April 2010 IEEE News

Former NAE President William Wulf Urges Scientists & Engineers to Revive Recommendations in ‘Gathering Storm’ in Speech to U.S. IEEE Members

NASHVILLE, TENN. (6 March 2010) — Scientists and engineers should encourage Congress to revive the recommendations outlined in the 2005 National Academies report, “Rising Above the Gathering Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter Economic Future,” IEEE Fellow and former National Academy of Engineering President William A. Wulf said at the IEEE-USA Annual Meeting on Saturday morning.

“The momentum has clearly subsided,” Wulf said at the Nashville Airport Marriott. “If IEEE-USA and other societies get vocal about it, I think we can get the momentum back.”

A video of Wulf’s address will be posted at www.ieeeusa.org. Session recaps from the meeting are available at http://ieee-usa.blogspot.com/. 

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March 2010 – Section Meeting Details

Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS),
a Duke Energy Perspective on CO2

DATE: Thursday, March 25, 2010
PLACE : Raffel’s – 10160 Reading Road (see below for directions)
TIME : 5:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. –  Social Time
             6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. –  Dinner
             7:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. –  Presentation
 

COST FOR DINNER: $10.00 per person – Regardless of Membership or Membership Grade!

NOTE:  DINNERS ARE ALWAYS OPTIONAL – YOU MAY ATTEND THE PROGRAM ONLY. 

MENU SELECTIONS:   Stuffed Pasta Shells, BBQ’d Ribs, Marinated Char Grilled Chicken Breast, Au Gratin Potatoes, Buttered Corn, Cole Slaw, Tossed Salad, Dinner Rolls and Butter, Coffee, Tea, Iced Tea, Soft Drinks. There is also a bar available for the purchase of alcoholic drinks.

LOCATION:  Raffel’s is located at 10160 Reading Road, south of Glendale-Milford Road on the east side of Reading. Take I-75 to the Glendale-Milford Rd. Exit, go east on Glendale-Milford Road approximately ¾ of a mile to Reading Rd. and turn right on Reading.

RESERVATIONS:  Please email Fred Nadeau for reservations at Reservations@ieeeCincinnati.org (preferred) or call the Section Voice Mail at 513-629-9380 by Noon, Tuesday, March 23, 2010 if you plan to attend. Please leave your Name, IEEE Member Number, and a daytime telephone number.

PE CREDITS: Depending on the subject matter, attendance at IEEE Cincinnati Section Meetings now qualifies the attendee for Professional Development Hours towards renewal of Professional Engineers Licenses. Required documentation will be available following the meeting!  The Section Meetings also provide a great opportunity to network with fellow engineers in the area.

ABOUT THE MEETING:  Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) provides a means to dramatically reduce the amount of carbon dioxide (CO2) emitted into the atmosphere from industrial facilities or when electricity is generated by fossil fuel power plants. Although carbon dioxide is neither toxic nor inherently dangerous, the overabundance of atmospheric CO2  is believed to be a major contributor to global climate change.

Up until now, the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere has been inevitable when power is generated from fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas.  Now, however, new power plants are being designed with processes to separate carbon dioxide so that it is not released into the atmosphere. Instead, the CO2 is captured and can be piped to underground geological formations where it can be permanently sequestered.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER:  John G. Bloemer of Duke Energy has over twenty-nine years in the Power Generation Industry, holding various positions in Engineering, Staff, and Management roles.  Positions held in the General Engineering, Resource Planning, Power Services, Business Development Support, and Analytical Engineering departments, with areas of responsibility covering System Protection, Integrated Resource Planning, Emissions Compliance Planning (both Phase I & Phase II CAAA and CAIR/CAMR), Rate Case, Fuel Clause & CPCN Support, and Generation Project Development and Siting technical support functions.  John is a Registered Professional Engineer in the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Mr. Bloemer obtained an Associate of Applied Science in Electronics Technology and Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Northern Kentucky University, and a Master of Science, Electrical Engineering, MS(EE) from the University of Cincinnati.  He has also attended and presented at many industry related seminars and forums throughout career.

March 2010 – Membership News

NEW MEMBERS
The following individuals are IEEE members who are new to our Section:

Annie M. Avakian
Devin Christopher Cole
Justin Andrew Daniels
William Francis Harkins III
Daniel Holder
Catherine A. Huitger
Milo Wilt Hyde
Vasile Nistor
David Pruss
Michael Valentine
Philip Shaun Wheeler
Bryon Wilkins
Jia Yang

We wish to welcome these new members to the Cincinnati Section!!!

March 2010 – History

Scanning the Past: A History of Electrical Engineering from the Past
Submitted by Bob Morrison, Editor

Copyright 1996 IEEE. Reprinted with permission from the IEEE publication, “Scanning the Past” which covers a reprint of an article appearing in the Proceedings of the IEEE Vol. 84, No. 8, August 1996.

Semi J. Begun and Magnetic Recording

Fifty-five years ago this month, the PROCEEDINGS OF THE INSTITUTE OF RADIO ENGINEERS (IRE) included a paper by Semi J. Begun on magnetic recording and applications for radio broadcasting. At the time, the author was employed as a research engineer at the Brush Development Company in Cleveland, OH, where he worked from 1938 to 1971. He made numerous contributions to the technology of magnetic recording and was elected a Fellow of the IRE in 1952.

Begun was born in Danzig, Germany, in 1905. He received the Master’s degree from the Institute of Technology
in Berlin in 1929. He earned a doctorate from the same institution in 1933. In 1929 he joined the firm Schuchardt AG in Berlin, where he did developmental work on a steel magnetic recorder known as the Dailygraph, which is shown in Fig. 1. This machine featured a cartridge with two wire wheels and could be used in offices for taking dictation or to record telephone messages. In 1932, the International Telephone and Telegraph Company acquired Schuchardt AG and transferred magnetic recording research and development activities to Lorenz Ag, a subsidiary in Berlin. Begun directed a small group at Lorenz which began work on a steel tape recorder as an alternative to steel wire. The steel tape recorder developed by Begun and his group is shown in Fig. 2. However, the rise to power of Hitler and the National Socialists in Germany caused Begun to emigrate to the United States in 1935.

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Soon after his arrival in the United States, Begun and two associates organized the Magneton Company to manage his magnetic recording patents. Subsequently, the Brush Development Company negotiated a license agreement with Magneton and Begun was hired to lead a group at Brush devoted to the development of magnetic recorders. They worked on various types of wire, disk, and tape recorders although none achieved commercial success prior to the war. Fig. 3 illustrates an example of a steel tape endless loop recorder developed during 1939-1941.

In his August 1941 PROCEEDINGS paper, Begun reported that magnetic recording was already in use in Europe in the radio broadcasting field but not yet in the United States. He pointed out that magnetic recording permitted a time delay and was useful when repetition was necessary.  During World War II,  Begun contributed to the design of magnetic recorders for military applications including wire recorders for use in aircraft. He also did preliminary work on the use of paper or plastic tape coated with magnetic materials. This work was done with the assistance of the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company (3M).

 

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After the war in 1946, the Brush Company began marketing the so-called “Soundmirror” which employed a paper tape with magnetic oxide coating. This model is shown in Fig. 4. Begun also worked on television and computer applications of magnetic recording before retiring from Brush in 1971.

After leaving Brush, he founded and served as President of Auctor Associates, a consulting firm in Cleveland. He participated in a study of the causes of violence carried out by The Society for Prevention of Violence and served as the President of the Society during 1989. He became a strong advocate of reforms in elementary education and urged the IEEE-USA to take a more active role in changing “an education system that has not responded with vigor to changing social conditions.” Begun died in 1995 at the age of 89.

James E. Brittain
School of History , Technology and Society
Georgia Institute of Technology

March 2010 – IEEE News

New IEEE-USA President Identifies Advancing Viability and Contributions
of the Profession as Top Priority for 2010

WASHINGTON (5 February 2010) — Evelyn H. Hirt, who became IEEE-USA president on 1 January, has identified advancing the viability and contributions of the profession as her top priority in 2010. Her concerns encompass the need for recognition of the significant role played by engineers in powering the U.S. economy, and for science, engineering and technical literacy to fuel the creation of future engineers and technical professionals.

“Engineers create jobs by providing systems, products and services through the application of mathematical and scientific principles to practical ends,” Hirt said. “It is this practical application that helps fuel the economy by furthering industrial and commercial objectives in advancing the design, construction and operation of economical and efficient structures, equipment and systems.”

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February 25, 2010 Section Meeting – PEAK10 Tour of the Internet Cloud

Our Thursday, February 25th Section Meeting will be a tour of the PEAK10 managed data center in West Chester. Peak 10 is the leading independent data center operator and managed services provider.  It provides managed data centers for virtualization and cloud-based services. Peak 10 helps companies meet the requirements of various regulatory compliance acts such as Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX), HIPAA, PCI and Gramm-Leach-Bliley (GLBA). Come with us and take a tour of the Internet Cloud.

We will meet at 5:30 at the PEAK10 facility in West Chester and the tour will begin at 6:00.

PEAK10 data center
5307 Muhlhauser Road
West Chester 45069

DIRECTIONS:
From I-75N:
Take the Union Centre Exit, Exit 19. Turn left towards Muhlhauser.
Turn Left onto Muhlhauser Rd.
Go approx 1.4 Miles to 5307 Muhlhauser Rd. Along the way you will pass IKEA, you will cross over International Blvd.  Use the first entrance on the left hand side of the street.

From 275E or W:
Take OH-747 North Exit, Exit 42B.
Travel approx 1.6 Miles on 747 (Princeton-Glendale Rd.) and turn right onto Muhlhauser Rd. (Back Porch Saloon is on the corner).
Travel approx .8 Mile to 5307 Muhlhauser Rd. PEAK10 will be on the right hand side of the street.

RESERVATIONS:  Please email Fred Nadeau for reservations at Reservations@ieeeCincinnati.org (preferred) or call the Section Voice Mail at 513-629-9380 by Noon, Tuesday, February 23, 2010 if you plan to attend. Please leave your Name, IEEE Member Number, and a daytime telephone number.

PE CREDITS: Depending on the subject matter, attendance at IEEE Cincinnati Section Meetings now qualifies the attendee for Professional Development Hours towards renewal of Professional Engineers Licenses. Required documentation will be available following the meeting!  The Section Meetings also provide a great opportunity to network with fellow engineers in the area.

 Here is a Google Map to the PEAK10 Data Center

February 2010 – Membership News

NEW MEMBERS
The following individuals are IEEE members who are new to our Section:

Niraj R. Bhatt
Paul Caylor
Gavin Dao
Dale Dickerhoof
Keith J. Flournoy
Tom Fritsch
Michael D. Harvey
Suzanne G. Johnston
Gayatri Kallepalle
Hoang Lai
Mark A. Meister
Richard R. Recetti
Robert Weldon Riemen
Brian Daniel Smith
Mary Katherine Soltys
Rohan R. Soman

We wish to welcome these new members to the Cincinnati Section!!!

February 2010 – History of Electrical Engineering

Scanning the Past: A History of Electrical Engineering from the Past
Submitted by Bob Morrison, Editor

Copyright 1996 IEEE. Reprinted with permission from the IEEE publication, “Scanning the Past” which covers a reprint of an article appearing in the Proceedings of the IEEE Vol. 84, No. 7, July 1996.

William Le Roy Emmet and Turboelectric Engineering

Sixty-five years ago, William Le Roy Emmet’s The Autobiography of an Engineer was published. The formal portrait of Emmet shown in Fig. 1 was included in the book. The book provided a fascinating personal account of his career of almost half a century devoted to electrical power engineering. In the preface, Emmet characterized engineering as a “thrilling profession to those who are suited to it, full of dangers, hopes, worries, and gratifications.” Later in the book, he attributed much of his success to “a definiteness of purpose backed by a dogged perseverance.” He added that “the important part of engineering is the detail and the good engineers are those who keep their eye close to it.” He mentioned that he had always had a keen interest in other areas than engineering including “literature, history, science, philosophy, music, and art in various forms.”

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February 2010 – IEEE News

Oncor Senior Vice President to Discuss His Company’s Smart Grid Initiative
at IEEE Green Technology Conference in Grapevine, Texas

WASHINGTON (25 January 2010) — Oncor Senior Vice President Jim Greer will be a keynote speaker at the second annual IEEE Green Technology Conference, 15-16 April, at the Gaylord Texan Resort and Convention Center in Grapevine, Texas. Greer, who oversees asset management and engineering for Oncor, will be a luncheon speaker on 16 April.

As the architect of Oncor’s Smart Grid technology initiative, Greer is a good match for the event’s focus on new technologies to promote conservation, renewable energy and automation. Oncor, a national leader in installing advanced meter technology, will install 3.4 million smart meters and the information technology systems supporting real-time reporting of energy use by 2012. Greer is overseeing this transformation of Oncor’s transmission and distribution business through technology.

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February 2010 – RESC CPD Opportunities

February Program,  February 16, 2010
All-Electric Drive-Train Saturn Sky Conversion AMP™ Advanced Mechanical Products, Inc.
by Tim Wieck, Chief Engineer

ATTENTION: This luncheon is canceled for Feb. 16 and has been rescheduled for Thursday Feb. 18. Check the RESC website for other important rescheduling details.

On October 19th, 2009, AMP was selected by the Progressive Insurance Automotive X PRIZE to be included in the 43 Qualified Teams who received passing scores from the Design Judges. The process evaluated 97 registered entries and reduced the field by more than half. The remaining teams will bring a total of 53 vehicles (28 Mainstream and 25 Alternative Class) into the next stage of the competition. Qualified Teams have passed two hurdles – the Registration process and Design Judging. The next phase of the competition is the technical qualifiers, which begin in Spring, 2010. (more…)