CHATTANOOGA ENGINEERS CLUB

www.ChattanoogaEngineersClub.org

NEXT Meeting (The Read House)_____________________________________________

Monday, August 23, 2004, noon, The Read House, Continental Room

Topic:  “TVA Activities as a Result of the Northeast Blackout” - Tim Ponseti, TVA

Recall that our group hosted Mr. Terry Boston earlier this year to discuss the events surrounding the Northeast blackout of August 14th, 2003.  We learned about what took place and how it happened.  Now, how does that information transfer into real improvements to prevent another similar event?  This Monday, we will have Tim Ponseti tell us what actions have been or are being taken at TVA as a result of the August blackout.  Mr. Ponseti works for TVA's Transmission/Power Supply Group, is currently the Vice-Chair of the Southeastern Electric Reliability Council (SERC) Engineering Committee, and also recently served as an independent observer on the August 14th, 2003 Blackout Investigation Team with the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO). 

Invocation/Pledge Chair for August:  Jack Anderson

Menu:  unavailable

Special Note on August 30 Field Trip:  The field trip to Oak Ridge National Lab is scheduled and SSNs and birthdates are required in advance for security clearance.  The tentative plan is to visit the supercomputer center, the Spallation Neutron Source site, the hybrid lighting area, and if possible, the High Temperature Materials Laboratory and possibly get a presentation on fuel cells.  We will meet in downtown Chattanooga at 9:00 am EST, have lunch in the ORNL cafeteria, and head back to Chattanooga from Oak Ridge around 2 or 3 o’clock.  Transportation arrangements are being finalized.  Please contact Tiffany Gibby at 423.751.3168 (day) or 423.326.3185 (eve) for more information.

OUR PREVIOUS MEETING________________________________________________

Topic:   “How NASA Hardware Operates in the Demanding Environments of the Space Shuttle and Space Station” - Tim Allen, Teledyne Brown Engineering (TBE)

Mr. Allen brought a container, really an incubator, for protein crystal growth like the one that has been in the international space station for about 600 days.  Larger and more perfect crystals with less sedimentation can be grown without the force of gravity.  These larger and more perfect crystals allow scientists to X-ray and study the structure of the crystal.  Many crystal studies are for medical and pharmaceutical research.  This particular container can grow 81 crystals.  Their experience with four identical containers on thirty flights has shown that the container can successfully return about 90 percent of the crystal cargo undamaged.  Crystals are fragile and sensitive to heat.  The container tries to maintain a constant 22 C temperature environment and cushions the crystals from vibrations of take-off and landing.  The most difficult vibrations to protect against are sudden jarring movements in a single direction like those of the nose coming down on a space shuttle landing or someone bumping into the container during transport to or from the shuttle.  This container (called a PCG-STES DCAM) could not successfully be returned to earth in a Russian Soyuz spacecraft because of the jarring landing a Soyuz typically experiences.  PCG-STES DCAM stands for Protein Crystal Growth-Single locker Thermal Enclosure System Diffusion-controlled Crystallization Apparatus for Microgravity and is described at http://spaceresearch.nasa.gov/research_projects/ros/pcgstes.html.

Crystals have been growing on earth since November 2002 for comparison to the crystals being grown in space.  They are still growing here, so there are no known adverse consequences to the unplanned extended growth period caused by the grounding of space shuttles for safety design upgrades.  The next space shuttle flight that could return these crystals to earth is scheduled for March 6, 2005.  When the space shuttle takes off, it will have a 5 day window for the launch to catch the orbit of the international space station.

Mr. Allen described the careful preparation for the crystal growth before launch.  All measurements are made precisely by three individuals.  Careful planning to get the preparations from the laboratory to the shuttle through Anthrax screening and bomb sniffing dogs is required to protect them from the typical high humidity surrounding the Kennedy Space Center.  For more information, see http://microgravity.msfc.nasa.gov/pcg.html

Thanks to Judy Driggans for the meeting summary.

FUTURE MONDAY MEETINGS_____________________________________________

August 30:  Field Trip - Oak Ridge National Lab Summer Tour (SSNs and birthdates required in advance for security check)

September 6:  NO MEETING - Labor Day Holiday

September 13:  “Soddy Daisy High School’s Engineering and Technology Academy” - Joel Laney

September 20:  “Georgia Water Issues” - Napoleon Caldwell, Division of Natural Resources

TBD:  “Nuclear Proliferation and Security:  Keeping us safe at home and abroad” - ORNL

WHERE WE MEET _______________________________________________________

We meet at The Read House, and lunch is $11.  Parking is free at the Days Inn across MLK Blvd. but you’ll need a note in your windshield that you’re with the Engineers’ Club.  Valet parking (by AAA, the manager of the Read House Hotel parking garage) is $3 for lunch events.  The Read House Hotel garage entrance is now on Broad Street.

QUESTIONS, SUGGESTIONS? ______________________________________________

If you have any questions or suggestions about program items please call Tiffany Gibby at 423-751-3168 or email her at tjgibby@tva.gov. You can find references to other Chattanooga Engineers Club members at our web site: www.ChattanoogaEngineersClub.org.