8/96 mechanical engineering features

August 1996

feature article

help wanted: engineers
With employment in traditional manufacturing industries flattening, it’s up to engineers to help invent new industries that will sustain the profession well into the future.

article abstracts

advances in heat-activated cooling systems
An open-cycle desiccant system dehumidifies and cools air directly, providing greater efficiency and less pollution.

cleaning up with sunshine
Solar photocatalytic technology can be an effective method of breaking up toxic chemicals and disinfecting both water and air.

solar hot water for the home
Technological advances and better industry standards have improved the performance and reliability of residential solar water heaters, making them cost-competitive and environmentally safe.

a radical way to burn
By manipulating chamber geometries as well as engine cycle pressures and timing, engineers are exploiting a long-obscure technology known as activated radical combustion.

next-generation CAD systems
As engineers redefine the product-development process, developers of computer-aided design programs are making sweeping changes in their own products to support emerging streamlined engineering processes.

a leaner, greener power turbine
Using dry low-emissions combustion technology and a modular design, a turbine manufacturer developed a cleaner, more efficient, and more reliable power system for compressor-drive applications.