Senior! While you were in college, Westinghouse built 13 new plants. boosted sales $1 billion, got 2,000 new patents. Nice growing figures. But maybe the fig- Talk with our campus recruiter. We're ures aren't as important as the areas we're looking for engineers to grow with us. Elec- growing in: trical, mechanical, chemical, industrial. Housing, mass transit, health care, edu- And finance/accounting people. cation, crime abatement, urban develop- If you can't wait for the recruiter, write ment, pollution control, nuclear power, today to George Garvey, Westinghouse oceanography, computer-based informa- Education Center, Pittsburgh, Pa. 15221. tion systems. An equal opportunity employer. FEATURES PAGE Who's Pulling Out the Plug 8 by Don Willemsen Our Troubled Resources 14 by Larry Baraszu Creativity in Value Analysis 17 by Art Baldwin Member, Engineering College Magazine As- DEPARTMENTS sociated / Chairman: Daniel L. Griffer, Jr. Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa / Publisher's Representative: Littell-Murray- Meet the Authors 3 Barhnill, Inc. 369 Lexington Ave., New York, 17, N.Y. / 737 N. Michigan Ave., A Staff Editorial 4 Chicago, III. / Published four times yearly by the students of the COLLEGE OF Essay Contest: Prizes and Publication 13 ENGINEERING, MICHIGAN STATE UNI- by Alan G. Hoffman VERSITY / East Lansing, Michigan 48823. / The office is on the first floor of the Engrineers 20 Engineering Building / Room 144, Phone 517 355-3520. / Subscription rate by mail $2.00 per year / Single copies 40 cents / Printed by Millbrook Printing Company/. A statement of policy: The objective of the magazine is to com- municate the exchange of ideas between: STAFF students and professors, professors and pro- fessors, departments, and colleges within the Vincent Rybicki Editor university. The Spartan Engineer believes that the engineering world can no longer Don Willemsen Circulation Manager neglect the social interactions of the outside world and is dedicated to initiating programs Larry Baraszu Features Editor within its bounds that not only seek to re- late the latest discoveries of pure science, Doug Franz Advertising Manager but also show a genuine concern for the questions troubling our environment. The Spartan Engineer also identifies with the Milton Horst Photographic Editor American ideal of free enterprise and its attempt to perfect the efforts of mankind Art Baldwin Contributing Editor in constructing a new world through human engineering. Alan G. Hoffman Advisor energy The energy to keep straining toward your chosen goal—and even as you attain it, look forward to the ones beyond. The energy to explore, evaluate, create, bring needed changes. Energy to burn, figuratively—that wealth possessed by the young, in mind no less than body. Energy to burn, literally, because ideas—freedom, equality, well-being, conservation of our natural environment—must be turned into realities—food, shelter, warmth, access, economic independence and the physical means to accomplish our goals. Atlantic Richfield is an energy company—in all these ways. One of the nation's thirty leading industrial corporations, and one of the ten companies producing most of our energy needs, with a strong position in diversified chemical products as well as in oil and gas. A young company still extending its boundaries as it joins the efforts and resources of the Atlantic, the Richfield and now the Sinclair Oil Companies. Aggressive and imaginative in management. Flexible in organization and operation. Open to fresh thinking. Responsible in outlook. Offering new opportunities to financial and systems analysts, accountants, auditors, engineers, geologists, geophysicists, sales representatives, agronomists and programmers. Hydrogenesis. What is it? Hydrogenesis is the natural phenomenon whereby liquid moisture is created from air. It also is the name given to the phenomenon of water being generated in the aggregate base of a con- ventional-design Asphalt pavement during cyclic tem- perature change. During warming cycles, moisture in vapor form is drawn from the subgrade and pavement shoulders into the aggregate base. Then, during cooling, the resultant condensation introduces liquid moisture into the subgrade. Moisture reaching the subgrade under any pavement hastens pavement distress and failure under traffic. Full-Depth Asphalt pavement is the most effective pavement type in excluding moisture from the subgrade. There are no joints to admit surface moisture, and there is no granular base to admit moisture by lateral seepage or to permit generation of moisture by hydrogenesis. Full-Depth Asphalt pavement is placed directly on the subgrade or improved subgrade; pavement thickness is calculated in accordance with traffic requirements and subgrade soil characteristics. Placed rapidly by machine and promptly consolidated by rolling, Full-Depth Asphalt pavement becomes at once water impermeable and pro- vides longer-lasting, low-maintenance service at low- first cost. Driving is safer, quieter and more comfortable. For more information about Asphalt technology and Full-Depth ( T A ) Deep-Strength Asphalt pavement, mail coupon today. An Open Letter To Our Readers The SPARTAN ENGINEER is striving to serve and to satisfy its readers. To achieve this, the staff wishes to take this opportunity to welcome your comments, criticisms, and suggestions. Forward your ideas to either Room 144 or 210 in the Engineering College. To offer a breath of freshness, the SPARTAN ENGINEER is planning new features. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: All letters must be signed, typewritten, double- spaced, and must not exceed 250 words. The edi- torial staff reserves the right to edit any letters, which become the property of Spartan Engineer. Deadlines for the next three issues are: December 1, February 1, and April 1. PUZZLE PAGE: Beginning with the next issue, a $5 cash prize will be awarded to the first engineering student (Undergraduates only) to complete the puzzle page. Staff members are not allowed to compete. The puzzle page may appear in one issue as a crossword puzzle. In another issue as a set of riddles; or as a group of math.-puzzlers, etc. Time of answer entry will be recorded by Mrs. Richburg in Rm. 210 E.B. Solution accuracy, clarity, and logic will be de- termined by the editorial staff. AUTHOR PAGE: We'd like to give more acknowledgement to any- one who writes a feature article for us with a picture-byline recognition. We'd like to make you more of a "somebody." The sure sign of a crack skeet shot is a sudden puff of clay dust against the sky. But champions share another mark that's almost as easy to spot. It's follow through. Like the top-flight skeet shooter illustrated here, our tapered roller bearing and steel engineers get results because they follow through, too. How about you? Do you want a company that involves your interest and keeps you involved till the finish? That promotes from within? Are you up to the demands thrown our way by the automotive, construction, aerospace and chemical industries? Do you have your sight set on the future—on a company like ours that has a $221 million expansion and modernization program? Then write to our Manager of College Relations. And tell him you'd like to take a shot at it. The Timken Company, Canton, Ohio 44706. Timken* bearings are sold all over the world. Manufacturing in Australia, Brazil, Canada, England, France, South Africa and the U.S.A. An Equal Opportunity Employer (m/f). We keep the news fit to read. Each Saturday night The New York Times wraps up the news. Then FMC wraps up The New York Times. Thanks to a mechanized system we de- signed, built, and installed, the country's largest Sunday edition is mailed the world over, carefully protected from the elements by a see-through wrapper. This is just one of many unusual jobs taken in stride by FMC. If you want to carry it, warehouse it, pack- age it, or whatever, chances are FMC has handled a similar job. You may still recall by tomorrow that we're into machinery; but how in the world can we get you to remember that we're also a very large chemical company, too? Or that we are a major factor in alleviating the world's food problems through our involvement in every phase of agriculture: pumps and irrigation systems, pesticides and fertilizers, food processing and packaging equipment, even seeds. Or that we're one of the country's largest producers of rayon, acetate, and polyester fibers. Or that we even make sewage treatment equipment, fire engines and railcars. Being a diversified company means it's hard to have one all-encompassing image. But it does give our people an unusual variety of ways to improve man's welfare. If doing worthwhile things is your bag, write or ask your placement director for the descriptive brochure "Careers with FMC." FMC Corporation, Box 760, San Jose, Cali- fornia 95106. We are an equal opportunity employer. Who turned out the lights? Many New York resi- dents were asking that very question in November of 1965. The Great Blackout has caused con- siderable concern over recurrences of power shortages. The apprehension of an elevator stopping between floors or the subways darkened and silent has brought the public wrath down on electric companies, and the federal government is watching and supervising to protect the consumer. Since 1965 however, there have been numerous blackouts and brownouts mainly in the Northeast and Middle Atlantic states. On June 6, 1967 at approximately 10:22 A.M. power was lost in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Deleware.l See Fig. 1. 13 million people were without the rythmic pulse of electricity and once again the mighty East was paralyzed. Power was restored in Philadelphia after two and one half hours, and in Montclair, New Jersey at 7:30 P.M. Ironically the PJM-Pennsyl- vania, New Jersey, and Maryland, system was un- able to handle an overload. Yet, it is supposed to back up Connecticut Edison which furnishes power to metropolitan New York. In September of 1970 blackouts were reported in Maryland, New Jersey, Deleware, and Pennsyl- vania.2 Brownouts, which are caused by cutbacks in power output are still common on hot summer or cold winter nights in the megapopulus of metro- politan New York. Electric companies are striving to alleviate Black- outs and brownouts but are being hampered by the public, states, and Federal government. Connecti- cut Edison has had inumerous problems with en- Detroit Edison and Consumers Power have cre- vironmentalists and the Federal Power Commission. ated the Michigan Electric Power Pool Control First of all, to satiate the avalanching need for Center, MEPPCC. The essential operation of the power Connecticut Edison has interconnected with pool is carried out by two General Electric com- other electric power systems to acquire reserve puters located in Ann Arbor, the pool's head- power during peak load periods. Although not a quarters. The computer monitors 260 critical solution, the intersystem connections reduce power points in power plants, at interconnections, and at shortages, and new plants are under construction terminals of key transmission lines. These points to meet consumer needs. are scanned every second, and unusual conditions Construction of a nuclear power plant on the are instantly reported to the center. The pool Hudson River at King's Mountain have been sus- controls pended due to public fear of radioactive emissions individual generators into the river. 3 The same type of public harass- power supply systems of the two member ment has caused suspension of construction on companies estimating daily load require- many nuclear power plants. If the ecologists would ments look at the Atomic Energy Commission's report on regulating energy transactions between the nuclear plants they might realize the plants are not members of the pool and accounting for so harmful afterall. Atomic Energy Commission such transactions.6 regulations state a nuclear power station may emit Although new plants and power pools will probably no more than .5 rad./hr. of cesium. The actual eliminate power shortages there is still work to be discharge from power plants is one thousandths done. .5 rad./yr.4 According to Robert Sherrill in his article Consumers Power of Michigan has gone so far as "Power Play" in Playboy, May 1971; The ultimate to monitor the temperature of water discharged power capabilities of the nation are untapped, and from its Lake Michigan plant to prevent excess heat with a national power grid less failures would from harming marine life. Many people fear radi- occur. The system would require interstate flow of ation because, they are usually subjected to litera- electricity. Operation of the system would follow ture showing adverse effects caused by overdose. the procedure of present power pools with the Have you ever had an X-ray? You are being sub- West supplying electricity during peak loads in the jected to radiation there too. East and vice a versa. This is easily accomplished Nuclear plants are also cleaner and easier on the because, the West has a 27% surplus when the environment in comparison to the out moded coal East is loaded down. and oil burning, sulfur dioxide emitting, power Since power companies make their greatest plants. They are also cheaper in the long run, which profits when equipment is running at its maximum, is an added bonus by saving the consumer from plants could be run at maximum unless overload is exorbiant rate increases necessary to build and feared, and then reserves could be called upon to operate large coal and oil plants. relieve the strain. With a national power grid nights Many other electric companies have taken strides could be getting brighter! to form a grid of power interconnections in differ- ent areas of the country. The major systems are shown in Fig. 2.5 The International Nickel Company, Inc., New York, Shrimp boats are a-comin'—out of a harbor at S The new hull is a time-proven marine alloy of cop- Barnacles. They're Juan del Sur, Nicaragua. And one of them is unlike any er and nickel. It's the copper, really, that's anathema N.Y. The International Nickel Company of Canada, Limited, Toronto. International Nickel Limited, Lon- per the barnacles. The 10 percent of nickel is there to uninvited - and expensive. other work vessel in the world. It has a new kind of experimental hull designed make the metal easier to weld and form, to give it the don, England. So a new hull is being tested fend off barnacles and other drag-producing marinnecessary strength, and to help protect it from pitting growth permanently. and corrosion. that could keep them at The Copper Development Association, sponsor the project, estimates that the new hull material cou Just as our metal is a strong helper, one that im- proves the performance of other metals, so International bay. And nickel's helping reduce fuel consumption by as much as 15 to 20 percentNickel is a helper. And, by totally eliminating hull scraping and paintin We assist dozens of different industries all over the make it happen. could slash maintenance costs up to 80 percent. world in the use of metals. We offer technical informa- Most impressive of all, though, may be the savin tion.Andthebenefitofourexperience. Often, Inco met- that come through improved efficiency. At present, allurgistsareactuallyabletoanticipate alloys that will example, a slowdown of even one knot because of bottombeneededinthe future, and to set about creating them. fouling can cost a big tanker as much as $4,000 a mont This kind of helpfulness, we figure, will encourage And the loss of five profitable working days for a lay ourcustomerstokeepcomingbackto us. in drydock can mount up to $100,000 or more. And that helps all around. Do corporations care? Don't belittle benefits Of course they do. WE certainly do! We have An average U.S. worker gets "fringe" benefits to operate profitably-that is, successfully-or worth about 25% of his regular pay, according we'll go broke, which would not be good news to a recent survey. Bethlehem is a leader in to more than 120,000 employees or their fam- this area, providing life insurance; disability ilies. But there's a lot more to it. For example: benefits; Blue Cross, Blue Shield, Major Med- caring for employees' health and safety; pro- ical; minimum of 9 paid holidays; liberal va- tecting the environment; hiring, training, and cation and pension plans, and more! seeing to the progress of minority group mem- bers; contributing to civic betterment. It's good business to be a good corporate citizen. Computer quiz How many computers do we operate? Answer: Currently, about fifty, operated by 1,300 data Mindful mining processors. Mining and quarrying operations must be conducted in a manner mindful of Environ- ment as well as Efficiency. We've always been Study up an industry leader in modern technology and A wealth of information appears in our booklet, worker safety; today, similar attention is lav- "Bethlehem Steel's Loop Course." A copy is ished on reclamation, conservation, refores- available in your placement office. If what you tation, and waste water treatment. This is no read appeals to you, sign up for a talk with our idle boast; doubters are regularly invited to representative when he visits your campus. tour our mining operations. Bethlehem Steel Corporation, Bethlehem, PA 18016. Continuing education At last report some 3,100 salaried employees of Bethlehem Steel were taking or had taken college-level courses at company expense under our Educational Assistance Program. Ships ahoy From Sparrows Point to San Pedro to Singa- pore it's full speed ahead for Bethlehem's Shipbuilding Department. We're at work on the largest shipbuilding basin in the U.S.-to accommodate vessels of up to 300.000 dead- weight tons: we have orders for 120.000 dead- weight ton tankers; we recently completed the country's biggest drydock, in San Francisco. The first place winner will be awarded $50.00 and have his essay reprinted in the December '71 issue. The second place winner will be awarded $35.00 and have his essay reprinted in the February '72 issue. The third place winner will be awarded $20.00 and have his essay reprinted in the April '72 issue. A panel of three faculty members, to be chosen by the Spartan Engineer editorial staff, will judge all entries with a standardized ballot constructed for this contest. Weighted scores will be used for content, expression, and documentation. The mini- Essay Contest: mum score possible is 18, with a maximum of 72. In the event of a tied score, the faculty advisor for the Spartan Engineer will cast an additional ballot to decide the winner. Material must be original and unpublished, as all essays submitted become the property of Spartan PRIZES Engineer. Fundamentally, good writing is the result of AND clear thinking. Unfortunately, too many of us cloak our thoughts in obscure expressions. Accord- ing to educator, Jacques Barzun, the common man has sought to dignify his work and social status by PUBLICATION acquiring complex terms to describe rather simple things. This has led to a decline in his ability to communicate. There is no quarrel with a specialized vocabulary which states precisely what is meant. by Alan G. Hoffman Precision makes for clear communication. So the Writing essays is a distasteful experience for basic question remains: "Will the words I used many engineering students. That may explain why achieve the communication I desire?" so few write for Spartan Engineer. Yet writing is Creative writing (personal effort and revision), such a practical way to influence people. which bears the stamp of your personality, should Writing is a craft; it can be learned. It takes be pleasureable for the writer and his reader. And practice and patience. Patience in the sense of that is precisely the weakness of using cliches. They may not impede communication, but a bored painfully cutting out the gobbledygook. audience is not alert. Spartan Engineer would like to give you the chance to practice writing and to earn money at A technique for improving the flow of writing is the same time. We'd like you to enter our contest. to develop a full outline on paper and then "talk the paper" into a tape recorder. A workable rough The conditions are: (1) only engineering under- draft can be typed later for review and refinement. graduates may enter; no staff member of Spartan Engineer, faculty member, or graduate student may In summation, here are several pointers to help enter an essay; (2) the essay must not exceed 2500 you reach a more satisfactory writing style: words; (3) each entry must be typed double-spaced; 1. Think about the real effect of your words. (4) each contestant must include their name, 2. Put yourself in the place of the reader. address, telephone number, and signature on three copies of the submitted essay (zerox is okay); and 3. Use the clear, concise, journalistic approach. (5) the essay must deal with any one of the follow- 4. Emphasize precision. ing topics; (a) The Engineer and Society; (b) The 5. Work for a brief outline. Professional Engineer-A New Image for a New 6. Seek methods of improving your fluency. Age; (c) Engineering Education and Professional- ism. 7. Be intent on improving communication; get reactions from a third party before writing the The contest deadline is November 23 (Tuesday), final version. 5:00 p.m. in Rm. 210 Egr. Bldg. (Mr. Hoffman's office). 8. Avoid worn-out expressions. OUR TROUBLED RESOURCES There you are, sitting in the air-conditioned comfort of your home, watching your ballgame and sipping your beer. Suddenly, the gentle purr of the air-conditioner dies out and your ballgame fades off the screen. It's summer, and once again the power systems have failed. This article wasn't intended to deal with the mechanical aspect of power failures, but rather the environmental problems of power systems. There is great concern about the preservation of our natural resources, particularly those resources used mainly to supply power. The greatest concern seems to be over oil, since oil and its by-products supply over 80% of our power. The problems this oil demand causes does create a very real threat to our environment. Off-shore drilling has increased oil production, and promises to provide a large supply of oil for years to come. Off-shore drilling also creates a problem to our oceans if there should be a fire, such as happened this past year. This causes tremendous oil spillage which results in damage to the wildlife of the area. COST VS ECOLOGY scape aids erosion, which in turn leads to a barren, sterile, wasteland. Imagination must be used to re- Another treat to wildlife comes in the form of store this scenery after the mining has been com- the Alaskan pipeline. Conservation officials fear pleted. Such things as artificial lakes, parks, and this pipeline will cut the migratory path of the winter ski slopes, have risen from the remains of caribou. A rupture in the pipeline could send strip-mines. But it takes money and effort to re- millions of gallons on to the tundra, destroying store such areas. Without this concern, many mines everything on these frozen plains. Damage such as will be left as huge scars on our landscape. this seems unnecessary, considering there is another Hydroelectric plants are another source of route for this pipeline, which doesn't cross plains controversy. Conservationalists dislike the idea of that are susceptible to earthquakes. Ecologists sup- dams in areas such as the Grand Canyon. When the port the new route, since it is safer. The oil water backs, the covered land is lost, and so is some companies feel the excess cost makes this route of our natural beauty. However, the need for elec- impractical. tricity is so great, one has to sacrifice something. A solution to this might be to save the oil in If not a hydroelectric plant, then fossil fuels. But Alaska, and increase import quotas of foreign oil. fossil fuels are guilty of air pollution. To avoid Then when a real need for this oil arises, it can be these one has to turn to a completely new source put to use. of power, nuclear power. Natural gas, a by-product of oil production, is another major source of power. It is clean burning, which means there is almost no pollution resulting from it. There is enough of it to insure its use for IS NUCLEAR POWER THE ANSWER? years to come. But a fuel such as this, is not with- out its drawbacks. Nuclear power plants have the potential to sup- The major drawback is transporting the gas. ply the power needed, while at the same time keep- Many gas companies won't even attempt to utilize ing pollution problems to a minimum. Although new sources of natural gas, unless the field is not without its problems, it does seem to be the guaranteed for at least five years. The cost to pipe most promising with regards to the environment. it out would be prohibitive unless the field is able to supply gas for this period. Thermal pollution was the first problem to be attacked, and somewhat successfully. The hot Another problem is natural gas is difficult to water from the plants cannot be disposed of by store, unless it can't be kept above ground. Another dumping it back into the stream or lake it was problem is that it varies greatly in quality. This taken from without serious damage to aquatic life. means that not all large natural gas supplies can be Devices used to solve this problem are cooling utilized fully if it is poor quality gas. towers. They use a closed cycle to recirculate the water. The design is aided by meteorological date of the area to minimize the effects on the atmos- phere caused by the towers. Such effects are fog, COAL, AN ECOLOGICAL HAZARD and drift, small droplets of water. This doesn't seem quite as bad as dirty air, and this could possi- A leading supplier to power of the fossil-fuels is bly be controlled even more. coal. Coal also varies in quality, and is found There is another problem, that of radiation leak- virtually all over the world. Experts estimate that age, and what to do with the radioactive waste. there is enough coal on the earth now to meet the First, radioactive leakage is not as terrible as it needs of people for thousands of years. But the use seems. The power plants are strictly regulated by of coal results in the production of large amounts the government, and any plants emitting excessive of air pollution. This is, perhaps, the main reason radiation will be made to correct the situation be- that coal is undesireable as a source of power. But fore it becomes serious. The problem of disposing if an effective system of filters for smokestacks of radioactive waste is more difficult. The waste could be developed in order to insure a minimal can remain dangerous for several hundred years, amount of air pollution, caused by the burning of and is usually buried deep in the earth. In order to coal, this would make coal a most desireable fuel avoid this, we will have to develop a nuclear power for power. plant that can utilize more of its radioactive source. One problem which is just starting to emerge It seems that the solution to saving our environ- concerning coal, is the use of strip-mining. This ment lies in developing nuclear power. The others method of mining destroys the landscape of the seem to put too much of a strain on our resources, area mined, by digging holes several miles wide and resources which we will need for the future to help several miles deep. This destruction of the land- maintain the quality of life we now have. These charts are based on information from two showed that an unreinforced Polycarbonate rod extensive engineering evaluations conducted by would cost 3.82 times more than a SAE 903 rod to U.S. Testing Co., for the International Lead Zinc withstand the same tensile load. Glass reinforced Research Organization Inc. These studies showed Polycarbonate would cost 3.36 times more than that in almost every instance die cast zinc gives zinc. • Reprints of this "Engineers Guide" are you more performance for your money than any available. Just let us know the quantity you would of the plastics tested. • For example, the results like. by Art Baldwin As stated by Von Frange (7), "creativity stems from discontent with the present." Having worked approximately 16 hours per week, for the past 3 years at St. Lawrence Hospital in Lansing, I have had an opportunity to witness and feel such a dis- CREATIVITY content with the exorbitant health care prices. Last spring, a private room at St. Lawrence cost $35.00 per day, just for the room (5). With drug IN and treatment fees, the hospital bill can easily range from $60.00 to $125.00 per day (5). By the year 1980, the Reader's Digest projects that bills could reach $200 per day. Note that these quoted VALUE figures exclude the doctor's independent fee. One example of the exorbitant prices is aspirin. In the hospital a patient is often charged $ 1.00 for two ANALYSIS aspirins (5). Normally this amount would buy 100 aspirins. Equipment also costs unseemly amounts. A set of 18 surgical clamps and scissors costs $1,000 (2). And an X-ray machine which ten years ago sold for $10,000, today costs approximately $45,000, both performing the same function (3). In general, however, the major factors for hospitali- zation costs are due to five factors: I. DOCTOR'S FEES: a) The fees could be lower if trained assistants performed some of the minor tasks that the doctors now do. In the emergency room, for example, it is the procedure for an M.D. to spend part of his time suturing minor wounds which an attendant could perform equally well. A typical emergency room suturing of a child's forehead could result in a bill which reads (5): E. R. charge- $12.00 Doctor's fee - 40.00 Total $52.00 An attendant could perform the same 20 minute task for $10.00. The first doctor's attendant pro- gram has recently opened at Duke University, teaching the minor doctoral details. This program would free the M.D. for more productive employ- ment of his time. b) The fees assessed by doctors could be lower if his fees were listed, creating a more com- petitive environment among community physicians. At the present time, patients are given little prior information about the amount of a hospital surgical bill. He is merely presented with a "Permit To Do Surgery" a few hours before his scheduled IV. THE BUILDING ITSELF: operation. This signed permit is an agree- a) Less of a prestige approach should be taken ment to pay all fees. On occasion, some in hospital administration. People need doctors do not even inform their patients medical care. Esteem value, in the form of of their plans in surgery-he is too busy for the "largest" or "most modern" or "most such details. As a result the patient is left beautiful" or "entirely professional staff uninformed and in a predicament. What can which are motivation factors to hospital he do? He is ill and has no idea of which administrators, is not needed to attract doctor would give him better service for the patients. money. The fee predicament then could be solved by increased competition through b)St. Lawrence Hospital was originally built listing of fees or by public pressure to re- on a small restricting lot within the con- form their billing practices. finements of the city. Now the adminis- trators are considering destroying the c) The fees assessed by doctors could also be original structure in order to build a larger lower if nurses were allowed more freedom more accomodating building within their to administer aid or if standing orders were limited ground area. If foresight had been allowed. Currently, nurses must waste time used to anticipate present needs, the de- trying to contact doctors to see if a patient struction of a structure with twenty years can have even the simplist services like food, of useful service left, would not be aspirin, shower, enema, etc. necessary. Original Cost of Structure $1,000,000 II. DRUGS: Accrued 50 years The prices of drugs are partially controlled New Thirty Years Old through the government and pharmaceutical Loss to Structure 400,000(1) firms. Mark up is made in the hospital for V. HOSPITAL PERSONNEL: extra profit. a) The largest single apparent factor of cost is a gross waste of time. From my obser- III. EQUIPMENT: vations, a nurse, technician, nurse aid, or a) Too much emphasis is placed on moderni- orderly can complete their work in 2Vi zation of equipment rather than on hours. The remaining SVi hours is idle time- function. For example: about the same ratio that existed 40 years ago but with modern costs and wages- quite unlike the manufacturing industry Functional which has partially offset rising costs with Item Cost Year Change increased production per man hour through X-ray Machine $10,000 1960 Current better scheduling, smoother flow or as- X-ray Machine 45,000 1970 None sembly products and ever faster machines. In hospital nursing, however, scheduling The item above exemplifies replacement of and productivity have not changed. The functionally identical equipment, replaced only to current 24 hour work schedule in three 8 keep current with minor technological changes. hr. shifts, 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., 3:00 b)More emphasis should be placed on com- p.m. to 11:00 p.m., and 11:00 p.m. to petitive buying of equipment. St. Lawrence 8:00 a.m. is: has bought wheel chairs at the price of $250. Surely chairs with wheels can be 8:00 a.m. to Pass medicines manufactured at lower costs. Every metallic 10:00 a .m. Give patients baths part on these chairs is heavily chrome Change bed linen plated even though the parts have no con- Change water pitchers tact with body salts or moisture. Most 8:00 p.m. to Pass medicines patients have expressed a desire to cut 10:00 p.m. Straighten Beds corners on the "chrome" in the hospital Change water pitchers and save on the hospitalization expenses. Night Shift Miscellaneous patient care 18 One reason for the above schedule is to ac- d) Efficiency could be increased if an overlap commodate visitors who visit from 11:00 of minor skills between technicians, nurses, a.m. to 8:00 p.m. at St. Lawrence Hospital. attendants, and house keepers existed to If alternating visiting hours could exist for compensate for momentary load fluxes thut patients who receive baths and linen change sometimes place heavy demands on service. in the afternoon and evening on a new work sequence could exist: 8:00 a.m. to Pass Medicines SUMMARY 11:00 a.m. Change water pitchers When approaching a social organization like 12:00 a.m. to Change bed linen for medical care rather than industry, the value analysis 3:00 p.m. group No. 1 applications are not so clear, i.e., functional value 3:00 p.m. to Change bed linen for and esteem value become human quantities. For 6:00 p.m. group No. 2 example a patient may want to have his bath in the morning rather than in the afternoon or even- 7:00 p.m. to Pass medicines, straighten ing. If creativity can be applied to staff scheduling, 11:00 p.m. beds, and change water equipment, and costs in general, possibly the pitchers exorbitant prices can be reduced without undue inconvenience to the patients. The health care Note that the above work schedule pro- industry has for a long time been wasteful, largely vides for three times the number of work- because it had no need to be efficient-people al- ing hours. This implies that approximately ways needed medical care and sacrificed the money 1/3 of the personnel staff is needed, ac- to cover expenses regardless of the range. Now, complished by dividing the patients into this hog-like industry needs some creative control. two groups, spreading the work throughout It represents very much a challenge to human the day, and having alternating visiting for creativity and engineering value analysis. morning, afternoon and evening. In this way, the private work on patients can be accomplished without cutting their visiting hour time. Editor's Note: The above award-winning essay by Art Baldwin was edited to meet planning and cost Currently the personnel wages are: constraints for this issue of Spartan Engineer. Great Registered Nurse $3.80 per hr. care was exercised in not making any substantial License Practical 2.80 per hr. changes in the content or attitudes of the original Technician 2.30 per hr. author. Orderly 2.10perhr. Nurse Aid 1.80 per hr. On the new work schedule, the hospital BIBLIOGRAPHY could save $960 per day, based on St. Lawrence's current staff level. 1. Ackley, Clark A., Architectural Consultant. b) Currently the hospital provides no wage in- 2. Dr. Meade, St. Lawrence Hospital. centives. If wages incentives were provided 3 Miles, Lawrence, Techniques of Value Analysis by encouraging personnel to learn a broad and Engineering, McGraw-Hill Book Company, range of minor tasks in different depart- New York, 1961. ments, promotion to higher level jobs 4 Osborn, Alex F., Applied Imagination, Charles could be made. This would lower the high training costs due to a large turnover, which Scribner's Sons, New York, 1963. is rooted in low wages. 5. St. Lawrence Hospital accounting records. c 6. The Reader's Digest. ) If the building were circular in the patient care sector, a closer contact could be kept 7. Von Frange, Eugene K., Professional Creativity, with the patients with fewer personnel. Prentice-Hall, Inc., Englewood Cliffs, N.J., 1959. A woman wrote the International The orator had held forth for a M.E. "I'm grasping for words." Revenue Service asking if birth control long time, his talk puntuated only by Coed: "I think you're looking in pills were tax deductible. Their reply: an occasional pause for a drink of the wrong place." "Only if they didn't work." water. A man near the front commented, in a loud whisper: "First time I've ever seen a windmill run by water." He: "Please?" In an effort to sell his new in- She: "No." vention, a totally ominiscient com- He: "Oh, just this once?" puter, the young engineer told his pro- Over 100,000 accidents happen in She: "I said, definitely not!" spective buyer that it could answer any the home every year. He: "Oh, it won't hurt." question he could dream up. As a test Let's promote their prevention . . . She: "I said definitely not!" the skeptical businessman punched out Join planned parenthood today! He: "Oh shucks, Mom, all the other the following question: "Where is my kids are going barefoot." father right now?" Instantly, the com- puter read out the reply: "Your father is fishing in Canada." Next to a beautiful girl, sleep is the Why this computer is a fake," re- most wonderful thing in the world. Prof: "Well, is the theory clear to plied the businessman, "My father has you now?" been dead for over five years." Positive Student: "Yeah, just as though his computer could not make a mis- it had been translated into Hindustani take, the engineer told the client to re- The day after finals a disheveled by Gertrude Stein and read to me by a phrase the question. "Where is my M.E. walked into a psychiatrist's tobacco auctioneer." mother's husband," typed the man. office, tore open a cigarette, and "Your mother's husband has been dead stuffed the tobacco up his nose. for five years, but your father's just "I see you need help," said the EE: "How can you keep drinking caught a three pound trout," replied doctor," startled. that coffee?" the computer. "Yeah," agreed the M.E. "Got a ChE: "I take a spoonful of Drano match?" every week." "I don't want any callers this after- Two mice were sent into orbit from Never milk a cow during a thunder- noon," said the chairman of one of Cape Kennedy. storm. If she gets struck by lightning, the university departments to his First mouse: "I'm scared. This space you'll be left holding the bag! secretary. travel is awful dangerous." "If they say their business is im- Second mouse: "Yeah, but it sure portant, just tell them that's what beats cancer research!" they all say." Selectee: "They can't make me That afternoon a lady called and fight." insisted on seeing him. "I am his A Mechanical Engineering Professor wife," she exclaimed. Draft Board: "Maybe n o t - b u t they and a fine arts Ph.D. were chatting at a can take you where the fighting is and "That's what they all say," replied recent faculty tea. Said the arts pro- the secretary. let you use your own judgment." fessor, "I had a weird day Wednesday. I asked the class who wrote 'The Merchant of Venice' and one of them replied, 'It wasn't me, sir!' " The whole truth of the matter is Then there was the engineer who "Ha, ha," laughed the Engineering started out on a shoestring and worked that women have cleaner minds than professor. "And I suppose the rascal men because they change them so up till he got slapped. had done it all the time." often. Everybody's ads try and telI you their you ever get into the headphone thing. hundred dollarstereo sounds likea million What you can't see is nice, too. 40 watts bucks. of peak music power. BSR automatic Don't you bel ieve a word you read. turntable. Diamond needle. But best of all, There's only one way to tell howany two 4" full-range air suspension speakers stereo sounds. Go listen to it. If it sounds like that really pouroutthesound. a million, yourearwill tell you. That'stheSylvaniaMM12WX. Take our hundred dollar stereo, for But how do you knowall this isn't justa example. lot of words? You don't. Until you go and Looks nice in the picture, right? Nice hear it. walnut grain feel ing. Plenty of controls. Once you hear it, you'll believe it. Separate ones for bass, treble, stereo balance, and loudness. Headphone jack if HOW CAN A FOUR-INCH CERAMIC CYLINDER HELP PREVENT A MUGGING? By itself, there's no way the crime rate went down for the cylinder we're talking about first time in years. Down 32%. could prevent a mugging. Or And we expect to hear similar any other crime. figures from the more than 90 But if you build a light bulb other cities now using Lucalox. around it, it can. And has. It's a clear example of how A few years back, General a technological innovation can Electric engineers built a light help solve a social problem. A bulb with a ceramic filament lot of times, the effect of tech- called the Lucalox® lamp. Then nology on society is rather direct. they built a streetlighting system That's why, at General Elec- to use it. tric, we judge innovations more Purely as a feat of engineer- by the impact they'll have on ing, that was pretty good. Be- people's lives than by their sheer cause it's the most efficient technical wizardry. source of white light ever in- Maybe that's a standard you vented. It gives off twice the light should apply to the work you'll of the best mercury system... be doing. Whether or not you without any extra electricity. ever work at General Electric. But, engineering aside, it's Because, as our engineers even better. When Lucalox went will tell you, it's not so much up in four of the highest crime what you do that counts. It's areas of Washington, D.C., the what it means.