Lifting Lug Design - Preview

Greetings!

I know I have not updated this blog in some time, but the information I would like to have shared over the past few months cannot be publicly posted. It reveals trade secrets and proprietary information. They even made me sign a contract to not release the information. I can however share the basis of the project. Standardizing and programming parametric 3-D models for UL 142 and 2085 above ground diesel fuel storage tanks. The assignment brought about standardizing lifting lugs for these massive chunks of metal.

This brings me to a topic I can discuss. Lifting Lugs. This necessary component has very little literature on how to design and analyze the lifting capacity. The company I currently work for has been designing lifting lugs without any formal analysis. Granted, there has not been an incident where a lifting lug failed. This is largely due to over compensation of an existing design. This design has been approved by a certified PE, but does not give much insight on how it was analyzed. Not to mention that the safety factor being used in the calculation was 3.0. I would have to say that is fairly generous.

Over the next few months I will be designing and analyzing lifting lugs and posting my results here. I am incorporating parametric algorithms to optimize the designs.

Center-line Displacement for Cross Bracing

DETERMINING CENTER-LINE DISPLACEMENT FOR EQUIDISTANT CROSS BRACING STRUCTURE

PROOF

SOLVE FOR h, PROJECTED HEIGHT, BY USING TRIGONOMETRIC RELATIONS FOR r, INCLINATION ANGLE. FROM DETAIL A, THE FOLLOWING RELATION IS REVEALED:



USING THE MAIN DETAIL, SIMILAR RELATIONS CAN BE MADE USING THE FOLLOWING:



ASSUMING CONSTANT VALUE, u.


MAKING THE RELATION BETWEEN TANGENT, SINE AND COSINE:

 Edited (16 JULY 2013): Pasted pictures of equations... Looks more professional.

Qualifying Engineering Experience... Professional Engineer

http://www.nspe.org/Licensure/Resources/LandQP.html

Qualifying Engineering Experience
In order to constitute qualifying experience, the experience must meet a number of criteria...

1.  First, the experience should be from a major branch of engineering in which the candidate claims proficiency.
2. Second, the experience must be supervised. That is, it must take place under the ultimate responsibility of one or more qualified engineers. Generally qualified engineers must be licensed professional engineers. However, some jurisdictions will accept experience supervised by a qualified unlicensed engineer in industry situations where there is no offering of engineering services to the public.
3. Third, the experience must be of a high quality, requiring the candidate to develop technical skill and initiative in the application of engineering principles and sound judgment in reviewing such applications by others. The experience must be of a nature that the candidate develops the capacity to assume professional responsibility for engineering work. 
4. Fourth, the experience must be broad enough in scope to provide the candidate with a reasonably well-rounded exposure to many facets of professional engineering. Along with highly specialized skill in a particular branch of engineering, the candidate should acquire an acceptable level of competence in his or her basic engineering field, as well as the accessory skills necessary for adequate performance as a professional. 
5. Finally, the experience must progress from relatively simple tasks with less responsibility to work of greater complexity involving higher levels of responsibility. As the level of complexity and responsibility increases, the candidate should show evidence of increasing interest in broader engineering questions and continuing effort toward further professional development and advancement.

In assessing whether the candidate is sufficiently competent and responsible to be entrusted with or independently engage in engineering work or to supervise engineering work, state engineering license boards look for evidence of independent decision making and assumption of personal accountability in design and application. In short, while the experience must be gained under the supervision of qualified professionals, it must also be professional in character. 

Most of the functions that mark the engineer's work as professional revolve around various decisions that must be made in the course of a project. Examples include:

• the comparison of and selection among alternatives for engineering work;
• the determination of design standards or methods;
• the selection or development of methods or materials to be used;
• the selection or development of testing techniques;
• the evaluation of test results;
• the evaluation of a contractor's performance, methods, and materials; and
• the development and control of maintenance and operating procedures.

As an example, in mechanical engineering, the following types of experience may be considered "professional experience":

1. the design of machines, machinery, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment, power plant equipment, engines, tools and processes, mill or industrial layouts, mechanical systems for commercial and institutional facilities and/or the supervision of the construction of any of these;
2. the development of industrial plants and processes and/or consultation or contribution to such development;
3. operation, control, and testing of major mechanical installations, manufacturing plants, and power plants;
4. the writing of technical reports, manuals, and the like;
5. full-time teaching at an accredited college-level engineering school.

In contrast, mechanical engineering experience that is generally considered subprofessional would include the following:

1. construction and installation of machinery, heating, ventilating, and air conditioning equipment, and other mechanical structures;
2. operation of heating, ventilation, and air conditioning equipment, power plants, stationary machinery, mechanical manufacturing plants, and foundry and machine shops;
3. drafting, tracing, detailing, laying out, and checking shop drawings;
4. designing tools, jigs, and fixtures;
5. recording data and routine computations under supervision and inspection of materials;
6. maintenance and repair work; and
7. teaching as an assistant without full responsibility in an engineering program.

Some types of experience may be classified as either professional or subprofessional, according to the other types of work they are performed in conjunction with. If performed in conjunction with other professional work, they may qualify as professional experience. If they constitute the whole job, or are performed in conjunction with subprofessional work, they may not qualify. In mechanical engineering, these borderline tasks may include the following:

1. calculations of heat transfer, fluid transport, etc.;
2. the preparation of flow charts or logic diagrams;
3. the design of components and parts and the design of simple systems (e.g., fire protection and noise control);
4. reliability analysis;
5. installation of control, production, or environmental systems;
6. the laying out of plant equipment.

Sales work can be credited as qualifying experience only if it can be conclusively demonstrated that engineering principles, knowledge, and skill were used in the work. Selection of equipment from a catalog or similar activities cannot be counted as engineering experience.

In general, the greater the complexity of the engineering work and the greater the responsibility it entails, the more likely it will be counted as professional experience. It is important for an engineer-intern to seek opportunities to perform more complex work and to undertake greater responsibility, so that within a few years time, the candidate will be operating fully at a professional level.

I believe I need to get to work

Applying for Patent Information...

http://www.uspto.gov/patents/index.jsp

Interesting information on this webpage. Thinking of submitting a patent. need to be willing to consent production of product, otherwise, I'll be wasting my time and money.

NO MORE SECRETS!

Turns out that the internet is no place to be sharing my theses. I will will be more than happy to supply articles and other odd things that I come about, but I will keep my ideas to myself until it is certain I can patent stuff.

Light Pollution Thoughts

This past weekend has definitely been one that I won't soon forget... Back on topic! To dissipate light over a given distance to reduce light pollution, seems all but real now. I'm slowly working on the physics and will hope to share my findings on this blog. Assuming of course, that I actually anyone reads this. In either case, thank you for reading!

I need a super awesome name for this invention...

[Street Sweeper - The Oath]

Plastics and Molds

I've recently been dabbling in the money machine known as plastic injection molding. What if there were a method to produce plastic components without having to spend money on metal molds? If there were a gel-like substance that could morph into the shape needed, this would eliminate high lead time to produce molds and drastically reduce the cost of producing such said molds. For the sake of having an amorphous mold, we could ultimately exclude the term undercut. Much like making sand molds, but in an extremely shortened time frame and environmentally safe manner. One can dream.

Curoisty Landing 06 August 2012

Touchdown confirmed!
Congratulations! NASA has done it again. Curiosity has landed on Mars.

UTA Racing - Formula SAE & Formula Hybrid

Yesterday was an amazing day for inspiration! Was in Arlington to see the latest competition for FSAE.

Sketches: Starcraft Protoss Carrier

I've started making some sketches for what I want this model to actually represent. Not sure if I want to make the side panel removable and give people the view of the inner workings of a Protoss Carrier or actually make the model fly! I feel it is more within my budget to have a nice internal view. I shall wait, maybe make the Mothership capable of flying ^_^

Long-term Project: Starcraft Protoss Carrier

I've decided that I will make a model of the Starcraft Protoss Carrier based on the super awesome painting by Peter Lee '07.

This project will be on a fairly large scale, not too large though. I'm thinking around the length of four feet to maybe six feet. Will definitely be fun designing the inner components and getting the material necessary to construct this.

Pray for me that I actually complete this.

Using Energy from Microorganisms

Interesting papers I've been reading where scientists are able to utilize the energy released from microorganisms as they multiply... mainly from bacteria and algae. The idea of harnessing this energy as a form of electricity is very interesting. They are calling it bio-chemical energy where from these biological organisms, electricity can be produced... reminds me much of The Matrix.

Either way, very interesting stuff.

Infinite Energy Loop

When energy is used there is a release of excess energy in the form of heat. Heat is not a real form of energy. We need to develop a system to limit the amount of heat generated.

We need a heat damper.

IDEA: Reduction of Light Pollution

Today I start my thesis work on reduction of light pollution. I may change the title, but for now this will do. The premise of the thesis is for all cities to view the night sky without the excessive use of luminescence from artificial light sources.

I will update this blog with more information as I resolve a solution to this dilemma.

Resolution to reduce light pollution