NEXT MEETING
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Monday, April 22- 12:00
noon
Cellar Restaurant at Union Square
Topic: Micro-turbine Power Engines- George
Courville- Ecotera Energy
An improved closed-cycle gas turbine engine has been developed
that uses a chemically active working fluid to convert heat into power. Our
speaker, Dr.George Courville, will describe what makes this engine unique. Its
patented design promises compact, powerful, multi-fuel, quiet engines that can
be at least 25 percent more fuel-efficient than comparable energy converters.
The system combines heating, cooling and power needs into a single unit for a
variety of fixed and portable applications.
Dr. Courville is the Chief Technology Officer of Ecotera
Energy, Inc., a Knoxville- based company that was founded to develop and
commercialize environmentally friendly, sustainable energy technologies such as
the novel gas turbine. Prior to his current position, Dr. Courville was
Associate Division Director and Division Resource Manger at Oak Ridge National
Laboratory where he was involved with energy efficiency and renewable energy
research for building and electric power systems.
Invocation: Malcolm Cross
Fellowship: Almeda Frazier
Entrée du jour: Beef Pot Roast w/ carrots & Potatoes
OUR PREVIOUS MEETING April 15
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The Dupont Plant in Chattanooga extrudes
molten nylon that solidifies into strands when cool air is blown over it.
The Senior Engineering Design students, Chris Gadd and Merritt Moss, were
challenged to design a "screen" that would optimize the airflow over the
solidifying strands of nylon. The plan was to avoid frequent breakage of the
strands caused by turbulent airflow, and to decrease material property variation
in the nylon due to cooling rate variations.
Chris Gadd and Merritt Moss discussed their test procedure and
described the performance of a commercially available alternative to the
existing foam screen. The students applied a statistical method called Gage
R&R (range and repeatability) to their experimental testing procedures,
assuring that their were observations were valid. Their selected test screen
successfully achieved the desired uniform flow but resulted in a
subsatncially reduced flow rate.
FUTURE MONDAY MEETINGS
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April 29 Field Trip - Accurate Automation -
High Technology Projects in Development
May 6 Topic: Round-Abouts and
Traffic Circles - New Features on the Chattanooga Landscape - John Van Winkle
May 13 Topic: Entrepreneurial
Engineering - Starting and Maintaining a High Tech Business - Katie
Vandergriff, MKT Technologies
May 20 Topic: Invasive Plants - A
frightening look at a destructive invasion.
May 27 No meeting in observance of Memorial
Day
June 3 Topic: Green Power - TVA
June 17 Topic: Hamilton County Regional Bike Plan
- Bill Allen
WHERE WE MEET
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Our weekly meetings are usually held
at the Cellar restaurant of the Tallan building, Union Square Downtown
Chattanooga from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. Our meeting room and luncheon service are
open by 11:30 a.m. Lunch buffet is $10.00 per person. No reservation is
required. Free parking is available in the Days Inn Motel (on Carter St. and MLK
Blvd,) courtesy of the Days Inn management. When you park there, be sure to
place a note on your dashboard indicating you are attending the engineers club
meeting.