Design News for Mechanical and Design Engineers

Life and LIMs

Linear induction motors redefine the way coasters roll

By Bruce Wiebusch, Regional Editor

LIMs have long been used in applications requiring high forces and long strokes, such as conveyor systems, people movers, and missile launchers. But engineers at Premier Rides were the first in the amusement ride industry to apply the technology in a roller coaster. The reason for using LIMs in place of the traditional induction motors and chain drives is two-fold. They have high speeds (up to 2,000 inches/sec) and the ability to generate the kind of high thrust required to catapult a train of cars straight out along a horizontal track. On the Mr. Freeze ride, the 8.5-ton train reaches 70 mph in only 200 ft of track.

Permanent magnet motors are capable of achieving similar performance. But the need to locate magnets along the entire length of the run would have made for a more costly solution. A side benefit of LIMs is the fact that the only attractive force occurs between the reaction plate and the coil, eliminating the problem with particles and contamination normally associated with induction motors.

Happy campers

Elkhart, IN-By using ABS resin capped with a weatherable polymer from Bayer for the champagne-colored wraparound components of the body, engineers achieved this curved, futuristic body design at 45% less weight than more traditional fiberglass. The ABS substrate provides strength, toughness, and rigidity, while the resin offers high gloss and excellent UV and impact resistance. "Plus, we could produce parts more quickly with ABS," says Eric Johanson, senior designer at Coachman Industries, maker of the Futura 2000.

Spaceballs

Softball-sized robot monitors sensors on board spacecraft

By Jean Young Gonzalez, Western Regional Editor

Moffett Field, CA-Scientists at NASA's Ames Research Center have developed an autonomous robot to support future space missions. About the size of a softball, the Personal Satellite Assistant (PSA) is equipped with sensors to monitor environmental conditions in a spacecraft such as the amount of oxygen, carbon dioxide and other gases in the air, the extent of bacteria growth, air temperature and air pressure. The robot will also have a camera for video conferencing, navigation sensors, wireless network connections, and even its own propulsion components enabling it to operate autonomously throughout the spacecraft.

"We're developing an intelligent robot that can serve as another set of eyes, ears, and nose for the crew and ground support personnel," explains NASA Ames researcher Yuri Gawdiak, principal investigator for the project. "Our research objective is to test intelligent autonomous systems that use advanced sensors and monitoring technologies for supporting current and future spacecraft operations."

The little round robot's compact design will enable it to operate in the cramped confines of the Space Shuttle's flight deck and space station modules, while keeping out of the astronauts' way. Since it will operate autonomously, the astronauts' hands will be free for other tasks.

The Personal Satellite Assistant represents the next generation of advanced information Technologies that follows the Wireless Network Experiment (WNE) developed at NASA Ames in 1995 for the International Space Station. As the astronauts aboard Atlantis discovered during the STS-76 mission, wireless computer networks work well in a space environment and the wireless computers' radio signals did not interfere with either the Space Shuttle's or the Russian space station Mir's other electronic equipment.

Based on the success of the WNE experiment, the crew recommended handheld wireless portable data assistants that could support their mission operations onboard the International Space Station. The Ames research scientists took their recommendation several steps further by designing the handheld data assistants into autonomous intelligent robots.

This design approach has several key advantages. Besides data assistant capabilities to the onboard crew, payload scientists and mission controllers on the ground, PSAs could remotely monitor their payloads and conduct collaborative environmental trouble-shooting. Three PSAs would use formation flying techniques to zero in on the location of an environmental problem, such as a pressure leak, temperature spike, or off-gassing. The tiny robots could also run environmental sensor calibration checks, as well as inventory monitoring. The long term goal of the Personal Satellite Assistant is to support remote diagnostic operations and to substitute for damaged or nonfunctioning sensors on future spacecraft.

Cook at the speed of light

Louisville, KY-It browns. It bakes. It broils. It grills...all with light. The Advantium^TM oven from GE Appliances has arrived in time for Christmas (see Design News, April 5, 99, pg. 62). But it doesn't cook as slow as a traditional Christmas turkey. In fact, this oven cooks food four times faster than a conventional one, say GE representatives. Three specially designed halogen bulbs cook the top and bottom of the food simultaneously. To compensate for power supply fluctuations that typically occur in a home, engineers designed a unique voltage regulator that automatically adjusts the time up or down to ensure accurate cooking performance.

GE is so confident in the Advantium's reliability that the oven includes a 10-year parts and labor warranty on the halogen bulbs. The appliance, at 240V and 30A, requires no preheating. It cooks boneless chicken breasts in eight minutes, grills shrimp in less than two, and bakes crescent rolls in under five. Because it cooks great meals so fast and requires no preheating, Advantium uses 25% less energy than GE's best selling range, the GE JBP30. With a touch of button, the Advantium will also operate as a microwave oven. For now, these appliances are available as over-the-range units. A wall version will be available in 2000.

Robots on the rise

The robot industry just keeps humming along, as evidenced by the 80% jump in units sold in the first six months of 1999 as compared to 1998. Through June, industry ordered 9,407 robots valued at $714.6 million. "It's the best opening we've ever had," says Donald A. Vincent, executive vice president for the Robotics Industries Association (RIA, Ann Arbor, MI), a trade group for the industry. Three of the largest application areas for robots are spot welding, materials handling, and arc welding, accounting for 86% of the new 1999 orders. "And we expect to easily surpass the industry record set in 1997, when a total of 12,149 robots valued at $1.1 billion were ordered," says Vincent.

Repair 3D models over the web

Boulder, CO-Interoperability between CAD files continues to be an expensive problem for companies. Spatial Technologies hopes to eliminate much of the time and cost involved through 3Dmodelserver.com--a web site where 3D CAD models can be imported and exported, healed and improved on-line, minimizing the task of manually fixing errors found in translated files.

Bruce Morgan, CEO of Spatial, says, "This is the first true application service provider on the Internet for the engineer. We aren't selling a package, we are selling a service."

A transaction-based application allows users to translate and repair IGES and SAT files. The service automatically analyzes and then corrects inaccuracies in a model's geometry by leveraging Spatial's ACIS 3D toolkit with its translation and healing technologies.

Users pay on a megabyte basis. For example, at $20 per megabyte, a user will pay $100 for a 5-MB file. However, one pays only if the system works. So if just 80% of the model is fixed, a user pays 80% of the total cost. No extra hardware or software is required and the service is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

For now, the system is limited to a 5-MB file size and the focus is on part solutions. Eventually, the service will handle assemblies. By year's end, 3Dmodelserver.com will support STEP models as well as proprietary formats of the most popular non-ACIS applications such as Pro/ENGINEER from Parametric Technology Corp. (Waltham, MA) and CATIA from Dassault Systemes S.A. To register, visit www.spatial.com/3Dmodelserver. 

Enhanced 3D for film and video

El Segundo, CA-Hollywood production executives are giving rave reviews to CircleScan, a new optic scanner, which they say provides greater depth and realism to footage than traditional 3D. Also important to cash-strapped producers, the system does it at reduced cost and complexity, by eliminating two mechanically synchronized cameras, and associated labor and film costs.

This illustration allows  visualization of the circular image path that the CircleScan 4D system creates in order to reproduce an image with enhanced perspective.

Typical 3D systems operate with two cameras and a mirror, but CircleScan works with any video or film camera and a special device that can be mounted in front of the lens, behind the lens, or as an automated base scanner. No special synchronization or film processing is required.

CircleScan designer Eddie Paul, whose resume includes stints as an underwater camera inventor and film industry special effects designer, created the enhanced 3D system with the aid of two mirrors mounted at a 45-degree angle to the lens axis. As the mirror assembly rotates at 360 degrees per minute, 1,800 different points of reference are scanned along its circular path, creating an enhanced 3D effect. The focal distance of the lens and the movement of the camera can be servo controlled to maintain a smooth motion at a constant speed throughout the scanning process.

"The concept is simple," says inventor Paul, "if you study what animals do before they attack--they move their heads back and forth slightly to enhance depth perception of their prey. CircleScan does the same thing." By rotating the mirror assembly to provide a slightly different point of view when filming an object, what the brain interprets as depth is created." In most 3D systems, the best seat in the house is dead center since the image must be viewed head on to see each dimension, but with the CircleScan system the images appear layered at any angle.

Always a big thinker, Paul envisions that the system could be miniaturized for orthoscopic surgical applications, or used not just to transmit but also to receive holographic-like images.

Free web-based CAD translation service

Troy, NY-STEP Tools Inc. expanded its free data translation service with a variety of new file formats. CAD users who need to convert 3D data to and from STEP (Standard for Product Data Exchange) part files should visit the STEP Tools web site: www.steptools.com/translate. The translator supports importing and exporting STEP data to Parasolid-XT, XML, and ACIS-SAT. The service also includes support for the EXPRESS/ EXPRESS-X Syntax Checker and the EXPRESS Printer. STEP models can be exported to an STL file for rapid prototyping. For visualization applications, users can capture their STEP AP 203 designs in three mainstream graphic file formats: GIF, JPEG, or VRML for display on a company's web site. The service limits an upload to a 5-Mbyte file size and a job run time of 10 minutes. Internet browsers must support file upload. Users can directly upload files without using FTP.

Algor Inc. (Pittsburgh, PA), makers of Accupack/VE Mechanical Event Simulation, is offering web courses to give users step-by-step instruction via the Internet. Participants can phone or e-mail questions during the live session. A video or CD-ROM will be offered afterwards for engineers who do not have Internet access. If interested, visit: www.algor.com.

Shop-till-your-fingers-drop is the theory behind CADKEY Corp.'s (Marlborough, MA) on-line Webstore at www.cadkey. com/webstore. The company's entire CAD product line and services are offered providing users options to buy products, renew contracts, upgrade software, and even purchase CADKEY T-shirts, sports bags, and baseball hats.

A rose by any other name. Notice the new company name associated with CADKEY software? Baystate Technologies, Inc. decided to change its name to CADKEY Corp. to more closely identify itself with its well-known mechanical CAD package. "Independent surveys and surveys of industrial trade magazine subscribers consistently rank the CADKEY brand name as one of the top three most recognized CAD products in North America," stated Robert W. Bean, president and CEO of CADKEY Corp.

Windstar moms: Part of a growing automotive trend

Dearborn, MI-When Ford Motor Co. remade its 1999 Windstar minivan, it took an unusual tack: Let Mom design it. The firm assigned more than 30 mothers--all engineers--to the project.

The "Windstar moms," as they are now known, added improvements to the vehicle's ergonomics, safety, electrical system, fuel system, and climate control. As a result, many have become mini-celebrities, appearing in television commercials, newspaper articles, and magazine ads.

But Ford's maternal approach was far more than a publicity stunt. It's part of a growing industry trend for automakers to take fuller advantage of staff diversity. In many cases, that means incorporating the ideas of female engineers in projects involving vehicles predominantly driven by women. Or taking advantage of the backgrounds of engineers from states such as Nebraska and Iowa when designing pick-up trucks.

Although that may sound like nothing more than common sense, it hasn't always been that way in Detroit. Up until the late 1980s, automakers drew their talent from a small, homogeneous pool. Four schools--the University of Michigan, General Motors Institute, Michigan State University, and Michigan Tech--served overwhelmingly as the industry's talent source for many years.

About a decade ago, however, the industry realized that too many of its engineers thought and behaved in the same ways. "One of the goals in Detroit for some time has been to step away from the 'Southeast Michigan Syndrome,'" notes David Cole, director of The Office for the Study of Automotive Transportation at the University of Michigan.

In the case of the Windstar, Ford officials say the user-based approach has paid dividends. Because twenty of the Windstar moms had children under three, and because so many young families own minivans, Ford executives saw it as an opportunity to add new levels of engineering insight to the design.

One Windstar mom, for example, changed the fuel tank's volume. Cynthia Hodges, mother of two-year-old and eight-month-old children, saw the larger fuel tank as way of better dealing with an already frantic lifestyle. "Between grabbing strollers, snacks, toys and kids, I'm always short on time," notes Hodges, a chassis product design engineer. "A larger fuel tank means less trips to the gas station for busy moms like me."

Ironically, Ford says the company never set out to staff the Windstar program with a large number of female engineers. But once the staff was in place, Ford didn't hesitate to draw on their expertise. "Whenever we can take advantage of the personal insights of our engineers, we will," says Ford spokesman Bob Roach. "In the case of the Windstar, it was just serendipity that we had so many moms on the staff. But it worked to our advantage." 

Forged master cylinder gives lighthouse a lift

By John Lewis, Technical Editor

Buxton, NC-You may have heard how The National Academy of Sciences decided to preserve the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse from a century of beach erosion. A National Park Service project to move the famous landmark to a new site, 1,600 ft inland, was completed this summer. But did you know that relocating the 4,800-ton tower took the largest hydraulic jacking system ever built in the U.S., the strength of one 9-ton forged master cylinder, and constant computer monitoring? Expert House Movers of Maryland, the moving contractor, chose hydraulics to raise the lighthouse for its slow ride along a 2,900-ft track to its new home. Elburn, IL-based Jahns Structure Jacking Systems Inc. (JSJS) designed the custom hydraulic jacking system that would lift the structure, and Scot Forge (Spring Grove, IL) produced the master cylinder forged parts that weigh more than 8 tons.

The three-part, forged-cylinder design provides proper grain-flow orientation that maximizes impact strength and fatigue resistance to lift the 4,800-ton tower. The master cylinder consists of an 8,130-lb “blind hole” forging into which the piston retracts, a 4,450-lb forged piston, and a 3,150-lb forged end plate.

With a 60-ft diameter base, the lighthouse's sheer size and tonnage demanded that Jahns use the strongest master cylinder ever in the unified hydraulic system that would support the lighthouse during its journey. The design consists of 100 50-ton jacks, in which fifty outlets service two jacks each. Once the lighthouse was severed from its base, the hydraulic system raised the structure by pushing all of the jacks at exactly the same rate, regardless of the load on each jack. To keep the tower perpendicular, a bank of gauges indicated pressure in each hose line. Sensors at 100 different points in the lighthouse's structure measured fissures down to a few thousandths of an inch. As important as preventing damage to the lighthouse itself, engineers needed a "fail-proof" master cylinder to minimize disturbances to the lighthouse's already precarious position, and prevent system failures that could send the structure toppling.

On smaller jobs, Jahns uses fabricated and welded cylinders made with bar and steel tubing for the piston and cylinder, and flame-cut end plates. But this job called for the strength of forged cylinder parts. Forging eliminates internal voids and porosity by consolidating the ingot center, and produces predictable directional grain flow characteristics that result in improved metallurgical soundness. The forged master cylinder feeds 60 slave (displacement) cylinders through its end plate.

Scot Forge's hollow forging process reinforces blind-hole forging strength by working the material (1045 carbon steel, normalized) around a pin to create the hole, rather than boring the cylinder after the initial forging process. This technique creates greater strength consistency throughout the part. Forging also provides greater economies. "We produced the part with 1,740 lb of material savings to provide cost and machining time reductions," says Scot Forge's Mark Brouwer. Forging the blind-hole part without secondary boring contributes to further cost reductions, with additional savings in the forging of the piston and the end plate.

The true test of any engineering design is in its operation. "When we saw the jacking system lift the lighthouse 14 inches in one hour on the first day, with the pressure gauges all indicating a 'go' and the huge striped building moving upward, there was nothing else like it," says JSJS president Bill Jahns. "And it took only 21 days to move the lighthouse to its new foundationless than the estimated time, with the best day being 355 feet of travel."

'Net waste of time?

By Benjamin B. Ames, Associate Editor

Newton, MA-It's human nature to be conflicted.

We want to vote for Al Gore, but he's boring; he's never loosened up and partied a little. We want to vote for George W. Bush but he partied too much in his younger days.

But it's in their use of the ubiquitous Internet that design engineers most flagrantly flaunt this tendency.

When Design News did its annual "Engineers on the Internet" survey (see DN 4/5/99, front cover insert) we got hundreds of responses, saying that the number of Net surfing engineers is shooting through the roof. An overwhelming 87% of you use the Internet regularly for work. And the number of Design News readers who use the Internet "several times a day" has more than doubled from 24% a year ago to 52% today.

Yet when we asked the standard, "What are the advantages/disadvantages of using the Internet," we uncovered a train wreck of contradictory opinions. Is the Internet the fastest way to find data, or a complete waste of time? How about both?

The top four answers on each side of the debate (left) reveal a head-on collision   in design engineers' opinions of the Internet (percentages do not sum to 100 because survey asked open-ended questions, not multiple choice).

Each of these points can be proved in a quick trip through cyber space. Need to take that rocket engine you just designed and attach it to the space shuttle? A visit to www.thomasregister.com (the survey's most popular site) should give a quick range of answers. But try typing "metal adhesive" on your Yahoo search screen and see how long it takes to sort through the garbage and find a good zero-gravity glue.

So who's right? This summer's blockbuster movies show that the most popular plots are made of angst and hand-wringing: Should Star Wars' Jedi Knights train the young Annakin Skywalker, despite his future as the ultra-evil Darth Vader? Should the doomed young filmmakers continue to track the Blair Witch, or should they just stop bickering, work together and go home?

It seems there's no object lesson in the contradictions of the Design News Internet survey. It is simply human nature to be fascinated by conflict. And, sometimes, to create it.

Palm Pilot snap-on makes field data acquisition easy

Cleveland, OH-"Wow" was the reaction of the Sensors Expo crowd huddled around Steve Sabram, president of DataStick, as he demonstrated a light-weight, low-cost data measurement product which plugs into the bottom of the popular Palm Pilot to act as a handheld data logger.

The MyCorder DAS-1206 analog-to-digital converter snaps onto the modem connector of the Palm III, IIIx and VII handhelds to collect data from up to 6 analog sensors. The 6-channel, 12-bit unit weighs but 4 oz. Each channel can be turned on or off and has an input range that is individually programmable. Users can take temperature, pressure, light, and acceleration measurements in the field and record and display the data at the same time.

The unit comes with software, which lets users view acquired data as bar charts, line graphs, or in straight numeric mode on the handheld. Readings can be recorded in databases for later export in standard or comma-separated values (CSV) format for the Palm's Memo Pad or in DOC or DOC CSV format for reading with DOC reader on the Palm handheld. The HotSync export lets users transport that data into a personal computer and into common software packages such as Excel spreadsheets for analysis. Raw measurement data can also be exported, with and without time stamps and notes, to cross check the system or perform individual analyses.

The device has an 8-pin mini-DIN, shielded input connector. Sensor cables come with the product. MyCorder DAS-1206 features user-adjustable sampling intervals between 200 milliseconds and 12 hours and an internal sample rate of 512 samples per second. MyCorder can retain roughly 256K of data, or the equivalent of 10,000 records at the maximum recording rate or up to 60,000 4-byte measurements.

Another unique feature of the MyCorder DAS-1206 is that it allows users to compensate for a sensor package's non-linear sensor response curve by custom-editing the sensor-response conversion functions and thus viewing real-world, linear readings.

The unit can be programmed to sleep after a trigger measurement--for long periods of datalogging--for example, sampling every hour for a week, without draining battery power. The device runs on a pair of AAA batteries.

"We wanted to capitalize on the 5 million Palm Pilots in use today," says Sabram. "With this system there is no LCD, no new operating system or interface that users have to struggle to learn. All they have to do is plug MyCorder into their Palm Pilot."

Because it is so portable, the device is well suited for field work in test, environmental, industrial, safety and laboratory applications.

"Even the most rugged laptop or proprietary data logger can break if you drop it, and this can be a very expensive investment," says Sabram. "Our unit can attach to your body while climbing up a telephone pole where other devices are too bulky or costly to safely carry."

Some onlookers at the Sensors Expo felt that although the MyCorder lacked the features of sophisticated laptops or proprietary data logging instruments, its portability and $295 price tag, a fraction of the cost of high-end data oscilloscopes and data loggers, made it very attractive.

Handspring, a Palm competitor who has licensed the Palm operating system, has just developed the Visor PDA, and DataStick plans a springboard expansion module with USB to provide extra speedy data taking for that platform. An 8-channel device is also in development, says DataStick, and will be on the market in the first quarter of 2000.

Connectors help cut film processor failures

By Rick DeMeis, Senior Editor

Geneva, IL-When production of Fischer Industries new Futura 3000/4000 x-ray film processors began last year, engineers wanted to incorporate reliable electronics into the body of the processor to reduce a 28% failure rate. They also wanted a high quality connection that would help to decrease the processor assembly time. After testing components from a variety of manufacturers, Fischer chose the COMBICON system from Phoenix Contact (Harrisburg, PA). Fischer selected these pluggable printed circuit board terminal blocks because of their ease of use and the reliability of each connector. "We wanted it to be easy for our technicians to test the components," adds Bill Dubon, vice president of engineering for Fischer. "The COMBICON terminal block allows the insertion of test probes into the opening on top of each connector, which enables us to test all components and ensure reliability."

The inverted and power COMBICON terminal blocks, part of the processor's central control unit, provide the interface between the brain of the processors and the pumps, motors, and heaters within. All the electronic control functions are incorporated into a single microprocessor, encased in a solid epoxy mold for reliability. Because electrical connections are now made through the central control unit soldered directly to the epoxy case, wiring complexity is reduced. And in going from analog to digital technology, Fischer engineers redesigned the microprocessor, central control unit, and temperature control unit which allowed further changes.

"By simplifying the wiring, we are able to build a more reliable processor that is easier to service," Dubon says.

In addition, the COMBICON terminal blocks are sealed to provide protection from the high-humidity and corrosive-chemical internal environment of the processor. DIP switches also allow for customized adjustment of standby cycles. Each COMBICON component has an individual fuse that is easily replaced and each LED is clearly labeled and indicates power being distributed to the component.

The COMBICON design allowed Fischer to make a high quality connection and assemble the Futura Series in less time than it took previously--1.5 hours instead of six. By incorporating the COMBICON terminal blocks into the microprocessors, Fischer designers reduced the overall failure rate by more than 25%, they say.

Out in the field, test openings on each COMBICON terminal block allow customers to check specific components which has significantly reduced customer service time and trouble shooting over the telephone. Dubon adds, "We are very pleased since implementing the new electronics."

Transitioning to 3D is easier than you might think

Ann Arbor, MI-Making the transition to 3D modeling as easy as possible for engineers is Peter Smith's goal. Smith, the original founder of CADKEY Inc., and Walter Silva, a writer of CAD books and a CADKEY user, started Distance Engineering, to make 3D engineering software accessible. "Anyone can go out and buy software," Smith says, "but not many can effectively use what he or she buys."

Distance Engineering, in cooperation with Ford Motor Company and the Michigan Virtual Automotive College, developed a multimedia CD-ROM course to help engineers at Ford transition from 2D wireframe to 3D solid modeling. Although Ford uses SDRC's I-MAN software, the course is not targeted at any particular CAD package. "Our goal is not to teach the menu structure of a given CAD system but rather to teach how to best understand and use the power of solid modeling. The principles covered are fundamental methods for creating 3D models," Smith says.

The program begins by teaching people how to think through a project in 3D. "We start with, 'How do you begin creating a model?'" says Smith. "We say: 'Start in 2D.'" Engineers try to model much like an inexperienced person might begin building a house. They hold up a beam in one hand and try to hammer and nail boards together with the other. It can't be done, he says. Instead, build a framework. "Design the outline in 2D in free space, and later add the walls, surfaces, and shapes. This takes the mystery out of the process."

One just has to look at an object and ask, "How many features are in it?" Think about what you are making in the simplest, most fundamental manner and find what keystrokes or icons will make those features happen. "No matter what the CAD program, you typically start in 2D," says Smith.

So why transition to 3D in the first place? "2D is nothing more than a bunch of dead lines," he continues. "One may think 2D is easier because he or she is used to it," he says. "But with 2D you have to rely on your brain to make connections between lines and parts. This opens up the opportunity for mistakes." With 3D, nothing is left to the imagination. Everything is visible--hidden lines, balance points, shadows, rendering. One can modify and see relationships quickly, easily. This means fewer mistakes, and greater productivity, he continues.

For potential CADKEY users, Smith and Silva developed a $99 quarterly Multimedia CD-ROM publication called CADInSite. The publication is a set of 67 Screen lessons and four videos that are full of hints and tricks to make solid models quickly and easily. The user can play a section of a screen, pause, and then hit the ALT-TAB keys to jump into CADKEY to practice the steps just seen. The publication will cover CAD, animation, sheet metal, NC machining, and other engineering disciplines. For $495, qualified users can get an educational copy of CADKEY, a one-year subscription to CADInSite, and a copy of the course Distance Engineering formulated for Ford. If interested, visit www.distance-eng.com. 

Get in shape with CADKEY

By Laurie Ann Toupin, Associate Editor

Barrie, Ontario, Canada-Steve Cope land's dream of a pedal-powered recreational boat was motivated by his participation in triathlons, a sport that involves running, swimming, and bicycling. He found that conventional, square paddleboats topped out at two miles an hour and were inefficient at giving a bicycling-like workout.

With partner Roger Ball, Copeland co-founded an award-winning sports-design firm, Paradox Design. Inspired by the successes of his clients, Copeland decided to take an entrepreneurial leap by establishing Velosea, Inc. and developed his own product: the Soleau (pronounced "solo") human-powered watercraft that's fun and great for fitness.

The Soleau has a bicycle-like pedal-crank driving a heavy-chain gearbox, which turns a two-blade shrouded propeller. Copeland created adjustable outrigger floats to allow the Soleau to go through three-foot waves without rocking from the pedaling action. The sleek hull cuts through the water at approximately 10 knots, twice the speed of conventional canoes. He also made the craft easy to haul and lightweight using a tough fiberglass-composite material. A Kevlar hull is also available.

Copeland used CADKEY software to model his design. In fact he's used the hybrid modeling program since 1995. "I wanted a 3D program that was straightforward and not excessive in cost--purchase cost as well as training cost. CADKEY fit the bill. We've been able to do some truly complex projects with CADKEY, like complex sweeping curves and ergonomic forms," he said.

The Soleau's digital prototype is a true hybrid model. Copeland created the hull using 3D wireframe. He swept a surface through the complex network of one-and-a-half-foot hull sections. He used solid modeling to develop the boat's components. The final CAD file contained a combination of 3D wireframe, surface, and solid models. The data was then passed along for CNC laser cutting. The hulls are crafted from hand-formed molds taken off the final prototype.

Compressors lighten emissions 

By Charles J. Murray, Senior Regional Technical Editor

Livonia, MI-General Motors engineers have developed a unique way to meet the auto industry's Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) standard. Using scroll compressors to blow air through the exhaust ports of Cadillac's Northstar engine, they quickly raise the temperature of the catalytic converter, thereby burning off most of the pollutants that would ordinarily leave the engine immediately after ignition.

The development is important for the industry because automakers must comply with new LEV standards nationwide by the 2001 model year. And the new standards are strict--calling for dramatic reductions, particularly of hydrocarbon emissions.

Cadillac DeVille’s Northstar engine uses a Reaction Heated Catalyst that enables it to meet Low Emission Vehicle standards.

To meet the EPA requirements, GM engine designers concentrated on reducing emissions immediately after the car starts. "Virtually all hydrocarbons are emitted during startup," notes Allen Cline, resident product engineer for the Northstar and Aurora V8 engines. "Most conventional cars will fail the LEV test in the first 30 seconds."

GM engineers solved that problem, however, by installing two Bosch SLP2.2 scroll air compressors near the engine. The two scroll compressors--one for each of the V8 engine's cylinder banks--blow air through tubing that's connected to the engine's exhaust ports. "The two pumps blow about five times the amount of air you'd expect to see in a normal engine," Cline says. Their purpose: To speed the flow of hot air through the exhaust manifold and across the three-foot distance to the catalytic converter.

The influx of hot air quickly "lights" the catalytic converter. "We see operating temperatures in about ten seconds that used to take us 90 seconds to achieve," Cline says. The higher temperatures enable the catalyst to more effectively burn off pollutants.

The new EPA standard calls for vehicles to cut their hydrocarbon emissions from 0.25 grams/mile to 0.075 grams/mile--a reduction of about 70%. The standards are the same for all cars, large and small. Using the new technique, General Motors engineers say they easily meet the new standard on the 2000 Cadillac DeVille.

By blowing air from the engine’s exhaust port to the catalytic converter, engineers were able to ‘light’ the converter much faster, thereby reducing emissions.

GM engineers considered a number of alternatives before settling on the new system, which they call the Reaction Heated Catalyst. But other techniques were not as successful, they say. Moving the catalysts closer to the engine, which has been successful on a number of other automotive engines, caused a packaging problem. And electrically heated catalysts potentially added too much cost, weight, and complexity. Electrically heated catalysts, they say, would have been too great a drain on the battery and alternator. "The key is to pre-heat the catalyst," Cline says. "But you want to do it in a way that's best for the overall vehicle."