Marco deRegt, a process engineer at BP wants to ensure that sand won’t settle in pipelines during transportation. Follow his actions step-by-step to learn more about how you can use and apply Knovel to your everyday work. (more…)
International and government standards and regulations require that companies reduce or eliminate waste at the source by modifying production processes, implementing conservation techniques, and re-using materials rather than putting them into the waste stream.
In this Solution Story, we walk through the steps an engineer takes to investigate, troubleshoot, and make recommendations for a complete solution to complying with OSHA standards.
Vibrations in mechanical systems are often signals that there may be a problem within a component. Check out this problem Knovel was able to help solve.
A mechanical engineer working on a transmission was hearing high vibration noises within the gearbox whenever the engine was running. Upon further inspection he found that the bearings were in need of replacement. He replaced the bearings, but after awhile the problem arose again.
Calculating the price per kilowatt hour of electricity required for wind turbines to power Greenfield, NY.
Greenfield in Upstate New York is considering an environmentally friendly wind farm as a sustainable source of electricity for the community. An engineering firm is hired to research turbines, confirm the needs, and estimate the cost of electricity per kilowatt-hour produced by turbines.
Millions of tons of plastic packaging and other plastic waste are hauled to over-flowing landfills every year around the world and will remain there for a very long time. The plastics industry is continuously searching for solutions to this problem by implementing “green” technologies, including the development of biodegrad-able plastics.
Customizing carbon steel to meet customer specifications
A metallurgist at a steel mill received a request for a custom carbon steel with a yield tensile strength of at least 415 MPa and an ultimate tensile strength of at least 690 MPa. Knowing that strength increases, but machinability and weldability decrease when increasing carbon content, he wants to optimize carbon content while keeping the strength at the required level.
Calculating the required horsepower for the electric motor driving Times Square’s New Year’s Eve ball
One of the most well-known traditions representing the New Year’s Eve celebration is the ball drop in New York City’s Times Square. A very decorative ball made up of thousands of crystals drops down a pole during the final minute of the year. This year’s ball has seen many upgrades from its 2007 version- it’s three times brighter, double in size and most notably, has increased in weight from 1,100 pounds to 12,000 pounds.
The ball drop occurs via an electric motor which lowers the ball 70 feet over the course of one minute. The weight increase means that more power will need to be supplied from the motor. We did some research on past ball drops and here’s what we know: the gearmotor’s output shaft must be 6 rpm and the time must be negligible since timing is crucial for the ball drop event. What we don’t know is the minimum horsepower needed by an electric motor.
