Chattanooga Engineers Club

Great Programs, Great Food and Free Parking

NEXT MEETING___________________________

Monday, June 8, 2009 - Noon - DOUBLETREE HOTEL, Second Floor (407 Chestnut St., Chattanooga, TN 37402)

"Algae-Based Biodiesel Fuel: A Reality or Hype?" - Dr. Tricia Thomas

As America seeks to curb its dependence on foreign oil, Biodiesel derived from plant oils is touted as an important alternative fuel. One of its biggest advantages compared to many other transportation fuels is that it can be used in existing diesel engines without modification, and can be blended in at any ratio with petroleum diesel. One of the important concerns about wide-scale development of biodiesel, however, is that it would displace croplands currently used for food crops. For any biofuel to succeed at replacing a large quantity of petroleum, the yield of fuel per acre should be as high as possible. Among the most photosynthetically efficient plants (converting solar energy into chemical energy) are various types of algae. In fact, some research suggests that algae could supply enough fuel to meet all of America's transportation needs in the form of biodiesel using a scant 0.2% of the nation's land.

Dr. Tricia Thomas will provide us with a perspective with algae as an effective agent for the production of biodiesel. She will explain to what extent today’s excitement about algae-derived biodiesel is based on hype or sound judgment. Dr. Thomas will provide a brief overview of the recovery and conversion processes and identify the key hurdles yet to be overcome. Research in this area is currently being conducted at UTC’s College of Engineering and Computer Sciences.

Dr. Tricia Thomas is a Visiting Assistant Professor at UTC. She holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering-Bioengineering from Carnegie Mellon University.

Note: During the last 10 minutes of our meeting, Linda Allen will present an after-school mentor program for high school students who wish to learn more about careers in architecture, construction and engineering.

FUTURE MEETINGS________________________

Monday, June 15 – Noon – New Chattanooga State Programs Partnered with the Following Companies: VW, TVA, Alstom, Westinghouse, Wrigley, DuPont, etc.

Speaker: Tim McGhee, Department Head, Engineering Technology, Chattanooga State

Meeting Place: DOUBLETREE HOTEL

Monday, June 22 – Noon – “Wastewater in Chattanooga – Past, Present and Future”

Speaker: Jerry Stewart, Department of Public Works, City of Chattanooga, Waste Resources Division

Meeting Place: DOUBLETREE HOTEL

Monday, June 29 – Noon – PLANT TOUR & PRESENTATION: BlueCross BlueShield “Cameron Hill Campus”

Speakers: Bob Worthington, Senior Vice President and Chief Strategy Officer for BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, and Dan Jacobson, Vice President Properties & Corporate Services Division for BlueCross BlueShield

Meeting Place: Cameron Hill Campus, Reception Hall, 1 Cameron Hill Circle, Chattanooga, TN 37402

Thirty persons maximum may participate. First-come first-served, based upon reservation. Most slots are already full. Please RSVP before Noon on Wednesday, June 24^th, to Misty Walker by e-mail at mwalker@robbinsbohr.com or by phone at 423-756-4430 ext. 138. In the event that someone needs to cancel a reservation, please let Misty know so others may have an opportunity to come.

PREVIOUS MEETING_______________________

Shane Loyd founded The RLS Group, LLC 10 years ago to serve the civil construction needs in our communities. Mr. Loyd demonstrated the High Definition Scanning (HDS) equipment and explained Phase Based and Time of Flight Systems. A laser scanning system measures with a 2mm accuracy. Objects within the scan may be removed from the final data. Process engineers, criminal investigators, and plant engineers utilize laser scanners to analyze critical information. Structural analysis, legal reporting, and modeling are target opportunities for HDS. Mr. Loyd discussed the use of HDS for heritage preservation, documentation, and restoration projects.

Shane Loyd explained how he trained his staff for one year before he offered his services to customers. Forensic and legal scans require special double-target devices.

In the future, pulse laser devices will capture data in less than a second.

ITEMS OF INTEREST_______________________

The Chattanooga Engineer's Club meets at the DOUBLETREE HOTEL, CHATTANOOGA (407 Chestnut St., Chattanooga, TN 37402). Free parking is available in the gated parking lot on the south side of the Hotel. The gate will be open from 11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. There is additional free parking east of the Hotel on Chestnut Street in the paved parking pit.

Looking for details on a local society meeting? Links to local engineering societies are available to you at: http://www.chattanoogaengineersclub.org/engineer

Click on the following link to view Chattanooga State’s Summer Enrichment program for Teens, http://www.chattanoogastate.edu/continuinged/busmwksp.asp

QUESTIONS and SUGGESTIONS______________

If you have any questions, items of interest to the Chattanooga Engineers Club, or suggestions for 2009 programs, please contact Joe Robbins by e-mail at jrobbins@robbinsbohr.com or by phone at 423-756-4430. You can find membership application forms, references to future programs, historical data, and other info at: http://www.ChattanoogaEngineersClub.org. To receive future meeting announcements by email, join the Chattanooga Technology Organization mailing list at: http://www.ChattanoogaEngineersClub.org/email