ASME Journals Online via Waldo

I am proud to say that Waldo Library now provides access to all 21 of the ASME journals online via the ASME Digital Library. You can access this resource via the Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering Subject Guide on the Waldo Library site (http://www.wmich.edu/library/sg/428/112/) or via the following proxied link:

http://libproxy.library.wmich.edu/login?url=http://scitation.aip.org/journals/doc/ASMEDL-home/jrnls/

Note the links provided take you to the Journals part of the digital library. We do not subscribe to the conferences or the eBooks parts of the Digital Library.

Titles included as part of our subscription:

• Applied Mechanics Reviews
• Journal of Applied Mechanics
• Journal of Biomechanical Engineering
• Journal of Computational and Nonlinear Dynamics
• Journal of Computing and Information Science in Engineering
• Journal of Dynamic Systems, Measurement, and Control
• Journal of Electronic Packaging
• Journal of Energy Resources Technology
• Journal of Engineering for Gas Turbines and Power
• Journal of Engineering for Industry
• Journal of Engineering Materials and Technology
• Journal of Fluids Engineering
• Journal of Fuel Cell Science and Technology
• Journal of Heat Transfer
• Journal of Manufacturing Science and Engineering
• Journal of Mechanical Design
• Journal of Mechanisms and Robotics
• Journal of Medical Devices
• Journal of Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering
• Journal of Pressure Vessel Technology
• Journal of Solar Energy Engineering
• Journal of Tribology
• Journal of Turbomachinery
• Journal of Vibration and Acoustics

Thanks to Dr. Fajardo for reminding me to follow-up on this resource.

If you have any problems or issues with this resource, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Unmanned Solar Plane – BBC News Bite 8.24.08

BBC News reports (August 24, 2008) that an unmanned solar powered plane or UAV has completed a record-setting three days in flight. This test flight is important because it demonstrates that an unmanned solar plane can power up its batteries during the daytime hours and then fly all night long on the stored energy. This would enable the plane, called the Zephyr-6 (and manufactured by the UK firm QinetiQ) to be used to scout out enemy territory very consistently over a long period of time.

Important technologies mentioned in this article:

• Ultra lightweight carbon fiber frame
• Amorphous silicon solar arrays that can be glued to the wings of the plane
• Rechargable lithium-sulphur batteries
• Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)

AIAA Electronic Library is Back Up

The AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics) Electronic Library is down for major maintenance today and possibly tomorrow. Sorry for any inconvenience this may cause to your research. I’ll post a follow-up message as soon as I hear that it is up again.

AIAA Electronic Library is back up again as of this morning (Thursday July 24, 2008).

Global Engineering event at CEAS November 2, 2007

The College of Engineering will be holding a panel presentation on “Global Engineering: Vehicle Industry Engineering: R&D Updates” on Friday November 2, 2007 from 2:45-6pm in Room D-109 at the Parkview Campus.  I can’t give you much detail about this event, but apparently there will be representatives from several engineering companies there to discuss the latest research in vehicle development.

WMU Wins National Chainless Challenge

On July 30-31, a WMU team made up of CEAS professors and students won the 3rd National Chainless Challenge, sponsored by Parker Hannifin Corporation.  This competition pits engineering schools against each other in the challenge of designing a bicycle that does not use a chain to transfer a rider’s energy to the wheels.  You can read about the contest itself in a Design News article by Paul Sharke from last year.  In the first year, WMU came in fifth.  In 2006 (second year), WMU came in second.  This year, they are first!

You can read Professor Jerrie Fiala’s CEAS E-newsletter about the challenge here.  Way to go CEAS!!!!!!

Aeronautical Information Manual/Federal Aviation Regulations

We’ve just received the latest edition of the Federal Aviation Manual (2007) here at the Science Reference Desk. It will be shelved in the Science Reference Books area, call number TL 710 .F42x 2007

This latest edition includes:

• New second in command qualifications
• SAAAR instrument approaches
• New helicopter procedures
• Key FAA regional office phone numbers

Feature articles: Mechanical Engineering v128n10 October 2006

Feature articles: Mechanical Engineering v128n10 October 2006

http://www.memagazine.org/

Fantastic Voyages (nanodevices in medicine). By Paolo Decuzzi and Mauro Ferrari. p.24-27.

Hip New World (hip replacement technologies and materials). By Alan S. Brown. p.28-32.

Translation Time (difficulties in translating computer-aided design files into analysis software files). By Jean Thilmany. p.34-36.

Clear as Glass. (history of the lathe in grinding lenses). By Robert O. Woods. p.38-41.

Different Strokes (new speed records in human-powered bikes). By Michael Abrams. p.42-44.

Braille Writer Designed By Undergraduates

The creativity of engineering undergraduates continues to amaze me!!!  Four undergraduate students at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) have developed a handheld Braille writer that they hope will be a less expensive (think $10) and more portable option for Braille writing than traditional typewriter or computer-type Braille writers.

Read the JHU Press Release here.

There is also a great article by Lynne Shallcross in the latest ASEE Prism Magazine (October 2006) about this.  The article is entitled “The Write Solution” and is on page 53.