and contains large tanks and built in pumps to ensure that if Tokyo is hit by a large storm it will not go underwater. Each tank can hold 13 million gallons of water. Then from there four 14,000 horsepower jet turbines that pumps 50,000 gallons of water per second into the nearby Edogawa River.
Interest: I chose this article because I found it interesting how they could make something so large and not have the city above it fall through the ground. It is also amazing that the tanks can hold 13 million gallons of water each and pump it all out that fast.
Name: Michael Roller
Title: Manufacturing The F/A-22
Source: Manufacturing Engineering
Summary: The F/A-22 is a type of aircraft that many engineers have been working on. These engineers are working on ways to make them faster and more effective. One way engineers made production more effective was through titanium machining. There is an extensive use of titanium used in producing these aircrafts. The weight, stress, and survivability are very important when determining how to build them.
Interest: I chose this article because the subject sparked a great interest to me. I have always liked reading about planes and how they are made. I think it is amazing how they build these things. I also enjoy watching war movies and seeing all the different kind of planes in them.
Name: Ryan Aldinger
Title: The F-35B's Amazing Engine
Source: Popular Science, April 2007, pg.50-51
Summary: For decades engineers have been trying to build a plane engine that can go at supersonic speeds while also being able to take off vertically. They finally accomplished this with the new engine for the F-35B. While the plane is still flying horizontally doors open up behind the cockpit exposing the lift fans that allow the plane to hover and take off vertically.
Interest: I chose this article because I enjoy learning about fighter planes and new and crazy engines. It is also interesting that they can get a very heavy object like a fighter jet to hover and take off vertically.
Name: Mathew Hawley
Title: Teaching Goats To Make Spider Silk
Source:http://www.carleton.ca/catalyst/2003/s2.html
Summary: The United States wants spider silk! In order to get this material they have invested in the Nexia Company to perform experimentation on the best way to fabricate the material. It’s strange but spider silk is the strongest fiber known for its size. The material is stronger than steel by weight, more elastic then nylon and is also stronger and lighter then Kevlar. Such discoveries have created a high demand to produce this material on a mass scale so we too can use its strength. The truth is that you can’t just thread spiders like you could silk worms, they're just too aggressive and hard to handle. To solve this problem Nexia has pinpointed the proteins and key elements that produce the silk and have created Goats that can replicate the proteins. These goats were created with certain strains of Spider silk producing DNA so that the silk proteins are produced in the milk that is extracted. Once the milk is removed the liquid is put into a centrifuge and separated into its components. Then the layer of Silk proteins are extracted and purified. Later the material is forced through a tiny hole into an alcohol solution which solidifies the proteins into the thread. Nexia has found a way to produce the spider silk and plans to increase production by using cows to produce the certain silk proteins. The silk will eventually be used by the United States government to produce lightweight body armor, which can be worn like a regular piece of clothing
Name: Conor Kilcoyne
Title: The Wireless Warrior
Source: Popular Mechanics May 2007
Summary:Over the past 15 years the army has been developing a new technology system for all of its soldiers. There goal is to have everyone on the battlefield wired together. However most soldiers don't like it because it is too heavey and makes maneuvering difficult. The main source of the weight is the battery on the soldiers back that powers the Land Warrior system.
Interest: I think its interesting to see new technology that the military is developing. This new system is very interesting and its also interesting to see how troops will react to the new technology
Bobby Valois
Title: The Speeding Outhouse
Source: Popsci.com
Paul Stender has made a jet powered bike, a jet powered truck, and a jet powered school bus. His newest jet powered vehicle is an outhouse. Paul put a fifty year old Bowing jet turbine on an outhouse. Paul puts on shows with his jet powered outhouse at drag strips, arenas and airports across the country. Paul bought his 750 pound Bowing jet turbine for $5,000. The jet powered outhouse can reach speeds of 46 miles per hour. All together Paul's outhouse costs $10,000 and took him ten days to build.
I chose this article because I thought it was interesting that someone would turn an outhouse into a jet powered vehicle. I also thought it would be fun to race an outhouse like Paul dose, someday. This article taught me that no matter how stupid your idea is there will always be someone that will pay to see it.
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