. m II ',:;partaN. Mr. C. L. McCUEN Vice President, General Motors 4th Annual_Engineering Exposition Speaker Topic "The Challenge of Engineering's Second Hundred Years" MAY 1952 Vol. 5 No. 4 Twenty Five Cents .A nother page for How to help a scraper do its level best Bearing applications on large-capacity scraper wheels pose two problems to design engineers. One is the heavy loads. The other is wear. Engineers solve both problems at once by mounting scraper wheels on Timken BEARING TAKES RADIAL ~ AND THRUST -@)- LOADS OR ANY COMBINATION * In the new Westinghouse Educa- tional Cettter, engineers and scien- tists who are top-ranking men itl their field explain the company and show how your college training will be used. You have a voice in choosing the field for which you are best suited from the mltny that are available at Westinghouse. The Westinghouse Plan Time is precious to you. False starts, second guessing and indecision are costly. We have devoted years of study to develop dependable ways to help you get set in the right career. The Graduate Student Training Program is the result. This is the medium for orientation and training of technical and professional men coming to Westinghouse from colleges. From this training program come most of the key personnel in technical, commercial and supervisory positions throughout the company. This program gives an understanding of Westinghouse, its products and operations; shows how your college training may be applied at Westinghouse; and helps each man, with the assistance of trained coun- sellors, to find the type of work for which he is best fitted. The result pays off ... to you ... to us. For more information about the Westinghouse Plan, send for a copy of our book-"Finding Your Place in Industry". A copy will be sent without obligation. G-10166 EDUCATIONAL DEPARTMENT To obtain copy of "Finding Your Place in Industry", consult Placement YOU CAN BE SURE ... IF ITS Officer of yout university, or mail this coupon to: Mr. F. E. Reiber District Educational Co-ordinator Westinghouse Electric Corporation 306 Fourth Avenue ~stinghouse Pittsburgh 3D, Pennsylvania Name Schoo,~I Year _ _ StreerL- ------------------ City ~7.onl:_._State _ May, 1952 F7U-I Cutlass-U. S. Navy jet lighter built by Chance Vought Aircraft • There's a Future In Fuels ... waiting T for ambitious HERE ARE GREAT OP~ORTUNITIES scientists and engineers in- To develop these finer fuels ... to produce the crude oil ... to refine it ... and to transport terested in motor fuel research and manu- the finished product ... requires men trained facturing. Tomorrow's faster planes and finer in all branches of science and engineering. automobiles can be no better than the fuels And because Phillips is known as one of the that power them. most widely diversified oil companies, we offer Providing fuel for efficient thrust in all promising opportuni ties for the technical grad- ranges of flight is a specialty of Phillips Petro- uate in many other fields: refining of lubri- leum Company. Two years ago Phillips was cants, development of chemical derivatives supplying over 30% of the nation's require- from petroleum, ammonia and sulfur com- ment for top grade aviation gasoline, and pounds, rubber synthesis, atomic research, Phillips capacity for producing this essential geophysics and analytical techniques. fuel is still increasing. In addition, Phillips We invite you to write to our Employee supplies tremendous quantities of turbo-prop Relations Department for further information and jet fuels for U. S. military planes. about opportunities with our company. PHilLIPS POROlEUM COMPANY, Bartlesville, Oklai!oma 2 Spartan Engineer -,lIfj talked JO/JS over the eefll:e" Listen to an alumnus talking - and consider his remarks: "The other night, I went to my college class dinner-the annual get- together of Tech Class of '41. After dinner, we sat around over the coffee -talking about all the things the laSt eleven years brought us. You know- a typical bull session. "Pete Berry was sitting next to me. He was voted 'most likely to succeed' would still be around-still be doing Think, man! That could be 110" back in '41. But he's been going from business come defense, war or peace. talking ten Ilea,., from nOll/. job to job ever since the war. Look- I knew they were even then doing Whatever engineering field you're ing back now, it's easy to see why. plenty besides turning out aircraft trained for, you'll find current proj- and parts-because GAC is an ects under way to interest you at "Like others in our class, he went engineering organization and a pro- Goodyear Aircraft: into defense work that June. Did a' duction unit. good job, too - and so did his com'" And you'll find activities ranging pany. But unfortunately his company "You know, as we sat there over our far from the aeronautical opera- was a 'war baby' and a couple of coffee,Pete said something that made tions implied by the name of the months after the Japanese surrender a lot of sense. He told me 'If I were company. More important-you can -poof, no company and no job. He's picking my first job today, I'd play be sure that GAC will carry on- been moving around ever since. it the way you did-pick a company come what may-as a subsidiary of that's going to be in business for Goodyear, The Greatest Name in "But I played it safe. I picked keeps.' Rubber. Goodyear Aircraft Corporation to work for - and I've been there ever "That's pretty good advice for any- Make a note right now to investigate since. They're a subsidiary of the one looking for an engineering spot job opportunities with Goodyear world's largest rubber manufactur- today-pick a company like Goodyear Aircraft Corporation. See how much ing company, so I knew that GAC Aircraft, and hold for the long pull." GAC has to offer YOU. INOINEERS-INVEsnOAn THESE OPPORTUNtnESI In ruearch, duign and development of: AIRPLANES, AIRSHIPS, BELICOPl'ERS, GUIDED MISSILES, ELECTRONIC 'COMPUTERS. AIRCRAFl' COMPONENTS. GUIDANCE SYSTEMS, TRANS. Submit brief resume of your qualifications and experience PARENT ENCLOSURES, REINFORCED PLASTICS, RADOMES, BONDED SANDWICH STRUCTURES. lVHEElS AND BRAKES. RADAR STRUc. for prompt consideration to: Salary Personnel Depart. TVllES ... el ...... 1 othen.. ment, Goodyear Aircraft Corporation, Akron 15, Ohio. GOODYEAR-The Company With COMPL"E Coverage of the Aeronautical Field May, 1952 3 "They never missed an issue! "Just look at that mess! "That's what a fire, a few axes and a couple tons of water can do to a place. But you've got to give Editor Grimes and the boys a lot of credit ... they didn't miss an lJd,ition, fire or no fire. "They're over in their new home now ... still printing the news, telling the truth and fight- ing for the people's rights like they've been doing for the last forty-two years. "Y'know, when I look at that boarded-up door, the broken windows and the 'closed' sign, it reminds me of how newspapers in some other countries get closed down ... Jot' keeps ••• by governments that hate the idea of free press ... that can't take criti- cism ... that don't believe in free speech, "Well, that's what happens when government of, by and for the people becomes govern- ment of, by and for the government! It's 'Good- bye, Freedom' then , .. and with it go Free Worship, Free Elections, Free Enterprise ..• all those Freedoms that make you glad you're a citizen of this country instead of a socialistic or communistic one. "Praise the Lord, we're still a free people over here. We can still choose our own churches, our own friends, our own jobs (like mine at Republic) and our own political parties. We can praise our government for wise deci- sions or criticize it for reckless spending of taxpayers' hard-earned dollars ... without fear of secret police or concentration camps. "But ... let's not get careless about it. After all, the people in those dictator-plagued countries used to enjoy a lot of these Free- doms. Unfortunately, some of them gOt careless and handed over their rights, one by one, to governments which promised to 'take care of them.' "Me ... I'll take my Freedoms with no 'hand- out' strings attached. How about you, Friend?" REPUBLIC STEEL Republic Building • Cleveland 1, Ohio Republic BECAME strong in a strong and free America. Republic can REMAIN strong only in an A merica that remains strong and free .. , an America whose people, farms, homes and businesses are all enriched by the chemist's magic. And, through the Chemical Industry, Republic SeN/es America. Many tons ot carboD, alloy and, especially, stainless steels ... much of it from Republic's mills ... are needed each year for chemical vats, work tables acid tanks centrifuges, ventilation ducts, autoc1a~es. tubin~ an~ countless other types of steel equipment by whIch steel, through chemistry, helps tap Nature', untold wealth of better living for aU America . .. .. .. 1 Spartan Engineer SpartaN ENGINEER EDITORIAL STAFF: Table of Contents EDITOR A. Verner Nelson • articles ASSISTANT EDITOR THE SONIC BARRIER . . ~__..... 7 Robert G. Kitchen FEA TURE EDITOR PLASTER TOOLING . .__. .__.. 8 L. Bruce Miller NUCLEAR POWER ENGINEERING __..... ._10 NEWS EDITOR Phil Sanford THE NEW CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPT. 12 PICTURE EDITOR Paul Kline METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING .... .__13 PHOTOGRAPHER COLOR TELEVISION -------------- .... .: .14 Carl Romick TITANIUM-ATOMIC AGE METAL 15 BUSINESS STAFF: CHEMICAL ENGINEERING .. .. .. .19 BUSINESS MANAGER Elton H. Moore lRRIGATION PROJECTS IN MEXICO ... 20 ASSISTANT BUSINESS MANAGER James Gusack MICA BASE PAINT .... . .. .. .21 ADVERTISING MANAGER Robert Gay • Features CIRCULATION MANAGER NEW DEVELOPMENTS -------.----.-------------__.....16 Dick McClaugary PICTURE PAGE --..--.---..----.-------- __.. .23 STAFF: ALUMNI NEWS --..-- -- 24 Lee Mah Jack Harper CLUBS AND SOCIETIES .-------.---------- __ .30 John Thoma Chuck Huver Tom Gangler SID ETRA CKED _ __.__..__ __ __ 54 William Cronkrite Tom Clark Published four times yearly by the students of the SCHOOL OF EN- FACULTY ADVISORS: GINEERING, MICHIGAN STATE COLLEGE, East Lansing, Michigan. GENERAL The office is on the third floor of the Union Building, Phone 8-1511. Extension 251. Entered as second class matter at the Post Office in W. E. Libby Lansing, Michigan. under the act of March 3, 1879. EDITORIAL and CIRCULATION Address Mail to: P. O. Box 468, East Lansing, Michigan. D. D. McGrady Publishers representative FINANCIAL and ADVERTISING Littell-M urray.Barn hill, Inc. Paul G. Gray 101 Park Avenue, New York. 605 W. Michigan Avenue. Chicago PHYSICAL FACILITIES and PRODUCTION Sub,oiptlon rate by mail $1.00 per year. Theodore J. Brevik Single copies 25 cents. May, 1952 5 Opportunities at General Motors: The difference between a GM job and any other-for you, the Graduate Engineer ROM the start, General Motors offers the en- F gineering graduate both the opportunities and facilities of a large, successful organization, That, then, is the difference between a GM job and any other. and the friendly working environment of a Today many GM divisional managers are engi- smaller company. neering school graduates. So are many others in top management. In fact, a high percentage of GM is not only a major producer of motorcars the engineering graduates who have joined and trucks; it also is a leading manufacturer of General Motors have made sound business many types of civilian goods, from heating sys- careers for themselves at GM, through their own tems to refrigerators, from fractional h.p. motors hard work and initiative. to Diesel locomotives. For further information on a GM engineering And as a top defense contractor, GM is building career, we suggest you ask your College Place- everything from rockets and shells to tanks and ment Office to arrange an interview for you with jet and Turbo-Prop engines. the GM College Representative the next time he In these operations we require the services of all visits your campus. .................................... .. types of engineers, engaged in all phases of engi- neering work-from pure research to production o • ..... supervision . GM POSITIONS NOW OPEN This work is decentralized among G M's 34 IN THE FOLLOWING FIELDS: manufacturing divisions, operating 112 plants in .•... 54 towns and cities throughout the country. Each Mechanical Engineering 0 Electrical Engineering division operates as an independent unit with its . Metallurgical Engineering • Industrial Engineering .. own engineering department. Yet each benefits from the resources of GM's central research and engineering laboratories • .........................-- o o Chemical Engineering 0 Transpartation Engineering o I See December 1951 issue of Fortune Magazine for description ofn.evi multimillion dollar GM Research and Technical Center 'in Detroit. GENERAL MOTORS CORPORATION Personnel Staff, Detroit 2, Michigan --~ Spartan Engineer THE SONIC BARRIER By LEE JEDYNAK Electrical Engineer '54 Early in World War II Ralph Virden, of Lockheed Figure 2 shows a conventional airfoil moving at Aircraft Corporation, nosed his P-38 into a terminal supersonic speed. The shock wave at the leading edge velocity test dive. The plane's airspeed increased of the wing is the one caused by the pressure waves steadily until, without warning, it went out of control generated by the wing. The shock wave shown at the in a series of violent vibrations. With his life at stake, trailing edgf> is known as an expansion wave. It is Virden tried every trick he knew to regain control of formed as the air from below the wing meets the air the plane, but his efforts were useless. With snapping from above the wing and both are deflected. These finality, the tail assembly was torn away by rampant shock waves are the type that exist when an aircraft air currents, and he knew that further struggle could is flying faster than sound. Their major effects are not save him. Virden's death was among the first changed flight characteristics and increased drag, other- caused by the sonic barrier. At that time all that was wise, they are not as dangerous as the shock waves known about the barrier was that it was composed of generated at speeds just below the speed of sound. violent and unpredictable currents of air moving at, or near, the speed of sound over the surfaces of an aircraft. Research in sonic and supersonic air flow dates back to the early 19th century, when Professor Ernst Mach studied the relationship of air speed to sound speed and its effects upon air flow and density. From Pro- fessor Mach's work with artillery shells, at the Uni- versity of Vienna, until shortly before the second world war, there was little progress made in the study of high velocity air flow. However, the last decade ---------"""" ..... _--~-.. of military demands for high speed aircraft has resulted in rapid progress in the study of the behavior of air at high velocities. The wing of a slow flying aircraft, by slightly com- pressing the air at its leading edge, generates pressure (Fig. 21 waves. These pressure waves are sound waves which travel out in concentric spheres or shells at the speed The conventional design of aircraft wings is such of sound and prepare the air for easy passage of the that shock waves will be formed at less than sonic wing. Figure 1 shows a conventional airfoil at subsonic speed. As a plane travels slightly slower than the speed. Notice the smooth flow of air. with only slight speed of sound the air accelerating over the greatly turbulence at the trailing edge. curved leading edge of the wing becomes supersonic with less than atmospheric pressure. On the longer, flatter descent to the trailing edge the air again becomes subsonic with atmospheric pressure. Since a pressure difference can travel only at the speed of sound, and the air upstream is supersonic, the higher pressure at the trailing edge cannot propagate itself to the leading edge. This results in a difference of air pressure over the (Fig. II wing. A more complete analysis of conditions over the wing is as follows; "the upstream edge of the wing has an air pressure, density, temperature, and velocity As the plane approaches the speed of sound the different from that of the downstream edge. The pressure waves in front of the wing become closer resultant transition which occurs; a change in pressure, together. When the plane reaches and exceeds the speed density, temperature, and velocity of the air; occurs in of sound the waves can no longer outrun the plane, and a distance of 0.0012 inches. It is obvious that from this pile up in one continuous standing wave at the leading fact that the transition must be violent in nature. This edge of the wing. This standing wave is known as a region of transition is a shock wave. shock wave and is a region of compressed air. At Moreover, there is usually a rapid alternation between speeds greater than sound speed the shock waves formation of these shock waves and smooth aerodynamic cannot keep pace with the plane and therefore trail flow. This rapid alternation is basically responsible outward and back at a Mach angle (from the studies of for the extreme air turbulence and the violent actions Professor Ernst Mach). The size of the Mach angle is of an aircraft flying in the sonic barrier. Ralph Virden a function of the ratio of the plane's speed to the speed became a victim of this when the violently disturbed of sound in the air immediately surrounding the plane. air tore the tail assemlby from his plane. Figure 3 The numerical value of the speed ratio is called the shows a conventional airfoil at 630 miles per hour. Mach number. A Mach 0.8 simply means that the Notice the marked air turbulence due to the vertical plane is moving at a velocity 8/10 that of sound. A shock wave near the center of the wing. Mach 1.2 means that the plane is traveling 12/10 the (Continued on Page 36) speed of sound. 7 May, 1952 PLASTER TOOLING - AN AGE OLD ART Reinforcement can be accomplished by using hemp, sisal, wire mesh, expanded metal, burlap, or muslin, By PHIL SANFORD or by a combination of any of these. Probably the best reinforcers are hemp and sisal, which is a type of white Civil Engineer '54 hemp, a little stronger than the ordinary kind. Because the hemp used is a very loose type, it can not only One of industry's oldest processes-plaster tooling- be shortened, but can also be lengthened or made thick- has survived until recently with very little change. er. Thus, with the hemp thoroughly soaked in a liquid Today, thanks to a few rather radical improvements, plaster, the worker can make anything from thick pads, the art of plaster tooling is becoming more prominent of folded hemp, to long twiny pieces that secure any than ever before. handles the pattern might have. Most plaster tooling in the United States is done with The order of operation of plaster tooling is similar in gypsum cements. most cases, although the work itself may differ greatly The "life" of these cements begins as gypsum rock, for each type of operation. Before beginning the or calcium sulphate dihydrate. The rock is mined or tooling, the plaster workers will often make a template. quarried, and then sent to mills where it is crushed, The template is usually a piece of metal or pressboard screened, pulverized, and dehydrated by being heated cut to the exact shape required. This will serve not and agitated in large cylindrical kettles. The result of only for screening the cement to shape, but will also this process is Plaster of Paris, a powdery-white hemi- serve as a check on the final pattern. hydrate of the calcium sulphate. Once the necessary templates are made, the worker When mixed with water, this hemihydrate returns can proceed with the actual plaster work. First, of to its original rock state. Although there is no change course, is the mixture of the powdery-white sulphate apparent immediately after the mixing, the plaster with water. The operation itself consists of strewing soon enters the "period of plasticity," in which it the cement into the water, allowing it to soak, and then stiffens slightly. Shortly, it "sets" to a solid mass. As mixing it with the water, either by hand or with a the set progresses, the mass begins to heat and expand, propeller blade attached to a motor of up to' % horse- continuing until the final "set." The linear expansion power. Simple as the operation may seem, the worker can be regulated from as little as .0005 up to .02 inches has to strew the cement evenly to prevent lumps, has per inch. to allow a proper soaking time, usualy two minutes, In addition to a regulation of the amount of expansion, and has to time' the actual mixing operation cor~ectly. different types of cements take different lengths of Even before all this, the worker must be sure to get the time to reach a required expansion. With these different proper consistency of water and cement, according to types of cements available, a few specialized tools, and his needs. a keen knowledge of how and particularly when to work, After the mixing, the tooling work begins. Using the a pattern maker may bring his work to the exact ex- proper tools and his knowledge of tooling, the plaster pansion required. In some cases, tolerances of as little worker can apply himself to making anything from a as 1/28 of an inch have been met. simple straight mold to a piece of work that has to be The pattern maker's toughest and most important job rod-turned as its final step. Many rod-turned pieces is making proper use of the period of plasticity. During rival similar wooden pieces, rounded on a lathe, for this period, the cement can be shaped by a template, both accuracy and beauty. or formed by hand. The former process is called '1\. ( 11~In screening, and is possible because of a slow, or "con- trolled" flow of the plaster. Usually, however, the work will be done best by hand; this somewhat re- sembles a game of patsy or perhaps the making of ~I mud pies. Different areas of the pattern will require different stages of plasticity: as the plastic period progresses, the 1\ ~\\U !~ '0:; cement gains in strength, and can be built up to the proper contours. It is the correct handling of this progressive plasticity that enables the pattern maker to reach perfection in his work. Another important bit of work to be done during the period of plasticity is reinforcement. In some cases the reinforcement is for strengthening purposes alone' in other cases, bUlky and awkward patterns must b~ hauled around and placed together. The reinforcement Some of the plasterer's tools include spatulas, supplies the means of handling. scrapers: cutting and filing equipment, carving tools. (U. S. Gypsum Co.) 8 Spartan Engineer If the pattern to be made is simple, the process used It is these characteristics that make it especially suit- is usually also simple. Nevertheless, care must be taken able for a great variety of uses. For example, it can be to insure the greatest dimensional accuracy. used to expand the pattern described earlier. As in every case, the worker must utilize the period of plasticity to its greatest extent. Using his tools, which range all the way from a spoon-or his hand-for dishing out the liquid plaster, to a very fine special file, the tooler can work all through the plastic period until the beginning of the setting process. During the set he knows, if he has done his work properly, that the cast will reach the desired expansion. The type of work that can be done depends largely upon the type of cement used. Produced by United States Gypsum under the trademark Hydrocal, there are six kinds of general-use cements. For a low expansion and high dimensional accuracy, Hydrocal A-ll, Hydrocal B-ll, or a pattern shop cement can be used. Pattern shOp Hydrocal has the most gradual set and longest plasticity, while A-ll sets rapidly with a short plasticity. With a more gradual set than A-ll, B-ll is the most suitable cement for template-formed, or built-up molds. One of the many applications of gypsum cements. This is a master prototype model made by wiping the cement into a series of nested templates. (Douglas Aircraft Co.) The first step in the expansion process is to apply several coats of thinned shellac to the pattern to be expanded. The shellac, and a parting compound applied after the shellac has dried, help ease separation of the original pattern and expansion cast after the process is over. The parting compound is usually of stearic acid- kerosene, or similar substance. Next comes the mixing, and this process will control the final expansion that can be expected. Here is where the expansion can be made to be as high as .02 inches per inch. Meanwhile, a four-sided box must be made; one that V\ ill fit around the pattern to hold in the plaster that is poured over the pattern. When made of a special "plasterboard," the box will easily pull away from the expansion cast. The mixing operation must move quickly, for ex- pansion begins quickly. After mixing, the plaster is poured into the box, over the pattern. The excess should be leveled off, resulting in what is known to some in the trade as "Mount Hyrocal." Following the initial expansion and hardening, the box is removed, and complete expansion allowed. Once expansion is complete, this cast can be used to get the expanded pattern. By working in just the opposite direction-using one of the five low expansion cements, An original paHern and the expanded mold, made cast in or over the expansion cast-the final result will of high expansion cement. The neck shows that be a pattern with the same shape as the original one, expansion is proportional. (U. S. Gypsum Co.) but with enlarged dimensions. There are other means of accomplishing the same For patterns that require a high surface hardness and result, but; making a new pattern is time consuming tensile strength, Hydrostone is used. It is the toughest and costly; building the pattern up with wood, sheet of all gypsum cements. Industrial White Hydrocal has wax, or paper gives rise to inaccuracies; filling in gaps the longest set of any of the general cements. Because left by the original pattern cut into sections will not of a high early strength, it is easily accessible to carving. give the proper contour to the finished pattern. If a pattern is to go on past the first casting stage, Using the high expansion cement, however, a larger a very high expansion cement can be utilized. It is cast can be made quickly and accurately. This fact this cement that represents what is probably the most makes plaster tooling adaptable to many new fields. radical improvement ever made in the plaster field. The jobbing-foundry industry, the new plastics indus- As the name, High Expansion Hydrocal, implies, it has tries, several others-all present new opportunities for the highest setting expansion of any known gypsum the oldest of plastics. cement. The expansion is uniform in all directions, is Thus, with these different types of cement, and the proportional to the breadth of the expanding section, plaster-man's increasing knowledge of them and their and can be controlled by regulating the amount of water tooling, plaster is an old industry that keeps moving in the mixture. forward. May, 1952 9 NUCLEAR POWER ENGINEERING CAREER WITH A FUTURE By JOHN LOERCH Chemical Engineer '53 The BOMB! Alpha particles! Gamma rays! Radio- reason for this is that construction materials are unable activity, half-lives, nuclear fission, Einstein's mass- to withstand the temperatures that would be desirable. energy equation; yes, and Geiger counters, U 236, trans- Also, the problem of cooling the reactants and diluant, mutation, synchrotrons and atomic power! a reaction-promoting filler, is not any easy one to solve. Since 1945 these phrases and many more like them In other words, three problems now confront any efforts have been drilled and pounded, worked and re-worked at setting up a reactor to be used for power supply into our thoughts. At first they stood for terror, and purposes. These deal with: (a) construction, (b) heat death. Now that the first shock has dissipated we find transfer and cooling within the pile, and (c) utilization we can turn our thoughts to the brighter side: that of a of the heat energy developed. Several small piles are thriving healthy civilization based on peace and a new in the process of being built as propulsive units for source of power: that of the atom. Here and now military purposes, and presumably solutions for the more indeed is the world's Armageddon! basic questions have been found, but national security Much of the basic research and theory has already prevents their being released to the public. For the been accomplished toward the development of fission purposes of this discussion I shall assume that questions as a source of controllable energy, thanks to the de- whose answers are covered by security regulations velopment of nuclear reactors by the Atomic Energy remain unanswered. Commission during the last World War. It is true that these piles were set up for the sole purpose of obtaining materials suitable for use in the atomic bomb, and that all by product energy was wasted in the government's haste to get the piles in operation, yet it is also true that these reactor piles were designed to handle many of the problems inherent in all nuclear reaction plants. These problems include some workable construction materials, control of radiation, standards of safety, methods of quickly and effectively damping the chain reaction, critical masses, disposal of radioactive wastes, and means of cooling the pile. To date ten known permanent units utilizing chain reactions have been set up in the United States. Ex- amples of these are the Argonne National Laboratories and the Oak Ridge plants. None of the ten, unfortun- ately, develops useful power. For this reason it must be realized that we are just beginning the process of finding methods of using atomic power once the pile is in operation. Ten thermal power plants exist, includ- ing both heterogeneous and homogeneous types of fuel utilization, and yet no effective means of utilizing their energy is known. (Fig. I) For the present, it appears all nuclear power units must depend on the following steps of operation: (a) maintenance of a controllable chain reaction, (b) the inherent conversion of the energy produced to relatively Construction problems depend primarily on the ability high entropy heat energy (discussed later), (c) removal of the enclosing materials to withstand exceedingly high of this heat energy by raising the temperature of a fluid temperatures, and secondarily the effects of concentrated and (d) the conversion of this energy to mechanicai radiation on their structures. The atom bomb itself energy by conventional means. Basically, therefore, a points out that inherently there is no practical limit nuclear power reactor is simply a new type of heat to the temperatures obtainable through fission. Ele- source. As we shall see, it is inherently capable of mentary thermodynamics makes it possible to show that delivering its energy at a very high temperature level, the fission particles fly apart with velocities correspond- but for practical reasons is limited to moderate temper- ing to temperatures of many billions of degrees Kelvin. atures, such as are encountered in other engines. One The only drawback is that even the most refractory ~o Spartan Engineer materials known (such as W, graphite, BeO, A1203' MgO, ance of a chain reaction. One problem that appears is US?, UO? and ThO?) melt or decompose at temperatures that all of the homogeneous units to be considered, with of ~nly a few thousand degrees. This is a case where the possible exception of those containing D20 (heavy limits must be placed on the release of intra-atomic ener- water), must use a concentrated nuclear fuel; Le., en- gy in order that inter-atomic forces may contain it. Thus riched uranium (greater than 1 percent U 235 or its it is that the atomic properties of structural materials, by equivalent in U233 or Pu 239). The solid homogeneous their very nature, impose very stringent limits on the mixture is simple in construction and easy to produce useful applications of nuclear energy. Since it must be in the oxide form, but a serious objection to this type realized that this reactor is not isolated, it follows that is the difficulty in removing just a part of the active the highly available energy of the fission process almost portion in order to refuel. Removing all would necessi- immediately undergoes a large increase in entropy upon tate a complete shutdown of the plant, which, for many being distributed as thermal agitation to the surround- cases, is impossible. Furthermore, reprocessing the ing atoms. In this process a large proportion of the active section requires handling a large mass of 'hot' thermodynamic advantage (that of obtaining energy from materials (the fuel plus the diluant) in order to replace extremely low-entropy sources) of the nuclear reactor a relatively small percentage of burned-out fuel. Since is lost permanently. the completeness of recovery of the U or Pu is an This serves to point out two possible lines of approach important economic consideration, the presence of a for obtaining more energy, faster, from the unit. The large amount of diluant changed often for refueling most obvious line of inquiry that might be followed would increase costs greatly by decreasing the recovery would lead toward the improvement of inter-atomic/ of the active substances. intra-atomic energy ratios of the structural materials In this homogeneous solid unit (see Fig. 1) the heat is used in the pile. Perhaps some means of energizing developed throughout the active section. This heat these materials could be worked out so as to increase must flow by conduction through the mixture to the the atomic and molecular attraction present in the ma- coolant, and thermal stresses are bound to develop. terial, and hence increase its melting and decomposition This necessitates using a material as diluant having a points. Another possibility would be to foster a more large thermal conductivity, a low thermal expansion, a intimate contact between the heat source and the cool- large modulus of elasticity, and a continued maintenance ant, since this would remove a larger quantity of heat of these properties under the attack of intense radiation. in the same length of time by increasing the area of heat If these conditions are not met the solid mixture may transfer. This would necessitate a larger reactor, but rupture badly under the large temperature gradients it is certain that considerations other than economic that must be expected. will be predominant in the next several years. The liquid homogeneous system (see Fig. 2) is the answer to the above problem, as well as several others inherent in the solid type unit. The fluid fuel mixture would itself be circulated through the heat exchanger, where its energy would probably be transferred to water and steam. This unit also eases the refueling and defueling problem, since it could be handled simply by pouring the solutions through properly constructed entrance ports, without necessitating a complete plant shutdown. The major disadvantages of the homogeneous reactor are: (a) the somewhat larger amounts of fuel required, since neutrons are lost when the fluid is circulated to the exchanger, (b) the difficulties of servicing auxiliary components due to induced and de- posited radioactivity of a high level, and (c) the greater amounts of shielding required. With the previous discussion, and an understanding that heterogeneous reactors are those whose active com- ponents are lumped together, either in bars or "slugs," and separated by the moderator used and spaces for the coolant, a general idea of the principles of con- struction of this type can perhaps best be given by a sketch of one possible workable design, as shown in (Fig. 2) Fig. 3. Several other possible methods might be the use of liquid diluent surrounding tubes of a liquid fuel (either of which could be circulated as coolant), or the An important consideration to be taken into account fuel could be in a fusible state contained in vertical is the selection of a coolant for the pile proper, and an tubes in a solid diluent, while a liquid or gaseous coolant efficient method of transferring the heat from the pile circulates through horizontal tubes. Liquid metals to the coolant. These considerations will depend entirely might be used to advantage as a coolant in any of these on the type of reactor being used. At the. present time liquid-cooled reactors, since their heat transfer coeffic- two types are in existence. The first to be considered ients are particularly high. This problem of heat trans- is the homogeneous pile. This design employs U235 or fer and utilization of heat energy is a rather standard other actively fissionable material which is distributed one in engineering, and as such has no place in this completely and evenly throughout the body of the discussion, however the problem can be treated in a reactor unit. The simplest known way of doing this is normal manner, the only deviations being possibly to put the reactive material in solution (liquid or solid) radioactivity and relatively high temperatures. in the presence of an effective moderator and in the concentrations determined to be necessary for mainten- (Continued on Page 38) May, 1952 II THE NEW CIVIL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT By JOHN R. SNELL Head, Civil Engineering Dept. 3. Addition of these extra credits makes it possible to EDITOR'S NOTE: This is the first of a series of articles on the conditions and improvements which. are in effect strengthen our curriculum in the following fields. or in planning for the various departments In the School of Engineering. a. Applied mechanics To chart a fixed future course for the Civil Engineer- b. Structures ing Department is impossible after only one term on the c. Hydraulics campus, yet even at this time certain comments and d. Water Supply observations may be appropriate. Under the democratic 4. A new course in Engineering Geology has been process the program which actually develops as we move made a required subject. along depends only in a limited way on the thoughts 5. The new curriculum includes twelve credits of of the department head, but rather on the thoughts, the technical electives for military students and thirty ability and the drive of the whole Civil Engineering staff. credits of technical electives for non-military students. Another important factor which we are counting on is These will be selected and taken under the guidance the complete backing of the administration in improving of a faculty advisor in one or more of the following our program. The success of our program also depends fields of preference. to a large degree on the ability of our staff to inspire a. Structures the students to higher attainment in scholastic standing. b. Soils NEW CURRICULUM c. Hydraulics Much interest has been expressed in the new civil d. Transportation engineering curriculum. This curriculum has been re- e. Surveying vised several times in the past four months. The cur- f. Construction ricula of all of the Big 10 colleges plus certain out- A wide variety of subjects will be available from standing eastern schools has been studied in detail and which seniors may choose. compared with our present and proposed curriculum. 6. The sanitary engineering option has likewise been Results of the professional engineers examination in the heightened and broadened in its scope. state of MiChigan have been studied in detail. A number 7. It will be of interest that the Basic College will be of the larger employers of our engineering graduates experimenting with Civil Engineers by giving its basic have been questioned concerning the strong and weak humanities course in the Senior year. This not only points of our engineers. Armed with all these data we facilitates the scheduling of technical series such as have altered our new curriculum to (lpeet the needs structures, soils and so forth in the Senior year, but indicated in so far as was possible. Here are a few takes account of the many scores of suggestions which points of interest concerning our new curriculum. have been offered by Civil Engineering seniors and 1. All Civil Engineers will be required to take 224 graduates. This will be a separate higher level course. credits instead of the 215 required under the present 8. More senior and graduate courses have been added curriculum. Of these 212 will be taken during the to the field of soils, structures, foundations, highways, twelve regular terms. The twelve additional credits airports, railroad engineering and construction. All and will be added as a nine weeks summer school between all, we believe we have a far superior curriculum. This the freshman and sophomore year. During this period, will be the framework within which we will operate in all of the required surveying and the new curriculum the years ahead. will be taught. With the initiation of a summer school by the Civil Engineering Department the Mechanical SUMMER SURVEYING Engineers have also added a summer school. Others A report to the administration is under preparation !nay follow suit. concerning the teaching of surveying at a summer camp, 2. Physics is being reduced from a twelve to a nine Although consideration is being given to several sites, credit course by dropping the laboratory. It is hoped the foresters camp at Dunbar appears very attractive. that a new physics course will evolve, which will fit There is no question, but what the efficiency in teaching more closely and efficiently into our engineering cur- surveying will increase at least 100 percent by including riculum. (Continued on Page 34) I~ Spartan Engineer CAREER FIELDS METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING Metallurgy is one of the oldest branches of engineering era tor, and equipment of war all found acceptable and historically it has been of such outstanding import- metals at hand, and even the airplane grew apace with ance that the great eras of history have been named in the skill of the design engineer and never was limited accordance with metallurgical development. Thus we by the lack of metallurgical advances. have the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, and now the Age In late years, however, the metallurgist has been faced of Alloys. Like all such ancient activities of man, with a host of new challenges. Engineering design is metallurgy developed as an art-sometimes a black art. now frequently limited by the metals at hand. Metals Many of its time-honored traditions and methods still and alloys have frequently become the critical limitation cling to it. Some of them are stilI very useful; others determining the complete realization of engineering de- are merely obstructions to progress. sign. Dr. Cyril Smith, Director of the Institute for the The new branches of engineering, such as electrical Study of Metals, has said: "The design of gas turbines, engineering, which have been established since science rockets, and nuclear power are all crucially dependent became the guiding factor of civilization are exact sci- on the development of better materials. Throughout ences in a sense unknown to metallurgy. Here, in brief, most of history, the important figures in metallurgy lies the future development of metallurgy-that it be- have been those who, through improved chemical pro- comes less and less an art and more and more a science. cesses or handling methods, have cheapened and ex- The science of metallurgy has improved remarkably in panded production. In the future, the important figures the past fifty years and it is at present undergoing very will be those who permit the development of better and rapid development. better properties." Modern metallurgy includes not only the science and The development of nuclear energy has put the spot- art of extracting metals from their ores, refining them, light on uranium, plutonium, beryllium, zirconium, and and preparing them for use, but also the science of the titanium. The new jet engines and supersonic aircraft metallic state, of the structure and properties of metals, have accelerated the development of molybdenum, vana- and of their chemical and physical nature and behaviour. dium, and complex alloys of iron, nickel, cobalt, chrom- Metallurgy is an art in that it involves the skill and ium, and columbium in the search for metals to operate ability to produce and employ metals together with the at high stress for long periods at red heats. scientific application of the knowledge of individuals These relatively rare metals are all developing into and of organizations in the adaptation of metals to the industries of their own, with titanium the most dramatic uses of man. In short, metallurgy is engineering. This in its possibilities because of its unprecedented strength- dual nature of metallurgy requires that its students be weight ratio. Several years ago titanium was available trained in both science and engineering, a requirement to only a few research workers in pound lots, whereas which is not at all unusual in modern engineering edu- in 1952 the production of this metal will most likely cation. exceed the five thousand ton mark. The term "Metallurgical Engineering," if used in its In the future, we may expect almost unbelievable ap- broadest sense, means exactly the same thing as "metal- plication of ultra-sonic energy and the use of electron lurgy," however the latter term is frequently used as beams in steel production, metallurgy, and the fabrica- the broader form to include metallurgical engineering tion of metals. Ultrasonics may well exert a profound and the science of metals. The metallurgical engineer influence in extractive metallurgy for the separation of at Michigan State College directs his studies largely to larger and larger quantities of metals from the poorer the field of physical metallurgy, because of the large grades of ore that of necessity must be exploited. The amount of metal processing which is done in such effects of ultrasonics on crystal growth or crystal align- typical industries as automobile and refrigerator manu- ment in metals is an entirely new science so far just facturing. Proper emphasis is placed on foundry metal- barely touched. lurgy, because Michigan is one of the large centers of The next several years may witness the development foundry industry in the United States. Everything used of another great step forward in steelmaking. For cen- and produced requires metal casting, directly or indirect- turies metallurgists have dreamed of continuously pour- ly. Manufacturers spend more than three billion dollars ing molten metal into a water-cooled mold from which it annually for casting of all sizes, shapes, and of some will constantly emerge as a solidified, cast section of six hundred alloys. These manufacturers need engi- appropriate shape, to be automatically cut into lengths neers who are familiar with the economics of casting suitable for further processing. Such a process is in use and casting design. Modern foundry practice de- the pilot plant stage in steelmaking and appears to be mands close cooperation between designers, pattern well on the way to realization. makers, and foundrymen. The foundry industry needs The relentless battles between technology and cost, young men with this training. The foundry is a basic which have given America a multitude of low-cost, man- industry, and it offers a place in which to apply en- produced articles, are destined to continue as invigor- gineering techniques and in which the opportunity to ating contests for metallurgists with imagination and advance is great. There is a shortage of technically ingenuity. trained men in the foundry industry, while the number The designer's dream of today and his triumphant of complex technical problems is inordinately large. product of tomorrow must be bridged by materials and Until recently the metals and alloys originating back plenty of thought, work, and capital. The metallurgist to primitive times were sufficient for all needs. Such (Continued on Page 38) things as printing, the steam engine, the electric gen- 13 May, 1952 COLOR TELEVISION The Rainbow In Your Home • By TOM CLARK Chemical Engineer 54 The rainbow will soon be brought to your television Three separate electron guns are mounted in the neck screen. Electronics has developed for you another of the tube, one shooting a stream of electrons at the miracle of modern science, color television. For the past red dots .only, the second at the blue and the third at few years you have heard about color television, but the green dots. When one of these guns is turned off very few of you have seen it in your homes. In this the brightness adjustment of the other two will deter- article you will learn what color television is and what mine the color on the screen. For example, if the green has happened to it. gun is shut off and the brightness of the red and blue 'laried, different shades of purple will appear. When looking at the screen very closely it may be possible to distinguish between individual red and blue dots, but from the proper viewing distance various shades of lavender, purple and cerise red will be seen. Similarly, cutting off the red gun will produce shades of bluish green and greenish blue. Mixtures of red and green will give the yellow and orange shades. When all three electron guns are operating the resultant colors will be more like pastel shades and the predominant color will be the one having the greatest brightness. To get white or gray a balance must be struck between all three primary colors, but the amounts of brightness from each electron gun will not be equal. CBS has developed the field sequential system for color television. In this system the colors are switched after the tran~mission of each field. A rotating color wheel placed in front of the camera tube causes the scene being televised to be passed through a different additive primary color filter during the scanning of each field. Thus, one field contains information on only the red elements of the picture, the next field only the blue and the next field green. Field interlacing is used and six fields are required to produce a complete color picture. At the standard black and white field fre- quency of 60 per second, a six-field picture would be produced only each 1/10th second-not fast enough to A view of the color camera showing the color avoid "flicker" on scenes which are predominately one separation setup. Each tube t.akes color. Therefore, field sequential transmission of color a one color image. required 144 fields per second. This gives 24 complete pictures per second, which is safely above the flicker All color television systems are based on the principle rate. At the receiving end, the field sequential system that with a suitable set of three basic colors all other employs a process which is the reverse of that used for colors can be reproduced. The same principle is utilized transmission. The picture tube is viewed through a in color photography, color printing, and can even be rotating color wheel of red, blue and green, which is used in painting. The basic colors giving the widest synchronized with the one at the transmitter in both range of mixed colors are in the red, blue, and green speed (1440 rpm) and color phase. The Federal Com- regions of the spectrum and are called the primary munications Commission has announced its approval of colors. RCA has developed an all-electronic, compatible the CBS system of color television. system which makes use of a tri-color television tube. In the RCA tri-color tube, three different phosphors The choice of the CBS system came as a distinct are used; giving red, blue, and green light when struck surprise to many radio-men, especially in view of the by a stream of electrons. These three phosphors are fact that it is not compatible with the present black and deposited on a flat glass plate in the form of tiny dots white system. Much of the argument during the FCC next to each other in such a manner that they form color hearings centered about two words: compatibility equilateral triangles with a different color at each apex. (Continued on Page 4'6) 14 Spartan Engineer TITANIUM - The Atomic Age Metal By ROBERT RHODES Metallurgical Engineer '53 If titanium can live up to the properties attributed to The extremely high melting point of titanium should it, and if economical commercial production can be ob- develop into an advantage when used in high tempera- tained, then it could very well be science's answer to the ture mechanical devices. The low coefficient of thermal present structural metal crisis. expansion reduces thermal stresses to a minimum. This Vast strides have been made in recent years in the makes close tolerances practical for devices operating fast growing metallurgical field. The development of over a considerable temperature range. Titanium also titanium metal is only one of the results, but could very has relatively low thermal and electrical conductivity. well be the most important. In light of the present day Material presented by C. I. Bradford of Remington metal situation, the development of titanium into a full Arms Company shows that titanium in the annealed scale commercial product is not only justifiable, but is state has relatively high tensile and yield strengths in highly desirable. combination with good elongation. It also shows a sub- Titanium has a relatively low specific gravity, good stantial increase in tensile properties with only moderate resistance to corrosion, and high tensile properties; all amounts of cold work. Twenty per cent cold work desirable characteristics for a good structural material. raises the yield strength from 75,000 psi. to about 100,000 psi. On the other hand small amounts of cold work The modulus of elasticity, density, and strength of reduce the ductility considerably. titanium metal at intermediate temperatures fill in the gap between aluminum alloys and stainless steel. Where Titanium has a usable strength up through 8000 F., titanium is substituted directly section for section in comparing very favorably with the best aluminum alloys place of stainless steel, a forty per cent saving in which are not used to any extent over 400 F. Young's 0 weight will result. modulus also holds up well through 8000 F. This is important in applications involving elastic stability at high temperature. The sub-zero strength and modulus are also high. The popular belief that titanium is a recently dis- covered element is not true. Metallurgists have known about it since 1789, and possibly earlier. In its infancy, however, it was looked upon as an undesirable element. Rich iron ore deposits in New York and other areas lay idle for years because the ore was "contaminated" by titanium. Today the "impurity" that once caused these immense iron ore deposits to remain idle is the main reason they are being worked. Titanium metal has the advantage of a large ore supply. It is the fourth most plentiful metal of struc- tural utility in the earth's crust, and the seventh most common metal. More of it exists than all of the lead, zinc, tin, antimony, nickel, copper, gold, and silver combined. Of course the mere presence of the element does not imply that it can be extracted for use, since it is only where it occurs in concentrated form that separation can be accomplished profitably. However, rutile and ilmenite, the principal ores from which titanium can be extracted, occur in huge concentrated quantities in both the United States and Canada. The chief headaches in the development of this metal are its high tendencies to react with all other elements when molten, and the extremely high melting point of Several pieces of tooled titanium are shown above. 31500 F. The slightest uncontrolled reaction with any Titanium may be used for high speed engine parts (Continued on Page 32) because of its high melting point (3150° F.) May, 1952 15 New Developments Edited by RALPH POWELL Electrical Engineer '55 "ENERGY IN ACTION" GERMANIUM PRODUCTION Lead assumes the properties of spring steel and rings One of the world's few setups for producing single- like a bell when struck, a miniature steam engine runs crystal germanium is on public view in New York at the with ice as the only fuel, and an atomic power plant is Institute of Radio Engineers exhibit at Grand Central shown in mock up in the latest Westinghouse science Palace. show -"Energy in Action." Refinement of this rare element, which is of prime necessity in making transistors for the radio, television Designed to show the progression of science towards and electronic industries, proceeds with professional the atomic age and the ever increasing utilization of efficiency through the use of a small electric furnace, energy by the world today, the eight act, ninety minute set up by engineers of the Radio Corporation of America. production is given predominately to demonstrations by The germanium furnace, part of a display showing two Westinghouse science reporters. A two-hour ver- research into electronically active solids, transforms the sion of the show includes a color movie, "Energy is Our germanium into the desired single-crystal form. Business." A quantity of the processed germanium about the size of a pinhead is sufficient to make a transistor, a tiny new device having the capabilities of certain electron tubes and holding promise of opening many new fields of electronic development. To obtain the type of germanium crystals needed for transistors, RCA engineers "draw"-instead of cast-a thin, pencil ingot from a crucible of molten germanium. This action takes place inside of a quartz tube. * * * NEW TIRE SIZE MARKINGS A new method of marking passenger car tire sizes on the treads is now being used by The B. F. Goodrich Company, Akron, Ohio. Treads are embossed in three places with six different stampings so that regardless of how the tires are stacked the sizes can be read right side up. The adoption of the method eliminates the use of labels and the danger of their being defaced or lost from the casings, makes easier the reading of stacked tires in dealer and factory warehouses, and reduces danger of errors in identifying tires for shipment. Model atomic power plant as it appears in the Westinghouse "Energy in Action" show. * * * THERMALASTIC INSULATION In a demonstration of the effect of ultra-coldness on One of the first turbine generators to be insulated lead, liquid nitrogen at a temperature of minus 321 F. 0 with Thermalastic insulation is this lOO,OOO-kwunit is employed. When the normally soft lead is immersed constructed at the East Pittsburgh plant of the West- in the liquid nitrogen, it assumes the properties of a inghouse Electric Corporation. Capable of assuming its steel spring and resounds with a bell-like tone when original dimensions upon cooling, Thermalastic insula- struck. tion does not tend to separate as a result of heating 16 Spartan Engineer NEW LACQUER THINNER FORMULAS New formulas for lacquer thinners, described as the mos~ significant developments of their kind in 25 years, are Improving automotive finish quality. The new concept of lacquer thinner, now applied in GM automotive divisions, has improved both technique and results of applying lacquer to car bodies. So-called thinners or reducers in the paint industry are used to make lacquer fluid. A thinner is a medium for putting into solution the nitrocellulose and resins that make lacquer. Also, it lowers the lacquer's viscosity to the point where it can be sprayed through a gun onto the car boy. * * * A-C NETWORK CALCULATOR The a-c network calculator at the East Pittsburgh plant of Westinghouse Electric Corporation has been in almost constant use during 1951 by utility customers. Engineers from the Duquesne Light Company work with Westinghouse engineers in making a complex system study that would require literally man-years of hand calculation. Electrical representation of a utility system on the calculator makes it possible to impose any con- ditions desired and study the effects throughout the Inspecting one of the first turbine generators system. Westinghouse has built 19 such calculators and has two on order. ' to be insulated with Thermalastic. and cooling cycles during operation. This eliminates likelihood of internal short circuits, and means an in- * * * crease in insulation life. Coils of this generator have "THE CUTTING WIND" been wrapped with a mica-bonded tape and impregnated with a water-thin plastic that solidifies. Application A "cutting wind," produced by a knife blade' moving of a protective coating completes the insulating process. faster than the speed of sound, is being used to cut thin slices of almost everything from asbestos to zinc by a scientist of the General Electric Research Labora- * * * tory in Schenectady, N. Y. Although a knife blade is used, its primary purpose HEAT RESISTANT ADHESIVES is to produce a small pocket of compressed air immedi- DOING WORK OF RIVETS ately preceding the knife. Dr. E. F. Fullam, the sci- entist, believes air does the actual cutting, rather than Heat resistant adhesives, widely used in brakes and the knife itself. automatic transmissions, are doing the job of rivets and weathering some of the roughest tests automobile parts The blade is mounted in the whirling wheel of a can undergo. laboratory device called a high-speed microtome. These adhesives also are being used successfully to As the wheel whirls at 65,000 revolutions per minute, join or stick together both metal and non-metal parts the knife blade is propelled at a calculated top speed of that require good strength and performance at high 1,200 feet per second, or at the supersonic speed of more temperatures. than 818 miles per hour. Speed of sound is about 750 miles per hour. The adhesives have given good service in their present applications, as is indicated by the performance The blade's supersonic speed is believed to produce of millions of brake shoes and transmission parts in the a small pocket of compressed air which tears materials automotive industry. on a submicroscopic scale. This action leaves a smooth surface on the face of the cut, through which the knife Because continued improvement is essential to any easily passes. product, further development is under way with so- called phenolic-elastomer adhesives. Indications are Dr. Fullam, Research Laboratory microscopist and de- that improvements in these bonding agents can be ac- signer of the instrument, uses his "sharp air" technique complished with adhesive materials in use today. for cutting asbestos, cork, bone, mica-insulation, metals, wood, plastics and many other items. In laboratory tests on a brake dynamometer with 500 pounds per square inch air line pressure for the braking The instrument was primarily designed by Dr. Fullam, action the adhesive bond between the brake lining and and tailor-made to his specifications by an instrument brake shoe withstood temperatures, caused by friction, manufacturer, for cutting extremely thin cross-section as high as 1021 degrees Fahrenheit without failure of the specimens of materials for study under an electron bond. microscope. Because of the blade's tremendous speed, May, 1952 17 the microtome has cut what is believed to be one of the Among few materials which the instrument cannot thinnest slices ever made, a metal shaving less than successfully cut are rubber and vitallium, the latter two-millionths of an inch thick, or about 1,000 times being one of the hardest of metals. thinner than a human hair. Rubber could be cut if it were first frozen with liquid Submicroscopic sections produced by the microtome nitrogen, or vulcanized to a more brittle state. The are invisible to the naked eye. In fact, the sections are hard metal could be cut if more air could be obtained so small that they can be studied in detail only under through greater rotational velocity of the wheel. an electron microscope. This type of microscope magni- According to the G-E scientist, about a dozen high- fies the original size about 25,000 times; and larger speed microtomes of his design are in use throughout magnifications can be obtained by photographing the the country. specimen at a pre-determined magnification and then enlarging the picture. By way of comparison, Dr. Fullam says that a human hair enlarged 25,000 times * * * would be larger than a giant redwood tree. THE PAUL BUNYAN OVEN In attempting to obtain ultra-thin sections, the G-E scientist experimented many years with cutting instru- ments. Evidence that air can apparently cut was first noted by Dr. Fullam in early experiments with his present instrument, when he found that blades were not dulled by cutting. "Since perhaps it is the air that does the cutting, sharpness of the knife should not be too important, ex- cept to produce a very small area of compression," he said. He believes, in theory that cuts could be made with a crowbar, if the bar could be moved with sufficient speed and accuracy. In cutting, the microtome blade moves through objects in the same fashion as a knife through butter. The instrument's knife has a slicing effect, instead of the chipping action of a saw. Material to be cut enters the knife's path from the side, by means of a small pencil-shaped device. Dr. Fullam likens the method to that of baloney being fed into a meat slicer at a delicatessen. No cutting noise is heard during operation, since according to theory, air, rather than the blade, is doing the cutting. Only the motor's shrill humming can be heard. The laboratory instrument has a cutting blade mounted in a three-and-three-eighth inch diameter wheel. Pow- ered by a "souped-up" one-third horsepower electric A workman's view of the opened Paul Bunyan oven. motor, the wheel can be rotated up to 65,000 revolutions Recently completed and now in operation is this huge per minute. This terrific rotational velocity is necessary varnish insulation curing oven at the Westinghouse to produce the pocket of compressed air, the scientist Electric Corporation's manufacturing and repair plant in said. Buffalo, N. Y. Largest of its kind in western New York, Razor blades were formerly used as cutting edges in it is 8 feet wide by 13 feet high and 15 feet long. The most laboratory experiments, "not because of their oven' is heated by either gas or electricity, and equipped sharpness, but because a razor's fine edge is more suit- with automatic controls to maintain constant temperature able for building up a thin area of compression," he said. throughout. An air-changing system keeps the heat in Dr. Fullam now uses blades especially designed for the continuous motion and results in effective evaporation instrument. In order to obtain a thinner area of com- and removal of varnish solvents. pression, however, he manually sharpens blades to a keener edge. Thinner blades result in smaller cuts, according to the * MEASUREMENTS PRECISION * * G.E. microsopist. He said he has sometimes used a very thin wire for a cutting edge. Elimination of variables in precise measurement tech- niques is always a problem and is doubly so in the big Centrifugal force, produced as the wheel rotates at new addition to the Engineering Hall at Carnegie In- supersonic speeds, adds considerable stiffness to a wire. stitute of Technology in Pittsburgh. Herein is located In fact, Dr. Fullam believes that at these speeds, wire the research laboratories of the American Petroleum so thin as to be barely visible to the naked eye, will Institute (API), a service organization for the entire become as stiff as a one-sixteenth-inch-diameter steel industry. In addition, many graduate and undergrad- bar. uate chemical and chemical engineering labs are in- Design of the laboratory instrument has limited him volved in delicate measuring projects. Westinghouse to small-sized samples of materials for sectioning. A Sturtevant fans, air-conditioners, and heating units play specimen about the thickness of a lead pencil is the an indispensable role in the maintenance of required maximum size the microtome will cut. (Continued on Page 40) 18 Spartan Engineer CHEMICAL ENGINEERS The Mass Producers of Chemical Research Chemical Engineers help new products up the steep tory stage of test tubes and flasks, through the semi- path from the laboratory to the market place. The work and pilot plant stages, ultimately to industrial Chemical Engineer makes a career of putting to practical production. Such an effort requires the Chemical En- use the discoveries of the laboratory research chemist. gineer to make calculations and decisions involving raw They guide new products from the test tube through the materials, product yields, equipment design and con- semi-works and pilot plant stages to full-scale produc- struction, plant location and arrangement, flow of ma- tion. terials, labor and power cost, and rate of equipment The field of chemical engineering is very broad. Per- depreciation. haps one of the most important and interesting phases With the increasing size of equipment necessary to of the Chemical Engineer's work is in bringing new transfer from the scale of laboratory breakers to tank scientific discoveries to the point of practical useful- car lots, the Chemical Engineer must inevitably en- ness, in applying these discoveries to the service of counter unforeseen problems of equipment corrosion, man, and in planning, designing, and building a plant materials handling, temperature control, and automatic to use the new processes and manufacture the new pro- regulation. Such difficulties are solved by close coop- ducts. The Chemical Engineer's stock and trade is eration with the research chemist, and with the plant fundamental scientific and engineering knowledge. He electrical and mechanical engineers, who have the de- is versatile and able to go in more than one direction. tailed and specialized knowledge necessary for the An engineer should possess a share of the banker's efficient solution of the problem. The final process is hardheadedness in financial matters, combined with the established and standardized as the result of such creative imagination that can translate what happens closely coordinated efforts and knowledge. on a laboratory bench into a factory process. This pro- Supervision and direction of production are also with- cess must be able to compete economically with others in the province of Chemical Engineers. They are re- in industry. sponsible for the lives of others, as well as for large Chemical engineering recognizes a resemblance in property values. They must be reliable and trustworthy purpose, principle, and method in widely diverse fields, in their professional service for they have the same such as petroleum refining, ore dressing, or ceramics, relation to society as the architect, lawyer, or surgeon. and emphasizes the broad fundamental principles and All chemical industries are related because of a sim- methods common to all processes and materials re- ilarity of many basic operations and procedures. Al- gardless of the special field in which they are practiced. though the final product of two industries may differ The Chemical Engineer must have basic training in the widely in properties and uses, yet the apparatus, equip- principles of business, finance, and economics. ment, and methods used may be very similar. The num- The Chemical Engineer is well-trained in the sciences ber of such basic unit operations is not large, and not of chemistry, physics, and mathematics, because he is every type of industry uses all of them. concerned with the application and direction of chemical Although the Chemical Engineer has due regard for processes. The chemist is primarily concerned with the chemical nature of the substance he is using, he is laboratory work which may be routine in nature or of a more often devoting his attention to factors such as research character. A Chemical Engineer, however, is handling of materials, application of heat, corrosion of concerned with industrial equipment and large-scale materials used for piping and construction of equipment, plant operations. The Chemical Engineer should be mechanical mixing and grinding, heat exchange systems, technically trained, reliable, resourceful, honest, syste- or filtration rates and capacities. matic, intelligent, and a creator and seeker after truth, A few typical chemical engineering unit operations are for he is a member of a profession that is very definite listed below: and exacting in its requirements. 1. Distillation and Absorption Chemical Engineers are employed in almost every industry and activity from teaching and research to a. Fractionating columns petroleum production and refining, in the processing of b. Absorbing towers food, chemical raw materials of all kinds, plastics, 2. Evaporation ceramics, paper, rubber, fertilizers, and in the field of a. Vacuum evaporators atomic energy. There is an increasing tendency for 3. Drying chemical engineers to eventually be selected for execu- a. Rotary dryers tive and administrative positions. b. Vacuum dryers As our way of living becomes more complex and 4. Filtration more dependent upon technological developments, the a. Filter presses field of opportunity for the adequately trained Chemical b. Rotary filters Engineer expands proportionately. This tendency will 5. Crushing and Grinding undoubtedly continue for there is no turning back in a. Jaw crushers the field of technology-each new problem and discovery b. Gyratory crushers leads on to others. c. Ball mills The task of the Chemical Engineer is to advance new materials and new processes from the research labora- (Continued on Page 28) 19 May, 1952 IRRIGATION PROJECTS IN MEXICO By FELIPE JAUREGUI Mexican Ministry of Hydraulic Resources Among the extensive current construction activities of ledge about the inhabitants of the basin, but of what is the Ministry of Hydra ulic Resources of Mexico, the still more important, their qualification, their social Papaloap~n Project merits special attention because it structure, their grade of education, their actions and includes a greater variety of hydraulic features than disposition, in order to know how to induce them to any previous undertaking, and because it is bound to develop their own resources. constitute one of Mexico's main sources of agricultural and industrial wealth. Following Mr. Orive Alba's historical outline of hydraulic works in Mexico, we learn that long before The large dams on which work has been started to the arrival of the Spaniards, the Aztecs had admitted back up the waters of the Tonto, Santo Domingo and the necessity of building irrigation projects and he cites Papaloapan rivers will fulfill three general and prin- as two of the most interesting examples the dike built cipal purposes: the irrigation of a vast and fertile zone, by the Aztec Emperor Netzahualcoyotl to separate the the' production of electrical power representing about one salty from the fresh water of the ancient lake formed half of ' the total required by the country for its industrial around the lower part of the Valley of Mexico in order developm'ent, and the control of overflows that for many to utilize the fresh water for cultivation, and the in- years have caused havoc all along the lower lands of the verse form of irrigation practiced by the Aztecs in what Papaloapan basin. As the completion of the dams will is now the Xochimilco lake in the suburbs of Mexico not be effected, a general project for the rectification of City, where instead of conducting the water to the soil, the Papaloapan river course" was elaborated with the the soil was hauled into the water to form the then approval of one of the best technical engineers on the existing floating islands that finally were anchored by matter, Mr. G. H. Matthes, and it consists in the execu- root-growth. tion of seven cuts on the sharpest bends of the river and a relief canal near the city of Tlacotalpan. Two of the During the Spanish domination, several hydraulic pro- most urgent cuts, the Cosamaloapan Nos. 1 and 2, have jects were undertaken, especially on the high plateau, already been finished. Massive levees that besides their some of which show daring and important character- protective character will also furnish ample and efficient istics as the one completed in 1548 by Friar Diego de highway service are under way and it is believed that Chavez in Guanajuato to divert the water from the upon the completion of this work the flood threat will Lerma river into a natural depression of the land, clos- have disappeared. ing the reservoir thus formed with the Taramatacheo levee to impound a volume of 300,000 acre-feet. Another important characteristic of the Papaloapan Project is the drainage and disiccation of marshes which It has been estimated that up to 1910, when the is being successfully carried out, and this, together with people of Mexico overthrew the Diaz regime, only an an intensive use of D.D.T. in towns and villages has area of 1,750,000 acres of land was under irrigation, greatly contributed to improve sanitary conditions and and it was not until 1926, the year that marked the almost eradicated the endemic malaria. Public-utility dawn of a new era in hydraulic construction in Mexico, undertakings have also followed this phase of the initial that the Government decided to launch a great irrigation activities in connection thereof and cities as important program. To this effect, an irrigation law was passed as Alvarado, Tlacotalpan, Cosamaloapan and Acayucan by Congress and the National Irrigation Commission are being provided with sewerage and drinking water was created, both somewhat similar to the Reclamation distribution systems. Act and the Bureau of Reclamation of the United States. The Papaloapan basin, with an area of 17,582 square The investments made through the new organization miles and nearly one million inhabitants, is a highly from 1926 to 1946 amounted to 900 million pesos and unhealthful region where malaria, intestinal diseases and 2 million acres were put under irrigation, which is an other ailments of hydric origin are prevalent; but the area larger than that watered during the whole history active sanitary campaign launched and carried out by of Mexico up to 1910. the Papa loapan Commission with the cooperation of the On Dec. I, 1946, the National Irrigation Commission best hyginist corps of the Republic through the Medical was transformed into the Ministry of Hydraulic Re- Sanitary Board has given the most satisfactory results. sources in charge of Eng. Adolfo Orive Alba, and since In a brief, condensed report on the Papaloapan Pro- the Papaloapan Project has been properly termed Presi- ject written by Engineer Adolfo Orive Alba, Minister of dent Aleman's project because the present executive Hydraulic Resources, and which covers the subjects of has included the necessary works for the complete and sanitary engineering, floods control, rectification of the methodical development of the Papaloapan river basin river course, roads and highways, navigation, airports, as one of the outstanding features of his constructive electrical power production, irrigation and drainage, program, the Papaloapan Commission was created as an social work, education, urban improvements and agri- independent department, with Mr. Adolfo Orive Alba cultural and industrial development, he has emphasized as Chairman, to take care of all the work involved in the fact that the most important of the existing resources the execution of this great hydraulic enterprise. in the Papa loapan basin is, evidently, the human ele- It is not therefore a venture to state that when the ment, without which all the other resources would be Papaloapan Project is completed, Mexico will be going useless. He therefore considers that it is fundamental to have a thorough and scientific appreciation of not forward at a seven-league-boot pace in her efforts for only figures that can give !i quantjtatjve fotl11 Qf knQ\v~ self-sufficiency by putting to beneficial service her po- tentjal natural resources. Spartan EnlJineer MICA BASE.PAINT ONE ANSWER TO EXPOSURE Courtesy - Westinghouse Electric Corporation The life of the finish on distribution transformers has elements that promote it. Proper preparation of the been more than doubled by a three-coat paint system metal surface is necessary before the finish is applied. which has been given the name, "Coastal Finish." Each Good adhesion is generally obtained by removing all coat functions cooperatively with the others to withstand rust, scale, grease or other extraneous material. Ideal the oxygen, acids, salts, and alkalis found in seacoast surfaces are obtained by treatment with phosphate and industrial atmospheres. This three-coat system is solutions to form iron phosphate at the surface. The applied in the same manner as standard finishes and in phosphate film retards corrosion by the passivating production it is baked on for speed. A modification of effect and offers a tightly adhering porous surface for this finish air dries which means that it can be used to the base coat of paint to penetrate and grip mechanically. patch a transformer in the field should the surfaces be The prime or first coat applied to the prepared surface damaged. is composed of a vehicle giving good adhesion with Distribution transformers operate under especially desired flexibility and chemical resistance to salts, acids, severe conditions that affect the finish applied to the and alkalis. The pigments used are primarily zinc outside of the tank and associated hardware. The sur- chromate and iron oxide. Zinc chromate is perhaps one faces of fully loaded transformers exposed to direct sun- of the best corrosion inhibiting pigments due to the light often reach temperatures of 200 degrees F and availability of the chromate iron in the presence of mois- sometimes higher. During the winter months these ture. However, if used as a single pigment, it usually surfaces may be exposed to temperatures as low as -50 produces a film that is somewhat brittle. When com- degrees F. With an operating range of 250 degrees F bined with iron oxide, the brittleness of the film is re- the paint must be sufficiently flexible so as not to flake duced and the vat or storage life of the paint is increased. off due to differential expansion and contraction be- Surprising as it may seem when this combination is tween paint and metal. tested as a priming coat alone in comparison with other Elevated temperatures and oxygen of the atmosphere primers containing, for example, lead chromate or red also cause the paint films to age and become brittle. lead, it may at times appear to be inferior. The super- This accelerates the tendency to flake or craze during iority stands out when the tests are repeated after the the winter months. It is important, therefore, not only finish coats have been applied. to select a finishing material from the standpoint of initial flexibility but for heat resistance as well. The second or intermediate coat is without doubt the Moisture in liquid or vapor form is perhaps the key to the successful performance of Coastal Finish. The greatest enemy to the finish on distribution transformers vehicle is composed of modified phenolic and alkyd in ratings commonly hung on poles. It readily attacks resins. These are chosen for resistance to heat, oxygen, any exposed steel surface forming rust and gradually salts, acids and alkalis in concentrations generally en- penetrates paint films corroding the metal underneath. countered in the atmosphere. The resin is of the thermo- Rust formation and hydrogen generated at the metal set type. By proper selection of solvent and adjustment surface cause the paint to blister and lift. Once the film of setting time of the resin, it is possible to remove the is broken corrosion is accelerated and pits develop. solvent completely during the initial part of the drying If they a~e not given attention they m~y eventually cycle before the resin has set to the hard state. This completely penetrate the tank wall. This may drain the permits the resin to flow after solvent elimination and insulating oil from the tank and cause the transformer to prevents pinholes through which oxygen and moisture fail. If it were not for moisture, the finishing of pole could enter. type transformer would present no serious problem ex- The pigment is composed of selected mica flakes which cept in rare cases. Oxygen, salts, acids, and alkalis overlap each other in the film and produce a "shingle present in the seacoast and industrial atmospheres roof" effect to further ward off moisture and oxygen. usually are destructive as they deteriorate the film and The mica also increases heat stability of the intermediate pave the way for moisture to do its damage. Also, the coat as much as ten times at elevated temperatures. effects of certain impurities accelerate corrosion by The use of mica in paint is not new but the way in moisture once it gets to the metal. which it is used in this paint has not been utilized in the THREE COAT COASTAL SYSTEM past. The relatively large mica flakes plus their tend- The individual coats of the new three-coat system act ency to settle presented problems of application but these cooperatively to resist moisture penetration and also the have been overcome. May. 1952 21 The third and final coat is composed of resins and Not until the transformer is completely assembled and pigments to withstand the elements and to provide good tested is the third and final dark-gray coat applied. The appearance when new and after weathering has taken transformer is then conveyed through a steam convec- place. It can be tinted to give any desired color. When tion oven operating at 160 degrees F where the final chalking takes place, a slightly darker shade develops coat is dried tack-free. Hardening of the film takes which does not detract from the appearance of the place in storage and shipment. transformer. The final coat has several functions: LABORATORY AND FIELD TESTS 1) It adds to appearance. Salt Spray Resistance Test 2) It enhances the resistance of the other two coats This test is made in standard salt spray equipment to oxygen, moisture, etc. using a 20 per cent solution of sodium chloride at 90 degrees F with 15 pounds pressure on the spray head. 3) It screens out the ultraviolet light of the sun's As an example the finish was completely gone from rays. the cover and f;om many areas on the tank wall of the transformer with a standard finish. By comparison, A series of panels were made to demonstrate the the Coastal Finished transformer showed no signs of resistance of the combination of primer and mica-filled second coat to salt spray and weathering. These panels deterioration and no signs of corrosion. were phosphatized, given a coat of primer and then two After 2000 hours under the salt spray, a large area coats of the intermediate or second coat of the system. of paint was gone in the case of the standard finish They were tested simultaneously with panels painted and corrosion was quite apparent, whereas with the with the standard three coat finish. mica-base finish there is no indication of corrosion. One rather interesting result was the severe action of After 2000 hours exposure to the salt spray the mica the salt spray on galvanized parts. This was indicated finish showed no change whereas the standard finish by the white deposits on the hardware. As a result it was approximately 50 per cent deteriorated. At 3000 was considered desirable to test the mica-base finish on hours the standard finish was completely gone. It re- hanger irons for distribution transformers where stand- quired a total of 10,000 hours continuous exposure to ards are now for galvanizing. salt spray before small blisters began to appear on the mica finish. When the blisters were broken, there was The test samples include: galvanized; cadmium plated; evidence of trapped gas, possibly hydrogen, and a thin galvanized and Bonderized; cadmium plated and Bond- film of rust. erized; galvanized plus mica-base finish; cadmium plated plus mica-base finish; galvanized and Bonderized plus Other mica-finished panels were exposed for 18 months mica-base finish; and cadmium plated and Bonderized on Florida and California seacoasts. Weathering took plus mica-base finish. After 2000 hours exposure to place at the surface exposing some of the mica flakes. the salt spray it was found that the zinc had been com- However, there was no sign of corrosion. The exposed pletely consumed on the galvanized hanger irons with mica flakes appear to be largely parallel to the film iron rust spots showing through the white deposits of surface and -definitely indicate a Shingled effect which zinc salts. The cadmium-plated irons showed fairly good may partly account for resistance to salt spray and resistance to salt spray but small areas were attacked. added heat stability of the vehicle. The iron was not corroded. The galvanized and Bond- It appears also that the mica addition improves the erized and the cadmium-plated and Bonderized iron coverage on sharp or burred edges, thus reducing the showed up extremely well. The galvanized and painted tendency to corrode at these points. and cadmium-plated and painted irons showed extremely good resistance to salt spray with practically no indica- tions of attack. Of all the combinations tested, the Methods of Application cadmium-plated and Bonderized plus mica-base finish irons showed absolutely no signs of attack after 2000 The metal surface is first alkali cleaned and rinsed, hours. followed by phosphatizing and a dip in dilute chromic For these tests, ordinary production hanger irons were acid. This results in a very clean surface light gray in used. It is realized that the salt spray is a grossly color and of sufficient porosity for good paint penetra- accelerated test and that galvanized or cadmium-plated tion with maximum adhesion. To prevent any contam- parts stand up well in marine and most industrial at- ination of the prepared surface the transformer tanks mospheres. However, it is felt that the Bonderizing are given the first or priming coat within a matter of plus mica-base finish greatly enhances the protection hours by flow coating. Viscosity and gravity are con- already given by the electropositive metal. trolled. The flow-coating process is used for priming to fill any crevices left between tank wall and projec- tion welded parts. It also assures complete and uniform Weather-a-Meter Tests coverage of all parts. The tank then is conveyed by monorail through an infrared dryer. A surface tempera- It is generally considered that one week's exposure ture of approximately 340 degrees F is reached by the to Weather-a-Meter conditions is about equivalent to time the tank leaves the oven. outdoor exposure for a period of one year under average conditions. In the Weather-O-Meter test, the panels are After cooling, the second coat is sprayed on. A dark attached to a cylinder and rotated continuously. They green dye is incorporated into the otherwise clear mica- are exposed to periodic cycles of one hour in fog and base paint or enamel to assist the operator in determin- three hours under ultra-violet light. Neither finish ing coverage and to allow for easy and quick inspection. showed severe deterioration after 12 weeks exposure. The dye fades out leaving a dark-brown color On subse- It was noted that the final coats on both the standard quent infrared baking which is done in the same type and mica-base finish showed some dulling and evidence oven and at the same temperatures as for the first coat. of light chalking. Tests are being continued to obtain The film dries to make a hard, tough, abrasion-resisting coating. the ultimate life of the two finishes under this condition. (Continued on Page 48) Spartan Engineer Engineer" 1952 "Miss Engineer" for 1952 is Mary Lee Backhurst, Port Huron sophomore. Mem- bers of her court are Marilyn Thompson, Battle Creek junior (left) and Cora Peter- son, Detroit freshman (right). 23 May, 1952 MENTAL GYMNASTICS ALUMNI NEWS Edited by L. B. MILLER Walter Mischley, C.E. '46, former city manager of Here are some more brain teasers such as were pub- Manistee, Michigan, has accepted a position as Chief lished in the last issue. of Municipal and Commercial Facility branch of the The engineer, brakeman and fireman on a train are Atomic Energy Commission. Gray, Green, and White, but not respectively. There are three passengers on the train named Mr. Gray, Telesphore Bourbonnais, E.E. '43, has left the Idaho Mr. Green and Mr. White. These facts are known: Power Company, where he was located for five years, 1. The brakeman's nearest neighbor, one of the pas- and is now with du Pont at their Savannah River Pro- sengers, earns exactly three times as much yearly as the ject Hydrogen Bomb plant. He called at the College brakeman. en route to his new location. 2. The passenger whose name is the same as the Major Donald Appling, Ch.E. '37, was returned from brakeman's lives in Chicago. six years in Honolulu, and will now be stationed at 3. White beat the fireman at billiards. 1705 Air Trans. Group, McCord, A.F.B., Tacoma, Wash- 4. Mr. Green lives in Detroit. ington. 5. Mr. Gray earns exactly $4000 per year. Lt. j.g. Howard I. Bacon, C.E. '48, has been assigned 6. The brakeman lives halfway between Chicago and as staff officer and instructor at the U. S. Naval School, Detroit. Civil Engineering Corps Officers, Naval Construction What are the names of the engineer, brakeman and Battalion Center, Port Hueneme, California. fireman, respectivelY_?_. _ Ens. Jerome Chmielewski, M.E. '52, is located at Port A couple has two children. The husband is four Hueneme, California. He called recently' at the College years older than his wife, and one child is four years and stated that his brother Walter was located at the older than the other. The combined ages of the couple Navy post in Chicago. is now nine times the combined age of the children. Richard Clemmer, M.E. '48, lives at 270 Independence Four years from now it will be five times. How old is Drive, Boston, Massachusetts. He is an industrial sales each person now. engineer for the Timken Roller Bearing Company. Three families each have one son and one daughter. Sidney Hay, M.E. '48, is consumer salesman for the Each child has a savings account which was started with Standard Oil Company, and lives at 4406 Ingham St., one dollar the first year. The deposit each succeeding Lansing, Michigan. year has been two dollars more than the last deposit. Now each boy has $45 more on deposit than his sister. Rudolph Jacobs, E.E. '48, is radio design engineer for The names of the boys are Vern, John, and Robert; the the Westinghouse Electric Company and is doing work girls are Betty, Jane and Mary. Vern is 17 years older on color television. He is married and has one daughter than Mary, and John is seven years older than Betty. and lives at R.F.D. 1, Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania. Find all the ages and determine the brother of each James Oberlin, M.E. '48, is chief engineer with Na- girl. tional Korectaire Company of Chicago. He lives at 720 Here's another crossword division for you to work on. Chestnut St., Deerfield, Illinois. HEHA Hajime H. Ota, A.E. '48, is doing research on poultry ICHIFCDI I I E respiration calorimeter for the U. S. Dept. of Agriculture. G C I He is living at 3223 Northampton Ave. N. W., Washing- ton 16, D.C. H DC I HI F H Richard C. Austin, M.E. '4'7, is engineering assistant for the Detroit Edison Company. He lives at 1119 May- B H I G C I burn, Detroit, Michigan. They now have a baby boy, Ronald, to play with Nancy, who is five years old. FHCE FHCE George Bodfish, M.E. '4'7, is sales engineer for Inger- soll Rand Co., and lives at 1701 N. Illinois, Indianapolis, ANSWERS TO THE LAST ISSUE'S PROBLEMS Indiana. The Captain is 28, and the ship is 21. Robert Delderfield, M.E. '47, is engineer in Product The train had to be travelling 60 mph. to meet the Design, Test & Development for Chrysler Corporation. tramp at the end of the bridge. He lives at 2638 Robina, Berkley, Michigan, and has The string has to be lengthened an amount equal to three children. pi times the increase in diameter for any sphere, so David W. Eddy, M.E. '47, is spark plug engineer for the increase would be 2 pi feet or 6.28 feet. the A. C. Spark Plug Company and lives at 1410 Gainey For the long division, 0, 1, 2, .... 9; are J, F, D, A, Ave., Flint, Michigan. They have a baby girl. C, K, G, E, H, B. Floyd Lamb, E.E. '47, is associate engineer for the The snow began falling at 11:30, one half hour before Detroit Edison Company and lives at 22904 California the snowplow started. St., St. Clair Shores, Michigan. The bad penny can be limited to one of eight in the Charles W. Means, Ch.E. '47, is senior development first weighing (four on each side of the balance). These engineer for the Upjohn Company, and lives at 1528 are divided into three groups for the next weighing: Kingston Ave., Kalamazoo, Michigan. three remain in their original positions, three are moved Frank M. Pelton, E.E. '47, is electronic research en- to the opposite side of the scale, and two are removed gineer for the Cornell Aeronautical Laboratories, and and replaced by good pennies (the four which weren't lives at 133 Shimerville Road, Clarence, Ne~ York. weighed in the first weighing). By observing which Frank received his M.S. in 1948 and his Ph.E. from side of the scale goes down and which goes up the 'bad M.S.C. in 1950. penny can be limited to one of the groups. The penny Harold Rockwell, M.E. '47, is Oldsmobile dealer in can then be found in the third weighing (it is known Grand Rapids, Michigan. He lives at 2524 Albert Drive by this time whether the penny is light or heavy). S.E. He reports that Jeffra Jill arrived on April 27, 1951. 2~ Spartan Engineer 1 ••. " \ .. ],..1 '~ I .,' i .,1 1 II "! 1 " :"j j 1 ':.1 I \ ". 'I 1 j I Super-powered receivers, built on principles developed at the David Sarnoff Research Center of ReA, bring clearer television pictures to more homes. New Super Sets CONTINUE YOUR EDUCATION WITH PAY-AT RCA Graduate Electrical Engineers: RCA widen television"s llorizons t Victor-one of the world's foremost manu- facturers of radio nnd electronic products -offers you opportunity to gain valuable, well.rounded training and experience at a good salary with opportunities for ad- Although no new TV stations have devices may interfere, this same super vancement. Here afe only five of the many projects which offer unusual promise: power-plus television's first double- • Development and design of radio re- been built since 1950, television's shielded tuner-bring in TV at its best. ceivers (including broadcast, short-wave reach has been extended in two ways. The result is stronger pictures in the and FM circuits, television, and phono- In sections of cities where interfer- graph combinations). country and in problem areas, and better • Advanced development and design of ence is a problem, fine pictures can pictures than ever before in areas of nor- AM and FM broadcast transmitters, R-F induction heating, mobile communications now be seen The same is true in rural, mal televisionreception. equipment, relay systems. or TV "fringe" areas, formerly too The new ReA Victor "Pictnre Power" Super • Design of component parts such as coils, loudspeakers, capacitors . distant for clear reception. Sets are examples of research and engineering • Development and design of new re- at work for your henefit. This pioneering means cording and producing methods. ReA engineers and scientists.to offset finer performance from all products and servo • Design of receiving, power, cathode these limitations, developed powerful ices of RCA and RCA Victor. ray, gas and photo tubes. Write today to College Relations Divi- new Super Sets. In distant fringe areas, • * sion, ReA Victor, Camden, New Jersey. See the latest in Tadio, television, and electronics in Also many opportunities for Mechanical these sets boost a weak or faltering signal action at RCA Exhibition Hall, 36 West 49th St., and Chemical Engineers and Physicists. into a clear, steady picture. While in N. Y. Admission is free. Radio Corporation of Amer- ica, RCA Building, Radio City, New York 20, N. Y • cities, where buildings and electrical • RADIO CORPORATION OF AMERICA World leader in radio- first in television 25 May, 1952 Plotting the radiation pat- ton. The new Hughes record- proper location of feeds. The tern of a microwave antenna er weighs just one hundred development of such im- is typically time consuming pounds, is more accurate, and proved laboratory tools is an and laborious. For some has higher writing speeds interesting by-product of a time, workers in this field than the earlier machines. large research activity, such have felt a need for a contin- Its recording range covers as that conducted by the uous non-manual means of 80 decibels in the audiofre- 3500 men and women of the performing this operation. quency spectrum. The writ- Hughes Research and Devel- The extensive microwave ing speed is approximately opment Laboratories. activities of its Research and 25 inches per second,with an Development Laboratories 8"xll" plot, and the abscissa The growing requirements have created at Hughes a of both the commercial and or angle scale is controlled military electronics pro- Hughes Research speCial interest in such au- by an electrical take-off sys- tomatic pattern-measuring tem. grams at Hughes are creat- and Development equipment. ing new positions within the Laboratories In the field of microwave Research and Development The first automatic ma- measurements, this machine Engineering Personnel chines that were at all accu- Laboratories. Graduate stu- assists in determining many dents and senior men are Department rate were of the fixedlocation things - such as the correct Culver City, Los Angeles type and weighed nearly a cordially invited to address shape of reflectors and the correspondence to : County, California 26 Spartan Engineer Plotters. O. A. Tyson (left) and Dr. L. C. Van A too worked together in developing this new machine at Hughes Research and Development Labo7'atories. 27 May, 1952 an important part in process development. A Chemical CHEMICAL ENGINEERS Engineer might easily be called a "Process Engineer." (Continued from Page 19) The distinguishing feature of chemical engineering education is the approach via the method of studying 6. Flow of Fluids certain fundamental or basic "Unit Operations" that are common to all industries whether they are petroleum a. Friction losses refining, food processing, by-product coke plant, or b. Valves and piping plastic material manufacture. The professional courses c. Centrifugal pumps in chemical engineering are based, not upon a study of a series of seemingly unrelated industrial processes, but 7. Instrumentation rather upon a relatively few fundamental techniques a. Flow meters and operations that form the basis of all industrial pro- b. Heat controllers cesses. For example, the same basic knowledge of the unit operation of filtration can be applied equally well 8. Crystallization to the separation of yeast cake, the purification of city a. Batch crystallizers water supplies, or the recovery of magnesium from ocean b. Continuous crystallizers water. 9. Flow of Heat Chemical engineering is one of the youngest branches a. Conduction of the engineering profession and it has undergone ex- b. Radiation tensive development and expansion in the past thirty c. Film effect years. Chemical engineering is presently in a very healthy state for development in growth at an even 10. Size Separation greater rate in the future. Chemical engineering is dis- a. Screens tinguished from the pure sciences by a philosophy, atti- b. Cyclone separators tude, and a viewpoint in obtaining and applying tech- c. Classifiers nical information to the development, design, and oper- ation of processes and process equipment. This philos- Representative unit operation such as those listed ophy is very important to the Chemical Engineer. The above are integrated into an orderly sequence to consti- Chemical Engineer is concerned with bringing the "idea" tute a particular process. In preparing to translate the of a process into a commercial reality. It is apparent laboratory process to the industrial scale, a Chemical that this is a particularly good training ground for Engineer must set up' and conduct critical experiments future executives of a company. Further, in a large that will define the outlines of a safe and economical organization or a small one, engineering work yields operating process and indicate the equipment needed for well in the sense of important accomplishment. It is manufacture. Because of his training in chemistry, en- work of this type that has made possible the material gineering, and economics, he is most often the logical advances in our civilization that provide better living man to coordinate the work of the many others who play and a fuller life for all. The staff of the Spartan Engineer hopes that all those who attended the "1952 Engineering Exposition" found their visit here both enjoyable and educational. Many members of the School of Engineering, both student and faculty, put many long hours of hard work into making this year's exposition a success. The only measure of their success or failure, however, is the public's opinion of the exposition. Any comments that you, the public, would like to make would be greatly appreciated. Please send your comments to: THE SPARTAN ENGINEER P. O. Box 468 EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN Thank you very much. The Editor 28 Spartan Engineer .Q.~~ .-.. .. ~ ,t~' ~,' Until Bell Laboratories scientists design an electric mouth that can pucker, the human model is here to stay. But we have built a machine that can imitate human vocal characteristics- from the slate-pencil squeal of a girls' cheering section to the basso rumble in a men's dining hall. Sound being a basic raw material of the Bell System, we have pioneered in the science of speech. Measuring the properties of your voice leads to better and cheaper ways to transmit it. Keeping the world's best telephone system growing for our country is a big and challenging job. There are opportunities for college men with the right qualifications not only with Bell's corps of research scientists, but also in engineering, operations, and administration, with the Bell Telephone Companies and Western Electric, the System's manufacturing and supply unit. Your campus placement officewill be glad to give you more information. BE lit TE L E P H 0 N E 5 Y 5 T EM 29 May, 1952 CLUB AND SOCIETY NEWS S. A. E. On the 14th day of January, an invitation was extend- ed by the Ford Motor Company for a group of engineers from MSC to go to Dearborn on the 17th. Even on such short notice a large section of the student chapter was able to make the tril,). At the plant, tours were conducted through such various sections as the body and structure laboratories, truck garages, dynamometer labs., and assembly. Lunch was served at the Dearborn Inn, followed by more tours. The group finished the trip at the showroom where the new 1952 models were on display. On January 28 a group of members made a trip to Saginaw for the mid-Michigan section meeting of the S. A. E. Saginaw Steering Gear Company held an open house in two of their plants, in which the group saw the manufacturing of all kinds of steering gears. In the evening a reception and dinner meeting was held. After some short business Mr. C. W. Lincoln, chief en- Initiates to Eta Kappa Nu. gineer of the company, spoke on the subject, "Power Steering for Passenger Cars." * * A. I. Ch. E. * The first regularly scheduled meeting of the winter A field trip was the highlight of the month for the term, on February 5, featured a talk by Mr. Frank Her- members of A. 1. Ch. E. in February. The trip was shey, chief of styling, for the Packard Motor Company. made via college bus to Kalamazoo. A tour through the He brought with him Mr. Richard Teauge who illus- new plant of the Upjohn Company took the largest part trated the talk with free hand sketches. Mr. Hershey of the morning. The tour was a guided one, but was showed how styling has developed since the days of the on the informal side as members stopped longest at the curved dash Oldsmobile to the present low silhouette points of greater interest and by-passed those of lesser type of body with adequate seating space and driver interest. The only disappointment encountered was that visibility. the research department was in a state of redevelop- ment and was, therefore, closed to the group. * * * After eating dinner as guests of the Upjohn Company, TAU BETA PI the group journeyed across town to the Kalamazoo Vegetable Parchment Company. Here the tour through The MSC chapter held its regular election of officers the plant enabled the group to witness the manufacture for the 1952-1953 school year on March 6, 1952. The following men were elected to the respective offices: of paper from the raw pulp stage right through to the President-Elvin E. Tuttle, Hanover, Mich., Junior, finished product, which in this case consisted of such M.E. items as, wax paper, manifold, shelfpaper, and various Vice President-Harry M. S chi e fer, Frankenmuth, package wrappers. The tour ended with a trip through Mich., Junior, Ch.E. the research laboratories. Corresponding Secretary-John Allwood, Grand Rap- After the success of this trip members are looking ids, Mich., Senior, M.E. forward to more in the future. Recording Secretary-John Len 0 sky, East Jordan, The last regular meeting of the A. 1. Ch. E. was held Mich., Junior, M.E. in March. The program consisted of the monthly busi- Cataloger-Floyd Backus, Lansing, Mich., Junior, C.E. ness meeting and an entertaining and educational fea- ture. Eng. Council Representative-Philip Wright, Youngs- town, N. Y., Junior, M.E. The feature was a movie which was entitled, "The Building of a Tire," courtesy of the Firestone Tire and Rubber Co. This movie depicted the manufacturing processes involved in the production of a rubber tire from the raw material to the finished product. The means of presentation was very effective as the film was in the form of an animated cartoon. * * * PI TAU SIGMA The members of Pi Tau Sigma plan to have their formal initiation in the third week of April. The initia- tion will start on April 22, and will be climaxed by the initiation banquet which is tentatively scheduled for May 3. The chapter has been active in constructive work which includes the building and installation of a bulletin board in the reading room of Olds Hall, and is at present engaged in the project of putting blackboards in Recent initiates to Tau Beta Pi. the same reading place. 30 Spartan Engineer The Ring Test The ring test, shown above, is a scientific founders as evidenced by the photograph below of method for determining the modulus of rupture cast iron pipe installed in 1664 to supply the town of pipe. It is not a required acceptance test but one and fountains of Versailles, France and still in of the additional tests made by cast iron pipe manu. service. Cast iron pipe is the standard material for facturers to ensure that the quality of the pipe water and gas mains and is widely used in sewage meets or exceeds standard specifications. works construction. Send for booklet, "Facts About Cast Iron Pipe." Address Dept. c., Cast Iron Pipe A ring, cut from random pipe, is subjected to Research Association, T. F. Wolfe, Engineer, progressively increased crushing load until failure 122 So. Michigan Ave., Chicago 3, Illinois. occurs. Standard 6-inch cast iron pipe, for example, withstands a crushing weight of more than 14,000 lbs. per foot. Such pipe meets severe service reo quirements with an ample margin of safety. Scientific progress in the laboratories of our members has resulted in higher attainable stand- ards of quality in the production processes. By metallurgical controls and tests of materials, cast iron pipe is produced today with precise knowl- edge of the physical characteristics of the iron before it is poured into the mold. Constant control of cupola operation is maintained by metal analy- sis. Rigid tests of the finished product, both ac- ceptance tests and routine tests, complete the quality control cycle. But with all the remarkable improvements in cast iron pipe production, we do Section of 285-year-old cast iron water main still not forget the achievements of the early pipe serving t~e town and fountains of Versailles, France. (lliSrl' Ill()N PIPJ~ SERVES rOB CENTUBIES 31 May, 1952 Another big step towards solving the problem of pro- TITANIUM ducing titanium was made early in 1950. The National Lead Company and the Allegheny Ludlum Steel Corpor- (Continued from Page 15) ation, two of the largest producers of titanium, linked their respective facilities into one integrated pattern by other active substance is sufficient to embrittle it to the creating a sales and development organization, Titanium point where it is useless. Metals Corporation of America. All oxide refractories are reduced by contact with the The extent of titanium's structural uses will probably molten metal which is then contaminated by both the oxygen and the metallic element. depend, to a considerable degree, on the properties of its alloys. While most of these are still in the testing Work carried out at Battelle Memorial Institute has stage, it is still possible to foresee a goodly number of resulted in an arc-melting furnace ruitable for handling probable applications. titanium and its alloys. This furnace incorporates the following features: The aircraft industry will possibly be the largest single user, largely because of the metal's high strength-weight (I) A water-cooled copper crucible ratio. It should prove ideal for propellers, landing gear, (2) A water-cooled tungsten electrode and many parts in jet engines. (3) A fairly tight melting chamber and alloy Its excellent resistance to salt water corrosion gives addition apparatus whereby outgassing operations it a future in marine installations. It should be ideal can be carried out for salt water piping systems, pumps and rotors, high- (4) A protective atmosphere consisting of 99.92 speed propellers, and water-lubricated bearings and per cent argon which effectively prevents contam- shafts. It may eventually be used for entire ship hulls ination of the melt if the price can be reduced enough. (5) A device for continuous or semicontinuous Titanium could find a high tonnage use in transporta- addition of the melting charge for the production of tion. The advantages of light weight, strength, and small ingots. corrosion resistance could be profitably combined. W. Lee Williams, U. S. Naval Engineering Experi- This furnace is also suitable for the production of large mental Station, emphasized the following facts: ingots, and it is believed that a method of producing continuous ingots could be developed with relatively "In competition with stainless steel, light weight little additional work. can be an outstanding advantage; in competition with the light metals, corrosion resistance stands The J. B. Sutton's Pigments Department and E. 1. out; against structural steels, corrosion resistance, duPont de Nemours Company have developed a method lightness, and possibly ease of surface hardening for induction melting of titanium metal in graphite. They have facilities constructed that are capable of may be controlling factors. Thus titanium appears melting and casting one-hundred pound ingots. to be most important because it possesses some of nearly all desirable properties, thus making these The Metallurgical Division of the U. S. Bureau of properties available in a non-critical material." Mines deserve a great deal of credit for the work they have carried out in developing methods for producing Thanks to around the clock work in the development and fabricating titanium. Most of the titanium reduction of titanium and its alloys, the world may soon have all today is based on the chemical method developed by of this useful metal it wants and which it so badly needs. W. J. Kroll of the Bureau of Mines. Essentially the Kroll process for production of titanium consists of reducing titanic chloride by reaction with magnesium. This is done in a closed iron chamber with a protective atmosphere of helium. * * * It was Christmas Eve in East Lansing, and in the newspaper office the stern-faced State News editor had called a reporter before him and assigned him to cover Lansing's slums for human interest stories. "Find out," he instructed the reporter, "what those poor devils down there are getting to eat. Then get over to the tenement district and see what the really poor are having for their Christmas dinner, if anything. Then go over to the Municipal Lodging Houses and talk to the unfortunates standing in line for their annual handout. And, oh yes, on your way back-bring me a hot dog." * * * Both of the blacksmiths stuttered. One had finished heating a piece of pig iron and placed it on the anvil for the other to hammer. "Hi-h-h-h-hit it," he stuttered to his helper. "W-wh-wh-wh-where?" asked the other. "Aw g-g-g-gosh, n-n-n-n-now we'll ha-have to heat Inspecting a 300 pound Titanium sponge. it again." 32 Sp~n~11 Engineer WIRE ROPE This is the most economical rope we've ever made for construction equipment ROEBLING is the best known name in wire rope. ment. This rope has extra resistance to crushing That's partly because we were the first wire rope and abrasion ... stands up under rough going. It maker in America. But more than that, we've saves time and cuts costs. always led in developing better wire and better There's a Roebling wire rope of the right speci- fication for top service on any job. And Roebling rope for every purpose. Today's Roebling Preformed "Blue Center" Steel Field Men are always showing users new econo- Wire Rope is the best choice for efficiency and mies through proper operation and maintenance. long life on excavating and construction equip- John A. Roebling's Sons Co., Trenton 2, N. J. ATLANTA. '34 AVON AVE • BOSTON. S1 .'-EE~I:" • ., • CHICAOO, 5525 W. ROOSEVELT ~D • CINCINNATI, 8a5. f"fIIIEDOHIA AVE. CLEVELAND, 701 aT. CLA'" AVE',H. C• • DENVER, <4eo, .J",CKeaN ST • DETRO.T. "5 "'SHE" SL.OCl • HoueTON. 6:1'6 NAVIGATION BLVD. La. ANGELES. ~3.D E. HARBDR 8T • NEW VolllC. " "IOCTDR aT. DOC•• "', TEXAS, •• 20 E. 2ND aT • "HILADELPHI", 230 VINE 8T • BAN ,.RANCIBCO. 1740 17TH BT • SEATTLE. 'DO 'liT AVE II •• TU~~A. 1120 H. __ CHEYENNE BT • E~ .. a"T ...... E. 4a Drr'Ce, T.CNTDN 2. N• .j. 33 May, 1952 ment of a larger amount of research should also reflect CIVIL ENGINEERING on the quality teaching. (Continued from Page 12) SCHOLASTIC STANDING Michigan State Engineers need to place higher em- it in nine weeks surveying camp. A camp has the phasis on scholastic standing. My rather limited contact further advantage of placing the men in operating con- here indicates that the students are not lacking in mental ditions. It will give them an esprit de corps such as is ability, but that the necessary incentive, drive, and in- now enjoyed by the men in the Forestry Department. spiration have not been instilled into them to the point Friendships built while roughing it at camp go deep v. here they are willing to make the effort required for and last a lifetime. It is further believed that a camp such attainment. Too few students realize what an will attract many persons desiring to take up only important investment high grades can be. Few under- surveying. Engineers completing this course will have a stand fully that study and work habits performed during real mastery of the subject and have a worthwhile the four college years may largely control the future advantage over the present engineers in an increased success or failure of their career when they are thrust earning power for the two remaining summer work into competition with men from other schools. periods. MORAL AND SPIRITUAL VALUES The moral fiber of many engineers and the men in the IMPROVEMENT OF STAFF construction field is in serious need of strengthening. Although we have a very excellent teaching staff at Kick backs and corrupt practices have become common present, it is felt that there is always room for improve- practice and too frequently the young engineer becomes, ment. To make this improvement possible, each staff directly or indirectly, a tool in the hands of scheming member will be encouraged to select and concentrate politicians who have become engrossed in the game of in one or two limited fields, thus becoming more pro- pillaging the public's purse. Only when men are forti- ficient in his field. In this way he may undertake more fied with real understanding of moral and spiritual creative thinking and research. The areas to be selected principles are they able to effectively meet a crisis such are the six fields of preference described previously. as that presently encountered by their profession. It is Consideration is also being given by our civil engineer- a major part of our task to see that each engineering ing staff to self-improvement of teaching methods and graduate leaving Michigan State College will have ade- techniques. This may include inter-visitation as well as quately prepared himself to meet temptations and diffi- criticism of classes in progress by the staff members culties which lay ahead of him. May it ever be said themselves. It may also include special seminars, in- that when a great crisis arose men from Michigan State struction or possibly practice teaching. Student evalua- were already at hand ready to step forward and give tion of teachers might well be rejuvenated. Encourage- sound leadership. plan now to join PBATT & WHITNEY AIBCBAFT ~R over a quarter of a century the Pratt & Whitney Creativ~ engineering will continue to be given top Aircraft Division of United Aircraft Corporation emphasIS at Pratt & Whitney-and it might well be has depended upon creative engine~ring to bring its the best answer to your future too-if you want a products to the forefront. chance to put your own ideas to work. How well this idea has worked is amply demon- Why not find out where you could fit into this great strated by the outstanding leadership record which engineering organization? Consult your Placement Pratt & Whitney has established in both piston and Counselor or write to Frank w. Powers, Engineering turbine aircraft engine types. Department at And for the future, because of its sound engineering background and research facilities, Pratt & Whitney is one of the few companies in the country to be selected to develop an atomic powered engine for aircraft. 34 The Torrington Needle Bearing needs little space-saves time in assembly The Torrington Needle Bearing is a completely self-contained unit consisting of a full complement of AIRCRAFT GEAR CLUTCH ASSEMBLY REDUCTION DRIVE small diameter rollers and a single retaining shell. This unit design and Typical installations 0/ Torrington Needle Bearings are c~,aracterized by simpIicit~ c:/ construction greatly simplify han- design. Needle Bearings are made for shafts as small as 5/32 up to those as large as 7 V•• dling and speed assembly, and help reduce the size and weight of re- bearing is then pressed into this PRESS lated parts. RAM housing. An arbor press is normally used for this operation. No spacers High Load Capacity PRESS AGAINST STAMPED END or retainers are needed to keep the in Small Space OF BEARING bearing in place. An accurately Because the many rollers distribute made shaft is required, of course, as loads over a large contact surface, a it serves as the inner race in most Needle Bearing has a very high load cases and must be hardened and capacity in relation to its size. In ground to correct size. For applica- fact, the Torrington Needle Bearing tions where an unhardened shaft is has a higher rated radial load capac- desired or necessary, inner races can ity than any other type of anti-fric- be furnished for all Needle Bearings. The use 0/ proper tools for installing Needle Bearings speeds up assembly. The arbor press tion bearing of comparable outside These advantages make Torring- tools above are ideal. diameter. This not only permits the ton Needle Bearings ideal for appli- Other features of Torrington use of a smaller, lighter bearing for cations where space or weight is at Needle Bearings will be covered in a given load, but also allows reduc- a premium, or where mass produc- other advertisements in this series. tions in the size and weight of hous- tion methods necessitate the use of For additional information regard- ings and other related components. a bearing that is as easy as possible ing Needle Bearings, please con- The Needle Bearing's large inside to handle and install. tact our engineering department. diameter permits larger shafts to be used in cramped quarters, an im- THE TORRINGTON COMPANY portant factor in many designs. Torrington, Conn .• South Bend 21, Ind. District Offices and Distributors in Principal Cities of United States and Canada Installation Simplified The installation of Torrington Needle Bearings is fast and easy. TORRlMGTO( NEEDLE 'EARIMGS The housing bore is simply ma- NEEDLE. SPHERICAL ROLLER. TAPERED ROLLER. STRAIGHT ROLLER. BALL. NEEDLE ROLLERS chined to proper diameter. The 35 May. 1952 THE SONIC BARRIER "If an aircraft could be designed so that all of its surfaces reached the speed of sound at the same time, (Continued from Page 7) the transonic range (sonic barrier) would be no more dangerous than the subsonic range." The greatest present difficulty in designing Super- sonic aircraft is the requirement that the aircraft have good flight characteristics in all three speed zones, the subsonic, sonic, and supersonic. The National Ad- visory Committee on Aeronautics has performed experi- ments on many wing types: swept back wings, swept forward wings, thin wings, etc. None have been found that are efficient in all three speed zones. The standard practice used at present to reduce sonic barrier hazards for an operational aircraft is to refine the plane's lines. This assures that there will be a minimum of local areas to cause shock wave formation at speeds near 600 miles per hour. An interesting property of shock waves is their ability to reflect light. This permits photos to be taken of the actual shock wave. On film the wave appears as a light or dark streak or area. Needless to say, this has been of immeasurable aid to the scientists and engineers attempting to overcome the sonic barrier. Fig. 3 Shock wave formation is a sudden process not a gradual one, but for the alert, experienced pilot there It must also be kept in mind that there are other are a couple of indications that shock waves may be curved areas, called local areas, on the craft, which about to form on his plane. A slight, but noticeable, will cause shock wave formation in exactly the same vibration and buffeting of his plane will occur, or the manner as described above. Anyone of these shock plane may become slightly nose heavy. But whatever waves, whether due to the wing or to a local area, the warning, it is time to slow down a little. The plane can easily destroy the aircraft. To emphasize the danger which can withstand the sonic barrier is no longer a from this type of shock wave it has been stated that, dream, but it is still an experiment. ... latest data on how to select anti-friction bearings Explains bearing types, designs, tolerances, load dis- tribution, dynamic capacity, loads, selection, installation tiI~~II 1tdJi@.g and maintenance, and applications. Includes dimension tables, conversion values, symbols and abbreviations. 1 An. extra foug.h, tinned st.el tape line Van' wide, designed Regular price of this 270-page book is $1.75. 1il'J~[J""s .speclally for mine work. Clear, sharp graduations and figures d•• ply stomped into nickel ,ilver sl•• ves-securely soldered reduced the price to students to $1.25 in lots of ]0 or t~ st.~1 ~in•. Strong metal r•• I, nickel plated. long more-$1.00 in lots of 20. ~ folding Winding handle, ample size hardwood carrying handle. R.. ls of topes up to and including 158 feet are 4-arm For copies of "Ball and Roller Bearing Engineering," pattern; over .150 f•• t: 5-arl!' as illustrated. leather thongs send your remittance to 5 K F INDUSTRIES, INC., Front supplied. Available .n all desired markings. ___ St. and Erie Avenue. Phila. 32, Pa. "" BUY lUFKIN TAPES. RULES - PRECISION TOOLS FROM YOUR HARDWARE OR TOOL STORE THE LUFKIN RULE CO., SAGINAW, MICHIGAN 132-138 Lofoyette St., New York City. Borrie,Ontorio 174 ~. " ..•.... . 36 Spartan Engineer 5. The flash trim- med off after the swadging opera- tion. 0 6. The finished type ready for hardening, plat- ing and soldering to the type bar. I The production of Crucible steel for this job is the result of engineering and practical know-how combined with a special method of manufacture to assure a homogeneous microstructure for maximum forming properties, excel- lent surface characteristics for good die life, and close accuracy control for all dimensions of the shape. The production of type steel requires the use of small precision rolling mills equipped with shaped rolls and operated by skilled workmen. During preliminary and final inspection, shadow graph equipment is constantly used to check for size accuracy. As a result of its outstanding quality, Crucible's special shape type steel is constantly in demand and used by leading typewriter manufacturers. Shadow~raph Operation: Crucible special purpose steel Since micrometer measurements are im- practical due to the shape,the shadowgraph for type character application is used to measure shape and size ... mini- The development of cold rolled special shape type steel is one mum and maximum tolerances. The shad- of Crucible's important contributions to the business machine owgraph is a projection, greatly magnified industry. A major part of the type characters used for the manu- ... on a calibrated screen ... of the sample. facture of typewriters are made from this special shape. Schemotic Here's the step-by-step process: 0' shadawgraph 1. Coldrolled spe- 2. The type slug ~ cial shape pro- cut from the speci- ducedbyCrucible. 01 shape material.: . 3. The wings of the type slug are bent down and taper formed to- () ... 4. The type char- acters are cold swadged on the solid edge of the (J) If you have a requirement for special steels-check with Crucible. Feel free to draw on the experience of our metallurgists and engineers. Crucible Steel Company of America, General Sales and Operating Offices, Oliver ward the edges. hent type slug. Building, Pittsburgh, Po. CRUCIBLE first name in special purpose steels 52 J'BM4 of-I~ ~ Midland Works, Midland, Pa•• Spaulding Works, Harrison, N. J.• Park Works, Pittsburgh, Pa•• Spring Works, Pittsburgh. PD. National Drawn Works, East Liverpool, Ohio Sanderson-Halcomb Works, Syracuse, N. Y. Trent Tube Company. East Troy, Wisconsin May. 1952 37 NUCLEAR POWER METALLURGICAL ENGINEERING (Continued from Page 11) (Continued from Page 13) and metallurgical engineer must usually provide the materials, for these dreams require properties that can be found only in metallic materials. We know that new machines and new materials are being developed today and that when they are perfected will require unique combinations of properties for metals and alloys. This is where the metallurgist and the metallurgical engineer pick up a physicist's discovery and put it to human use. Metallurgy is one of the branches of science, engineer- ing, and technology. It is a very important branch because our modern civilization cannot exist without metals and alloys; without metallurgy there would be no railroads, automobiles, skyscrapers, or airplanes. Op- portunities are unlimited in the field of metallurgy, and the future will reveal developments in the metallurgy of high-temperature alloys for jet motors, and in new (Fig. 3) alloys for diesel engines, television, and atomic plants to mention only a few. More than seventy of the ninety-six natural elements are metals, but only about The preceding notes give some promise of useful one-half of them are in commercial use today. The applications of nuclear power in the not too distant metallurgical engineer has extraordinary opportunities future. What is needed most are men willing to work for research, development, and application of entirely and work hard toward a solution of some of the problems new alloys, or for the more economic design and use of a just outlined. The field is new, and the possibility of known alloy. The metallurgical industries are among development of new ideas is exceedingly great. The the basic industries of civilization. field is almost entirely one of non-standard engineering practices, and both money and fame await those pioneers No other class of substances has such a broad range willing to develop it into a workable source of energy of useful properties as metals. The frontiers of metal- for a power-hungry world. lurgy offer a real challenge to America's youth. DAIL STEEL PRODUCTS CO. Incorporated 1913 Manufacturers of Metal Stampings and Assembly Work LANSING I, MICHIGAN 38 Spartan Engineer AT JOINT Technical Meetings of Standard Oil Company and its subsidiaries, many oppor- tunities are presented for an easy exchange of ideas. From formal meetings, where tech- nical papers are read, to small discussion groups and conver- sations between individuals, a healthy and stimulating air prevails throughout the five- day meeting. How Exchanging Ideas Advances Petroleum Progress WHEN MORE than 150 scientists meet for five In addition to the research men, the manufac- days and exchange views on their work during turing, production, sales, chemical products, and the past year, the American consumer is likely to patent departments of the companies were repre- benefit, through improvement of products for his sented. This helped give a broad view of company use. Conversation between scientists can often problems. accomplish a more complete and satisfactory co- The Standard Oil Joint Technical Meetings ordination than mere exchange of written reports. are outstanding in their field. The company has From May 5 through May 9 this year, the been a pioneer in bringing together scientists and engineers from all the branches of its activities. Standard Oil Company (Indiana) and affiliated companies held their tenth annual Joint Tech- This is another example of leadership in engi- nical Meeting at French Lick, Indiana. The key neering and research, and well illustrates the progressive atmosphere men with technical train- scientists and engineers from the parent company ing may find in a career at Standard Oil. and all its subsidiaries attended. More than eighty technical papers were presented. Standard Oil Company 910 Sou'" Michi\Jan Avenue, Chicago 80, IlIinoi$ 39 May, 1952 NEW DEVELOPMENTS (Continued from Page 18) atmospheric conditions and removal of undesirable fumes in the labs. In one section of the API, two researchers, below, check the purity of a hydrocarbon by measuring its freezing point. By use of the platinum resistance ther- mometer and an extremely accurate resistance bridge, they will be able to obtain an accuracy within 0.002° C in freezing point comparisons. When this automobile clock was designed, its manufacturer had in mind the proba- bility of varied instrument panel locations with the resultant need of an adaptable coupling to the control knob. He chose an 5.S.White flexible shaft to do the job. As the illustration shows, this simple hook-up permits both the clock and the control knob to be located in its most advanta- geous position. '" * * .. Many of the problems you'll face in indus- try will involve the application of power drives and remote control with the em- phasis on low cost. Thafs why it will pay you to become familiar with S.s.White flexible shafts, because these "Metal Determining the purity of a hydrocarbon Musc1e~'@ represent the low-cost way to by measuring its freezing point. transmit power and remote control. SEND FOR THIS FREE For additional information write to: FLEXIBLE SHAFT BOOKLET ••• Bulletin 5008 contains GENERAL NEWS BUREAU basic flexible shaft data GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY and facts and shows how to select and apply flexible SCHENECTADY 5, N. Y. shafts. Write for a copy. THEczI!J'~ INDUSTRIAL DENTAL MFG. CO. -e-Dept.c. DIYISION IOEalt4OthSt._ TECHNICAL PRESS SERVICE WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC CORP. 306 FOURTH AVE. , , NEW YORK 16, N. Y. PITTSBURGH 30, P A. -40 Spart~n EnSil'leer • • . J " You are giving away your standard of living ANATICS in Germany, India, even somein America, There can only be so much of those things. When F say we should scatter our billions over the world you ship them away; you do without. You seldom in order to use up our surplus; otherwise (they say) ship money abroad; money is only a token of it will dam up on us and cause a depression. exchange for the things that are going out of this country, out of your reach. It is entirely possible that we should give away those billions for humanitarian reasons-that is Perhaps that's good, perhaps that's wise. But we another matter. But don't let's let greedy foreigners should realize what we're doing. Whatever we give and stupid Americans say we're doing it for our own away abroad comes out of what we have at home. selfish interests. And don't let anyone of us think Unless, of course, each of us produces that much we are doing it by"soaking the rich". We are giving more at his machine or plow or desk every day. away (and, remember, perhaps we should, so long If every one of us produces more efficiently we as we do it with eyes open) our standard of living. can have the satisfaction of knowing we are doing You and I work, not for dollars but for what those something for the world without destroying Amer- dollars will buy. The more things there are in ica ••• the one strong hope of the world. If we America, the more your day's work and mine will "share the wealth" with the world, we will soon buy. The more steel there is in America, the more be sharing nothing but poverty. If we share our automobiles you can get at a low price. The more increased production and demand increased pro- cloth, the more suits you can own. The more food duction in return, there will then be wealth anJ there is, the better you and your family will eat. strength to share. IOU eAl .. AeHIIII IT ,nTlI; 'ASTII, '01 un WITH W.. I .. & SWASEY TUlIiT LlTHIS. AUTOMATICS liD lAPPII. MACHIIIES 41 May, 1952 Reserve Your Future Copies of THE SPARTAN ENGINEER 1---------- --------------- -I SPARTAN ENGINEER I P.MICHIGAN O. BOX 468 STATE COLLEGE SUBSCRIPTION RATES: 1 I EAST LANSING, MICHIGAN $1.00 per year (4 issues) 1 I Enclosed find $ .uu _ UU __ • _. u u for u. _ u _u _. u. _ u. ___ subscriptions to the II I SPARTAN ENGINEER MAGAZINE. Send the copies to: I Mr. _ Mr., _ I I I I 1 ,------------ -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- _I ENGINEERING G'RADUATES CONSIDER YOUR FUTURE IN AIR CONDITIONING WITH THRne Trane, a leading manufacturer of air conditioning, heating, ventilating and heat transfer equ~pment,. is seeking qualified engineering graduates for mterestmg careers with its sales and home office staff. Those selected will join the Trane Graduate Training Program at La Crosse for an intensive training course that will prepare them for responsible position~ in La Crosse or in one of the company's 80 sales offtces. The training period is financed by the company to make for low-cost, medium sized the trainee self-supporting. ••• Men who have completed the Trane Graduate Train- Screw Machine Work ing Program have established an interesting pattern of Modern in design, massive in eonstruction, assures success with the comDany. Included in this number are continuous, accurate production of medium size parts the president and numerous other company officers, for cameras, automobiles, business machines, time managers of a majority of the sales offices and home office sales divisions. fuses, etc. Wide range of speeds and high-to.lowspeed ratios, (168 two-speedcombinations from 17 to 1965 Trane has continued to grow steadily and at a rate R.P.M. in ratios from 2.2:1 to 13:1) make possible consistent with financial stability. Annual sales have higbest cutting efficiencyon a wide variety of materials increased fourfold in the last ten years. Yet, the com- and work diameters. pany continues to develo:!) new products for new fields to increase its potential business opportunties. Write for illustrated bulletin on the new No. 4 Based on past record and future possibilities, Trane Automatic. Brown & Sharpe Mfg. Co., Providence offers you outstanding opportunities in one of the fastest 1, R. I., U. S. A. growing industries. For more information write for the brochure "The Trane Graduate Training Program." It contains full details as well as a complete financial report of the company. BROWN & SHARPE JB'~ THE TRANE COMPANY LA CROSSE, WISCONSIN 42 Sp~rton Engineer . "Q _.u.l ....." This car replaced 615 (.)OUWJ ANOTHER ALCOA DEVELOPMENT STORY: the car was completed. It was then tested in In 1927, a chemical manufacturer asked us, 20,000 miles of road service, while hauling glacial "Why must some chemicals be handled in small acetic acid-a typically tricky cargo. It weathered drums or carboys ... can't tank cars be built 3,500 recorded shocks-900 severe ones. That of aluminum?" aluminum car is still in service! From our years of research, we knew that we Together with tank car builders, we have de- had alloys compatible with many chemicals-and veloped improved riveted and welded car designs, experience in fabrication methods dictated weld- which are now "standard." Today there are over ing. The Field was inviting, and we decided to 1,300 aluminum tank cars carrying the fussy com- design and pay for the first aluminum tank pounds that formerly traveled only in small car ourselves. containers. Our engineers designed an 8,000-gallon tank, to This is typical of the development jobs we do be welded together from 16 large aluminum plates. at Alcoa. Others are under way now and more are Working with a leading tank car builder, lessons waiting for mechanical, metallurgical, electrical, which we had learned in other Alcoa develop- chemical and industrial engineers having the ments enabled us to materially assist in the alloys imagineering skill to tackle them. Perhaps you selected, welding techniques and structural fabri- may be one of those men. ALUMINUM COMPANY OF AMERICA, 1825 Gulf Building, Pittsburgh 19, Pa. cation methods employed. One year later, in 1928, ALUMINUM COMPANY OF AMERICA 43 May, 1952 JETS-O-GRAM L Beginning Its The School of Engineering extends to members of JETS a hearty welcome. You will find both the stu- 37th Year A dents and the faculty ready to answer your questions or to direct you about the campus. There will be ex- hibits and activities to keep you busy. You can trade of SuccessFul project and activity ideas with other members. Seniors N Stamping (and juniors) may make progress on their college plans. We hope you will feel your time well spent. S Service I N G • JETS CLUBS The present shortage of engineers was foreseen sev- Serving eral years ago. The only source of future engineers is in the high schools. These two facts were brought to- Manufacturers of gether by Dean Lorin G. Miller of the School of En- gineering to form the organization known as JETS Clubs. AUTOMOBILES Now we are making progress in the JETS program. The eagerness and interest with which you, the mem- AGRICULTURAL bers of JETS, enter into its activities indicate the need EQmPMENT for such a program. Much emphasis has been placed upon the shortage of INDUSTRIAL engineers, but one must not lose sight of the values of EQUIPMENT JETS beyond increasing the number of engineers; it can also improve the quality. In many cases members DOMESTIC of JETS Clubs today will have a better idea of the en- EQUllPMENT LAWNMOWERS c gineering profession when they start their college career. They, too, will be better prepared by their choice of high school subjects. 1159 Pennsylvania Avenue o ENGINEERING FOR A STRONGER AMERICA The theme of the Fourth Annual Engineering Exposi- Lansing, Michigan • tion presents a goal toward which we all may strive . In its attainment we achieve satisfaction in our work and opportunity for our future. Spartan Engineer Training Course. As I mentioned, I was IIFind Yourself ll particularly interested in design work at that time. In fact, right now there is a patent applied for on an electro-magnetic relay device I designed. Yes, they even let me do development work while still a ••• without losing timel GTC student. A student helps plan his own courses and is free to change his plans as new by FLOYD O. SMELTZ, Supervisor, Standardization Section interests, new opportunities present them- WIlST ALLIS WORKS (Graduate Training Course 1950) Ohio State-EE-1949 selves. He can divide his time between shops and offices-switch to design, man- a specific job in most fascinating scienceis co- ufacturing, research, application engineer- S the engineering ELECTING field after ordinating engineering and ing, sales, or advertising-and can earn graduation from college is a production efforts through advanced degrees in engineering at the tough proposition for most of standardization of proce- same time. us. It was for me, and that's dures, parts and materials. As When he graduates from the course he whyI came t.oAllis-Chalmers. Supervisor of the Standardi- is encouraged to go into the type of work I thought I wanted to be a zation Section and Chairman he liked best while on the Graduate Train- development engineer but I of the Standards CommHtee, ing Course. wasn't sure. Allis-Chalmers I encounter new problems One of the reasons Allis-Chalmers offers Graduate Training Course everyday-no monotony here. so many opportunities is that A-C designs gave me an opportunity of FLOYD O. SMELTZ But that is only part of the and builds machines for every basic in- trying design and develop- story! I am also Secretary of dustry, such as: steam and hydraulic tur- ment - and other types of work also. the Chief Engineers' Committee and bine generators, transformers, pumps, By my own choosing I am now engaged Secretary of the Development and New motors, rotary kilns, crushers, grinders, in challenging work which I hadn't even Products Committee. What could be more coolers, screens, and other machinery stimulating for a young engineer than to for mining, ore processing, cement, and be at the crossroads, where he can watch rock processing. Then there are flour the engineering planning of an expanding milling, electronic equipment and many company? others. No Limit to Opportunities There is no other organization that seemsto me to offer the graduate engineer I never thought I'd be doing this when I such a wide range of activities, or that graduated from Ohio State in 1949 and gives him such a chance to find the type of enrolled in Allis-Chalmers Graduate work for which he is best fitted. ALLIS-CHALMERS • Allis-Chalmers Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee 1, Wisconsin Allis-Chalmers car shaker empties coal and ore cars in minutes. Saves time ••. prevents injuries by keeping men out of car interiors. considered while in school. The point is, all GTC's have the same chance of "finding themselves." That's the outstanding feature of Allis- Chalmers Graduate Training Course. You have a very broad selection, and you your- self choose the type of training you re- ceive.Of course you get help and guidance from experienced men throughout your training period. You need it, since there are jobs here that you have never dreamed of. Finds Job Challenging Take my job for instance. To the engi- neering student it probably sounds rather dull when compared with Advanced Ther- modynamics or Electric Transients in Weatherproof motors for condenser cooling water circulating pumps were mounted out. Power Systems. But, in my opinion, the doors to conserve valuable building space for a Texas utility. 45 May, 1952 (144 fields per second) differ from the line and field COLOR TV frequencies employed in current black and white re- (Continued from Page 14) ceivers, CBS programs could not be received on the sets now in use without a change in circuitry. and adaptability. A color system is said to be com- Now, what does the adoption of the CBS system mean patible with the present black and white system if the to you? Present sets coming off the production line are designed to operate at a horizontal line frequency of 15,750 cycles per second and a field frequency of 60 cycles per second. Since these values differ appreciably from those found in the CBS system, certain changes would have to be made in your set before you could view CBS color programs even in black and white. Your next question, of course, is: "How much would such a change cost?" The exact answer to this question cannot be given at this time because no such conversions have been made to date. The cost for conversion of your present set to receive CBS color telecasts may be as little as $25 retail. In order to receive color pro- grams in color a motor and a color wheel would also have to be added. If the picture tube on your set is less than 121h inches in diameter, you can purchase color broadcast could be received and viewed on a a color wheel for about $100. If your picture tube is black and white set without any circuit changes. Of larger, your set cannot be readily converted to receive course, the picture seen would be black and white, but CBS color program in color since the color wheel would it would contain all the detail of the color picture. The then become too large and unsightly. RCA system falls within this category. With the RCA system on the other hand, there would be no initial cost of converting your present sets to An adaptable color system is one whose programs receive color programs in black and white. In order could be viewed on black and white sets only after to receive RCA color television you will have to buy a certain changes were made in the existing sets. The new set which would include the tri-color picture tube. CBS system falls into this class. Because CBS' line frequently (29,160 lines per second) and field frequency (Continued on Page 48) BARNSTEAD DEMINERALIZERS When manufacturing processes le- quire only high-test mineral-free water, Barnstead Demineralizers are the best producers ••• 5c per 1000 gallons of demineralized water with a minimum of supervision and maintenance. Barn- stead Demineralizers increase produc- tion, reduce rejects and insure better products control. 8032 Spartan Engineer resear AT oow Research is the cornerstone of rapid growth in the chemical industry. The continuance of this growth at Dow is assured by expanded research facilities requiring the talents of many scientific people III widely varying fields of endeavor. At the home plant in Midland, Michigan, Dow is building another completely new laboratory to augment the current work in organic chemistry. Increased facilities for Dow's progressive work in spectro- graphic analysis is planned to keep pace with important advances in this field. In Dow's Freeport, Texas Division, even greater research expansion is taking place. Here a huge research center consisting of eight buildings is under construction. This center, which will include a modern technical library, will have a total floor space of 57,000 Dow', booIcl.t, .. Opportunities with The Dow Chemica' Company," especially square feet. written for those a bout to enter the chemical profession, is available free, upon request. Write to The Dow Chemical Company , Technical Employ. ment, Midland, Michigan. THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY Miellanel, Michigan "'7 May, 1952 MICA PAINT COLOR TV (Continued from Page 22) (Continued from Page 46) Outdoor Exposure Tests At present, a three judge Federal Court has issued a temporary order preventing CBS color telecasts, and Panels of the standard three-coat finish and the three- has under consideration an RCA petition for a perm- coat mica-base finish were prepared and exposed on anent injunction. A surplus of black and white sets in both Florida and California Coasts. At the end of eighteen months none of the mica-base panels had shown storehouses is causing the color manufacturers to be signs of corrosion. The standard panels showed edge hesitant about offering color TV to the public immedi- corrosion and rust creepage to the extent of about ately; sets that sold for $375 in 1947 are available for one-sixteenth inch in from the edge. Some chalking had $140 today. RCA color broadcast are limited to experi- taken place on both panels. This was particularly true mental telecast during hours when regular program for the panels exposed on the Florida Coast. It is schedules are not in operation, but they offer good interesting to note that the panels exposed on the reception to all viewers over Channel 4, New York. In- California Coast at San Francisco still have most of the troduction of color television generally, it is believed, original gloss. may be postponed because of the war emergency. Summary Now, you may be wondering whether to trade in your This three-coat, mica-base, paint system of the baking old set for a new one or wait for the advent of color type was developed specifically for pole-type distribu- television. When buying a television set today, it tion transformers. The goal was to develop a finish involves some risk of early obsolescence. Buying a set that would better withstand the widely diverse atmos- two or three years from now will probably involve the pheric conditions under which these transformers must same risk. Television is a rapidly evolving industry. operate. The results of laboratory and field tests show Fortunately, most of the anticipated changes would not that the Coastal Finish is superior to the finish pre- impair the usefulness of present sets; they would only viously used on distribution transformers; that, as a make you wish you had a newer set. For instance, result, the service life of the finish will be more than doubled. Many industrial-type paint systems have been you'll need another receiver or a converter to pick up tested but the mica-base system described shows super- ultra-high-frequency (UHF) stations-expected to be in iority over all examined to date. The tests reported are operation soon-as well as regular channels. The UHF only a short summary of the many tests that have been can accommodate 70 new TV channels, providing for made on this system. perhaps more than 2,000 UHF television stations. LINDELL Esta blished 1910 DROP FORGE COMPANY Incorporated 1923 Manufacturers of HIGH GRADE DROP FORGINGS 2830 SOUTH LOGAN LANSING 3, MICHIGAN TelEPHONE 4-5403 48 Spartan Engineer Solving a dynamics problem with the Boeing Computer; oscilloscope at right shows result. What's it like to be a Boeing engineer? you'll work with renowned engineers So plan no>l' to build your career at Boeing Boeing engineers enjoy many ad- after graduation. Salaries are good, and vantages - among them the finest on such vital projects as guided mis- they grow as you grow. Boeing has present research facilities in the industry. siles, the still-classified B-52, the and future openings for experienced and These include such advanced aids as record-shattering six-jet B-47, and junior engineers for aircraft the Boeing-designed, Boeing-built other outstanding developments. • Design • Research Electronic Analog Computer shown You can work in Seattle, in the • Development • Production in the picture above. Pacific Northwest, or in Wichita, also for servo-mechanism and electronics This is part of the stimulating Kansas. You will benefit from in- designers and analysts and for physicists background that helps Boeing men plant training programs, from merit and mathematicians with advanced degrees. maintain the leadership and prestige reviews that enhance advancement For further information, of an Engineering Division that's opportunities. You'll be part of a consult your Placement Office, or write: been growing steadily for 35 years. distinguished, long-range Engineer- ing Division. You'll be proud to say, JOHN C. SANDERS, Stall Engineer- Personnel If you measure up to Boeing stand- ''I'm a Boeing engineer!" Boeing Airplane Company, Seattle 14, Washington ards, you can share that prestige. And BOEING 49 May, 1952 * STAFF POSITIONS Open on The SPARTAN ENGINEER * Apply Third Floor, Union Building. Especially • For mony years K&E has pioneered in the manufacture FRESHMEN and development of finest quality surveying instruments. K&E surveying instruments are renowned all over the world for their superb performance under conditions of all kinds, for their magnificent workmanship and for special features and that come of progressive ingenuity. KEUFFEL & ESSER CO. SOPHOMORES QT. lie? NEW YORK • HOBOKEN, N. J. CMcaga • St. Louis • Detroit • San Francisco • Los Angeles • Montreal * DISTEL HEATING COMPANY Established 1922 ,-:-,--.":"--- -~ ..-.-.. ~ I I: Air Conditioning Power Plants Plumbing Refrigeration Industrial Piping 1120 Sheridan P. O. Box 298 Heating LANSING, MICHIGAN Automatic Sprinklers 50 Spartan Engineer -19m. Ushered into a new world, I had a bustling, brawling, bruising youth. I was a potential giant awakening in a world of giants. People were hurt when I first stirred in life; Then I grew and learned: Tben I matured and knew that Tbough I work with water and metal and chemicals and fire, I am more than these things. I am the people's work I I am the people's dream I I am the people! With maturity, I have grown, too, in social responsibility To the people, To Americal And even to those beyond our shores. My efforts are not in selfish interest; Rather, all my brain and brawn strives for the good of the many. I am the American way! Now, I have sworn that these things shall be: I shall deliver ever-better products to those who use my fruits I I shall offer equal opportunity to those who work at my side Whatever their race I Whatever their creed I Whatever their color! Whatever their national origin I I shall forever do my part to keep America great! I am America's life-blood! I am America's strength I I am the bulwark of the World's freedom! c:..... .... GENERAL CABLE CORPOB.ATlON 51 May, /952 / I SIDE TRACKED Fie upon thee, little man A tree is a solid thing that stands in one place for fifty With thy slide rule in thy hand; years and then suddenly jumps in front of a woman Seated at your work all day driver. While your roommates drink and play; Throwaway your cams and charts Now's the time to switch to arts. * * * Then there. was the fellow who had a hobby of collecting stones and putting them in his bathroom. He had rocks in his head. * * * * * * A woman surprised her husband in a bar, sampled "Do you have any physical defects?" the army doctor his drink, made a wry face and demanded, "How can said. you drink such horrible stuff?" "Yes, sir!" the draftee answered promptly. "No guts." "See!" exclaimed the husband with injured dignity. "And all the time you thought I was having fun." * * * I sure got a shock last night. I went to see my girl * * * friend, and her old man met me at the away asked my intentions." door and right While out of town, a stingy husband sent his wife, as a "I guess that was pretty embarrassing." token of his affection, a check for a million kisses. His "Yeah, but that's not the worst of it. My girl friend wife, a little annoyed that the gift wasn't a real check, called from upstairs and said, "That's not the one, Dad." sent back a postcard which read: "Dear Jim: Thanks for the birthday check. milkman cashed it for me this morning." The *'* * "Where did I come from, Mother?" inquired a six- year-old, just home from his first day at school. * * * "Has your boy friend's English improved any?" "This is it," thought his mother. She had been reading and rehearsing herself for this very moment. So she told him at length, with natural manner and tactful "Well, he still ends every sentence with a proposition." language the story of birth and life. Then, drawing a relieved breath, she smiled and said, "Does that answer your question, dear?" * * * Just as the bus was about to pull away from the curb, The little boy, looking a little perplexed, replied, "I guess so, Mom. I was just wondering. The boy who a feminine voice was heard pleading, "Just a minute, sits in front of me at school came from New Jersey." please. Wait till I get my clothes on." Every eye in the crowded bus swivelled expectantly. saw, however, was merely an attractive young lady What they * * * A business firm kept sending a bill to one of its struggling onto the bus with a large bundle of laundry. customers without receiving a payment. Finally, how- ever, they did receive the following letter: "Dear Sirs: Every month I put all my bills together, * * * An engineer making a week's stay in a small town pick five at random and pay those. If you reminders, you won't even get a place send any more in the shuffle bought some limburger cheese to eat in his room. next month." When he got ready to leave, he still had part of it left. Not wanting to pack it or leave it lying open in his room, he went to the window-sill, carefully removed a * * * "Pull over, Bud," commanded the traffic officer. "You plant from the pot, buried the cheese, and replaced the haven't any tail-light." plant. The motorist got out for a look, and his eyes almost A few days later he got a telegram from the hotel: popped out. "OK, we give up. Where in heck did you hide it?" "Well a tail-light missing isn't quite that bad," said the officer. "But," hoarsely whispered the motorist, "what's be- * * * come of my trailer?" Little boy watching milkman's horse: "Mister, I'll bet you don't get home with your wagon." * * * The prominent educator's ego slipped a few notches Milkman: "Why?" when he found out that his own child thought the Little boy: "Cause your horse just lost all his gasoline." degrees M.D., D.D., and LL.D. meant Mairzy Doats, Dozy Doats and Little Lambsy Divey. 52 Spartan Engineer WE ASKED GRADUATES TEN YEARS OUT OF COLLEGE: WHAT WOULD YOU SUGGEST TO MEN NOW PLANNING THEIR CAREERS? h 'n a series written by G-E This advertisement is an~t t:~ ~ears ago-long enough to employees who grad~ate ot too long to have forgotten have gained perspechv.e, buti~h the Company. These gradu- the details of their coming w. hich they returned un- ates were sent a questionnaire ;:"Iya sample of the sug- . d The quotes below repres.en hed copy of the full Slgne . f e mlll1eograp N Y gestions received. F~r a r~~ t 221C-6, Schenectady, •• list of comments, write to p• "The advice should go back to the sophomore level and it would be to take as many fundamental engineering courses as "Don't specialize too much. Get your fill of math, physics, possible instead of specializing in one field during junior and so-called liberal arts." and senior years. The specialization will come as a matter of course due to participation in a phase of engineering OCcupa- "Don't be afraid to change either training or vocation if you tion after graduation." find you don't like it." "Obtain working expcricncc in all the jobs you think you know "Get a line of work in which you are sincerely interested; it nothing about and avoid your primary intercst the first year should be a pleasure to get up and go to work in the morning." out of collcgc. Ignore gcographic location when selecting a job. Even Schcncctady is an enjoyable place to live when you've "It is a rare thing, one to be cherished as a golden opportunity, becn there long enough to know how to appreciate it. Respect to be able to move around on rotation, look over the best and admire your boss or changc bosscs." facilities and opportunities of a company and thereby be able to make a much more considered choice of where, finally, to "Too many of today's graduates are hypnotized by the glamor work. These things are all possible on the G.E Test Course." fields of rockets, jets, etc., whereas they are overlooking good opportunities in the old standard lines." "The most pleasant life seems to be in the sales end of the business. This is what I would tell the college men to strive for if "Come with G.E., takc advantage of opporrunity to find field he is fitted for sales work." of most intcrest and possible reward. Don't jump to any fore- gone conclusions, and don't hurry to find a 'permanent' job." "If you don't find your work interesting after five years or rewarded with responsibility and money after 10 years-quit." "This is for freshmen ..• Go to a school that will give you an excellent background in fundamentals of physics, math, "I have worked with hundreds of young fellows since I was mechanics, and materials. Spend at least 25 to 30% of your time in the study of humanities. Forget about machine shop on the Test program. Only a few of them knew exactly what and drawing courses and practical application. Get your prac. thcy wanted a year or even two years after graduation. One tical experience eventually from a company. In a few years advantage of working with a large company is that it gives you will be worth 10 times more to them and yourself than thcm an opportunity to observe a broad field of activities- the so-called practical student." everything from betatrons to garbage disposers-locomotives "Be thoroughly ground cd in engineering fundamentals. Ex- to guided missiles. The most important thing in selecting a job periment in your likes and dislikcs by trying several jobs. is choosing one that will keep the individuals happy, contented \York for a company that helps you do this." and satisfied." . "I think the General Electric Test Engineering Program is the "Get with the company that offers the best training program ideal employment for the graduate engineer, He should spend -the longer the better." the full time on Test with many assignments to obtain the background that will be of utmost value to him." "G-E Test is the best way to spend first 2 years after school- particularly if the graduate is undecided as to his field."