Power Generators

Coates International to raise $300 million for new manufacturing plants

2009-10-23T02:24:00.002-07:00

Coates International announced today it entered a joint venture for a bond offering to raise $300 million, which will be used to establish new manufacturing facilities in New Jersey, according to a report in NJBIZ.

The company said the funding will be used to build new plants near the company's headquarters in Wall Township, as well as in Miami, Okla., the report said.

These facilities will manufacture industrial electric power natural gas generators, and tractor-trailer diesel engines.

Milton Maltz: Turning power lines into battle lines

2009-10-23T02:24:00.001-07:00

Terrorist groups and rogue states are moving their battle to the Internet. Our four-part series explains how to fight it.

A new and increasingly ominous threat to global security is growing in the shadowy realm of cyberspace. The danger does not stem from the usual suspects — hackers and criminals who prowl the Internet to steal credit card numbers and personal identities. As we mark Cyber Security Awareness Month, there is growing evidence that cyber spies and cyber terrorists — some working on their own, others sponsored by nation states — have their eyes on a much bigger prize: North America’s system of electrical generation and transmission.

This is not digital crime. This is cyber war: a deliberate attempt to turn our power lines into battle lines. Multiple covert intrusions into computer systems that control the electrical grid have already been documented by U.S. national security officials, most recently in April 2009.

“We know they have done reconnaissance of our power grid,” says James A. Lewis, senior fellow and director of the Technology and Public Policy Program at the Center for Strategic & International Studies in Washington, D.C. “They are looking for weak spots — places where they can launch malicious code.”

Electrical industry studies and voluminous Congressional testimony by experts in the field confirm that numerous vulnerabilities to cyber intrusion exist throughout our system of power generation and transmission. If co-ordinated cyber attacks designed to exploit those weaknesses were to take down even one of the continent’s regional electrical grids, vast portions of Canada and the United States could be plunged into darkness for a year or longer.

The dangers inherent in a cyber attack on the grid were made shockingly clear in a little-known 2007 U.S. Department of Homeland Security experiment code-named “Aurora.” In the experiment, a massive generator similar to those that produce much of North America’s electrical power was deliberately hijacked by cyber “attackers” and its computer controls given a new set of instructions. Enslaved by its new programming, the multi-tonne generator jumped off its footings, spewed smoke and, ultimately, self-destructed.

Generators of the type destroyed in the Aurora experiment are not off-the-shelf items that can be replaced easily. Most are manufactured in China and other overseas locations, and each requires months to be assembled and shipped.

Should the “Aurora” vulnerability ever be fully exploited in multiple locations in North America, the result could be the loss not only of light and heat for an indefinite period, but also the breakdown of water- and sewage-treatment capabilities, the crippling of transport and communications systems (including those of law enforcement and the military), the spread of uncontrollable epidemics, the near-total cessation of economic activity and widespread civil unrest bordering on chaos.

“If you’re able to take down part of the electrical grid, pretty much everything else fails,” says James Woolsey, former director of U.S. Central Intelligence. “You’re not back in the 1970s; you’re back in the 1870s.”

Cyber crime alone is now a multi-billion-dollar problem worldwide. But the effects of a co-ordinated cyber-terrorist attack against the North American grid would make those billions seem like pocket change in comparison.

“If you were to take out a third of the United States’ electricity generation for six months, the dead loss out of the economy would be upwards of $1.7-trillion,” says John Bumgarner, research director for security technology of the nonprofit U.S. Cyber Consequences Unit. “That’s trillion. And if you extrapolate the resulting effects, the full cost ends up being about $6.7 trillion.”

A number of private and governmental bodies are already addressing the issue of potential cyber attacks against the grid. Foremost among these is the North American Electric Reliability Corporation (NERC), which conducts assessments of the reliability and adequacy of the bulk power network. NERC’s newly created Critical Infrastructure Protection program is now developing stringent security standards for the cyber systems that are employed in electrical generation and transmission.

But countering the threat of cyber war will require international co-operation — in the development of more robust cyber defences for computer-control systems around the world, as well as in enhanced information sharing between countries and among targeted industries and governments.

Above all, says former U.S. Congressman Lee Hamilton, currently co-chair of the National Security Preparedness Group, we need a clearer understanding of the urgency of the challenge.

“Some day, somewhere, sometime, we’re going to have a massive cyber attack,” says Hamilton. “You can almost bet on it.”

We have been warned. The danger is real. And the threats are proliferating — out there, somewhere, in the shadowy realm of cyber space.

National Post

“Fighting the Virtual War” is presented in collaboration with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), a Washington, D.C.-based policy institute focused on terrorism. Milton Maltz is founder and chairman of the International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C., whose new exhibit, Weapons of Mass Disruption, explores these issues.

Clenergen to launch new biomass power plants in India

2009-10-23T02:23:00.001-07:00

First 1.5 MW plant is back on because of a power purchase agreement with PTC India offering a higher tariff rate.

Clenergen’s Chennai, India-based subsidiary said today it closed terms to acquire a 1.5 megawatt biomass power plant in Namakkal, Tamil Nadu.

The plant, recognized as one of India’s national demonstration projects, is expected to be operational before the end of the year. The plant was stopped in 2007 because of operational cash flow constraints and its failure to remain profitable at a low tariff rate.

But with a power purchase agreement between PTC India and the subsidiary, Clenergen India, a higher tariff rate has now been reached. PTC India is a government initiated public-private partnership that provides power trading arrangements.

Florida-based parent company Clenergen (OTCBB:CRGE) develops clean energy generation projects. It also installs and operates distributed power systems and applies its plant science to cultivate biomass feedstocks.

The carbon neutral Namakkal plant is expected to generate net revenue of about $1 million during its first year of operation, ramping up to 10 MW during its first phase. Its anaerobic digestive technology has been proven to process agri-biomass into renewable energy, Clenergen said.

Clenergen is also planning to install two new biomass power projects—a 16 MW plant in Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu, and a 64 MW plant in Karnataka. The Tuticorin plant is expected to be operating by the end of 2010.

The total projected cost of the new plants is $236 million. Clenergen is looking to raise $83 million in equity financing on the Indian stock markets to help fund them.

The Tamil Nadu and Karnataka plants are expected to use feedstocks from a grass species called beema bamboo and a tree species marjestica.

Clenergen uses what it claims is an efficient power generation system using gasification technology/gas turbines generators and power generation through pyrolisis/steam turbine generators.

Generators Types and Features

2009-10-18T23:09:00.000-07:00

We recommend diesel due to their longevity and lower operating costs;

1. 1800 rpm water cooled diesel operate on average 20-30,000 hours before major engine maintenance is required.

2. 1800 rpm water cooled gas normally operate 6-10,000 hours because they are built on a lighter duty gasoline engine block.

3. 3600 rpm air-cooled gas engines are normally replaced – not overhauled at 500 to 1500 hours.

Because gas engines burn hotter (higher btu of the fuel), you will see significantly shorter lives. Our gensets are from the world’s top manufacturers. We offer products for high-end residential customers with larger homes to industrial and military customers seeking prime power or critical emergency backup generators.

Electric equipment is designed to use power with a fixed frequency: 60 Hertz (Hz) in the United States and Canada, 50 Hertz in Europe and Australia. The frequency output depends upon a fixed engine speed. To produce 60 Hz electricity, most diesel engines operate at 1800 or 3600 RPM. Each speed has its advantages and drawbacks. At 1800 RPM, four pole electric power sets are the most common and least expensive. They offer the best balance of noise, efficiency, cost, and engine life. At 3600 RPM, two pole generators are smaller and lightweight; they are best suited for portable, light-duty applications. In simple terms it’s like operating your car at 90 mph, versus 45mph — at 45mph your car will last longer; it is quieter, requires less maintenance, and has a longer life. Most 3600 rpm gensets are twin cylinder air-cooled lawn mower engines, while the water cooled 1800 rpm units are comparable to those found in diesel forklift and diesel tractor engines. The 1800 rpm water cooled engine will last longe r, offerless maintenance problems, and be more fuel efficient. We recommend diesel! Gensetcentral Systems can provide for all your backup power needs from 2 Mega Watt generator for industrial, residential and military applications. We can provide you with high quality gensets. We offer only top quality products that are priced at or below our competition who offer lesser brands Our diesel products are powered by world class diesel engines - we feature SDMO, Lister Petter, Katolight, Baldor, Kubota, John Deere and Cummins power plants

Diesel Generators and Electric Generators

2009-10-18T23:08:00.000-07:00

Genset Central We have over 60 years experience in supplying diesel generators and electric generators for industrial military and residential generator power requirements. If you are looking for a diesel generator or electric generator look no futher. We supply standby emergency power diesel generators, Kubota generators, gaseous generators, construction portable and mobile generators, diesel fuel tanks, ASCO transfer switches, manual transfer switches, Lister Petter generators, mobile light towers, agricultural generators, switchable voltage generators, RV and commercial compact diesel and gas generators, container generators, electrical generator ends for AC and DC applications, tactical quiet super quiet generators, commercial and residential super silent, trailer mounted construction generators, power modules, electrical transformers, switch gear, parallel equipment, mobile generators, generator controllers, Lister Petter generator and Cummins generators

We can assist you in selecting the product for any application. From the 8kW generator for your summer cabin generator to your backup power generator 2800KW industrial for your plant - we can help!! Our sales engineers each have a minimum of ten years experiences! We offer all electric generator accessories for residential and emergency gensets, standby generators industrial generators, portable, trailer or mobile generators, long run generator fuel tanks, battery chargers and automatic transfer switches.

Human Power Generator

2009-08-14T03:12:00.001-07:00

Windstream's Human Power Generator is ideal for educational displays and small power production applications ( under 65 watts). The Human Power Generator is user friendly, portable and available whenever you have the need for it. The Human Power Generator can be a valuable tool in teaching an appreciation of the physical energy required to produce the electricity we tend to take for granted.

The Human Power Generator is primarily designed to charge a 12Volt, deep cycle battery or to contribute to a 12Volt system. It can also provide DC direct power.

AC appliances can be used with the Human Power Generator by using a DC-AC inverter connected to a battery for stability (see our Portable Power Pack). It is also possible to directly power certain DC powered equipment such as a low power water pump without using a battery. Appliances such as a DC television, light or radio may also be used. However, with this application, a voltage regulator may be required and keep in mind that the electrical current delivered, follows the same rhythym of your pedaling - which is not constant.

The amount of electrical power that can be generated by the Human Power Generator is determined by the energy available to turn the crank . The stronger the user, the more electrical power can be produced. Typical output in watts with the Human Power Generator is about 60 Watts or 35 Watts with handcranks.

The Human Power Generator consists of a heavy, powdercoated steel frame holding a bicycle-like crank, with a step-up chain drive (6.5:1) attached to a permanent magnet DC generator (stock # 443541). Each Human Power Generator comes with standard foot pedals. We also manufacture optional cushioned hand cranks can be attached to the two crank arms for an additional $35.00.

Applications:

* Emergency power generation and battery charging - land and marine.
* Measurement of human power and endurance.
* Remote or off-grid power for water pumps and small appliances.
* Independent radio or radiotelephone systems; emergency communications.
* Classroom projects and educational exhibits to demonstrate the amount of effort required to generate electrical power.

If the Human Power Generator is purchased on its own without a Power Pack, it automatically comes with a heavy duty diode protected connecting cable. You can choose the kind of wire termination that suits your application. The most universal cable uses plier- style clips to attach directly to the battery posts.

The diode is built into a small in-line aluminium box and prevents reverse current from traveling back from the battery to the generator. The diode is rated at 35A and is also a Full Wave Bridge that allows the user to pedal safely in either direction regardless of the polarity of the generator.

Human Power Generator: $550.00Order Now

Choosing a Marine Generator

2009-08-14T03:11:00.001-07:00

For owners of boats, yachts, and other water crafts, a marine generator can come in very handy and offer a better experience. When selecting a marine generator for a water craft, there are many variables to consider. The very first consideration is deciding how much power needs to be provided by the generator. A generator should be able to run all necessary appliances with at least a minimal usage of at least 40% to a max of around 80%. To size the correct power for the marine generator, make a list of wattage ratings of all appliances that will be powered on the water craft. Note both the running and any startup wattage required for each appliance. This will help determine how much wattage a marine generator should be providing. A marine generator should provide 20% more wattage than required. Poweredgenerators.com recommends taking your wattage list to a generator dealer who can calculate the proper generator size for running all appliances at once. Another consideration is between the type of fuel for the generator. Gas and diesel are the two dominant types of marine generators but hydrogen is making a big push.
Features of Marine Generators

There are many features that marine generators should have and those that just making the experience of owning one better. A voltage regulator is a great feature to have because it controls the amount and quality of power going to electrical appliances. This prevents electrical damage and extends generator life. Another good feature is sound enclosures and quieter running engines. This is a feature that is not fully appreciated until tried out. A marine generator should also have very easily accessible maintenance areas. For easy engine maintenance, spin off fuel filters, sea water pump or other water separator, and other features help keep a generator running better. Control panels are a feature to definitely consider as it allows access to everything about the marine generator including amount of power, load, and fuel. Circuit breakers are additional add ons that can help protect marine generators and other electrical equipment. There are many other good features that extend marine generator lifetime, fuel efficiency, and many others as well.
Marine Generator vs Inverter

An inverter changes DC battery power into AC power that can be used to power electrical equipment on boats. For small boats with small electrical needs, this solution could be a good choice. However, a drawback to inverters is that power is derived from the boat's battery and wattage amounts are smaller than those of marine generators. Marine generators are designed to provide more consistent power that can be run for sometime without saving power from the boat's battery. Marine generators are better for higher power needs and bigger boat applications.

Electric Power Generators

2009-08-14T03:09:00.000-07:00

With so many different applications, electric power generators

are increasingly becoming used as portable energy sources as well as emergency fail-safe ones. Electric generators are used in different locations including RV and mobile home power sources, commercial properties where fail-safe energy is needed which includes casinos and hospitals, and even government properties like dams and nuclear power plants, although these last locations will use much more costly and powerful generators.

Power generators are great products to help maintain electricity in homes during prolonged blackouts. They can keep the whole house powered or just certain appliances like refrigerators and freezers. Casinos use high electrical generators as backups to keep all slot machines and computers powered and hospitals have to have high powered generators to keep critical medical machines running. Government offices use extremely powerful backup generators to secure all necessary locations. Now that some of the useful applications of electric generators have been presented, lets discover the types of electrical generators.

Are Homemade Wind Power Generators Feasible?

2009-07-22T23:45:00.002-07:00

Although wind power generators have been around for over a hundred years, it never quite caught on. It's still not a mainstream source of power today but soaring energy costs and the eco-effects of conventional energy waste of late have forced a surge of interests in alternative renewable energy. Along with solar power panels, windmills can now be seen mushrooming across the country and have proven to be a viable source of energy as long as the territory is endowed with the required natural conditions.

As depicted in the name, the function of wind power generators is to produce power by utilizing the wind as fuel. This is obviously beneficial as wind is natural, free and unlimited in supply. Having that said, it is not always feasible or viable. For example, the wind resource in the locality must be of a certain level and the wind tower or structure must not pose any detriment to the surrounding. And are they cost-effective over the conventional form of power?

The operation of the wind power generator can be simplistically described within the theory of the Conservation of Energy. Kinetic energy of the wind or airflow is harnessed by the rotor blades into mechanical energy as the spindle is turned. The rotary force of the spindle is utilized in windmills to drive pumps and other mechanical systems directly or is further converted via a turbine into electrical energy. This power can be consumed on the fly or stored for later use.

A wind power home is a noble proposition these days but there are criteria to be fulfilled. Ideally, the house sits on a good-sized plot in a relatively spaced-out rural or sub-urban neighborhood. Surrounding wind resource is steady and even. The tower height of the wind system is functionally adequate and is in compliance with building requirements, along with other neighborhood aspects such as noise, endangerment and other hazards or inconveniences. The local supply grid also supports the interconnection of excess power for reverse credit or sale.

Even with the advancement of technology in this field, it is hardly practical to live off-grid with wind power as the sole source of power for your home. No matter what, the elements will never be 100 percent predictable and that's why it's most suitably used as a mutually complementary source of energy with solar power which will also endure crunch spells. Nevertheless, it's greatly beneficial even if it's deployed only as a supplementary supply to the power grid.

It's not rocket science to make wind power. There is plenty of information and literature at your finger tips over the internet. A handful of those DIY handbooks actually do a very neat job in guiding even the totally uninitiated to construct their own wind power generators from scratch. It's possible to not only slash your power bills but also get paid for the excess that is channeled back onto the utility grid. On top of that, there's the feeling of gratification from knowing that you have contributed to the green movement.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Darrel_Case

Wind Power Generators - Practical Solutions For Your Home?

2009-07-22T23:45:00.001-07:00

We love our gadgets and vehicles! However, our demand for power to run our beloved devices that make our lives seem easier grows daily while our supply decreases. Many believe it is about time that we take positive and responsible steps to save the power we use and generate new power efficiently and safely for our environment.

In addition to being careful about the power and water we use at home, we can employ pollution-free and cost-effective solutions in our homes. Solar and wind power generators are two of the most efficient and environmentally friendly solutions that can simply replace the conventional energy sources we use in our homes.

Solar and wind power generators can help you survive during power outages, and reduce your electricity bills while helping the environment.

This article focuses on the cost-effective energy savers that you can employ at home.

If the following applies to you, then wind power generators can save you a lot of money and Mother Earth a lot of suffering:

- You have a home spread over a large area. Typically, wind power generators are used in areas that are at least an acre.

- The average wind speed in your area is about 11 miles per hour. Little wind means little to no power. To discover if wind power generators are effective for your area, you can Google "average wind speed". Mt. Washington, New Hampshire wins with a whopping 35.1 mph annual average!

- Your house needs uninterrupted power supply. Combating power outages is easy with the pollution-free wind power generators. No more worries about a break in your work because of a power failure.

Typical wind power generators consist of a tower and five blades which create wind energy. The length of the wind tower varies depending on the location of your house. You may need a taller wind tower if you are in low-wind zone and you can effectively use a shorter tower if you live by the beach. When using wind generators, the energy can be converted into useful electricity to be employed at home for running various electrical appliances. You can even store the power generated for later use, which makes wind power generators more efficient than conventional systems.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Marcus_K.

Build Your Own Wind and Solar Power Generators

2009-07-22T23:44:00.002-07:00

Have you ever thought about how you could get free energy to power your home? Will now you can by building your own wind and solar power generators. The reason that it is free energy is that you are not paying a big company to supply your power to you.

You can now easily build your own wind generator or solar panels for less than $200. Most of the parts that are needed to make these systems can be found for free, like storage batteries for your power, these can be found at any company that uses deep cycle batteries. The best place would be at a local forklift repair shop where they replace the batteries every couple years or so.

As for solar panels these can also be found for free, where you ask? Well have you ever seen signs on the sides of the road that use lights for warnings, most of these signs are solar powered. When things go wrong with the panels they just have to exchange them for new ones. They still work fine, so all you would have to do is locate the public roads department and see if you could scoop them up for next to no charge or maybe even free.

Installing solar panels or wind generators plus a battery bank to store all the power will give you more than enough energy to take your home off the grid. You can also go a step beyond and install so much power generating capacity that you can sell your power back to the grid and let the utility company pay you for a change.

Are you using all your home's comfort completely guilt free, laughing at rising energy prices, while saving the environment? If not now is your chance for free energy, Solar and Wind Energy

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Obediah_Marsh

Vertical Wind Power Generators

2009-07-22T23:44:00.001-07:00

The vertical axis wind turbine which is sometimes referred to as the (VAWT) for short, is a wind power machine that has been designed so that it maybe attached to a flat roof or stand on a platform in either the rural or urban environment. This type of generator has several advantages to it such as, because of the fact that it can be placed at the bottom close to the ground, the tower does not have to support the generator can be placed at the bottom, not only that but the turbine does not need to be pointed in the direction of the wind.

Although it certainly has its advantages, the turbine also has its disadvantages. Some of the disadvantages are that it is not an easy task to mount vertical axis turbines onto towers, because of this they normally have to operate slower and get the turbulent air flow close to the ground, which results in a less efficient energy extraction.

They only produce roughly 50% of the energy that a horizontal wind generator produces. They also have to be installed on a flat piece of land nothing steep and although steepness of an area might be a problem for a vertical wind generator, that is not a problem for a horizontal wind power generator.

However, like I said before it is not all negative there are also many advantages. Some of these include that seeing how the rotor blades are vertical, you do not have to have a yaw device so this reduces the need for a bearing and its cost. Vertical wind power generators can be at lower heights which can be useful when having to deal with laws that have certain height restrictions to them. Finally, smaller vertical wind generators are much easier to transport.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Munyaradzi_Chinongoza

Advances in Wind Power Generators

2009-07-22T23:43:00.000-07:00

Wind power is a unique type of generated power because it relies on wind as a natural resource to generate power, which helps to keep the environment clean. Additionally, it can be abundantly available in many areas. Because of its many benefits, new technologies are continually in development to help promote wind power as a reliable energy source. In order for people to use this technology more readily and willingly, wind power needs to become a more efficient and accessible tool for generating energy. Some companies are doing just that.

Several companies are producing some of the most advanced hybrid solar-wind generators around. There are many technologies in place to generate energy with wind, but not all of them are advanced enough to provide the highest quality power available. Yet, various companies are working to take generators to the next level.

One of the most important tasks in taking wind power generators to the next level is by working to lower the current costs of producing them. While wind itself is not expensive, the materials to make up these systems of generating power are expensive. This makes it difficult for most people to take advantage of wind power. It is essential for the costs to come down, but not for the overall performance of wind power to decrease.

Some companies are working on developing systems that do this and much more. They are developing wind generators that work better at producing more energy and increasing performance, but are lowering the costs of production and making the technology quieter. Using systems that incorporate better overall durability and efficiency in turbine blades, these companies are developing products to push wind power to new frontiers.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Y._Tilden

Special Report. Steam Turbines: Finding and fixing leakage within combined HP-IP steam turbines: Part II

2008-10-02T21:24:00.000-07:00

face=+Italic; By design, combined HP-IP turbines have a small amount of internal leakage from the high-pressure turbine to the intermediate-pressure turbine. As turbines age, the leakage increases considerably and becomes excessive, creating a heat rate penalty and possibly a reliability problem. Last month we explored the symptoms and causes of steam leakage within GE steam turbines and how to correct the problem. In Part II, we examine the same issues for Westinghouse and Allis-Chalmers turbines from both theoretical and practical angles.face=-Italic;For Westinghouse (Figure 1) and Allis-Chalmers combined high-pressure/intermediate-pressure (HP-IP) turbines, there are more design (and potential nondesign) leakages to the IP turbine than in General Electric machines. That's because the former units require balancing the thrust loading of the reaction blading. Leakage can enter the IP turbine inlet, IP turbine exhaust, low-pressure (LP) crossover pipes, and occur between split IP1/IP2 turbines. Its result can be an apparent increase or decrease of IP turbine efficiency, depending on the source.

Southern Company Generation (SCG) has found that trending of the apparent IP efficiency using the Booth-Kautzmann temperature split tests (discussed last issue in Part I) is very useful for resolving internal leakage problems on our Westinghouse and Allis-Chalmers turbines. It should be noted that the true IP blade path efficiency of these units is difficult to measure.

For later (BB44) Westinghouse turbines, the sources of design leakage (Figure 2) include:

Main steam inlet bell seals (the leakage bypasses the HP-IP turbine; more recent units indicate zero leakage on the design heat balance).

HP-IP-LP dummy balance seals (Figure 3).

HP exhaust piston seal rings.

IP inlet (hot reheat) piston seal rings.

Depending on the unit design, HP dummy seal leakage can affect HP turbine efficiency as it flows through the equilibrium pipes to the HP exhaust. If the IP dummy ring is severely distorted, it is possible for the IP dummy leakage to be a mix of HP dummy leakage and HP exhaust steam flowing in the reverse direction through the equilibrium pipes.

Among the sources of nondesign leakage are:

The HP inner shell horizontal joint (distorted shell or loose bolting).

Broken internal equilibrium balancing pipes.

A broken first-stage drain or pressure-sensing line between the inner and outer shell.

Piston seal rings on the IP turbine mid-point extraction pipe.

A missing mid-span balancing port plug in the inner shell.

Cracks in the main steam inlet pipes at the trepan radius.

face=+Bold; Relating efficiency to leakageface=-Bold;

For the BB44 design, two values of apparent IP efficiency should be measured. The IP efficiency measured from the hot reheat to the IP exhaust at the blading only takes into account the leakage effect of the IP dummy. The IP efficiency measured from the hot reheat to the LP crossover includes the effects of all HP to IP leakages. The temperature split tests are also used to estimate the IP dummy leakage and the total HP to IP leakage.

Although the test wells provided by the turbine manufacturer at the IP blading exhaust on the upper and lower (difficult-to-access) shells are in stratified locations, they are still useful for trending. Because the deaerator and boiler feedpump usually extract at these points, the temperature of the extraction line also should be measured. On one Southern Company unit that had been retrofitted with a new design IP dummy ring, we also installed two new test wells in the upper outer cylinder just upstream of the hot reheat inlet pipes. The results of testing using these wells still indicated some stratification of IP exhaust temperature.

A broken or cracked bell seal on a BB44 turbine can be diagnosed by trending the difference between the deaerator/boiler feedpump turbine extraction temperature and the LP crossover pipe temperature. If the former is several degrees lower than the latter and the two crossover pipes are at a different temperature, a bell seal or inlet pipe could be cracked.

For units with electrohydraulically controlled governor valves that are individually operated, the manufacturer's bell seal diagnostic test is useful to perform. Each of the eight governor valves is closed (and re-opened) and the above temperatures are trended. (Exercise caution when doing so on the normal initial opening governor valve, including temporarily disabling the unit trip function.) A change in the temperature differences will be observed on a leaking bell seal when the corresponding governor valve is closed; this reduces but does not eliminate the leakage, which is reverse flow from the first stage, rather than main steam. If the testing indicates that an upper bell seal is the problem, it can be fixed relatively quickly because only the upper half of the outer cylinder must be removed. But if the testing indicates a problem with a lower bell seal, fixing it will not be easy because it will require removing all HP-IP turbine components.

Buying a Generator Tips You Need to Know

2008-09-25T22:21:00.000-07:00

There are questions you need to ask before you buy a generator. How do I know what size to buy? How do I know if I buy one too big? Or if I buy one too small? There are questions that need to be answered before you purchase a generator.

Some factors you need to consider are as follows:

Size of generator to fit the load

Time of Use

Gas availability

Natural gas has the best advantage for a generator. If you don't have natural gas, you can pursue propane. This propane tank can be buried in the ground so it is out of your visual site. You can get up to 1000 gallon tank that could last up to two weeks depending upon the size of the generator and usage.

Most power outages occur between five to seven days. Hurricane Katrina was an exception. Most people were out of power for at least one month, most longer. Keep that in mind before purchasing a generator.

If you purchase a generator too small, you won't be able to run your central air conditioning. If you purchase one too big, you will be burning excess fuel for no reason. You may be over sizing yourself. Your fuel consumption will be higher than it needs to be.

A customer called last week to get a quote on a large generator he thought he needed. I gave him what he asked for but I suggested that I come out to his home to see exactly what his needs were. He may not need that large a generator for his house. Remember a larger generator will burn too much fuel and cost you money.

Before purchasing a generator, I suggest you consult and expert. This expert should be someone trained in the area to give you the most efficient generator you can possibly get. Your electrician will take load calculations on your house. Sizing is important. Don't size yourself. Leave that to the experts! They may save you money.

I would like to invite you to sign up for a free newsletter that would give helpful hints to you as a homeowner. Please visit us and sign up for our free newsletter at http://www.farbeselectric.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Robert_Farbe

Building a Wind Generator the Smart Way

2008-08-28T22:35:00.001-07:00

If you're thinking about building a wind generator then I applaud your cunning. Too many people are paying thousands for reasons that don't fully make sense. So you know that and I'm thrilled, but do you know you can start building a wind generator that will save you 70% off your power bills for about $100? I'm not suggesting you build a junky wind generator here, this article is about how to build a high quality wind generator for that price.

So how do you get started? You obviously need the right information. You need to benefit from all the people that started building a wind generator but failed miserably. Actually, it's best to benefit from the handful that succeeded, isn't it? Well, luckily the ones that succeeded documented their finding and now you don't have to go into building a wind generator blind.

So now I'm going to go risk a limb here and assume you got the right plans to work from. Where do you go from here? As good as the plans can be at teaching you the right way of building a wind generator-and they can be very good - you will still like a little more information. While this isn't completely necessary, I suggest you join an online community dedicated to the subject of building a wind generator.

Aside from that, there really isn't anything the right plans don't cover. Just remember when building a wind generator, it's best to follow the plans exactly. Trust me, I'm speaking from personal experience and the best way to screw up a simple project like this is by deviating from the plans.

If you are interested in the best plans for building a wind generator with- and I mean the best I've ever seen, and from personal experience, ever used- then check out my link. I'm convinced there aren't better plans out there. check out these windmill power system plans here

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Malcom_Reynolds

Build a Wind Generator-Make a Wind Generator Yourself

2008-08-28T22:35:00.000-07:00

Are you looking to build a wind generator? Then read on this article as you can get suitable information regarding how to build a wind generator yourself for less than $150.

Nowadays thousands of people around the world want to save their money which they are paying on electricity bills. They don't know that there is a alternative available to save their money on electricity. Yes there is one alternative available to save money on electricity is wind power. You can use wind power to generate electricity for your home.

You just need a wind generator to generate electricity from wind, as it is not that much difficult to build it as you think. You just need some parts to build it yourself, as these parts are available in your local hardware shops. like. dc motor,steel blades, pipes,nuts and bolts, electrical wire etc. The only thing you need is a perfect do it yourself plan from which you can build a wind generator easily. If you have a right plan then you can build a wind generator even if you don't have mechanical experience.

Therefore, it is possible to make your own wind generator so cheaply that it will literally pay for itself in just 2 or 3 months of use by all of the money you will be saving on your electric bill. There are many guides available on internet which show you step by step instructions with images on how to build a wind generator for your home. As thousands of people around the world using these guides to save their valuable money.

Learn how to Build A Wind Generator for less than $150. Get a complete review of earth4energy guide before going to buy it.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Katrina_Cold

Generator Safety Tips

2008-08-22T03:06:00.002-07:00

During the past few active hurricane seasons, the sales of generators have increased tremendously, along with generator-related accidents, which are preventable, if simple safety measures are followed. Many generator-related accident reports from the most recent hurricanes were due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Here are some safety tips to keep in mind when using a portable generator, especially after a hurricane:

Read and follow the manufacturer’s instructions that came with the generator! Sounds simple enough, but many people don’t. Keep the unit out outside, away from doors, windows and any vents that could allow carbon monoxide to come indoors. Do not put the generator in your garage, even if it is left open. It should be located in a dry area protected from the weather under a canopy, or open shed. Carbon monoxide is often undetectable, because it cannot be seen or smelled, which is why extreme caution is advised when deciding placement of your generator. If you start to feel dizzy or sick while using a generator, get to fresh air right away and seek medical help as soon as possible. It’s a good idea to install battery-operated carbon monoxide detectors/alarms. As with your regular smoke detectors, you should test the battery frequently.

Use the proper outdoor-rated power cords to attach appliances to the generator and make certain that the cords are in good condition. Connect only essential appliances to the generator. Don’t overload the generator and verify that it is properly grounded.

Never connect the generator directly to your home wiring. This could cause the generator to backfeed on to the power lines and possibly electrocute repair crews working on lines away from your home.

Turn off all appliances connected to your generator, before you shut it down.

Never refuel the generator while it is running – wait until it has cooled down.

Especially after a storm, make sure there are no debris which could ignite around the generator, and that water has not pooled anywhere around the generator, or the lines connected to it.

Keep children away from the generator at all times.

List T has lived in South Florida for over twenty years and has shared her hurricane experiences and lessons learned through articles and Hurricane Coming site and Blog

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Lisa_T

How to Build a Wind Generator

2008-08-22T03:06:00.001-07:00

Want to learn how to build a wind generator to power your home? Want to save your money by building your own wind generator? Then read on this article as it will gave some basic information from which you can build a wind generator yourself.

You just need a perfect do it yourself plan to build it. As I said if you built a wind generator yourself you can save thousands of dollars from what you would pay if you bought a wind generator from the shop.You need some parts to build a wind generator as these parts are easily available in your nearby hardware shops. The basic parts are, a tower, blades, and the motor.Sounds pretty simple doesn't it? So why do we think that it's very difficult to build one? Because we don't understand how they work. We don't have easy to follow plans, and if we do have plans they are not very clear. The aim of this article is to teach you how to build a wind generator. I think the instructions in the plans we provide are very easy and all you need is some basic tool skills to accomplish it.

As thousands of people around the world using free energy system for their homes why not you too? As you need a perfect guide which show you step by step to build a wind generator yourself to save your money. There are many guides available on internet which show you step by step instructions. From these step by step instructions and images you can build your own wind generator even if you don't have mechanical skills.

Learn how to Build A Wind Generator for less than $150. get a complete review of earth4energy guide before going to buy it.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Katrina_Cold

Mortgage Lead Generator Benefits

2008-08-22T03:06:00.000-07:00

As markets for mortgages have become more competitive, the role of the mortgage broker has become more popular. It is highly recommended by all financial experts that buyers seek the assistance of a mortgage broker, sometimes referred to as a Certified Mortgage Planner, before choosing a mortgage. A mortgage broker can guide them through the process of selecting a suitable mortgage and offer mortgage and property related financial advice.

The benefits of a mortgage broker are clear, but increasing a broker's clientele in such a competitive market can be difficult. This is where a mortgage lead generator can play a significant role.

A good mortgage lead generator collects information from those seeking a mortgage from a variety of sources. In this progressive world of instant information and internet access, the world wide web provides a mortgage lead generator with a plethora of lead generation methods. A potential borrower views an internet advertisement, fills out the appropriate information about the loan they are seeking, the lead is verified and made available to brokers.

Many companies offer mortgage lead generator services but not all mortgage lead generator services are created equal. The difference is in how they handle the verification and release of this information. A good mortgage lead generator service will have a stringent verification process, ensuring it's a quality lead with conversion potential. Once a lead is verified, a good mortgage lead generator service will only offer the lead to a very limited number of companies. If there are no strict rules with regards to how many brokers can receive the same lead, it's best to look elsewhere.

It's a very good time for mortgage brokers with 80% of mortgage buyers using one to secure their mortgage. With so many potential clients, a good mortgage lead generator is the ideal weapon.

Mark Carey is an Internet marketer and webmaster of http://www.juicyleads.com. JuicyLeads is a major provider of refinance mortgage leads. For mortgage leads and refinance leads, visit http://www.juicyleads.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Carey

Equinox Information Systems Announces the Release of the Latest Generation of Fraud Management Software, Protector 10.0

2008-02-14T03:19:00.000-08:00

Business Editors & Technology Writers

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 5, 2002

New Release Promises to Address the Fraud Management

Needs of Large Telecom Carriers, While Remaining

The Most Competitively Priced System in the Industry

Equinox Information Systems today announced the release of Protector 10, the latest version of the telecom industry's most widely deployed fraud management system.

"We have taken away the need to choose," states Byron Middendorf, Equinox CEO. "Before carriers could have a fraud management system with all the bells and whistles, or they could have an affordable system. While some of the features available with the high-end systems were nice, it was difficult to justify the additional expense. With Protector 10 the best fraud management system available today is also the least expensive system on the market."Originally released in 1989, Protector is deployed at hundreds of sites, providing real-time fraud protection to carriers around the world. With the 10th release of Protector, the challenge was to take this popular fraud management system and make it even better. New architecture and data warehouse integration allows for more robust data processing and scalability based on a customer's requirements, allowing Protector 10 to effectively monitor large telecom networks in real-time, even during the busiest hour. "With the release of Protector 10, we integrated new technologies and architectures that have allowed us to achieve a processing rate and functionality that meets or exceeds that of any other telecom fraud system," noted Wayne Lowe, Equinox President. "Our goal was to make Protector as good as any fraud management system in the world, but available at a price that would make effective fraud detection affordable for telecom companies of any size. We met that goal and exceeded our own expectations."

Protector 10 propels this popular system to the enterprise level with the addition of an integrated data warehouse using "n-tier" architecture as well as many other significant technical enhancements, including:

Usage Profiling: Protector 10 automatically creates and

modifies customer usage profiles based on a number of

parameters, including time of day, dialed region, and day

type. Customer and billing entity profiles are updated daily

based on actual usage. Suspected fraud cases are created and

prioritized based on activity outside of the normal usage

profile for the customer or billing entity.

Work Flow Management: New tools are available for managing,

investigating, and documenting cases from discovery through

resolution. Users have access to data to assist in the

investigation process, including historical CDR data, usage

history graphs, and billing and customer care information.

Reporting: Protector 10.0 includes new tools for generating

reports to document workflow, agent utilization, case

statistics, as well as actual and potential fraud losses.

About Protector

Protector monitors telecom networks in real-time to identify instances in which a customer's actual usage varies from expected usage in a manner that suggests fraudulent activity. Protector analyzes network traffic by customer--based on a total usage profile, one-call thresholds, two-call thresholds, and user-defined custom rules--and by network--based on specific originating and terminating numbers, and user-defined custom rules. Over the last fifteen years, Protector has helped hundreds of carriers limit losses to fraud using real-time, rules- and profile-based technology to distinguish fraud from honest customer usage.

About Equinox

Founded in 1986, with hundreds of customers worldwide, Equinox Information Systems is a global provider of software solutions for the telecommunications industry. Providing a full range of software applications, which are backed by exceptional customer support, the company offers solutions in areas critical to profitability and network efficiency, including mediation, fraud detection, CDR and switch administration, and network management, as well as custom application development. For more information, visit Equinox at www.equinoxis.com.

Briggs & Stratton Generates Powerful Information Using ForeSee Results Research

2008-02-14T03:17:00.000-08:00

Briggs & Stratton Corporation (NYSE:BGG) the world's largest producer of air-cooled gasoline engines for outdoor power equipment, has chosen ForeSee Results to help them measure how design changes to their website affect their customers. The company has embarked on a 6 month website upgrade plan focused on providing information and resources most important to their website visitors. "We think we know what areas of our site need improvement or enhancement," said Deborah Spanic, Manager of Internet Development for Briggs & Stratton. "One of the reasons we decided to use ForeSee Results is because we want to find out if these are the same areas that our users think need improvement. In addition, the ability to see the user impact of these changes will help determine where to spend our redesign budget dollars."

"Website redesigns can sometimes feel like sailing out into unknown seas without a map," said ForeSee Results CEO and online customer satisfaction expert Larry Freed. "Our data provides real-time customer feedback to Briggs & Stratton to help them effectively navigate through the redesign process. The goal for any website change is increased customer satisfaction - we are able to scientifically measure how customers are responding to each design or functionality tweak and what the impact of those changes is on overall website delight. Our research takes the guesswork out of the project and helps companies focus their resources By employing a methodology used at the University of Michigan for the American Customer Satisfaction Index, ForeSee Results captures statistically reliable data that is able to predict the behaviors and satisfaction levels that will result from changes and enhancements to an e-business or informational website.

ForeSee Results' data can also help companies find out behavioral information about their websites users by asking a series of customized questions aimed at a specific website objective. Briggs & Stratton is utilizing this research feature to investigate how a customers' online experience impacts their offline behavior.

"We have a hunch from anecdotal feedback that our users are actually doing their comparison shopping online and then going to Home Depot or Sears with their printouts in hand to purchase," said Spanic. "We want real data to prove or disprove these theories."

About ForeSee Results

ForeSee Results is the market leader in online customer satisfaction management and specializes in converting satisfaction data into user-driven web development strategies. Using the methodology of the University of Michigan's American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), ForeSee Results has developed a model that scientifically quantifies the elements that drive online customer satisfaction and predicts future behaviors like likelihood to purchase, return to the site, or recommend the site to others. ForeSee Results, a privately held company co-founded by Compuware Corporation and CFI Group, is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan and can also be found on the web at www.ForeSeeResults.com.

About Briggs & Stratton

Briggs & Stratton Corporation is the largest manufacturer of small, air-cooled engines for outdoor power equipment, such as lawn mowers, pressure washers and generators. An authorized service network of more than 30,000 dealers worldwide backs the engines. Briggs & Stratton engines can be found powering equipment in more than 90 countries on all seven continents. www.briggsandstratton.com.

Mold Spores Can Be Killed With Ozone

2008-02-05T00:48:00.000-08:00

Mold, one of the most notorious allergic naturally occurring substances, can be found not only outdoors but indoors as well. This fungus which often takes the shape of a fuzzy, sometimes velvety clump can be found almost anywhere. Outdoors, they are more commonly found and in their highest quantities, around and on decomposing matter such as rotten logs, trash, dead animal bodies, and in moist and dark areas such as canals.

In the environment, molds are able to contribute to natural processes by speeding up decomposition. It becomes harder to detect and identify molds indoors. Molds indoors may not always appear as they do outdoors. They do not always come green and fuzzy but rather they may materialize as tiny black or grey matter that you would often mistake for just dirt. There can be many areas inside houses and buildings where mold may emerge such as bathrooms, laundry rooms, attics, cellars, damp basements, and even food storage compartments. Molds may also be seen on walls because the glue from the wallpaper and the paint on the walls may help promote certain mold growth especially when dampness is fostered and humidity is obliviously maintained at 60° to 80° F.

Mold growth happens when molds release mold spores that attach themselves to wet, damp, and rotten objects. Decomposing matter or wet matter becomes food to these baby mold called mold spores. Mold spores digest the matter and thrive in higher quantities than before. Mold spores also come in different varieties depending on what type of mold it has come from. There are harmless ones such as those found at the backside of wallpapers and on roofs that have leaked in the past. Mold spores become problematic when they are airborne. Airborne mold spores can release allergens that could be inhaled by people. These could produce mild allergic reactions such as sneezing, wheezing, headache and mild skin irritation to more severe ones such as fever, chronic bronchitis, lung infection, and lung failure. The most dangerous of airborne mold spores are the ones that are toxic such as the stachybotrys. Other toxic mold spores that could be found in the air are Aspergillus, Cladosporium, Alternaria, and Penicillum.

Toxic mold can be dangerous and so it is advisable not to tamper with mold once it has been identified. The best way to eliminate mold found indoors without having to come in close contact with mold spores, is an ozone generator. Mold spores can be killed with ozone. Ozone detoxifies mold and eliminates all possibilities of mold spore germination. For ozone to kill mold spores, it has to saturate the quantity of mold in an area meaning to say that the ratio of ozone to mold must be high. Ozone counteracts mold spores best when it is airborne and distributed in the air. An ozone generator machine can effectively disperse ozone in a room where mold growth is found. To ensure the elimination of mold spores, regular use of ozone should be implemented. The ozone generator must be turned on high and left for a few hours.

Online Casinos : Simulating Real World Play

2008-02-05T00:46:00.000-08:00

Many people around the world play at online casinos, and that’s fine if it’s your only source of gambling. However, online casinos are nowhere near as close to the real thing when it comes to simulation. Take Craps for example. The casino determines what number rolls by using a random number generator. However, just how random is random? If you have been in a casino, you know that every single person at a table has a unique rolling pattern. Some stack the dice and casually vault them into the air. Others shake them up and rocket them to the back wall, while other frequently launch the dice off the table or fall short of the back wall. There are even players who change their rolling pattern every roll or point.

An online casino does not have the ability to simulate this. Sure, they can manipulate the random number generator, but there’s still no way to accurately simulate table action. Having programmed, I know that a random number generator is not all that random. Worse, if the computer simply “picks a number”, it is not even a proper setup to being with. Let’s keep looking at Craps. Does the casino have a random number generator that simply picks a number between one and twelve? If so, all the numbers have an even shot at coming out, which is against true probability. Perhaps they list out all probable combinations and then the computer selects one. This would be a little more accurate, probability wise, but it still lacks the real randomness of live action—and weird events are more likely to ensue.

What I’m about to tell you is true and happens more frequently that one would imagine. A tester recently played at an online casino (Craps) to monitor number frequency in the field. Within the span of just 150 rolls, the computer rolled 11 non- field numbers in a row and then followed it up a handful of rolls later by rolling 12 non-field numbers in a row. What’s the big deal you ask? Well, first, the field has a 44.5% chance of winning on every roll and second; the probability of throwing 11 non-field rolls in a row is .0015%. The probability of throwing 12 non-field numbers in a row is .0008%. These events should happen once every 667 rolls and once every 1176 rolls respectively, yet both where seen within a handful of rolls from each other within the 150 rolls monitored.

But wait, there’s more. Within these same, now historic, 150 rolls, a six was not thrown for 13-16 rolls 5 times. The probability of not throwing a six 13 times is 14.5% (9% for 16 rolls)—this happened 5 times in 150 rolls. The same happened to the eight—in fact—there were two instances where an eight was not thrown for 18-20 times. The probability of this happening is 5-7% and it happened twice.

When you add all of these things together, you get a more accurate picture of just how unrealistic random number generators are for simulating real casino action. I am not trying to scare you away from playing. In fact, money can be made and fun can be had at online casinos. However, you need to realize that you are playing in a different environment with different rules. You can’t go chasing bets thinking they are overdue, mathematically, to come in, because this is a different world with a different way of producing outcomes. Playing strategies that you would use in a real live casino might not be applicable in an online casino.

Don't Use a Blog If ...

2008-02-01T02:58:00.000-08:00

Some people think a blog is a magic traffic generator. There's nothing magic about it. You should treat it just like you would any website - update it often with useful, unique content. Bloggers that succeed have no secrets, they just produce good content.

You shouldn't blog if...

1) Your blog content is an exact duplicate of what's on your site.

In other words, it should be a nice addition to your site...not a duplication. Offer unique, relevant information that people won't necessarily find on your site. For search engine optimization, you should frequently link back to pages on your Web site (if applicable).

2) You don't plan to blog often.

If you want your blog to become popular, it's important you update it often...otherwise, what's the point? Just like a website, you want to keep it fresh with new content so it doesn't become stale and forgotten.

3) You have unrealistic expectations of what a blog will do.

Don't get me wrong, there are some very savvy bloggers out there getting thousands of visitors per day. However, that is not the norm for most bloggers. So many people think can just throw up a free blog and floods of traffic will come.

The majority of heavily trafficked blogs are owned by Webmasters who already have sites with decent traffic. A blog can be a nice traffic generator if you come up with a creative theme that offers relevant content to your audience. However, don't expect miracles overnight.

4) You don't plan to promote it.

Just like a web site, a blog needs to be submitted and promoted. There are tons of blog directories out there that will allow you submit yours for free. But don't stop there. Link it to your web site so search engines can spider it, submit articles and add it to your signature box, etc. Treat it like a website and promote it any place you can.

Create an Automated Referral Generator

2008-02-01T02:55:00.000-08:00

Does your business depend on referrals for 30% or more of your sales or revenues? Would you like to increase the number of referrals you get and cut down on your mass advertising? Then having an automated referral generator is a must!

What do I mean by an automated referral generator? Well it can be an ezine or email campaign that is automated, so that once you set it up, it is easy to maintain. You only need to add the new people to it. And that part can also be automated. It could be a mail campaign, although, generally this is more manual, because you need to create the mailing every time you want to do it.

Another way to create an automated referral generator is to use the SendOutCards system. SendOutCards is a web site where you can choose from over 2,500 greeting cards to send to people. After you pick the greeting card you want, they print them, print the envelope and mail them using FIRST CLASS POSTAGE. They can do this for around $1.00 to $1.40 per greeting card, including the stamp, depending on what plan you are on.

With the sophisticated system provided by SendOutCards, you can create an automated referral generator. How does this work? Everyone has people who are good sources of referrals for their business, but part of the problem is keeping your name and message in front of them in a timely manner. With the campaign manager, you can create a set of greeting cards and postcards that will be sent out over the year, on specified dates, that will be mailed to your referral sources. Once you have set up the campaign with the cards and messages you want, then when you add people to your contact manager and that referral group, they will automatically get those cards in your referral campaign! This would cost about $10-12 per person per year for the regular greeting cards, depending on how many cards you decide to send out. Is developing a reliable referral source and keeping in contact with them worth $12 per year? Almost everyone I have explained this to has said YES to that question.

Now I am not a marketing genius, but my recommendation is that when you create the messages for these greeting cards, you mix it up and give them some variety. On some of them make an open request for referrals. On others, be more subtle, just say you hope that they are doing well and hope that their month is going well. Highlight different products or services and how people can save money or use your services. Make prominent your “unique selling proposition”, what sets you apart from your competition, whether it be your superior service, your outstanding reputation, your attention to customer needs. Part of your plan is to develop personal relationships with people who are referring business to you, so keep that in mind when you are creating the cards. The great thing about using a system like this is that you can really tailor or customize it for your business.

If you have a special event or sale or want to offer a discount to selected people, remember to include these referral sources in that mailing. You would need to do this outside of the referral generator campaign, but with the SendOutCards system, it is very easy to do.

With the SendOutCards system, you can create custom cards with your logos or pictures of your products on them. You can also print pictures right on the inside of the greeting cards. You might like to print an occasional picture of yourself or your business on some of the cards. These can be added to the mix of your referral campaign cards. Postcards are an effective way to contact people, so consider using a couple of those in your series.

Once you have your automated referral generator campaign system set up, you only need to add qualified referral sources to it. And remember to send out a Thank You card if they send you a referral. Make sure to send one to your client or customer too! This will put you a step above your competition!

By using this cost effective tool, you can grow your business and add a personal touch.

If you would like to learn more about using an automated referral generator campaign system or using an internet based greeting card system, please contact us.

Hybrid Car Maintenance

2008-01-31T04:23:00.000-08:00

Hybrid cars are a great help in preserving the environment. It is generally a more fuel efficient car with fewer emissions compared to conventional gasoline powered counterparts. They are designed to last longer and require less maintenance than other automobiles on the market.

When choosing between a hybrid automobile and a conventional vehicle, a lot of factors should be carefully considered. Consumers should research the most appropriate model based on the current requirements that he or she will have for the particular vehicle.

With the relatively less amount of maintenance required by existing hybrid cars, the initial cost of purchasing the hybrid vehicle can be eventually defrayed. So now maybe you are wondering how the hybrid designers were able to come up with this type of low maintenance vehicle.

The low maintenance aspect of the hybrid car is primarily attributed to the functionality of the hybrid generator. The generator outfitted in a hybrid car can generally take on various, multiple tasks. As you can imagine, this particular part is quite an important aspect of the vehicle.

As explained further, a hybrid car utilizes a separate gasoline powered engine apart from the electric motor. The engine found in most hybrid vehicles is generally very small. They usually range between ten to twenty horsepower compared to around fifty and up for the conventional automobile engines. With this, the hybrid engine is designed to operate within a particular speed range to reach maximum fuel efficiency.

With the generator being able to take on tasks that other parts of the car are designated to do, wear and tear is significantly reduced saving a few years worth of repair and maintenance. Since the hybrid generator is designed to have multiple functionalities, the hybrid car is able to gather energy during what is termed as gliding. Gliding significantly reduces battery usage therefore the battery in a hybrid car rarely needs to be replaced compared to conventional car batteries with a lifespan of only around one and a half to two years at the most.

Another role of the generator is brake control. Since the hybrid generator directs 80 percent of braking, brake life is extended for hybrid vehicles. Correspondingly, with the generator doing a significant portion of the brake work, chances of getting warped rotors is greatly reduced. This translates to lower incidences of brake wear leading to a longer brake fluid life with minimum chances of having the fluid contaminated due to heat build up. Ultimately, brake pads used in hybrid cards will last longer compared to conventional cars.

Hybrid cars are also designed to carry fewer automotive parts to maintain a sleek and lightweight body, primarily to increase fuel efficiency. But this also contributes to the long term savings that a hybrid owner will enjoy since parts replacement will be relatively much more manageable having to monitor and check fewer automotive parts compared to regular vehicles.

Additionally, hybrid cars do not have the regular starter found in gasoline type cars. A starter, as you know, is one of the major components that will have to be replaced over time. Without any starter, hybrid cars will encounter fewer chances of accidentally grinding the flywheel.

Coleman Generators - Maxa 5000ER and Accessories

2008-01-31T04:21:00.000-08:00

The Maxa 5000ER is suited for tool power or home standby power. It's reliable electronic ignition provides easier starts, while the cast iron sleeves provide protection for the engine. This unit also accepts the wheel and handle kit to make the 147-pound unit more portable. The 10-HP Tecumseh engine provides surge wattage of 6250 and running wattage of 5000. The large 5-gallon fuel tank means the generator can run for 6 hours at 50% of load.

The big boy of the Coleman Premium Series is the Maxa 5000ER+, with a reliable electronic ignition and cast iron sleeves for engine protection. The control panel has two 120-volt outlets, one 120/240-volt twistlock outlet, and circuit breaker protection. Best used for tool power or home standby power, this 147-pound unit also accepts the wheel and handle portability kit. The 10-HP Tecumseh engine provides 6250 watts of surge power and 5000 watts of running power. And the large 5-gallon fuel tank runs the generator for 6 hours at 50% of load.

Coleman sells genuine generator accessories both online and in stores. Covers, oil & filters, and spark arrestors are all available. In addition, there are two models of portability kits. The base model has an easy-grip handle and two 8" wheels. The premium portability kit has two easy-grip handles and two pneumatic wheels. Both units include steel legs, mounting hardware and a 1-year limited warranty on all parts. An industrial tune-up kit is also available with an oil filter, air filter, 2 spark plugs and a spark plug wrench.

Why You Should Fuel Your Generator With Natural Gas

2008-01-30T02:21:00.000-08:00

For those people who have invested or thinking about investing in a power generator for back-up power needs, extra electrical needs, or portable electrical needs, a big consideration should be the type of fuel that is used. There are many sources of fuel for providing electrical energy from the generator including gasoline, natural gas, diesel, solar, wind, and a few other fuel sources as well. The type of fuel selected for a generator can have big impacts on everything from the environment, cost, and electrical output. Sources like gasoline and natural gas are non-renewable where as solar and wind come free and are renewable. For continuous, high energy output, gasoline and natural gas are better fuel sources. These are just a few of the considerations. Natural gas, however has some major points over the other fuel sources and is recommended in this article.

Why is natural gas a good fuel source for generators? Well first of all, a lot of homes use natural gas to fuel stoves, ovens, and even fireplaces. Those who have paid the gas bill will often find it is much cheaper than the electrical bill. For those unlucky people with electric ranges, electric water heating, and other electricity dependent heating, the high price of electricity is a big cash vacuum. The price of natural gas is very good compared to other fuel sources as well. The energy output provided verses the cost is better than that of diesel and gasoline.

When it comes to generators, most backup generators work better with natural gas because the supply is already coming to the location. Most homes have a pipeline for their natural gas that can be harnessed by backup generators to supply electricity when other sources are not working. Automatic transfer switches can determine when there are blackouts or other electrical problems and supply electrical power produced from the location's natural gas source. This means that there is no need to purchase any additional fuel for the generator as it is already pulling from a decent costing fuel source in natural gas. This can not be achieved with some of the other fuel sources as well.

Another reason natural gas should be used in power generators is it's energy production which is comparable to that of gasoline and diesel. For people who have natural gas products, the energy output is not even noticeable but the cost is. Natural gas makes the energy to cost ratio efficient. For portable generators, the same output can also be achieved as natural gas can be supplied to the generator much like how a barbecue grill is supplied. This makes supplying fuel to portable units easy as all that is needed is a canister of natural gas that just needs to be plugged in to the fuel line.

Natural gas is also cleaner than both diesel and gasoline. Natural gas will cause less engine buildup and lead to longer lifetime of a costly generator. There are also natural gas conversion kits for many types of generators that allow changing the fuel type. These conversion kits can help extend the usefulness of old generators by using natural gas as the fuel type instead.

Natural gas is not only a good energy source for homes but also a good one for portable or emergency power generators as well. They provide high, continuous amounts of energy at a very efficient cost to both residential and business users.

Header Generator Provides The Needed Edge Over Your Competitors

2008-01-30T02:20:00.000-08:00

There are several important facets to a website, but the header is what catches the reader’s attention immediately. Creating header graphics that are appealing and eye-pleasing can do a lot for your website. If you intend on creating your own, it is essential that you have software like header generator. Otherwise, it is recommended that you seek professional assistance.

Having a professionally created header can do wonders for your site. The first thing people are going to see when entering your site is the header. You want to make a good impression right from the start, which can be done with a properly built header.

Believe it or not, a header can help you make a sell or lose one. It has been found that headers can increase your sales conversion ration by an overwhelming 300%. The reason for this is because it makes your website look more sound and professional by giving impact to the site. It will also put off the impression immediately that you care about the business and take pride in it.

As graphic designers are well aware of the importance of headers, you will find that many charge $100+ for a single header. If you have no experience whatsoever, it is better to pay than have an unprofessional one built. But research and shop around first, because there are graphic designers out there charging reasonable rates. I say this because $100+ is rather outlandish to pay.

One of the top software on the market that can assist you in creating impeccable headers is header generator. You can put in the information and allow the software to do the rest of the work for you. Finally, you can avoid paying ridiculous prices for single headers and create what you want.

By creating header graphics of your own, you can save money and never have to worry when you want to change the graphics. You will also have your graphics instantaneously to put on the website as oppose to having to wait several days. Lastly, you can design your graphics and create them exactly the way you want them to be.

It is essential that you have an eye-catching header to grab your visitor’s attention right from the start. With header generator, you can create just that and many more for a reasonable price. The software is like none other you will find on the internet and it will give you the edge over your competitors that you have been looking for.

Hybrid Car Maintenance

2008-01-29T05:49:00.000-08:00

Coleman Generators - Maxa 5000ER and Accessories

2008-01-29T05:48:00.000-08:00

Purchasing an Emergency Generator for Your Home

2008-01-05T02:34:00.000-08:00

With literally dozens of companies getting into the new found emergency back-up generator business these days, and all of the different models, fuel types and sizes, how do you go about selecting the right generator for your particular needs? There are basically three types, gasoline, diesel or natural gas / liquid propane fired engine generators. For this article we will not address diesel systems as they are primarily for industrial-commercial use.

The first, being mostly of the portable gasoline type everyone purchased years ago after hurricane Andrew hit S. Florida and left residents with out the basic electric required for even the simplest of life’s bare necessities. Although inexpensive enough for most home owners to purchase, they were very loud, could not power very many things at once, they required extension cords and an un-ending vigilance with a full gas can in hand. Many of us who experienced the frantic days of hazardous driving around town trying to find a gas station that not only had gas, but power to operate the pumps was enough to conjure up thoughts of what it would be like to be in a war zone after the big blast.

Enter now the burgeoning business of back up emergency generators for permanent installations. Let’s now explore what it takes to procure a permanently installed emergency generator system. The second but most popular generators for most residential applications, is the liquid propane or natural gas fired generators.

They are usually set and secured on a concrete slab very similar to an air conditioning unit on the side of the house, and are hard wired into to the main electrical service.

The local gas company will be more than happy to install an underground LP tank, or if your neighborhood is on the natural gas grid, they will hook-up your new generator for a reasonable fee.

But, with all these new generator installation companies offering their services, how do you find the most qualified and knowledgeable company to perform the entire job?

It seems everyone is an emergency generator expert these days. But how many of these companies really have the experience to design, size and even engineer and then install your emergency generator system. How many are even licensed contractors. It normally takes an Engineer or Architect to design and come up with drawings for permitting, an Electrical contractor to wire the system, a General contractor for the building or slab, a Pollutant Storage contractor / Gas co. for LP/NG for the fuel system and a Mechanical HVAC contractor for the air transition duct work.

When selecting a firm for your new system, have them come out to your residence to evaluate what size generator you will need to suit your specific power requirements. Don’t be afraid to ask for references and to see other jobs they have performed. Make sure they have all the required contracting licenses and expertise to get the job done safely, legally, and to the satisfaction of your local building department code requirements. This is a big investment, normally about the price of a high end vehicle.

Beware of the to good to be true prices being offered by fly by night companies, the old adage “you get what you pay for” could not be any truer!

Webmaster Toolkit Review

2008-01-05T02:33:00.000-08:00

oday I am going to discuss the Webmaster Toolkit. This web site has a wealth of information which you can navigate by browsing the topics listed in the left hand sidebar on their web site. These cover topics like SEO tools, web utilities, domain tools, HTML tools and finally a list of resources. Let’s take a look at each of these in turn.

SEO Tools
If you’re interested in marketing and promoting your web site then this is the section for you. In here you can find tools which will help you decide what keywords to use on your site, how popular your site is with the major search engines, how search spiders crawl your site, and various other analysis tools.

Web Utilities
If you’re interested in analyzing or tweaking your web site then check out this section. The two that you might find most useful are the .htaccess generator which is useful if you want to password protect part of your web site, and the Link Checker which will report any broken links on your site.

Domain Tools
There are a few interesting tools in this section. The two that you may find of most interest are the Domain Name Generator which will produce a list of possible domain name ideas based on a word or phrase you input. The other one is the Expired Domain Name Checker which could be a useful tool for improving both your link popularity and your website traffic whilst saving you money too! There are many expired domains still listed in many of the big directories, with the potential to drive large amounts of traffic to your site.

HTML Tools
There are couple of tools in this section which will clean up any un-needed code created by Microsoft FrontPage and Macromedia Dreamweaver. There is also the CSS Menu Generator which might be useful if you want to generate some navigation buttons on your site. Have a good look round the webmaster toolkit. The above is just a small sample of what is available. Whether you’re a novice or advanced webmaster, there are some useful tools and utilities available.

Business Name Generator- Your Source to Successful Business Names

2007-12-20T01:49:00.000-08:00

Business name generators know the first thing prospects are going to learn about your business is your company name. Fortunately, professionals in the business know much more than that! The name of a business will have everything to do with how people perceive what you do and will affect decisions on whether or not they do business with your company. Making sure the name reflects the needs of your customers is what business name generators do. What do they need to know to help you choose the best name possible?

Business Name Generator Psychology

Like marketers and advertisers, business name generators have to know what makes people tick and what motivates them to engage in certain behavior. If you can predict how an average person will react to a name, you will be able to tell whether a business name has the potential to draw interest. Organizational psychology helps publish studies of what people respond to and how they react to business proposals. This knowledge is critical to understanding why people respond to your business name the way that they do.

Business Name Generator Community Knowledge

Every community has a psychology or lifestyle all its own. From socio-economic expectations to local words, and phrases a good researcher knows how communities act and react to certain stimuli. You would not put a pub with a Jamaican name in the middle of an Irish neighborhood, and you would not design a name for a business that was in French, and put it in a lower economic area. Understanding communities helps business name generators match the name with its surroundings.

Business Name Generators Knowledge of State Laws

Every state has rules about the names of businesses. There are certain regulations about what kind of words can and cannot be used. They also have laws about what a business can be called that has a sole proprietor and specialized forms to be filed to register a trade name and make sure the business is following zoning issues. A good business name generator will guide the owner to the Small Business Association or guide them through a corporate image planning to see they obey all the laws as necessary.

Business Name Generator Business Procedures

If a business name generator is creating a name that will function as a trade name for your business, your professional will help make sure you trademark or service mark your name so no one else can use the name or run you out of business with similar logos, slogans or designs. It is hard to believe but very common for a business with a good name doing good business to have a competitor try to steal the name and the clientele. Your professional will advise you to make your name your property as soon as possible to keep your business unique and profitable.

Business Name Generator Knowledge of Current Trends

Consumer trend analysis the business name generator's bread and butter as they learn an understanding of how modern groups think and react to names. Sometimes old standards need to be let go so emerging thought can prevail. By studying what names are popular and why they are drawing such a crowd to their establishments, name designers can get a good feel for the best way to start a business for your target clientele. Obviously, a business targeting aging baby boomers is going to need a different name that one targeting young professionals. Keeping up with societal trends is vitally important.

Business Name Generator Word Symbol Usage

Every culture has words that carry with them another meaning. For example we think of owls as "smart" and we think of New York City as modern. By utilizing the assigned meanings for animals, places, foods and other words in our vocabulary a business name generator can make sure to add as much meaning as possible into your name in a few short words. Word symbols are the way poets say so much in so few lines and an excellent to give your customer's an entire sales pitch just by hearing your company name.

When you tell somebody to come by your business, the first thing you are going to tell thin is its name. Make sure that you or the professional you work with knows enough about people and marketing to make a wise choice that will not only make you proud, but bring you business for years to come.

Free Affiliate Income Generator Critique

2007-12-20T01:48:00.000-08:00

Some affiliate marketing packages give you so much information that you're confused as to where to start. Others give you such a defined system that there's no room to grow. Pawel Reszka has put together an affiliate marketing package that gives you the best of both worlds with his Free Affiliate Income Generator.

I must admit I'm impressed with the way Pawel has been able to blend an easy to read and understand presentation with precise descriptions of how to put his plan into action -- something you don't find in most online marketing packages.

Once you get into the Free Affiliate Income package, you'll find the first chapter contains an explanation of what affiliate marketing is, how to pick the most profitable items to promote, where to find these items and exactly how to become an affiliate for the items you want to promote -- short and sweet.

As you read on, you'll find that the package starts to narrow it's focus to the meat of the system -- exactly how to drive a flood of free targeted traffic to your affiliate links.

Free Affiliate Income Generator Criticism

I have to admit, finding something to criticize in Pawel's package is a challenge. The information presented isn't laced with filler, it's to the point and easy to understand and it's everything you need to know to start making money online but here goes --

Possibly, the chapter titled Super Charged Linking Tactics could have been explained a little more clearly. You may have to read it twice before you fully understand the strategy Pawel is detailing.

Given the importance of the Super Charged Linking Tactics of Free Affiliate Income Generator, the graphics used to illustrate the flow of links to gain high search engine ranks could have been a little easier to follow -- that's all I got.

Free Affiliate Income Generator Benefits

Here are just a few of the topics covered in the package: how to generate affiliate income with free targeted traffic, finding profitable niches, choosing the right affiliate program, outlining your business plan, how to manipulate search engines, creating lenses with Squidoo, free press releases, super charged linking tactics, what to do next and much more.

Google Adwords can be extremely expensive and very hard to master. The same holds true with paid advertising campaigns. Obviously, there must be a less expensive (or free) way to create an online income. Well, there is. There are numerous free resources available to online marketers. Most are overlooked or not used to their full potential.

Free Affiliate Income takes advantage of many of these free resources and develops a system where they all work in concert. The idea is to create a network of targeted traffic resources, all working together as a unit and to do it all at no cost -- mission accomplished.

And don't forget the free bonuses -- They're not the usual toys offered with most packages.

Generac's new approach to paralleling power

2007-07-25T03:27:00.000-07:00

In typical standby power applications, multiple gen-set units are joined together using a series of paralleling switchgear. Generac Power Systems has taken a different approach with its new Modular Power System (MPS) generators, as the paralleling technology is integrated into the actual gen-set package.

"Switchgear components add complexity to the system, and from an engineering perspective we just designed them out," said Dino Xykis, corporate vice president, engineering at Generac. "We don't use motorized breakers. We don't have a huge switchboard to support. We don't need to."
Not only does this create a simpler system with less components, Xykis said, it also gives users the flexibility to expand from a single 300 kW unit up to 6 MW as their standby power needs grow. "Users don't have to put all the capital up front," he said. "They can scale and correlate their power demands to the amount of power they need provided."

Paul Bowers, Generac's director of sales added, "if one unit goes down, there is always a system providing redundancy to power the critical load. You can substitute two 500 kW units for a 1 MW unit and even if you lose one, you still have 500 kW to provide to the critical loads.

"Right now, 40% of our MPS systems have gone into life safety or mission-critical applications between healthcare and data centers," Bowers continued. "For them, it's a very cost-effective solution because they're getting the built-in redundancy with the MPS, without actually paying any more. This same thought process can also be taken to wastewater treatment pl

Information technology - Buyers Guide - Directory

2007-07-25T03:26:00.000-07:00

Achieve Healthcare Technologies provides value-added information solutions and services that allow our long-term care customers to improve both quality of care and bottom-line results. Our products are available in both self-host and Web-host environments. Web hosting transfers the responsibility of powering and maintaining your information system to Achieve. Achieve Web hosting embodies minimal up-front investment, simple and fast implementation, and flexibility as your organization's needs change.

Distributed generator placement to maximize the loadability of a distribution system

2007-07-04T02:50:00.000-07:00

In the past, due to economies of scale, power generating stations were often large with capacities in the range 150-1000 MW. Clearly, this type of power station requires large facilities, including land and personnel needed to operate it, and incurs high capital costs. Moreover, since these big power stations cannot be constructed closer to load centres for obvious reasons, there is a need for long Extra High Voltage (EHV) or Ultra High Voltage (UHV) transmission lines, including transmission substations. Similar to power stations, these transmission lines and substations need ample amounts of money for their design, construction, operation and maintenance. Moreover, the lengthy structure of these transmission lines makes the lines vulnerable to natural hazards such as heavy wind, snowstorms and lightning strikes. These natural hazards, in some cases, become the major reason for partial or full blackout of the power system triggered by some line outages.

These conditions, in addition to economical and environmental pressures in the recent past, have been changing the way electric power utilities approach generation. Some of the economical and environmental factors associated with large power plants are listed below:

* High fuel cost

* Environmental pollution

* Transmission rights of way problems

* High initial investment and long-term planning

* Land required for power plant construction and resettlement

What are the alternatives? By considering the above factors, one of the best alternatives for a change in the traditional methods of generation and delivery arrangements is to introduce distributed and dispersed generation, which can be conveniently located closer to load centres.

Distributed generation is not a new concept. If one looks back at the evolution of the electric power industry, electricity was introduced as an attractive alternative for steam, hydraulics, direct heating and cooling which were produced near the point of consumption in small quantities. The main idea behind distributed generation is that of generation on a small scale, which can be easily placed closer to the point of consumption. Distributed and dispersed generators are, by definition, a smaller size of generators, which can come from traditional or from new 'revolutionary' technologies.

Given the current trend of the deregulated electricity market, where competition is introduced in generation, transmission and distribution, the prospects for distributed generation are good. People with an interest in having their own power plant can do so and the rest of the power after their consumption can be sold on for the benefit of all. This would release the government from the burden of investing huge amounts of money in the generation sector and could result in a reduction in electricity prices and a better quality of supply.

It is also interesting to note that there is a shrinking in the 'economy of scale' in electrical energy production. A recent study indicates that the cost per kWh ratio of large (traditional) to small (DG) generating units has dropped from 60 per cent in 1960 to 30 per cent in 2000.1 This is due to the fact that there is technological advancement in fuel conversion, insulation, automation and control. Some DGs can be operated and controlled as fully automated systems and need to be shut down only once a year for maintenance purposes.

A number of advantages and the 'climate' of the current electricity business strongly favour the application of DGs. However, many issues need to be considered before allowing distributed and dispersed generators to operate in power systems. For instance, given the choice, where should the DG be placed in the system to enjoy maximum technical benefits, such as low losses, higher reliability, increase in loadability and better voltage profile? Apart from these, other issues, such as various stability problems and protection of DGs have to be properly considered. Since stability and protection issues are outside the scope of this paper, only DG placement in the distribution system is studied here, in particular its potential to increase the loadability of the distribution system. This may be an interesting issue in the current deregulated electricity market, where different 'Discos' (Distribution Companies) combined with 'Gencos' (Generation Companies) would want maximize the utilization of their facilities for maximum profit.

Generator Power Connection Kit is protected from weather

2007-06-19T00:46:00.001-07:00

Generator Power Connection Kit features 2 in. deep, cast aluminum, weatherproof box that comes with powder-coated finish for protection against the elements. It includes receptacle securely mounted to cover and comes with all wiring devices and mounting hardware required for safe inlet for portable generator installation. Heavy-duty, industrial-grade base is integrated with cover.

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MILFORD, Conn., Sept. 9, 2005 - Bryant announces a new Generator Power Connection Kit that features an extra deep weatherproof box, plus all the wiring devices and mounting hardware required for a safe, cost-effective inlet for portable generator installation. The 2" deep, cast aluminum box comes with a powder-coated finish to provide years of protection against the elements.

The kit features a receptacle securely mounted to the cover for additional durability and trouble-free operation. The kit's heavy duty, industrial grade base is integrated with the cast aluminum weatherproof cover.

The Generator Power Connection Kit is described in new four-color sell sheet that contains product features, specifications and other useful information for distributors and their customers. The brochure also features Bryant's Pool Pump Receptacle Kits and the Locking Plugs & Connector needed to mate with the generator kit and pool pump kits.

For additional information about the Bryant Generator Power Connection Kit, contact Brian Grayson at 203-882-4836. To request a copy of the new Generator Power Connection Kit brochure

Function Generator offers arbitrary waveform capabilities

2007-06-19T00:44:00.000-07:00

Generating standard and arbitrary waveforms using direct digital synthesis, 10 MHz Model 271 offers modulation capabilities including sweep, AM, gating, trigger/burst, FSK and hop. Unit includes storage for 5 user-defined waveforms and is suited for general-purpose test or bench troubleshooting applications.

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The high-stability 10 MHz function generator provides arbitrary capabilities with storage for five user-defined waveforms

EVERETT, Wash. - Fluke Corporation, a leading supplier of test and measurement equipment, introduces the Model 271 10 MHz direct digital synthesis function generator. The versatile generator with arbitrary waveform capabilities is ideal for many general-purpose test or bench troubleshooting applications.he 271 generates a wide variety of standard and arbitrary waveforms using DDS digital waveform generation. DDS is not only exceptionally accurate and stable, but also delivers high spectral purity, low phase noise and excellent frequency agility. The 271 also features extensive modulation capabilities including sweep, AM, gating, trigger/burst, FSK and hop.

The Fluke 271 is part of Fluke's complete range of signal source generators designed for low frequency (50 MHz or lower) audio manufacturing and service applications.

The Fluke 271 DDS function generator is available at a suggested US list price of $1495. For more information on the Fluke 271 DDS or Fluke's line of signal source generators

Shedding light on information technology risks: IT auditing does not hinge solely on highly specialized reviews. Effective tech-related risk manageme

2007-06-18T23:39:00.001-07:00

DUE TO INCREASED connectivity in the workplace, the average internal auditor receives considerably more exposure to IT systems than in the past, Technology plays a fundamental role in the way modern organizations function, and it has become integrated to the degree that virtually every type of audit requires at least some consideration of IT issues. Whereas technology was once considered the domain of specialized IT auditors, it is now the concern of all auditors, including audit generalists.

Although some technology areas still require the attention of IT audit specialists, several risks stemming from IT intersect almost every auditor's path. The modern auditor's purview, for example, encompasses areas such as access control, network security, data integrity, asset management, and software acquisition and development, each of which constitutes a mission-critical element of the organization's success. All auditors need to be aware of the risks associated with these areas to help their organizations review vital systems and ensure the enterprise runs smoothly.

ACCESS CONTROL

Security surveys conducted during the last decade have consistently shown that a large number of information security breaches originate from inside the organization. The Computer Security Institute's most recent "Computer Crime and Security Survey," for example, shows that 45 percent of U.S. organizations polled reported unauthorized access by insiders. In addition, financial fraud and theft of proprietary information--"opportunity crimes" that security experts say require access to company systems and insider knowledge--ranked as the most costly types of computer crime.

Management Information Tools Introduces MITS Report — an Intuitive, Interactive Report Generator

2007-06-18T23:37:00.000-07:00

SEATTLE -- Using state-of-the-art technology, MITS Report allows users to view and manipulate reports from their operational systems in seconds, even with large amounts of source data

Management Information Tools, Inc., the developer of MITS, the leading OLAP Business Intelligence Solution for the MultiValue database market, introduces MITS Report, an interactive report generator developed to meet today's organizations' need for flexible, affordable reporting. MITS Report is designed to be fast, resulting in a true interactive reporting experience. Because of the easy to use web-browser interface even non-technical users can access information quickly and efficiently.

MITS Discover (the new name for the internationally renowned full-featured MITS OLAP Business Intelligence system) continues as the solution for in-depth and dynamic data analysis. MITS Report fills the need to have a simple way to produce basic reports from existing organizational data. With the intuitive web browser interface, MITS Report is easy to install, configure and use.

MITS Report includes a user-based security model so that users may access only the appropriate information. This model allows organizational management to set a level of data access security so that individual users may be productive and yet not be exposed to information that is outside of their area of responsibility.

Data Generator offers stimulus capability to 13.5 GHz

2007-06-07T03:21:00.000-07:00

Serial Pulse Data Generator, Model 81142A allows engineers to conduct physical layer tests by providing high-precision, low-jitter signals. With data formats of RZ, R1, and NRZ, system provides programmable pattern and sequence generation for entire range of digital high-speed serial buses. It offers linear delay modulation up to 1 GHz for jitter-tolerance testing, and remote programmable ultra-small pulses to trigger accurate measurements.

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Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today announced the industry's fastest serial pulse data generator, with stimulus capability up to 13.5 GHz. The Agilent 81142A enables reliable physical layer measurements for new, high-speed serial bus designs and for scientists conducting fundamental lab research.

Next-generation computing and communications applications, such as video-on-demand, are driving the need for transferring large amounts of data at ever-increasing transmission rates. Obtaining a high-quality characterization of electronic component performance is a key step in designing reliable, high-performance systems. In addition, researchers are now designing next-generation electrical components to operate at speeds of 10 GHz or more, a speed at which optical components are commonly used today.

An accurate high-speed signal stimulus is crucial to ensuring signal integrity at these speeds. The Agilent 81142A allows engineers for the first time to conduct reliable, accurate physical layer tests by providing high-precision, low-jitter signals along with full control of data streams for performance and characterization testing.Accelerated development cycles make proprietary test solutions less suitable," said Siegfried Gross, vice president and general manager of Agilent's Digital Verification Solutions division. "Standard test instruments that do not compromise on signal quality, timing accuracy or programmatic control give the engineer a jump-start in high-quality characterization of new devices and systems. The combination of multiple data formats with sequencing, flexible triggering capability, and 13.5 GHz performance is unique in the market."

Superior signal fidelity and the most precise data signals are the key contributions of the 13.5 GHz serial pulse data generator. Other features include:

o Data formats RZ, R1 and NRZ, with flexible parameters and fast transition times for high-quality waveforms and eye diagram measurements.

o Flexible and programmable pattern and sequence generation for the entire range of digital high-speed serial buses.

o Industry-leading linear delay modulation up to 1 GHz for jitter-tolerance testing.

o Remote programmable ultra-small pulses to trigger accurate measurements.

U.S Pricing and Availability

Distributed generator placement to maximize the loadability of a distribution system

2007-06-06T05:02:00.002-07:00

Abstract Recently, there has been a great interest in the integration of distributed generation units at the distribution level. This requires new analytical tools for understanding system performance. This paper presents a simple methodology for placing a distributed generator with a view to increasing the loadability of the distribution system. The effectiveness of the proposed placement technique is demonstrated in a test distribution system that consists of 30 nodes and 32 segments. Other technical benefits of the distributed generator at that location and other locations are also studied and compared.The production of electrical energy is one of the vital components of power system operation. Often referred to as 'generation', it can come from various sources and a variety of technologies. Traditionally, electrical energy is produced from hydro, gas, diesel and nuclear power stations.
Advertisement

In the past, due to economies of scale, power generating stations were often large with capacities in the range 150-1000 MW. Clearly, this type of power station requires large facilities, including land and personnel needed to operate it, and incurs high capital costs. Moreover, since these big power stations cannot be constructed closer to load centres for obvious reasons, there is a need for long Extra High Voltage (EHV) or Ultra High Voltage (UHV) transmission lines, including transmission substations. Similar to power stations, these transmission lines and substations need ample amounts of money for their design, construction, operation and maintenance. Moreover, the lengthy structure of these transmission lines makes the lines vulnerable to natural hazards such as heavy wind, snowstorms and lightning strikes. These natural hazards, in some cases, become the major reason for partial or full blackout of the power system triggered by some line outages.

These conditions, in addition to economical and environmental pressures in the recent past, have been changing the way electric power utilities approach generation. Some of the economical and environmental factors associated with large power plants are listed below:

* High fuel cost

* Environmental pollution

* Transmission rights of way problems

* High initial investment and long-term planning

* Land required for power plant construction and resettlement

What are the alternatives? By considering the above factors, one of the best alternatives for a change in the traditional methods of generation and delivery arrangements is to introduce distributed and dispersed generation, which can be conveniently located closer to load centres.

Distributed generation is not a new concept. If one looks back at the evolution of the electric power industry, electricity was introduced as an attractive alternative for steam, hydraulics, direct heating and cooling which were produced near the point of consumption in small quantities. The main idea behind distributed generation is that of generation on a small scale, which can be easily placed closer to the point of consumption. Distributed and dispersed generators are, by definition, a smaller size of generators, which can come from traditional or from new 'revolutionary' technologies.

Given the current trend of the deregulated electricity market, where competition is introduced in generation, transmission and distribution, the prospects for distributed generation are good. People with an interest in having their own power plant can do so and the rest of the power after their consumption can be sold on for the benefit of all. This would release the government from the burden of investing huge amounts of money in the generation sector and could result in a reduction in electricity prices and a better quality of supply.

It is also interesting to note that there is a shrinking in the 'economy of scale' in electrical energy production. A recent study indicates that the cost per kWh ratio of large (traditional) to small (DG) generating units has dropped from 60 per cent in 1960 to 30 per cent in 2000.1 This is due to the fact that there is technological advancement in fuel conversion, insulation, automation and control. Some DGs can be operated and controlled as fully automated systems and need to be shut down only once a year for maintenance purposes.

A number of advantages and the 'climate' of the current electricity business strongly favour the application of DGs. However, many issues need to be considered before allowing distributed and dispersed generators to operate in power systems. For instance, given the choice, where should the DG be placed in the system to enjoy maximum technical benefits, such as low losses, higher reliability, increase in loadability and better voltage profile? Apart from these, other issues, such as various stability problems and protection of DGs have to be properly considered. Since stability and protection issues are outside the scope of this paper, only DG placement in the distribution system is studied here, in particular its potential to increase the loadability of the distribution system. This may be an interesting issue in the current deregulated electricity market, where different 'Discos' (Distribution Companies) combined with 'Gencos' (Generation Companies) would want maximize the utilization of their facilities for maximum profit.

Distributed generator placement to maximize the loadability of a distribution system

2007-06-06T05:02:00.001-07:00

New Terex light tower features unique generator system

2007-06-06T05:01:00.000-07:00

In general, when new technology is integrated into a market, it tends to come in on the high side of the spectrum, i.e., a large or complex product where additional costs can be more easily absorbed or passed along. But that's definitely not how Terex Corp. approached it in the case of its new JL100 light tower.

Targeted firmly at the lower cost end of the company's light tower product line for markets such as rental and roadbuilding, the new JL100 tower incorporates a new permanent magnet alternator system that provides the power for four 1000 W metal halide lamps that can effectively provide lighting for 7.5 acres.

While permanent magnet alternators are not especially new--they have been used in military equipment for some time and have been seen off and on in very select commercial applications--this is one of the first times they have been applied in such a cost-sensitive arena as light towers.

"It's beautiful technology for what we're trying to do," said Robert Schaefer, director of sales, marketing and customer support for Terex Light Construction. "What we really did with this product is put ourselves in the shoes of our customer. We had a lot of 'leave your feelings at the door' meetings with our customers.

"What they told us was, you guys make a great light tower, but we don't need a full-featured light tower to meet our needs. We love having all of those receptacles and all that electrical capacity, but we don't need it and we really don't want to pay for it.So rather than take an existing product and try to make it something it's not, we decided to come up with a different concept altogether."

That different concept was an extremely simple machine that consists of little more than the engine, the alternator, some basic controls and a frame to hold it all together.

The JL100 light tower is powered by a two-cylinder, liquid-cooled Kubota Z602 diesel engine that is EPA Tier 2 ready. The 0.599 L engine is rated 13.5 hp at 3000 rpm in most applications, but here is operated at 2500 rpm for an output of approximately 11 net intermittent hp. The engine package includes a Copar radiator, Donaldson air cleaner and Nelson muffler.

Replacing the engine flywheel is a brushless, bearingless permanent magnet alternator that was developed by Newage AVK SEG. Much smaller than a conventional alternator, it is just 13 in. in diameter, 6.5 in long and weighs 81 lb. "It's an axial type machine based on a permanent magnet material," said Dr. Nazar Al-Khayat, chief engineer, research and development at Newage AVK SEG. "It's very much a dedicated machine for an application.

"Because it is a permanent magnet generator, it is more compact," Al-Khayat added. "It requires no electronic control because it has been designed to cope with a specific load. There is no excitation control needed because the magnets are already switched on all the time. It's mechanically integrated to the back end and crankshaft of the engine, so there is no need for a flywheel."

Along with the generator electronics, the system allowed Terex to eliminate the ballast units found on conventional light towers. "That's a major cost driver that we were able to leave out," said Schaefer. "Standard light towers at 60 Hz all have ballast units. With this direct system, we've been able to eliminate the need for ballast units and the cost of them as well.

"There is also a performance benefit. With the ballast and capacity functions removed, the lamps actually light faster. The striking time is nearly half of that of more complex units. And one of the other reasons this is so exciting is that because of the direct alternator design, it doesn't matter how fast you're running the engine. That takes 50 and 60 Hz out of the equation and opens it up for us to sell easily into Europe. Even unrelated to the electrical technology, with this design, the unit is less than 1750 lb., which lets us avoid a number of the European road regulations."

The alternator system was in development for approximately a year, according to Al-Khayat. "This concept came out of our variable speed program which we have been working on for quite some time," he said. "It has allowed us to move away from the 50 and 60 Hz to a higher output by providing the right impedance and softening the machine so it provides the right striking characteristics. It's also very durable. Light towers typically clock in a lot of service and this can accommodate that quite well."

The JL100 light tower controls consist of a simple instrument panel that incorporates a Grasslin hourmeter, on-off switch and switches for the individual lamps. A 30 gal. fuel tank provides more than 70 hours of run time under normal conditions, the company said. The mast section can be erected and extended to a height of 30 ft. though use of a dual winch system and the lights can be rotated a full 360[degrees] for maximum coverage. A manually operated four-point outrigger system is designed to steady the unit in windy conditions

Gas Standards Generator follows 2-stage dilution approach

2007-06-06T05:00:00.000-07:00

Model 491M/B/SD dynamically blends precisely known VOC/TOC gas standards with parts-per-billion and parts-per-trillion analyte concentrations. First stage (491M/B) of dilution combines analyte flow from Trace Source(TM) permeation tubes with precisely controlled flow of pure dilution gas to form ppb concentration mixture. In second stage (491M/SD), aliquot of ppb mixture is further diluted to form ppt mixture. Standard additions techniques may also be used to insure accuracy. The 491M/B/SD MODULAR GAS STANDARDS GENERATOR dynamically blends precisely known VOC/TOC gas standards with parts-per-billion (ppb) and parts-per-trillion (ppt) analyte concentrations. Two modules provide two sequential stages of dilution. The first stage 491M/B combines the analyte flow from Trace Source(TM) permeation tubes with a precisely controlled flow of pure dilution gas to form a parts-per-billion concentration mixture. In the second stage 491M/SD, an aliquot of the ppb mixture is further diluted to form a ppt mixture. Trace Source(TM) permeation tubes are now available for 500 analyte compounds.

The 491M/B/SD uses dynamic blending to circumvent the common problems with ppb and ppt standards. Typically, ppb and ppt VOC/TOC gas standards are not stable in storage due to reactions and adsorption in the container. Dynamic blending avoids this problem. With dynamic blending the key challenges are controlling the analyte vapor flow and assuring true "zero" dilution gas. The modular, two-stage dilution approach of the 491M/B/SD uses permeation tubes with measurable rates to control analyte flow. Combined dilution flow required is 10 l/min or less. It also allows the "standard additions technique" to be used to insure accuracy in spite of significant, unknown dilution gas contamination.

Guam airport still running on generator power

2007-06-02T04:04:00.000-07:00

AIRLINE INDUSTRY INFORMATION-(C)1997-2005 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

The Antonio B Won Pat Guam International Airport is expected to return to island power tomorrow (27 September) after being on generator power since Friday (23 September).

The airport administration has said that the airport switched to generator power after a power outage that affected the entire island. The island-wide outage, which was the second this year, was caused by a breaker failure at a substation, according to the Pacific Daily News.

The power failure at the airport may have been caused by an electrical surge, which also caused a fire in the mechanical room. The terminal was almost entirely evacuated. Aircraft were however able to land safely as the outage did not affect the runway lights, which use a different power source.

It is unknown at this time how much running the generator has cost the airport.

((Comments on this story may be sent to aii.feedback@m2.com))

Gas Standards Generator utilizes modular, 2-stage dilution

2007-06-02T04:03:00.000-07:00

Modular gas standards generator 491M/B/SD dynamically blends precisely known VOC/TOC gas standards with parts-per-billion and parts-per-trillion analyte concentrations. In first stage, 491M/B combines analyte flow from Trace Source(TM) permeation tubes with precisely controlled flow of pure dilution gas to form parts-per-billion concentration mixture. Second stage, 491M/SD, further dilutes aliquot of ppb mixture to form part-per-trillion mixture.

The 491M/B/SD MODULAR GAS STANDARDS GENERATOR dynamically blends precisely known VOC/TOC gas standards with parts-per-billion (ppb) and parts-per-trillion (ppt) analyte concentrations. Two modules provide two sequential stages of dilution. The first stage 491M/B combines the analyte flow from Trace Source(TM) permeation tubes with a precisely controlled flow of pure dilution gas to form a parts-per-billion concentration mixture. In the second stage 491M/SD, an aliquot of the ppb mixture is further diluted to form a ppt mixture. Trace Source(TM) permeation tubes are now available for 500 analyte compounds.

The 491M/B/SD uses dynamic blending to circumvent the common problems with ppb and ppt standards. Typically, ppb and ppt VOC/TOC gas standards are not stable in storage due to reactions and adsorption in the container. Dynamic blending avoids this problem. With dynamic blending the key challenges are controlling the analyte vapor flow and assuring true "zero" dilution gas. The modular, two-stage dilution approach of the 491M/B/SD uses permeation tubes with measurable rates to control analyte flow. Combined dilution flow required is 10 l/min or less. It also allows the "standard additions technique" to be used to insure accuracy in spite of significant, unknown dilution gas contamination.

For more information, contact:

KIN-TEK Laboratories, Inc., Phone: (409) 938-3627

www.kin-tek.com email: sales@kin-tek.com

A Career As An Electrician

2007-04-16T22:57:00.000-07:00

In new building construction, the work of an electrician is to ensure that all the electrical wires and cables are properly installed. It is mandatory under the law that only qualified electricians should handle the wiring of electrically equipped buildings, whether residential, commercial or industrial. When installing electrical systems, electricians are required to work with blueprints that specify the locations of load centers, panel boards, circuits, outlets and other electrical equipment. Electricians have to work in conformity with the National Electrical Code and the state and local building codes.

Nature Of Work

While installing wiring systems, electricians place conduits in the walls, partitions and concealed areas, as per instructions in the blue prints. They fasten small metal or plastic boxes to walls for housing electrical switches and outlets and pull insulated wires and cables through the conduits to complete the electrical circuits between these boxes. They join the wires and cables in the boxes using special connecters. In course of their work, the electricians have to use tools like screwdrivers, wire strippers, hacksaws, conduit benders, knives and power tools like drills and saws.

The work of electricians who specialize in maintenance consists primarily of repair and the maintenance of electrical equipment and upgrading existing electrical systems. The actual work would vary, depending on where the electrician is employed. For example, in a home they may be required to rewire, remove an old circuit box or replace the existing one to accommodate additional equipment and install new fans. Maintenance electricians working in factories may need to repair transformers, generators, motors, machine tools and electronic controllers.

Working Conditions

Electricians have to work indoors and outdoors. Their work may take them to factories, homes, offices and construction sites. At times, the work may be physically demanding, such as bending conduits, stooping, standing and kneeling for long hours. They are exposed to weather conditions that at times could be quite inhospitable. In their course of work, electricians are exposed to the risk of injury from electrical shock, cuts and falls. To avoid these, they have to adhere to strict safety procedures.

Weekly Working Hours

Electricians work forty hours a week, but many do work overtime. Those attached to maintenance and repairs in factories are required to travel to the worksites at any time of the day or night, in case of an emergency.

Training And Qualifications

Most electricians are trained via apprentice programs that offer a combination of on-the-job-training and classroom instruction. The apprentice programs are sponsored by the local chapter of Associated Builders and Contractors and the Independent Electrical Contractor's Association or the joint training committees, comprising of local unions of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers and local chapters of the National Electrical Contractors Association.

Hydropower Renewable Energy - Fossil Fuel Replacement

2007-04-16T22:56:00.000-07:00

Approximately ten percent of energy produced in the United States is from hydropower. In this process, water spins in turbines in generators.

Hydropower is one of the renewable energy sources being researched and implemented to replace fossil fuels, which are in the process of depletion. It does not produce carbon dioxide, as coal power stations do, making it a cleaner, as well as, cheaper alternate way to produce electricity. It is also renewable, with the help of rainwater for replenishment.

The impoundment facility is the most common type of hydropower facilities. A dam is built on a large river or lake to store its water in a reservoir. When water is released from the reservoir through tunnels it flows through a turbine. Since the height of the water behind the walls is so great, the released water goes through the turbine with a great force of energy. As the turbine spins, it sets in motion a generator, which in turn produces electricity. The water then travels back into the stream or river below. Networks of transmission lines and facilities carry the electricity from the generator to users in a form they can use. The Hoover Dam is an illustration of the process just described. When it was initially built, it produced enough electricity for the entire city of Las Vegas. As Las Vegas grew, they turned to other energy sources

The pumped storage hydro plant facility is able to store power. It does so by pumping water from a lower reservoir to an upper reservoir during low energy demand periods. When needs increase, the water is released from the upper reservoir back to the lower reservoir for electricity generation.

Hydroelectric plants require a lot of land in order to build a dam and reservoir. This requires a great deal of money, time and construction. There are not many ideal places to put them and most of these have already been taken. The good thing is once constructed; the electricity is free to produce. Due to costs, the tendency will be to put up smaller hydro plants that are more economical.

Hydroelectric plants using dams have a negative effect on the environment. Through the construction of a dam, there is a blockage of the flow from upstream to downstream. This disrupts the migration pattern of fish. Fish can also be killed passing through the turbines. An advantage to hydropower is the ability to control energy release to meet changing demands.

The population is growing and so will its power needs. Fossil fuels are being used up and there will come a time when they will be depleted. We need to turn to renewable energy sources to meet our needs. Natural resources seem to be a natural solution. Hydroelectric plants can meet our power needs without worries of depletion or pollution. It is also the most reliable source available today. Research and development is ongoing to provide a solution to the damage a dam can do. The potential for hydroelectricity is within our grasp and we must find a way to make this work.

Wave powered machine produced drinkable water and electricity

2007-04-06T04:30:00.000-07:00

A prototype technology which uses wave power to generate electricity and desalinise water is in the advanced stages of completion on the WA coast. The Seapower Pacific unit to be deployed off Fremantle should begin operating later this year. Desalination of the seawater is achieved using a reverse-osmosis process, passing sea water through a membrane to remove the salt. The process is powered by wave motions, with excess energy available to drive electricity-generating turbines. The saline-free water can be discharged and de-pressurised for domestic or industrial use.

Seapower Pacific received an R&D Start grant from AusIndustry to develop the prototype - the R&D Start program is designed to provide grants and loans for technologically innovative projects that need help with initial development funding.

When commercialised the project will be the world’s first dual-purpose wave power plant and will hold enormous potential in the global marketplace. “Global electricity consumption is forecast to increase by 40% by 2010, and there is an increasing demand for much of this to be supplied by non-polluting energy sources,” said Pacific Hydro’s Rob Grant. “At the same time, demand for clean water supplies is becoming critical. “Commercialisation of Seapower Pacific’s technology also has the potential to create a significant new manufacturing centre in Perth where the joint venture is based.”

500kW Photovoltaic (PV) Inverter now available

2007-04-06T04:27:00.000-07:00

SatCon has announced that the launch its 500kW PowerGate inverter, the largest commercial Photovoltaic inverter available in North America. As the inverter iqualifies for California’s Self Generation Incentive Program, it attracts a rebate of US$2.80/watt. The inverter is a commercial-grade product available in 208, 240, and 480 volt models for grid-connected operation in low and medium voltage applications as single unit and parallel multi-megawatt systems. The PowerGate is a completely integrated package with all electrical and control system components pre-assembled and tested in a common enclosure.

The release of the PowerGate 500kW inverter was one of SatCon’s major R&D milestones for 2006, and positions SatCon as the leading provider of high efficiency inverters for the rapidly growing solar markets.

The 500kW AE-500-60-PV-A utility-grade PV inverter was successfully listed to the UL 1741 Standard and also received approval from the California Energy Commission (CEC). The acceptance of this inverter by the various agencies not only gives SatCon the largest commercial PV inverter in North America, it also gives SatCon the broadest product line in the commercial photovoltaic inverter market – ranging from 30kW to 500kW - with 13 designs now approved and listed by the CEC www.consumerenergycenter.org/cgi-bin/eligible_inverters.cgi. These approvals are required to qualify for California’s Self Generation Incentive Program (SGIP), as program administrators use the list to determine which projects qualify for rebates under the program. On December 15, 2005, the California Public Utility Commission (CPUC) voted on the upcoming budget, infusing $300 million into the program for 2006. At a rebate of US$2.80/watt, that is equivalent to over 100 MW worth of solar power that could potentially be installed in California this year.

“We are very pleased to announce the release of the 500kW PowerGate product,” stated Millard Firebaugh, SatCon’s President and Chief Operating Officer. “Within the past two years, SatCon has established itself as a major player in the rapidly emerging solar industry with approximately 14 MW of inverters shipped to-date. This unit gives us a unique position in North America as the only supplier who can offer units of this scale for large, commercial installations. The average size of our PV units shipped is over 100kW per unit, underscoring our presence in the high-end commercial solar markets. We have already shipped the first 500kW unit and we currently have orders in-house for additional units.” The PowerGate inverter family offers the highest average efficiencies across the product line for any line of commercial PV inverters. The 500kW PowerGate unit is rated for 95% efficiency at nominal voltage, a huge advantage for large power installations. It is currently available as a 480V, 60-hertz unit with integrated transformer, or without transformer for incorporation into medium voltage power systems.

“The addition of the 500kW unit to the PowerGate inverter family was in response to the growing global demand for multi-megawatt installations and provides further evidence of SatCon’s leadership role in the development of large scale PV technology to serve this rapidly emerging opportunity,” added Firebaugh.

The PowerGate AE-PV Series inverter is a commercial-grade product available in 208, 240, and 480 volt models for grid-connected operation in low and medium voltage applications as single unit and parallel multi-megawatt systems. The PowerGate is a completely integrated package with all electrical and control system components pre-assembled and tested in a common enclosure. This minimizes installation time by reducing field wiring and site testing and greatly reduces the equipment footprint, while improving reliability of the system. The PowerGate is available in power ratings from 30kW to 500kW, and meets all requirements of UL1741 and IEEE1547.

Preparing the World’s largest wave energy power plant

2007-04-06T04:26:00.001-07:00

Wave Dragon is an offshore wave energy converter of the overtopping type. In 2003 Wave Dragon was the first wave energy developer to connect a prototype device to the public grid. Operating automatically this device has been online in the U.K. for 15,600 hours. Now, in a Joint Venture with UK renewable energy project developer, KP Renewables, Wave Dragon is to construct and deploy the world’s largest wave energy converter off the Pembrokeshire Coast in Wales, UK. After the initial test period, the test unit will joint 10 new units as a 77 MW power plant around 10 miles south west of initial site.

The first stage of the project will deploy a 7 MW Wave Dragon demonstration unit to be located five miles from Milford Haven and tested for three to five years. The plant consists of two wave reflectors focusing the incoming waves towards a ramp, a reservoir for collecting the overtopping water and a number of hydro turbines for converting the pressure head into power.

Wave Dragon is by far the largest wave energy converter available today. Each unit will have a rated power of 4-10 MW or more depending on how energetic the wave climate is at the deployment site. The utilization of the over-topping principle as opposed to power absorption via moving bodies means that the efficiency grows with the size of the converter. Only practical matters, such as for construction, set limits for the size of this wave energy converter.

Prior to going offshore a comprehensive test program has been carried out in wave tanks in Denmark and Ireland. Further on real sea testing has been going on for more than 3 years with a grid connected prototype of the Wave Dragon in a Danish fjord (a scale 1:4.5 of a North Sea production plant).

The demonstrator device will be located five miles from the South West Wales coast, off St Ann’s Head, north and west of Milford Haven.

Wave Dragon is a large floating barge structure. The main structural parts will be constructed in reinforced concrete with additional structural steel elements. The total design weight of the Welsh demonstrator device is 33,000 tonnes. The geometrical layout of the device will be identical with the tested prototype.

On the device are mounted 16-20 low-head hydro turbines to drain the reservoir, each with a 440kW PM generator. Additional electrical systems, step-up transformers and service systems are placed in closed compartments.

The 7MWe Welsh Demonstrator device will initially be deployed in a wave climate much lower that its rated power and size justifies. This will enable a thorough testing programme. The demonstrator project is linked to a further development of a total 77 MW wave energy farm in the Irish Sea following the successful demonstrator testing. As significant cost saving exists when a series of reinforced concrete structures and hundreds of turbines are to be constructed it has been possible to put together a fully commercial project. The overall total project investment for this 77 MW project is approximately £1,740 per installed kW.

An estimate of the total wave energy resource that is available to be utilised in a short term perspective varies depending on how far offshore it will be technical feasible to deploy devices. As a conservative example the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the World Energy Council (WEC) has estimated the potential world-wide wave energy contribution to the production of electricity could be between 10 and 50% of the world’s annual electricity demand of 15,000 TWh.

A recent study by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and The Carbon Trust in UK (Renewables Innovation Review, 2004) states that 200,000 MW installed wave and tidal energy power by 2050 which with a load factor of 0.35 would result in annual power production of 600 TWh (4% of the electricity demand in the world). Independent of the different estimates the potential for a pollution free energy generation is enormous and the development of a completely new industry is underway. The development can be compared with what has happened in the last 25 years within the wind turbine industry.

New Wind Generator offers viable energy source for the home

2007-04-06T04:24:00.000-07:00

The Skystream 3.7 wind generator is a significant product, being the very first fully integrated wind generator designed specifically for the grid-connected residential market. Put simply, the Skystream produces electricity for a fraction of the cost of current technologies and is directly connected to the home energy supply, supplementing power from the electric utility company and enabling electricity to be produced for sale to the utility or used at a later date. With a typical cost of US$8,000 to US$10,000 to purchase and install, the Skystream 3.7 can pay for itself in 5 to 12 years. This payback period will vary and can be much quicker in locations with investment rebates. It’s anticipated that Skystream 3.7 will save the average homeowner US$500 to US$800 per year, based on 4,800 to 6,600 kWh produced per year and a US$0.12/kWh cost of electricity. This output would provide 40 to 90 percent of an average home’s energy needs. In states like Hawaii, where the cost of energy and wind speeds are both high, Skystream 3.7 can pay for itself in less than 4 years.

A combination of new technologies, developed in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory over a three year period, has resulted in a product that is the first viable energy appliance that will wind your power consumption backwards when plugged into the grid and has the potential to make wind energy for the homeowner main-stream. With no batteries, Skystream 3.7 connects directly to the home to supply power. When the wind is not blowing, the home is powered by the electric utility.

“This new technology is an important step forward for small wind,” said Robert Thresher, director of NREL’s National Wind Technology Center. “As technology becomes more efficient at harnessing energy at low wind speeds, small-scale users will become more and more able to take advantage of wind power.”

The Skystream 3.7 has the same visual impact as a street lamp, and will not be suitable for many residential applications in urban environments. It is probably best suited to “fringe-of-urban” locations at present until restrictions on building codes in urban environments are eased to cater for alternative energy forms such as this.

Designing an Ocean Wave Hydro Electric Generator Which Can Withstand a 500 Lb Bomb

2007-04-06T04:23:00.001-07:00

With all the conflict in the world we must be careful with the infrastructure projects we put into Third World nations. With all the help that the NGOs, world governments and United States of America give we must be realistic with the money we spend and how we spend it. First order of business should not be simply to cure diseases or feed people.

The first order of any human civilization should be clean water that can be used for agriculture, cleanliness and drinking. The next order of business should be proper sewage treatment plants to prevent disease. Next, it makes sense to produce power for the masses and their civilization.

One problem we have seen is when we go in build facilities, infrastructure or teach people to farm; is that wars, terrorism and fighting ruin all that has been built. Therefore on the first three items of business we need to design infrastructure, which can withstand a 500-pound bomb. In other words, we must face reality and be smart about our investments in Third World nations and our goals.

Recently our Online Think Tank ask the question; Can We Build and Design an Ocean Wave Hydro Electric Generator, which can withstand a 500 Lb Bomb. The answer is most likely; No. But we could build a modularized system that can be easily rebuilt as long as parts are available in a very short amount of time. Still the goal in the future should be to build something that is literally bulletproof.

This means just because there is some civil unrest or a war, the infrastructure is still intact. This way things can return to normal very quickly. I certainly hope this article is of interest and that is has propelled thought. The goal is simple; to help you in your quest to be the best in 2007. I thank you for reading my many articles on diverse subjects, which interest you.

Flying Electric Generator (FEG) technology

2007-04-06T04:22:00.000-07:00

February 1, 2006 We all know that burning fossil fuel for the world’s energy needs has a number of significant drawbacks, most notably the resultant emissions doing irreparable damage to the earth’s ecology, and the inevitable rise in prices due to the laws of supply and demand and dwindling capacity. Accordingly, the web site of the Sky WindPower company offers some compelling calculations which show that there is waaay more than enough energy in high altitude winds, miles above the earth's surface, to supply all the world's power needs and that this energy can be economically captured using Flying Electric Generator (FEG) technology.

MULTIFRACTAL SCALING OF DAILY RUNOFF TIME SERIES IN AGRICULTURAL WATERSHEDS1

2007-03-23T03:24:00.000-07:00

Multifractal scaling behavior of long-term records of daily runoff time series in 32 subwatersheds covering a wide range of sizes was examined. These subwatersheds were associated with four agricultural watersheds with different climates and topography. The empirical moment scaling curves obtained using the trace moment method showed that the runoff time series exhibited a multifractal behavior, which was valid over a time scale range from one day to about three years. The multifractal scaling of the runoff time series was well described by the Universal Multifractal Model. The spectral analysis (β

INTRODUCTION

The concepts of fractal scaling have proven to be useful in describing scale invariance in the statistical distribution of observations in space or time of some natural processes (Mandelbrot, 1983; Olsson et al., 1992; Prokoph, 1999). In the early analyses, a single scaling exponent was used to describe the behavior of the moments of the statistical distribution at different time scales. This approach was in effect an extension of concepts associated with scaling of geometrical sets using single scaling exponents and can be regarded as the monofractal approach to describe fractal behavior. However, recent studies have indicated that multiple scaling exponents were needed to describe statistical scaling behavior in many natural time series. Analyses based on multiple scaling exponents can be regarded as the multifractal approach. Indeed it is now acknowledged that multifractal analyses provide a more general description of natural time series, and monofractals are indeed special cases (meaning that the multiple scaling exponents are the same) for continuous or discrete multifractals (Lovejoy et al., 1987; Lovejoy and Schertzer, 1990; Sivakumar, 2001).

A phenomenological model frequently used to mimic complex systems exhibiting multifractal behavior is the multiplicative cascade, which was initially used to describe observed turbulent fluid flows (Schertzer and Lovejoy, 1987). Multiplicative cascade models have become increasingly popular in modeling hydrological time series (e.g., rainfall) in recent years (Harris et al, 1996; Over and Gupta, 1996; Olsson and Niemczynowicz, 1996; Schmitt et al., 1998; de Lima and Grasman, 1999; Olsson et al., 1999). These models successfully reproduced the structures and patterns observed in real hydrological processes and their statistical properties. Examination of a long term hydrological record over time would reveal fewer large events interspersed among abundant small events; or spatially, clusters of high rainfall intensity occur in smaller areas that are embedded within clusters of lower intensity in a large mesoscale area (Gupta and Waymire, 1990).

The multiplicative cascade model generates fields with infinite hierarchies and associated dimensions. It is therefore naturally adapted to reproduce singularities (events or occurrences) of extreme orders and to generically exhibit asymptotic decays of such extreme events. This property is very useful in rainstorm or flood analysis. Flood magnitude can be related to network size or equivalently to drainage area, which serves as a fractal scaling variable. However, a critical drainage area exists at which the scaling behavior changes (Gupta et al., 1994).

Many reports exist on the application of multifractal concepts to rainfall time series (Lovejoy et al., 1987; Lovejoy and Schertzer, 1990; Hubert et al., 1993; Deidda et al., 1999; de Lima and Grasman, 1999). However, no extensive body of knowledge as yet exists on application of the multifractal approach to investigate scaling behavior of runoff processes in watersheds. There are no such applications to runoff in agricultural watersheds. Rainfall is the principal input for streamflow generation, and it is not unreasonable to assume that time series of rainfall generated runoff over a given area would inherit the multifractal nature of rainfall patterns over that area. On the other hand, runoff is influenced by other geomorphological factors that would tend to "smooth" the fluctuations of the input rain series (Tessier et al., 1996). Although there is little literature on multifractal analysis of river flow/runoff data compared to rainfall data, there are indications that increasing attention is being directed to investigation of the multifractal patterns of streamflow data (Gupta et al., 1994, Tessier et al, 1996, Pandey et al, 1998; Labat et al, 2002). Tessier et al (1996) applied multifractal analysis to streamflow data from 30 small basins in France; the results indicated that the time series of stream runoff were well modeled by multifractals. Other studies on river flows supported this conclusion (Pandey et al., 1998).

Geophysical and geographical systems are considered to be nonlinear dynamic systems characterized by extreme spatial and temporal variability spanning wide ranges of scales. An important property of multifractals is that their extremes are power law functions of their space time resolutions, and therefore these functions can be readily used to disaggregate the properties of river runoff time series from coarser to finer time scales. It was found that runoff generated by different mechanisms had different scaling patterns. Floods mostly generated by snowmelt runoff manifest themselves as monofractal series, while floods mostly produced by rainfall are multifractal (Gupta and Dawdy, 1995). However, Labat et al. (2002) found that basins of different internal structures had similar multifractal parameters when studying the scaling properties of karstic watersheds.

Electromechanical sales and service go global

2007-03-23T03:22:00.002-07:00

A look back at the past 12 months shows how global the electrical aftermarket has become

Business activity over the past year indicates broadening markets, business consolidation, and robust sales

ANYONE LOOKING BACK on 2006 could be forgiven for thinking that the electromechanical service and sales business was all about globalization and consolidation this year.

A glance at news items appearing in "Business Briefs" over the past twelve months reveals a pattern of companies expanding their markets overseas. They've been doing this, for the most part, by buying and selling business units and acquiring or merging with one another for a better fit with overseas markets.

Domestically, companies have been forming alliances when they haven't been buying one another outright, expanding existing facilities, and building new ones. In several instances, record sales and earnings have been the result as well as the cause of .this activity. Much of these sales have been related to the real estate market and to Hurricane Katrina, recovery from which has taken longer than expected.

It's globalism, stupid

The global tone was set in March at National Manufacturing Week in Chicago, where organizers delivered, in their words, "more global manufacluring leaders than ever before." Keynote speakers included executives from Schneider Electric and Caterpillar, Inc.-international players that have benefited from the construction boom of recent years, much of it outside the U.S.

Nowhere has this construction boom been more evident than in China, where Pratt & Whitney Power Systems, a Connecticut business, reached an agreement this year to provide Guangzhou University-City with two gas turbine units for a combined-cycle cogeneration facility. Operation was expected to begin by the end of this month. Pratt & Whitney also sold a gas turbine to the French utility Électricité de France.

Unsatisfied simply to export products and services, several U.S. companies opened offshore plants or expanded existing ones. Methode Network Bus Products of Rolling Meadows, 111., opened a plant in Shanghai for the design and manufacture of bus bars. A.O. Smith announced plans to build a materials testing lab in Suzhou, China, and recognized A.O. Smith plants in Acuña and Juárez, Mexico, for their safety records.

China and Mexico weren't alone in seeing plant activity. Flowserve Corp., a Dallas provider of motion-control products and services, opened a regional sales and service center in Moerdijk, Netherlands.

Eased international distribution

The global flow of goods and services is being aided not only by new plants but also by new and flexible distribution agreements. So while Darby Electric of Anderson, S.C., has become a U.S. distributor of ABB motors and drives, for instance, RD. George has appointed Complete Resin Solutions as an authorized distributor of its impregnating resins in Mexico.

A Michigan maker of fiberglass enclosures, Stahlin Non-Metallic Enclosures, entered a partnership with Spelsberg UK, a British firm, under which Spelsberg will be Stahlin's U.K. stocking distributor.

American Sensor Technologies chose a Bangkok company to distribute its products throughout Thailand, and FISO Technologies of Québec, a Canadian maker of fiber-optic sensors, found a distributor in Mexico City. Heyco Products, a New Jersey manufacturer of wire-protection components, chose a distributor in India, Bossard India, that is a subsidiary of a Swiss company.

In recognition of this flurry of global distribution, the U.S. Dept. of Commerce secretary, Carlos Gutierrez, presented the President's E Star Award for Exports to John Stropki, chairman and CEO of The Lincoln Electric Co., "in recognition of its achievement in supporting exporting growth in the U.S. business community."

International acquisitions

Some companies aren't satisfied with doing business with companies overseas. Sometimes they prefer to buy them. Bain Capital, a New York venture capital firm whose primary activity is owning, bought FCI-Burndy Products, a French maker of connectors.

Bosch Rexroth, the Illinois manufacturer of industrial control products, bought Nyquist BV, a Dutch provider of motion control products. A Mexican supplier of automotive ignition products was acquired by General Cable Corp. of Kentucky. And so on.

Schneider Electric was particularly busy. Power Measurement, Inc., a Victoria, B.C., company bought by Schneider in 2005, was integrated as a "power monitoring and control group" under the Schneider name. On the other side of the world, Schneider Electric bought a 50% stake owned by a partner, CIH Ltd., in their Clipsal Asia joint venture, which develops and sells wiring devices and communication and automation products.

Regal-Beloit Corp., the Wisconsin manufacturer of such familiar motor brands as Leeson, Lincoln, and Marathon, moved boldly into Asia with its purchase of three Chinese motor manufacturers known collectively as Sinya.

Meanwhile, Littelfuse, the Illinois circuit protection manufacturer, bought two Taiwanese companies: Concord Semiconductor of Taiwan-a former supplier-for $25 million; and Song Long Electronics, a maker of metal-oxide varistors, for $5.5 million.

First detection of azaspiracids in mussels in North West Africa

2007-03-23T03:22:00.001-07:00

Outbreaks of lipophilic toxins have been recorded in the north Atlantic coast of Morocco since 1999, but are rare in the Mediterranean coast. Samples of mussels from the Atlantic coast where toxicity was detected by mouse bioassay were stored for further research. Chemical analysis by LC-MS conducted in mussels harvested from this region showed, in addition to the presence of okadaic acid (OA) and dinophysistoxin-2 (DTX2), the presence of azaspiracid-2 (AZA2) as the dominant form of the azaspiracid's (AZAs) family, followed by AZA1 (13% to 26%). AZA3 was rarely detected, and maximal concentrations found were between 3% and 8% of total AZA1/3. The presence of AZA2 and AZA1 was confirmed by mass spectra. Time series corresponding to the summer of 2004 and 2005 showed maximal concentration of AZAs appeared in July in both years. Correlation with occurrence of OA and DTX2, showed both toxin families could appear simultaneously in Moroccan mussels, but maximal concentrations found were always separated in time. This is the first report of azaspiracids in Morocco (NW Africa) and the first report outside of European coastlines.

INTRODUCTION

Azaspiracid poisoning (AZP) is a new human gastrointestinal illness discovered in 1995 after consumption of contaminated Irish mussels in the Netherlands (McMahon & Silke 1996). Azaspiracid-1 (AZA1) was the first molecule of the group to be structurally characterized (Satake et al. 1998). Now, at least more than 10 azaspiracid congeners are known (James et al. 2003b). From these, AZA1, AZA2, and AZA3 were the dominant compounds found in shellfish, followed by AZA4 and AZA5. The remaining ones (AZA6-11) were minor components. It is hypothesized so far that these lipophilic toxins accumulate in bivalve molluscs after feeding on the toxic microalgae Protoperidinium crassipes, previously considered to be toxicologically harmless (James et al. 2003a).

The symptoms of acute AZP intoxication include nausea, vomiting, severe diarrhea, and stomach cramps (Satake et al. 1998), which closely resemble the symptoms associated with diarrheic shellfish poisoning (DSP). Toxicological studies showed that repeated administration of AZAs caused prolonged damage in the intestine and induced lung tumors in mice (Ito et al. 2002).

Although shellfish harvested in Ireland provoked the first incidents of human intoxications by azaspiracids, the research in other European countries has led to the discovery of these toxins in shellfish from the United Kingdom, Norway, France, and Spain (James et al. 2002a, Magdalena et al. 2003). Although AZP is a serious concern in Europe, its presence has never been reported outside European waters.

Outbreaks of lipophilic toxins have been recorded in shellfish from the north Atlantic coast of Morocco since 1999, but these toxins are rare in the Mediterranean coast (Taleb 2005). The Moroccan monitoring program to screen for the presence of lipophilic compounds employs the mouse bioassay (MBA), which does not allow distinguishing the contamination from different phycotoxin families, such as DSP or AZP, because these compounds are detected altogether. Although several methodologies exist to study the contamination with DSP, the only methodology available so far to confirm the specific presence of azaspiracids is liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (LC-MS) (Ofuji et al. 1999). Samples of blue mussels collected in Morocco during the summers of 2004 and 2005 were screened by LC-MS for lipophilic compounds. Besides the presence of DSP toxins (to be reported elsewhere), the presence of azaspiracids was put into evidence and is now reported here for the first time.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Study Area

Samples of mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) were collected regularly from Oulad Ghanem and Dar Hamra at the Atlantic coast of Morocco (south of Casablanca, Fig. 1). Digestive glands (DG) were dissected from whole shellfish, homogenized, and extracted for MBA testing. The samples used for the study were selected from those collected in the period of summer outbreaks of samples positive to lipophilic toxins. Digestive glands of positive samples were stored frozen for ulterior analysis by LC-MS.

[FIGURE 1 OMITTED]

Sample Preparation and LC-MS Analysis

Digestive glands were homogenized, and a 5-g aliquot was taken and extracted by ultraturrax with 20 mL aqueous 90% methanol in a screw-cap plastic centrifuge tube, followed by a 10 min centrifugation at 2500g. A 2-milliliter aliquot of the methanolic supernatant was transferred to 10-mL glass test tubes, washed with hexane (2 x 2 mL), and extracted with dichloromethane (2 x 2 mL). The combined dichloromethane layers were dried with anhydrous sodium sulphate, centrifuged, transferred to small glass test tubes, and dried at 38[degrees]C under reduced pressure on a RapidVap (Labconco, USA). After resuspension with 500-[micro]L aqueous 90% methanol, contents were transferred to a 2 mL autosampler vial. Vortex mixing was used in all liquid-liquid and resuspension steps.

The Daisy saga: this true American icon is still going strong after nearly 120 years

2007-03-23T03:21:00.000-07:00

Without a doubt, one of the all-time great American success stories has got to be the Daisy company, this nation's largest and oldest manufacturer of youth-oriented BB guns.

Many folks may not be aware this mammoth producer of BB guns really had its genesis as a manufacturer of windmills way back during the 1880s in Plymouth, Michigan.

Indeed, the Plymouth Iron Windmill Company went into business in 1882. However, times were hard for the fledgling windmill manufacturer and, by 1888, the company was on the brink of liquidation when a stroke of pure good fortune changed the sinking company into what would become a legendary American institution.

Lewis C. Hough, treasurer and general manager of the Plymouth Iron Windmill Co., was visited by a young local inventor named Clarence J. Hamilton. The latter brought along a weird-looking gun made almost entirely of cast iron and folded metal, with a skeletonized wire stock. Employing a simple spring-piston power plant cocked by a lever along the top of the receiver, Hamilton's odd contraption shot lead BBs dropped down into the muzzle. Hamilton loaded and cocked the strange-looking contraption and urged Hough to have a go at it. Upon pulling the trigger and hearing the BB strike the wastepaper basket with oomph, Hough's amazement led him to utter the famous phrase: "Boy, that's a daisy!" From his last word was born the company that would bring happiness and a solid start into the shooting sports to countless generations of youngsters for more than a century.

New Life

Lewis Hough was so impressed by Hamilton's unusual airgun an agreement to manufacture it was soon struck. Thus, anyone who purchased a windmill from the struggling company would receive one of the little single-shot BB guns as a premium. In a short time, however, word of the nifty little BB gun got around and folks with no need for windmills were asking to buy BB guns. Therefore, by the late 1880s the board of directors of the Plymouth Iron Windmill Co. opted to get out of the shaky windmill business altogether and plunged headlong into the manufacture of BB guns.

Several years and BB-gun models later, the Daisy Manufacturing Company had grown into a major entity among airgun manufacturers both here and abroad. Daisy's design and sales teams were able to offer their innovative products through highly imaginative advertising. Daisy eventually absorbed or drove out of business most of its competitors, emerging as the world's foremost producer of BB guns. Currently named Daisy Outdoor Products, the company still holds a leading position in the world of airguns.

Moving from Plymouth, Michigan, to Rogers, Arkansas, in 1958, Daisy continued to flourish with dozens of highly popular BB-gun models. In the early 1970s Daisy began producing more adult-oriented BB and pellet guns under its Power Line logo. These have also proven immensely popular, further reinforcing Daisy's position as an airgun-producing giant.

Although Daisy's corporate headquarters are still located in Rogers, its main production facility was relocated to nearby Neosho, Missouri, some 10 years ago. The Neosho facility is popularly referred to as "The Cave" because it is actually located in a huge complex of caves formerly used by the US government to store tons of paperwork.

The airgun production facility at Neosho covers about 200,000 square feet, of which roughly 60,000 square feet are assigned to production.

Assembly, testing and quality control are all located within the same complex. Daisy's ability to produce airguns can reach a staggering 10,000 units per day when running at full capacity. The company also produces gargantuan amounts of BBs, of course. In fact, approximately 60,000 pounds of BBs are manufactured and packaged daily to satisfy the needs of an everexpanding BB-gun market. The BB production plant is now located in another town not far from Neosho.

Family

The many small communities surrounding their headquarters and production facilities supply Daisy's manpower needs. The Neosho work force usually numbers just over 200 employees, although more are normally hired on a seasonal basis, such as during the weeks leading up to Christmas. The working environment is as pleasant and competitive as that of any modern manufacturing plant. There is a 10-hour/4-day workweek. Employees clearly take pride in their work and often refer to themselves as members of the "Daisy family."

Besides Daisy's gigantic airgun production facilities, another important aspect of this company has become a tourist attraction in its own right. The Daisy Airgun Museum, located in downtown Rogers, is currently maintained by the Rogers Department of Parks and staffed jointly by Daisy personnel, as well as Department of Parks employees. Anyone with an interest in the history of airguns would enjoy this museum.

The museum houses a complete collection of Daisy guns going all the way back to the original design of Clarence Hamilton. These valuable airguns are displayed in chronological order. There are also samples of BB guns from Daisy's many early competitors, as well as impressive displays of vintage Daisy ads, literature and other memorabilia dating back to the company's early years. Interesting in their own right, this early Daisy literature shows clearly how Daisy's history has been an integral part of American folklore for more than a century.

2006: a significant year in standards

2007-03-23T03:19:00.000-07:00

LOOKING BACK OVER 2006, several significant developments highlight major changes in the way electrical apparatus standards are being created and their effect on the U.S. position in an increasingly global market.

Widespread standardization of such apparatus is no new thing. For both producers and users, its benefits are obvious. In much of the technology involved, the U.S. no longer leads the world, however, and the most widely adopted electrical standards are now those of the International Electrotechnical Commission. Its membership now includes 67 countries. Each of them, including the U.S., has one vote. Leadership of the IEC has been in the hands of the major European powers, such as the UK, Germany, and France.

For the past several decades, the IEEE and NEMA (representing respectively the concerns of the electrical engineering and electrical manufacturing communities in the U.S., even though the IEEE is an international organization) have been increasingly involved in harmonizationadjustments and compromises in published standards to make their requirements more nearly the same worldwide. That's a necessity for a truly global marketplace.

Some successes are worth noting. For example, NEMA has incorporated into its Motor & Generator Standards the enclosure and ventilation requirements of IEC standards. The IEEE now uses metric units in its publications. The National Electrical Code, after long acrimonious debate, accepted the IEC "Zone" method of classifying areas.

However, several comparative studies have shown that many standards cannot be moved into agreement. Apparatus designed for operation at 50 Hz and, say, 415 volts cannot simply be connected to a 60 Hz 480 volt system, or vice versa. Extensive tests made over many years, supporting current-carrying capacity of individual buswork, cannot be directly used for applying the slightly different metric sizes.

For any manufacturer, non-compliance with a "foreign" product standard is an economic choice. No legal problem, no governmental enforcement mandates compliance. The penalty may be no more than a market re-orientation. An alternative has been to buy into a firm in another country that is equipped to offer compliant products. In some market areas, though, local governments have made it increasingly difficult for outsiders to compete by any means with homegrown industry.

What's different now, as we look back at what's happened in 2006? With the IEC standards and organization as a base, the European Union-a powerful 25-nation bloc that didn't exist until the 1950's-is promulgating requirements, through the European Parliament, that do have legal force.

These take the form of "Directives," embodying deadlines for compliance, no exceptions for favored suppliers, and enforcement penalties. Technically, specific requirements are left for adoption by legislative bodies of individual EU nations. Practically, what the Directive says can be considered as mandatory. And if a member state fails to act, the European Commission can bring that state before the European Court of Justice. Although originating in Europe, the requirements tend to be adopted quickly in other parts of the world. More than 40 Directives now deal with technology and safety issues, such as measuring instruments, appliance efficiency, electromagnetic compatibility or EMC, and explosive atmospheres.

Directives have extremely broad implications. Two of them (2002/95/ EC and 2002/96/EC) that took effect during 2006 will be discussed at length in an upcoming article in EA. Manufacturers of electronic equipment throughout the world became directly affected at mid-year by the first Directive, known as RoHS, which limits the usage of half a dozen materials, principally heavy metals including lead, and which has been followed by similar restrictions issued in Japan, China, and many U.S. states. Accompanying that is the second Directive, known as WEEE, imposing recycling and waste-disposal regulations limiting the spread of hazardous materials when worn-out or obsolete apparatus must be disposed of. The cost to manufacturers of non-compliance with RoHS can reach many millions of dollars in addition to lost markets.

An even more restrictive Directive became the subject of intensive negotiation during 2006 between the European Community, NEMA, and the National Institute of Standards & Technology. For many years, scale markings, readouts, and other unit numbering on apparatus for the international market was allowed to use either English ("inch-pound") or metric units. Once the metric (SI) system was fully in place outside the U.S., "dual marking" was called for; English units could be used, but metric units had to accompany them.

The latest Directive, however, allows only metric units. Dual marking will become not merely "non-standard," but illegal as of Jan. 1, 2010-a deadline (already postponed several times) not as far off as U.S. manufacturers would like. The requirement applies not only to product labeling, but to drawings, catalog information, operating manuals, and other literature as well. During 2006, NEMA worked with the U. S. government, Chamber of Commerce and the National Association of Manufacturers towards further extension of dual marking. European Union "clarification of intent" on some details of the Directive, before the end of 2006, was sought at the U.S./EU Summit meeting in June. The Department of Commerce scheduled a public forum for Oct. 12, 2006, to receive input on the issue that "will be considered in the development of U.S. government views and actions."

2007 IMPORT TECH REPORT

2007-03-23T03:18:00.000-07:00

There's lots to cover on the import service front, with a wide assortment of new models and attendant technological advances, from all corners of the globe.

It's a huge year for import car nameplates. A number of "crossover vehicles have been added to the regularly scheduled model replacements. We noted last year the arrival of the econocars (Toyota Yaris, Honda Fit and Nissan Versa); this year we've had a chance to study them. Without further ado, here's what's happening on the import front.

Toyota/Lexus

The new Lexus LS 460 is brand-new, including the powertrain. And when the LS 600h hybrid comes ont shortly, it will have an even higher level of technology.

The 4.6L V8 is not a bigger 4.3L; it's all-new, with both direct fuel injection and port injection, the dual system introduced last year on the 3.5L VG in the Lexus IS 350. Port injection times the air/fuel mixture tor cold starts and part throttle operation, while eliminating use of multiple airflow paths and idle butterfly valves that produce restrictions. In fact, there's an air intake split with separate air filters. The 4.6 V8 produces 380 hp and 367 ft.-lbs. of torque (vs. 278/312 with the 4,3 V8).

Electronic/electric intake cam phasers (variable valve timing) are a precise but expensive approach, and the first production application of that technology. Less-critical exhaust VVT continues with oil pressure phase control. Direct-acting buckets were replaced by roller rocker arms with hydraulic adjusters, a lower-friction system that never requires adjustment.

The oil filter is Toyota's cartridge type, in a housing with an oil drain plug, as introduced on the 2006 Lexus IS 250 AWD. Inserting a drain pipe (packaged with the OE cartridge) opens a spring-loaded valve for the oil to flow out.

An eight-speed automatic tranny upstages Mercedes' seven-speed. The gearing setup, however, is just a planetary gearset (which provides two speeds), followed by a 4x multiplier from a Ravigneaux gearset (basically two planetary gearsets melded into one, with just one ring gear). Other transmissions have used this setup for four- and six-speed automatics, but it takes four clutches, two disc brakes and one overrunning clutch to get eight gears.

Power steering is all-electric and with optional air suspension, variable gear ratio steering is used. This makes the ratio "faster" as the steering wheel is cranked into a turn.

The brake system has a hold feature, which means when the driver brakes to a stop, he can push a button on the steering wheel to hold pressure in the lines so the car doesn't move (or roll on a hill). Stepping on the gas pedal releases the pressure.

Toyotas Yaris econocar, previously sold here as the ECHO, is powered by a 106-horse, 1.5L chain-drive four-cylinder mated to a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmission. The brakes are ventilated discs in front, drums in the rear. Power steering is electric, which is what you'll find on the competitive models, too. It not only eliminates the pump and hydraulic lines, but improves fuel economy.

However, be aware that the Yaris' steering gear contains a torque sensor, which has to be initialized to Tern if the steering gear, steering wheel or steering computer is replaced, or if the sensor goes out of calibration. (A difference in steering effort from left to right is a common symptom.) No Toyota scan tool software? A shop manual procedure using a jumper wire is available,

The new Camry continues with the 2.4 Four and a 268-hp port-fuel injected version of the 3.5 V6 in the Lexus IS. The transaxle is a six-speed, also with planetary and Ravigneaux gearsets, but without all the clutches and brakes that produce eight ratios, such as in the Lexus LS 460.

The exterior solar-blocking glass on the Camry reportedly keeps out over 90% of ultraviolet and infrared light. This reduces the a/c cooling load, which should improve fuel economy.

The Camry's a/c system also includes an ion generator called the Plasmacluster Generator to improve interior air quality. It uses a high-voltage device that emits a slight sound. Dust will accumulate at the driversside register. Clean it with the blower off, using a wiping cloth; never spray solvent into the register.

The hybrid Camry is powered by the 2.4L Four, with these changes: Intake valve timing is retarded, the piston shape is changed, the radiator fan is a higher performance version, there's no conventional starter or alternator, of course (the hybrid system has two motor-generators that serve these functions), the gas tank is steel and the catalytic converter and exhaust manifold are made specifically for the hybrid application. The a/c is operated by an electric motor so it can cool even with the engine stopped, and an auxiliary electric water pump also is used.

The hybrid 2.4 develops 147 hp, vs. 158 for the regular Camry, but with the 245-volt battery pack and the electric motor, horsepower total is 192.

The Camry hybrid has a separate liquid cooling system for the two motor-generators and the inverter electronics, plus a dedicated radiator integrated with the engine radiator.

Gait Changes in Response to Subthalamic Nucleus Stimulation in People with Parkinson Disease: A Case Series Report

2007-03-23T03:17:00.000-07:00

Background and Purpose: For individuals with advanced Parkinson disease (PD), stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) reduces tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia, but the effects of stimulation on gait and mobility are not fully understood. The purpose of this paper is to describe the effects of unilateral and bilateral STN stimulation on gait following staged stimulator implantations in a series of individuals with PD. Case Descriptions: Participants were 6 individuals with PD who underwent staged stimulator implantation surgeries. The effects of stimulation on gait were assessed in the optimally medicated state using items from the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) related to gait and self-reported mobility, time to complete the Timed Up and Go (TUG) test, and quantitative gait analysis. Gait was evaluated with stimulation turned off and with stimulation turned on after unilateral stimulator implantation and again after implantation of the second stimulator. Outcomes: Variable effects of unilateral and bilateral STN stimulation on gait were observed on UPDRS self-reported mobility, TUG time, and gait velocity, but changes were not detected using the UPDRS gait item. Minimal gait changes, either positive or negative, were detected with unilateral stimulation. With bilateral stimulation, gait improved for 3 individuals but worsened for the other 3 individuals. Discussion: The ability to detect changes in gait after STN stimulation using the UPDRS gait item was limited, but variable effects were detected by self-report, TUG time, and gait velocity. For half of the individuals studied, bilateral stimulation improved these measures, but gait worsened for the remaining individuals. Future research is needed to better understand factors that influence the effect of STN stimulation on walking, and assessment of gait changes in people with PD should include self-report and performance-based measures, such as the TUG test or gait velocity.

Key Words: walking, mobility, deep brain stimulation, Timed Up and Go test, quantitative gait analysis

INTRODUCTION

In the last decade, high frequency stimulation of the subthalamic nucleus (STN) has emerged as an effective treatment for advanced Parkinson disease (PD). During the medication-off state, clinical rating scales show that STN stimulation improves most motor symptoms of PD, including tremor, bradykinesia, rigidity, postural instability, and gait.1-10 Stimulation improves motor function to a lesser extent in the medication-on state, during which the benefits of STN stimulation on speech, postural instability, and gait are less consistent.2-5

Studies using quantitative gait analysis confirm that STN stimulation improves gait in the medication-off state, but the effects in the medication-on state are less clear. In the medication-off state, unilateral STN stimulation improves gait velocity and stride length compared to both the off-stimulation condition11,12 and presurgical values.11 In the medication-on state, however, gait velocity and stride length decrease slightly with unilateral stimulation compared to presurgical values.11 Similarly, bilateral STN stimulation consistently improves gait in the medication-off state, but in the medication-on state, the reported effects on gait are mixed.13-17

Reasons for the variable effects of STN stimulation on walking in the medication-on condition are not well understood. The effects of STN stimulation on gait have been previously evaluated using a variety of measures,5,7,13-17 and the mixed results that are observed in the medication-on condition may be due in part to the different measures used to quantify gait changes. Individual attributes, such as age, duration of disease, presurgical gait function, or presurgical response to anti-parkinson medications, may also contribute to the variable effects of STN stimulation on walking. Variations in how stimulators are programmed could influence how gait responds to STN stimulation. Finally, differences in the utilization of postoperative rehabilitation services could impact gait and mobility outcomes after surgery.

While the factors influencing gait response to STN stimulation are not well understood, the consequences of gait and mobility problems in people with PD are clear. The ramifications of impaired mobility for people with PD include reduced quality of life, decreased independence, and an increased risk of falls and fall-related injuries.18-20 Furthermore, individuals with PD identify walking and mobility limitations as among the worst aspects of the disease.21

Because of their specialized training and expertise, physical therapists are often asked to evaluate changes in gait and mobility in response to surgery or other therapeutic interventions. Accurate assessment of gait and mobility outcomes in response to STN stimulation and a better understanding of the factors that affect these outcomes are critical to our understanding of the impact of this therapeutic intervention. An improved appreciation of how and why gait changes in response to STN stimulation can be used to improve the selection of appropriate candidates for this surgical intervention and to predict individuals who may benefit from postsurgical rehabilitation for gait and mobility. The purpose of this case series report is to describe gait outcomes in response to STN stimulation in the optimally medicated state after each of two staged stimulator implant

Cross-Cultural Dynamics in Rural Peru

2007-03-23T03:16:00.002-07:00

Cross-cultural and language barriers can be an impediment to the conduct of biomedical studies in developing nations. To assess the implementation of human-use procedures within a minimum-risk febrile illness surveillance study in Peru, personnel fluent in both English and Spanish conducted a review of 10 sites. Guideline adherence, consent procedures, and potential problems in the conduct of the trial were reviewed. Concerns cited by on-site investigators included patient follow-up, poor facilities, and power fluctuations that jeopardized samples before shipment to a central location. However, both local study coordinators and patients demonstrated a clear grasp of study enrollment and consent procedures and reported no significant problems in the conduct of the study. These findings suggest that significant planning is crucial before initiation of biomedical studies in developing nations to successfully overcome physical challenges and cultural dynamics that could otherwise adversely affect scientific outcomes.

Background

Infectious disease pathogens are among the leading causes of death in humans throughout Peru. These re-emerging and emerging diseases include typhoid, tuberculosis, pertussis, meningococcus, tetanus, measles, human immunodeficiency virus, dengue, malaria, and various other viral, bacterial, parasitic, and arthropod-borne pathogens.1 As a method of improving public health surveillance, the World Health Organization has proposed syndromic surveillance. This strategy is a counter to current surveillance techniques that are diagnosis driven but often lack the sensitivity to determine actual causes of illness. Syndromic surveillance depends on the passive collection of febrile samples from sentinel surveillance sites.2 In South America, where enormous potential exists for introduction of novel or altered pathogens, an opportunity exists for implementation of a public health surveillance program such as a febrile surveillance network that is sensitive to new and emerging causes of illness.

As such, the U.S. Naval Medical Research Center Detachment, Lima, Peru (NMRCD) uses syndromic surveillance, a technique that can Improve public health surveillance and early detection of outbreaks,3 to follow febrile illnesses throughout Peru. NMRCD works with the Peruvian government, Ministry of Health (MOH) officials, and local physicians. The Febrile Syndromic Surveillance (FSS) protocol of the NMRCD detects emerging pathogens so that preventive measures can be implemented. Here, we review a strategy by which FSS can be successfully established in a developing country and debate the utility of cross-cultural training for study coordinators.

Methods

This assessment was conducted at 10 remote sites to verify compliance, comprehension, and to overcome site-specific barriers. It included the following sites in Peru: Tumbes, Pampa Grande, Zarumilla, Piura, Chiclayito, Chulucanas, Sullana, Cuartel Miguel Cortes (Peruvian Army post), Querecotillo, and numerous locations in Iquitos (Fig. 1^sup 4^). Each visit entailed a forum with local personnel involved with the FSS study, including physicians, laboratory technicians, microbiologists, hospital directors, and regional directors of health.

The first portion of this assessment entailed a lecture in Spanish regarding informed consent, patient enrollment procedures, patient resolution, an explanation of NMRCD and U.S. requirements regarding patient interactions, and lessons learned. A paper copy of the Spanish language version of the NMRCD Office of Research Administration's slide presentation-"Protecting Human Subjects in Research"-and a concise summary of FSS procedures were provided to all sites for future reference. This was followed by an open forum with all personnel for any specific questions. All laboratory equipment was then tested to ensure proper function and to take steps to correct any deficiencies. Finally, a thorough review of patient enrollment and informed consent forms was conducted to account for proper documentation within the previous 30 days.

Results

The lecture and open forum generated numerous questions to clarify patient enrollment and informed consent protocol. The most common questions included treatment of minors without parents or legal guardians, compensation for patient participation, and how to deal with enrolled patients who no longer wish to continue participating in the study. Through discussions in Spanish, these topics were clarified.

All sites demonstrated minor shortcomings with regard to informed consent procedures usually due to misunderstandings. Most common, but relatively rare in comparison with the patient load, was improperly completed informed consent forms, including not filling in the patient name or writing the wrong name, the patient's failure to sign the informed consent form, and incomplete patient resolution. Rarely was it found that informed consent forms were not stored in well-locked rooms with access only available to participating investigators. If it did occur, it was usually due to a lack of space in the research facility. These discrepancies were identified and corrected with each site, when necessary.

1GHz RF generator offers a high stability

2007-03-23T03:16:00.001-07:00

The TGR1040, from TTi, is a synthesised RF signal generator which incorporates the essential features required for most development, test and service work, namely frequency accuracy and stability, a wide dynamic range, low phase noise and low leakage.

This instrument uses a fully synthesised source locked to a temperature- compensated crystal oscillator. The frequency can be set to a resolution of 1kHz across the whole frequency range of 10MHz to 1000MHz and yields a precision of one part in one million at 1GHz. The stability is +/-2 parts in one million over a temperature range of 5 to 40 degrees C and the instrument also provides an amplitude range of -127dBm to +7dBm with a setting resolution of 0.1dBm or 0.01mV. The output level steps can be set anywhere between 0.1dBm and 100dBm, while the generator can provide both internal and external FM modulation using either the internally generated 1kHz modulator signal or an external signal in the range 300Hz to 50kHz.

With full remote control facilities, the TGR1040 offers an RS232 interface and a GPIB interface as an option. In addition it can store nine full instrument setups in non-volatile memory which allows repetitive testing procedures to be undertaken quickly and accurately in FM analogue or digital radio receiver sensitivity measurements, system gain measurements, oscillator substitutions and EMC/antenna/field-strength measurements.

INVESTORS SHOW CONTINUED CONFIDENCE IN RUSSIAN MARKET

2007-03-23T03:15:00.000-07:00

Russia will likely take a big step closer to finally joining the World Trade Organization before the end of the year, after the United States and Russia reached an agreement in principle for a bilateral trade deal, which was one of the final hurdles for Russian entry. The safety of US beef and pork exports, access to Russia's financial services markets and protection of intellectual property rights In Russia were among the final sticking points. Admission into the WTO has been one of the few remaining key goals of the Putin presidency.

A flood of IPOs from Russia and the CIS was for the most part greeted enthusiastically by investors In recent weeks. Steel pipe maker TMK, Chelyabinsk Zinc Plant, Kazakhstan's Kazkommertsbank, steel maker Severstal and electricity generator OGK-5, among other offerings, have raised around $6 billion, signaling continued Investor appetite for Russian assets. Some analysts attribute the strong flow of deals to the desire of founding shareholders to take some cash off of the table before an anticipated increase In political uncertainty, as Vladimir Putin's second-and constitutionally final-term ends in early 2008.

International Paper in late October announced that it will pay $400 million for a significant stake in Him Pulp, a Russian pulp and paper company. The deal heralds the emergence of the sector, which has since the end of the Soviet Union been one of the murkiest and least-transparent segments of the Russian economy. Russia told the former Soviet republic of Georgia that it will more than double the price it charges for gas, bringing it closer to market levels. The announcement reflects the continuation of the souring of relations between the two countries. Georgia said it is looking for ways to reduce its dependence on Russian gas. Meanwhile, the embattled president of the Kyrgyz Republic, another former Soviet republic, was forced to accept a new constitution, as unrest continued. -Kim Iskyan

A Honda Generator Ensures You Don't Skip a Beat

2007-02-15T22:16:00.003-08:00

There is nothing worse than being left out in the dark, literally! Power outages can be dangerous and inconvenient and with today's modern appliances and technology, dependency on electricity is even more critical than it was years ago. Without a generator, power outages can cause pipes to freeze, food spoilage, heat loss, cause mold to grow, and plastic to crack. This is especially applicable if you live in the southern United States, where tropical storms or hurricanes are frequent. Gas generators and diesel generators are advanced in design, and housing and permanent household generators are much smaller, smarter, and quieter than the older models. If you live in an area where storms are common, power outages with their grim regularity are certainly worth the price of a standby power system. Power grids are shared in such states as New England, the Carolinas and Florida. Therefore, if you live in North Carolina, a power outage in Florida would affect you, as well.

With portable generators, such as the diesel generator or gas generator, these devices can be loud, run on gasoline or diesel fuel and are hard to move. They can replace part of your household load if an electrical outage occurs, but you're only able to run a limited number of appliances at any one time. There are some remarkable manufacturers on the market that produce excellent portable generators such as the Honda generator or Generac generator. A permanent backup system can run off your home's propane or natural gas supply and can be directly wired into the household circuit panel. In the event of an outage, they will provide a seamless switch from the utility service to backup power. You can purchase residential standby generators systems such as Kohler that will monitor your home's utility power for interruption. If a power outage occurs, a switch automatically starts the generator and transfers the electrical load bringing your power back again. Such companies as Generac generators market fully- integrated systems that feature switching devices and distribution panels. The generator is usually in addition to these systems. There is usually only a 7 to 10 second outage with most built-in generating systems when a power outage occurs.

Guide to purchasing a Diesel Generator

2007-02-15T22:16:00.001-08:00

There are many grades of durability of diesel generators on the market. You will find that the larger the machine the more well built it is to withstand the pressures of use. This is the general concept when it comes to the diesel generator that the larger the generator the better it is designed.

It is essential when considering purchasing a diesel generator that you are sure of what kind of use you will be demanding. It is very common for the diesel generators that are larger to be installed on ships as backups during power failures. There are often systems on ships that use power systems that are related to weather. This is not reliable and as such a diesel generator is a good choice. It is better to opt for the larger models as these are very well designed to handle the load.

Many businesses seeking to protect their sensitive computer networks can also depend on the diesel generator. These are excellent sources of power should the power fail. This is also great for medical equipment such as those that are essential in hospitals and can provide performance that is low maintenance.

When deciding which diesel generator to choose it is important that a list is constructed of the various pieces of equipment that will be using the generator power. This will aid in the determination of the total wattage requirements and therefore determine which capacity of generator will be required.

One of the first points when comparing diesel generators is to determine the wattage requirement and compare this to the price of the particular generator. This is essential as it is important not to overload the system and this will determine the best generator to suit your needs. It is also possible for persons with intermittent generator usage to opt for the diesel generator due to all the perks such as reduced fuel costs and maintenance costs.

It is also advisable that when you purchase your generator that you install it with a transfer switch. This may require a qualified electrician. It is also essential that the generator you choose will have adequate storage as this is important in maintaining the right temperature. You may also need other features such as soundproof enclosures depending on your space limitations as the diesel generator can be quite noisy and is best installed away from homes.

Other features that will be needed for your generator include shutdown systems. There are three major shutdown systems available. These are low oil pressure automatic shutdown kits, over-speed shutdown kits and high temperature shutdown kits. These are all necessary for the protection of any diesel generator that you purchase.

Make sure that the diesel generator you choose is run at a low rpm approximately 1800 rpm to ensure long life. It is better to opt for a generator that is the best in terms of fuel efficiency and if you can opt for a brand name. They may be a bit more expensive but they will tend to have better warranties than the other generic brands on the market.

Honda Generator EB3800, For an Unfailing Power Stream

2007-02-15T22:15:00.005-08:00

Honda generator EB3800 is one of Honda’s industrial generator models that is designed for construction use and is also ideal as a backup power supply at home.

The EB3800 model has a 4-stoke engine that yields unparalleled fuel efficiency. It operates incredibly quiet and practically smoke-free. There will be no hassle in mixing oil and gas, for this machine runs in regular gasoline. Honda generator EB3800 also has a hanger kit, which is used for lifting the unit with cranes to facilitate easier transport. Moreover, it has a two-wheel kit, which also permits trouble-free transport of the machine for commercial or home use. It is also equipped with an automatic voltage regulator that ensures a reliable and steady flow of power.

Other features of this brand of generator include electric ignition, circuit breakers, fuel meter, and automatic idle mode. In addition, it comes with an enduring one piece, welded frame along shatterproof standing legs. Also, it has a 120/240V switch for the preferred voltage output.

Honda is one of the most renowned makers of generators, having a complete line of models for consumer to commercial needs. Honda generators are also marked among the worlds quietest. Those designed for residential use yields an average of 64-68 decibels, and those specially designed to be noise-free only crop noise levels as low as 49 decibels, nearly just as the level of noise in private offices.

In a world where all is uncertain, it is wise to get your own generator now. Nothing is more annoying than an interrupted power supply, may it be at home or at office. And to be sure it’s a good deal, get one from Honda.

Use a Coleman 5000w Generator during Power Outages

2007-02-15T22:15:00.003-08:00

This is probably what you’ve been looking for, the portable Coleman 5000w generator that is perfect for home or light construction, equipped with an over head valve engine that provides improved fuel efficiency, longer life easier maintenance, and less noise.

The Coleman 5000w generator is great for backup power at home or on the job site. It has a lot of features including the five gallon tank that provides up to a five hour run time at 50 percent load with low oil shutdown that protects the engine from damage and pneumatic wheels with solid axle for greater mobility. Two 120 volt outlets, one 120/240 volt twist lock outlet, and circuit breaker protection. A smart sensor prevents the engine from starting without adequate oil.

It also provides an easy start engine with run/stop switch for added convenience to the user. There is also one tubular steel frame surround unit that protects it from damages. And it also has a wheel and handle kit for maximum portability.

The power of Coleman 5000 watt generator is enough to run most critical appliances in your house. This is not a heavy use generator nor is it extremely economical on gas; it is great for a couple of hours of use, but it does provide the convenience of having electricity on power outages.

It will enable you to have satisfaction in your daily life and to ensure that you will not be left in the dark when power outages happen in your area. And for you not to be left hanging with what is necessary to have power, let the Coleman 5000 watt light your life.

Honda Generator EX1000 Reviewed, Truly Small But Terribly Dependable

2007-02-15T22:15:00.001-08:00

Honda generator EX1000 is noted for its compact size and great reliability. This handy machine can easily be transported from place to place; so wherever you have to go, it will make the transfer stress-free.

Honda generator EX1000 produces 1000 watts of power supply output. It also has a fuel meter, as well as a frequency meter. This model also comes with a four-stoke side valve for an unequalled torque and fuel effectiveness. It is designed with top quality circuit breakers and a switch for engine and fuel.

It is guaranteed by the United States Department of Agriculture to contain qualified spark arrestors to prevent incidents of fires. Also, it is manufactured with a fully-enclosed built to run without generating too much noise. In addition, because it is lightweight, it can be carried by one hand to facilitate convenient carrying.

Honda has made a name in the line of generators. Its products market in the area of commercial to household consumers. Generally, generators from this maker produce between 1,000 to 10,000 watts of power that can ideally be consumed for construction, recreation, rental and emergency use. Surely, consumers are ensured of reliable good turns with Honda.

At the present time, almost everything depends on electric power. And for that, we have too much to lose if we don’t expect things to fail — especially electricity. This is why generators are here. It is a shrewd move if you get your unit now. You don’t have to be troubled of the stresses brought about by power interruptions and outage. Just make sure you get your generator from Honda.

Above the line

2007-02-10T04:48:00.002-08:00

The line has been drawn ...

Only the elite cross it ...

Powered by an inner drive ...

Propelled by MRI, and the most advanced human performance technology.

You know it's true. Reaching the line is not enough. You want to fly past it. Thanks to Ed Byrd and MRI, you can. With NO2[R], and its patented extended-release delivery technology pHylex9[TM], you get the most powerful, physique-transforming nitric oxide generator ever conceived. With CE2[TM], and its state-of-the-art pro-creatine ester technology, you finally experience supra-physiological workouts that allow you to shatter your performance threshold. Simply put, you can put the most sophisticated and innovative technologies ever created to work for you. And soar above the line.

THE "PERFECT CREATINE"

MRI Technology Creates Biologically-Superior Workouts!

You enter the gym. Here's where you create the physiological demand for new muscle. You force your body to add new muscle to keep up with the greater "load" you place on it. Your goal in the gym: more reps, more sets, lifting greater weight--without overtraining. And that's why you have CE2. CE2 raises human performance to a level unimaginable. Unlike other creatines, CE2 gets into your system within minutes--not hours! Thanks to Ester-Tech, CE2 instantly floods your muscle cells with high-energy muscle fuel. You now concentrate the full force of CE2 into one explosive 60-minute workout!

You train with an intensity previously unknown. You feel the machine-gun-like intracellular energy blasts second to second. You push weight that you thought was impossible. You easily perform more reps and sets. Suddenly, you notice that your between-set recoveries take place in seconds, not minutes! You're significantly altering muscle physiology. Your body is now receiving muscle fiber adaptation "signals" it's never before experienced.

You've done your part. Your body must now add muscle fibers to keep up with the "CE2 force" you just applied in the gym. (And as you'll see, that's where NO2 gives you the ability to maximize that muscle growth.) Here's the best part. You begin to discover why users of CE2 report huge gains in muscle without ever mentioning edema (water that smoothes-out muscular definition). And that was the goal of Ed Byrd and the University of Nebraska Medical Center when they developed the pro-creatine ester technology that you know as CE2.

You may be surprised by your "leaner, more defined, big." Don't be! In a pilot study conducted by MRI, users of CE2 dropped an average of 15.7% (12 down to 9.8) in total body fat in just 8 weeks. They reported gaining muscle and adding definition--at the same time! It all goes to show why CE2 is known as the most scientifically advanced creatine to hit the market since Ed Byrd introduced creatine monohydrate in 1993.

* Engineered with ESTER-TECH Rapid Diffusion Delivery Technology

* Developed by MRI and the University of Nebraska Medical Center

* The Only Creatine Ethyl-Ester with Official NDI Regulatory Filing

#1 NITRIC OXIDE GENERATOR

MRI Technology Increases Your "Total-Muscle Physiology!"

Your workout is over. Your massive pumps reveal veins you never knew you had. Your skin is stretched to the limit. The good news is, thanks to NO2's patented delivery technology, pHylex9, you can keep those pumps! But more importantly, it's pay off time. As you're leaving the gym, NO2's "Cell-Signaling" has already kicked in and is beginning to ignite real muscle-building fireworks. Simply put, NO2 is making sure all the hard work you put in at the gym is finally paying off.

You quickly discover that you recover in minutes--not hours. NO2's extreme Hemodilation[TM] rapidly "super-saturates" your muscles with muscle-repairing, growth-enhancing, nutrient-dense blood. You get NO2's "instant recovery!" You soon discover, you're "sore no more." And this is only the beginning ...

You add new muscle fibers to adapt to the "CE2 force" you just applied in the gym. In addition, your existing fibers start to thicken. Your muscles now feel harder, denser, with even greater definition. And thanks to pHylex9, your body's muscle-building machinery is hard at work throughout the entire day. You now measure the changes to your physique day to day, not month to month! You're finally experiencing the real power of extended-release nitric oxide!

NO2, gives you more ... NO2 does more than give you size, vascularity, perpetual pumps, and "instant recoveries." In the Baylor University clinical study, NO2 boosted strength 347% over the placebo group and dramatically increased muscular endurance. Keep in mind, NO2 gives you these awesome benefits through a totally different metabolic pathway than CE2. And when you take both NO2 and CE2, you're employing the world's most innovative and sophisticated technologies.

Microcontrollers deliver 8-bit On-Chip Integration

2007-02-10T04:48:00.001-08:00

Based on the HCS08 core, MC9S08QG8/QG4 integrated, 8-bit MCUs incorporate 8-channel, 10-bit ADC with temperature sensor. They provide onboard analog integration along with SCI, SPI, and IIC bus modules. Timer options allow for software flexibility with 8-bit modulo timer module as well as motion control capabilities with 2-channel Timer/PWM module. Capable of supporting external clock source inputs from 32 kHz to 20 MHz, products feature debugging system and in-circuit emulation.

MC9S08QG8/QG4 microcontrollers provide a strong combination of functionality and packaging for cost-sensitive applications

AUSTIN, Texas - Oct. 24, 2005 - Designers of consumer electronics and industrial control applications can now take advantage of 8-bit microcontroller solutions that feature an attractive combination of performance, low power and price. Freescale Semiconductor (NYSE: FSL, FSL.B) is introducing the S08QG family of highly integrated, cost-effective 8-bit microcontrollers (MCUs).

To deliver increased on-chip integration, the MC9S08QG8/QG4 MCUs add an enhanced 8-channel, 10-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) designed for better resolution, speed of conversion and low-power. The onboard analog integration allows customers to easily interface to analog inputs with minimal external glue logic. The inclusion of a serial communications interface (SCI), a serial peripheral interface (SPI) module and inter-integrated circuit (IIC) bus modules maximizes the customer's options for external components to interface with and enables increased design flexibility.

Reducing system costs

Flexible timer options allow for greater software flexibility with the 8-bit modulo timer module (MTIM), as well as motion control capabilities with the 2-channel Timer/PWM module (TPM). The combination of these components on a single chip reduces the need for external system components and can help decrease the overall system costs.

"By offering tightly integrated 8-bit MCUs that combine flexibility and competitive price points, Freescale is giving designers wide latitude in choosing the right devices for their systems," said Eddie Sinnott, 8-bit MCU operations manager for Freescale. "The 9S08QG8/QG4 MCUs provide designers with the necessary functionality at a very competitive suggested resale price to enable even the most demanding and cost-sensitive application."

The 9S08QG8/QG4 also offers on-chip integration without compromising the low power consumption demands of many 8-bit applications by offering a series of clock source options. The internal clock source (ICS) module provides an accurate, low power internal clock generator, eliminating the need for and cost of an external crystal or oscillator. The 9S08QG8/QG4 MCUs are capable of supporting external clock source inputs from 32 kHz up to 20 MHz.

"Indesign places a great deal of strategic value in our partnership with Freescale," said Jerry Gotway, president of Indesign. "The 9S08QG8/QG4's high level of on-chip integration at this price point creates a great foundation for the design of new products. In addition to strong product innovation and aggressive pricing, Freescale provides us with the tools, reference designs and support we need to go to market quickly with a sustainable competitive advantage."

Speeding system development

Freescale provides an out-of-the-box development experience with cost-effective boards, production-worthy code via software libraries and the award-winning CodeWarrior(TM) development environment to help customers bring products to market easily and quickly.

The 9S08QG8/QG4 devices include a background debugging system and on-chip in-circuit emulation (ICE) with real-time bus capture, to eliminate the need for expensive emulation tools

Virtual lab allows customers a hands-on experience prior to purchasing, visit http://www.embeddedlearningcenter.com

MC9S08QG8/QG4 product features

Based on the HCS08 core

Up to 20MHz (10MHz bus) at >2.1V operation for 100ns minimum instruction time and 16MHz (8MHz bus) frequency at <2.1V

8K and 4K reprogrammable flash options

Synchronous and asynchronous serial peripherals (SPI, IIC, SCI)

8-channel, 10-bit Analog to Digital Converter (ADC) with temperature sensor

Analog comparator module (ACMP)

2-channel Timer/PWM module (TPM) and 8-bit modulo timer module (MTIM)

8-pin keyboard interrupt (KBI) module with software selectable polarity on edge or edge/level modes

Internal clock source (ICS) module containing a frequency-locked loop (FLL)

External oscillator to support external clock sources

System protection features, such as low voltage detect (LVD), power on reset (POR), and computer operating properly (COP) counter with independent oscillator

Background debugging system and on-chip in-circuit emulation (ICE) with real-time bus capabilities

Power For The Digital Age - from Sure Power Corp

2007-02-10T04:47:00.002-08:00

Sure Power Corp. has developed a system that supplies non-stop, high-quality electricity for data centers and Web hotels

The Internet and related technology-based businesses that have driven prosperity levels to new heights across the nation constitute an energy glutton of giant proportions. As 24/7 demand grows everywhere, transmission capacity lags woefully behind. To keep from ever coming between a plug and hard place again, corporate leaders and public officials in high tech regions across the country are learning from California's dark winter of 2001, and looking to seize on the opportunity represented by distributed generation.

Importantly for communities and taxpayers, distributed generation presents a short wire solution that will not require massive public or private investment. Ultimately, distributed generation should prove far easier, cheaper and environmentally less risky than construction of new central generating plants. In addition, distributed generation systems can help to balance the electricity needs of residential communities with those of data centers and Web hotels, which typically use as much electricity per individual facility as six office towers.

Engineering a Six Nines Solution

Nonstop, high-quality electricity that technology companies require for their critical daily operations is now available from Sure Power Corp. Most data centers and Web hotels get their power directly from the electricity grid. If the grid goes down, these companies are forced to activate back-up devices such as batteries and generators. The big problem is that these systems don't provide foolproof solutions.

Sure Power has applied Redundant Array of Independent Devices (RAID) technology to the creation of electrical power for large-scale data centers and Web hotels. Proven throughout the information technology industry, RAID technology allows a system to generate electricity without a single point of failure.

By incorporating redundant devices (in this case, gas turbines, fuel cells and gas reciprocating engines) into site-specific, power generation facilities, the Sure Power system does not depend on any individual component to operate. The use of an array of redundant devices to ensure failure-proof, round-the-clock performance for computers has been a cornerstone of the tech business for years. Sure Power has taken a new approach by taking this principle and applying it to a patent-pending power system.

Using probabilistic risk analysis techniques, MTechnology Inc., a consulting firm based in Framingham, Massachusetts, that specializes in magnetic and power technology and Professor Michael Golay of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, have analyzed the availability of the Sure Power high-availability power system designed for the First National Bank of Omaha (FNBO), Nebraska, and installed in May 1999. They concluded that availability levels exceeded seven 9s, which means an annual exposure to potential downtime of less than one second, or a less than 1% chance of downtime over 20 years. The best conventional UPS setups, in contrast, deliver only four 9s availability, representing a 63% chance of downtime.

Guaranteed Reliability

Unlike traditional back-up systems, the Sure Power system is the primary power source, always generating electricity onsite. The utility grid becomes a third level back-up. The system is hot, not standby. All modules are always operating.

Companies choosing Sure Power's distributed generation solution are guaranteed 99.9999% (six nines) energy reliability, backed up by an insurance policy to cover losses attributed to a system failure.

The First National Bank of Omaha chose fuel cells as the primary generating source for the Sure Power system installed at FNBO's new technology center. Sure Power used fuel cells from International Fuel Cells (IFC). Formerly ONSI Corp., IFC is a subsidiary of United Technologies, which has provided the NASA space agency with fuel cells producing power and drinkable water for every U.S. manned space flight. Piller Inc., a U.S. subsidiary of a German company, manufactures the system's rotary power equipment.

The Sure Power high-availability power plant in Omaha utilizes six independent sources of energy: two independent utility substations and four fuel cell power. The system does not use generators; however, the bank ordered generators to back up lifesafety building loads. The system design, in fact, is so flexible that Sure Power integrated the generators into the system, allowing the bank to use the generators as a back-up before going to the grid. Any one substation or generator, or any two fuel cell power plants, can carry the critical load.

The IFC PC 25 fuel cell power plant is an autonomous generating plant using natural gas for fuel to produce 200 kW of electricity, heat and water. The plant only requires natural gas, oxygen from the air, occasional makeup water (during the summer months) and a cooling module to reject excess heat. Each power plant is independent with no means for transients from another power source or the load to impact its performance.

Power For The Digital Age - from Sure Power Corp

2007-02-10T04:47:00.001-08:00

Test Set broadens HSDPA performance

2007-02-10T04:46:00.000-08:00

Test Set Model 8960, featuring E1963A W-CDMA Mobile Test Applications with Option 403 HSDPA test modes, provides set of RF parametric measurements. Frequency Division Duplex and Radio Bearer test modes give developers flexibility in structuring test processes, provide support for H-set 1-5, and cover UE testing demands through Category 6. Graphical dynamic power analysis of DPCH, HS-DPCCH, CQI, ACK, NACK, and DTX channels validates relative power levels between channels over time.

Agilent Technologies Inc. (NYSE: A) today announced an extensive set of new measurement tools to ensure High-Speed Downlink Packet Access parametric performance. HSDPA is the 3.5G, packet-based data service added to the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Release 5 to improve the Wireless Code Division Multiple Access (W-CDMA) downlink.

The FDD (frequency division duplex) and RB (radio bearer) test modes give manufacturing test developers flexibility in structuring their test processes for optimized performance. The FDD test mode provides a fast, efficient test structure to increase throughput, while the RB test mode adds call processing to verify functional behavior. Both modes provide comprehensive support for H-set 1 through 5 and cover user equipment (UE) testing demands up through Category 6.

The Agilent 8960 test set with the E1963A W-CDMA Mobile Test Application with Option 403 HSDPA test modes provides a complete set of accurate and repeatable RF parametric measurements, giving users confidence in the UE quality. Graphical dynamic power analysis of DPCH, HS-DPCCH, CQI, ACK, NACK, and DTX channels validates relative power levels between the channels over time.

Parallel W-CDMA bit error rate and HSDPA block error rate receiver measurements reduce overall receiver measurement test time while providing the highest accuracy of Tx power and frequency measurements.

Agilent continues to enhance its complete portfolio of HSDPA test solutions to provide test correlation from development through manufacturing. This is possible via Agilent's E8875A 3GPP FDD W-CDMA Design Library, E4438C ESG Vector Signal Generator with Option 418 Signal Studio for HSDPA over W-CDMA and E4406-210 Vector Signal Analyzer, as well as the 8960 used in Anite's SAT(A) and SAS conformance test solutions.

U.S. Pricing and Availability

The Agilent E1963A W-CDMA mobile test application is available at a starting price of $14,200, and the E1963A-403 test modes are priced at $9,000. The Agilent E8875A 3GPP FDD W-CDMA Design Library and E4438C-418 Signal Studio for HSDPA over W-CDMA are offered starting at $33,035 and $6,000, respectively.

Information about Agilent E5515C test applications is available at www.agilent.com/find/8960. Information about other HSDPA Agilent test equipment is available at www.agilent.com/find/hsdpa. Photos of the products are available at www.agilent.com/find/HSDPA_image.

Prime power for island paradise - Chub Cay Power and Light

2007-02-10T04:45:00.000-08:00

Chub Cay Island offers everything that a vacationer, sailor, yachting enthusiast or sport angler could ever envision of a tropical paradise. As part of a cluster of 30 islands and close to 100 cays or reefs that comprise the Berry Islands in the Bahamas, Chub Cay Island covers just 900 acres, with over five miles of white, sandy beaches. The island is 152 miles southeast of Miami Beach, Fla., and has earned an international reputation for its sport fishing, with several world-record catches.

In 1992, Hurricane Andrew wiped out Chub Cay Island and its growing tourism business, but under the guidance of Michael Kaboth, general manager of Chub Cay Club Resort, several years of renovation and construction have brought the island's resort and marine business back to first-class status.

In 1994, Chub Cay Island opened a fully automated, licensed power company, Chub Cay Power & Light, which is designed to provide all of the island's electrical power requirements well into the next century. Four Detroit Diesel Spectrum generator sets produce all of the island's power -- three nominal 350 kW gen-sets and one 450 kW genset, all derated for prime power.

The Spectrum gen-sets, packaged by Kohler Co., were designed and installed by Florida Detroit Diesel-Allison in Miami. Gale Garrett, Florida DD-A generator service supervisor, oversees the installation and said the generators have demonstrated a high degree of performance and reliability. "One unit has logged 12,000 hours without a single glitch, while the other three gen-sets are approaching 9000 hours each," Garrett said.

With derated outputs of 250 and 350 kW, the three smaller gen-sets are powered by Detroit Diesel 6V-92TA diesels rated 330 hp and driving Marathon generators, while the single larger gen-set is powered by a 12V-71TA rated 460 hp, also coupled to a Marathon generator. Kohler Decision Maker 3 controllers provide for gen-set metering, monitoring and safety shutdown features. Other gen-set components include radiators from Modine, silencers and air filters from Donaldson, as well as oil makeup systems from Ren and F.W. Murphy.

While any one of the four generators is capable of providing power for the island, Garrett said typically the 350 kW unit serves as the prime power source with the other three 250 kW gen-sets arranged sequentially in a standby capacity during peak power instances and maintenance', downtimes.

Once the load pushes past 250 kW, a programmable logic controller (PLC) signals another generator to come online and work in parallel with the prime power unit. The system is designed so that during peak power demand -- typically during the island's two annual fishing tournaments -- all four generators come on-line.

Power plant components include paralleling switchgear from International Power Systems, Barber-Colman synchronizers and a Square D programmable logic controller (PLC). "The Barber-Colman load sharing system, along with the voltage regulator cross current system, makes the control gear adjustments practically hands-off," Garrett said.

By selecting mechanical fuel injectors specifically sized for this application, Florida DD-A technicians have avoided problems of black smoke when the diesel engines are running at minimal loads, while providing adequate fuel at all expected power demands. Being able to integrate properly sized mechanical fuel injectors into the engines has proven to be a very effective means of preventing over-fueling and the smoke problems associated with it, according to Garrett.

"We are always concerned that the basic amenities are provided," said Kaboth, who also oversees the power plant. "While many of our visitors are a bit adventurous, they still do like their air conditioning. The generators continue humming away without interruption. We've taken their reliability for granted, and that is the sign of a successful power plant installation."

The generators' major prime power consumers include: Chub Cay Club resort and marina; the modest collection of town houses and ocean-front villas; the island's airport; a reverse osmosis (R/O) fresh water production system; and various communication systems. Discussions to add a fifth generator are underway as power demands increase on the island.

Florida DD-A technicians and Chub Cay maintenance personnel also follow a rigorous maintenance schedule. Garrett has trained the island's maintenance crew to carry out routine upkeep including changing the oil and oil filters every 100 hours, taking gen-set system readings (voltage, amperage, kilowatts, frequency, oil pressure and water temperature) every three hours, monitoring fuel system gauges, and changing the fuel filters.

Four times each year, Florida DD-A technicians visit Chub Cay Island to conduct several other advanced maintenance tasks, such as spraying the gen-sets' copper windings with an anti-corrosive solvent and applying an insulation coating, also to prevent corrosion. "It is a very corrosive atmosphere with all the salt-water -- the power plant is located so close to the ocean," said Garrett. "We will do anything we can to inhibit rust.

New Mexico Utility Adds 25 Mw Of Distributed Power - Public Service Company of New Mexico

2007-02-10T04:44:00.002-08:00

Celerity, using Sixth Dimension communications technology, to operate utility-based distributed power network

As a result of what may be the first networked utility-based distributed power installations, the Public Service Co. of New Mexico (PNM) will be able to tap into 25 MW of dispatchable electric peaking capacity later this year.

While the concepts of distributed generation are being discussed far and wide, and pilot projects are seemingly everywhere, the PNM project, which could eventually total 75 MW, certainly ranks as one of the largest distributed power programs in North America so far.

It also underscores the theory of distributed power generation. The generator set owner benefits because the network operator assumes the responsibility for maintaining and operating the gen-sets at no cost to the owners. The utility benefits as it has access to a supply of electricity, without building new plants.

A total of 30 generator sets will be networked together to create the first 25 MW block of peaking capacity for the utility. The sets are a combination of Caterpillar, Cummins and Detroit Diesel-powered units in diesel, natural gas and dual-fuel packages.

Celerity Energy, Portland, Ore., using a fully managed communications network designed and maintained by Sixth Dimension, Inc., Ft. Collins, Colo., will create what Celerity calls the largest distributed energy project in the western United States. The project has been granted Exempt Wholesale Generator status by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission. Additional sites, with 10 to 15 gen-sets, could be added in the near-term adding another 15 MW to the network.

Celerity, a two-year-old company, created to develop distributed generation systems worldwide, will install processor-based controls and paralleling switchgear at each of the gen-set sites, which Sixth Dimension's 6D iNET distributed intelligence network will then dispatch and control.

Managing the project is also Celerity's responsibility, including the day-to-day performance of the networked distributed resources, as well as overseeing the installation of the new controls, paralleling switchgear and protective equipment, the communications infrastructure, and obtaining the necessary permitting to implement the modifications.

Celerity also selected the suppliers to provide equipment that will supplement commercially available controls and switchgear: Sixth Dimension for the communications network; MYR Group-Sturgeon Electric as the general contractor; Environmental Services Inc. as the environmental consultant and Rust Tractor for qualifying and maintenance services.

In September 2000, Celerity reached an agreement with Caterpillar Inc. to fund the PNM project. Cat also secured the opportunity to fund future networked distributed resources projects both domestically and internationally and will also have access to some of Celerity's intellectual property and competencies. The two companies are in on-going discussions about a more comprehensive strategic relationship to develop, own and operate a variety of distributed resources along with energy services to end-use customers, Celerity said.

The 30 gen-sets, at 15 sites, make up the 25 MW of power included in the program. The gen-sets, which range from 400 kW to 2 MW, are in a variety of mostly standby applications in the Albuquerque area including hospitals, the airport, other municipal locations, and manufacturing facilities. The project was being phased-in this spring, with the final units expected to be completed in time for the summer peaking season.

Celerity will operate and maintain the control equipment installed on the standby generators. It will also manage fuel procurement and delivery, permit reporting and reapplication, determining the available capacity on a daily basis, plus financial reporting to the owners.

PNM and Celerity entered into a power-marketing agreement under which the utility will use the network's output for its wholesale requirements and will directly dispatch the power produced by the network of standby generators.

"The way it works is that we make a commitment to PNM of the nominal amount of power available," said Celerity's David Hoffman, president and CEO. "Monthly we declare a strike price for that resource, and on a two-day-ahead basis we declare the availability of it. PNM is then able to dispatch it and market it."

On the other end of the supply chain, Celerity dealt with each individual generator set owner directly.

"We did what we call a participant agreement, a relationship contract between us and the gen-set owner," Hoffman said. "We worked out the maintenance programs, which in this case we did with the Caterpillar dealer, Rust Tractor. We worked through different options with each gen-set owner on how we all get value out of this. It's different for a hospital than it is for an airport or a high-tech manufacturing facility."

The generator sets in the network each have varied permitted operating levels, but generally will operate about 400 hours annually, with contractual limits of two starts per day and eight hours of operations per day.

Cummins Power Generation to Sell and Service Kawasaki Gas Turbine-Powered Generator Sets

2007-02-10T04:44:00.001-08:00

Cummins Inc. (NYSE:CUM) Cummins Power Generation and Kawasaki Gas Turbines-Americas have signed a distribution agreement for Cummins Power Generation to market, sell and service generator sets and power systems powered by Kawasaki gas turbines in the Americas. Cummins Power Generation is a world leader in the design and manufacture of diesel and gas generator sets from 5 kW to 2.7 MW for standby, peaking and prime rated power systems. Kawasaki Gas Turbines-Americas, a division of Kawasaki Motors Corp., USA., is a leading manufacturer of small and mid-size gas turbine power systems from 200 kW to 20 MW employed in standby, peaking, base-load and combined heat and power (CHP) installations around the world.

"This distribution agreement with Kawasaki Gas Turbines-Americas will expand the range of power solutions that Cummins Power Generation can offer to its customers," says Ron Moore, Vice President and General Manager, Cummins Power Generation. "We are very pleased to have formed this alliance with a turbine manufacturer that has a global reputation for making efficient, reliable and low-emissions products. We feel that with the addition of these products, Cummins Power Generation will be well positioned to better serve the peaking, distributed generation and CHP marketplace."

Hiro Matsumura, president of Kawasaki Gas Turbines-Americas, says "This distribution agreement is well-suited to the longer term objectives of both companies, and it will allow us each to grow our business in a way that fits the strengths that we each have. It also presents opportunities for future cooperative marketing initiatives that will have a positive impact for both Kawasaki and Cummins Power Generation."

Kawasaki engineers have consistently delivered clean, versatile and reliable power through the company's gas turbine program. Recognizing the ever-increasing emphasis on the environment, Kawasaki is the first gas turbine manufacturer to list among its offerings ultra-clean, cost-effective combustion technology that utilizes a catalytic combustor instead of a flame, enabling continuous nitrous oxide emissions of less than three parts per million. The Xonon Cool Combustion(TM) system from Catalytica Energy Systems is matched with Kawasaki's core products to respond to today's challenges.

The agreement, delineates a multi-year alliance that will entail Cummins Power Generation marketing and selling Kawasaki gas turbine powered generator sets ranging from 1.4 MW to 7 MW. The products will be marketed under a co-branded designation in the Americas. Cummins Power Generation distributors will receive sales and service training from Kawasaki personnel. The two companies will share in certain marketing efforts related to materials and market development activities and may eventually expand geographical distribution.

Cummins Power Generation is a world leader in the design and manufacture of pre-integrated PowerCommand generator sets, transfer switches, paralleling equipment, and controls for use in standby and prime rated systems. For more information, contact Cummins Power Generation, 1400 73rd Ave. NE, Minneapolis, MN, 55432. Phone: 763-574-5000; Fax 763-574-5298. Or visit the web site at www.cumminspower.com.

Kawasaki Gas Turbines-Americas is located in Grand Rapids, Mich. and provides a full line of gas turbine packages for both standby and prime power applications, parts, overhaul, field maintenance support, and customer service. Kawasaki has been in the gas turbine business since 1943 when it first produced units for aircraft application. It has since developed a significant presence in the world market for aerospace, marine, and industrial applications. Kawasaki owns 58% of the world power generation market for gas turbines below 10 megawatts and has sold in excess of 7,000 units in that category. For more information, contact Kawasaki Gas Turbines-Americas, 5080 36th Street S.E., Grand Rapids, Mich., 49512. Telephone 616-949-6500, Fax 616-975-3124. Or visit the website at www.kawasaki.com/gtd.

A global power leader, Cummins Inc., is a corporation of complementary business units that design, manufacture, distribute and service electrical power generation systems, engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration and emission solutions. Headquartered in Columbus, Indiana (USA), Cummins serves its customers through more than 500 company owned and independent distributor locations in 131 countries and territories. With 24,900 employees worldwide, Cummins reported sales of $5.7 billion in 2001. Press releases by fax can be requested by calling News On Demand (toll free) at 888-329-2305. Cummins home page can be found at www.cummins.com.

Doctrine corner: U.S. Army Intelligence Center and school requirements for lessons learned

2007-02-10T04:43:00.001-08:00

Recognizing the need to incorporate lessons learned, at all echelons, regarding all functions (e.g., processes, equipment functionality, procedures, etc.), below are some of the general themes and specific requirements for collecting lessons learned from Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). These themes and requirements will be used by the U.S. Army Intelligence Center (USAIC) subject matter expert (SME) supporting the Center for Army Lessons Learned (CALL) Combined Arms Assessment Team (CAAT) as a guide to facilitate collection of initial intelligence lessons learned during OIF. These lessons learned will be used to--

* Validate current doctrine and assist in the development of emerging and/or new doctrine.

* Validate current systems and assist in the upgrade of those systems.

* Assist in the development of future individual and collective training.

Radio-Frequency Plasma Cleaning of a Penning Malmberg Trap

2007-02-10T04:42:00.000-08:00

This method is superior to cleaning by baking.

Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama

Radio-frequency-generated plasma has been demonstrated to be a promising means of cleaning the interior surfaces of a Penning-Malmberg trap that is used in experiments on the confinement of antimatter. {Such a trap was reported in "Modified Penning-Malmberg Trap for Storing Antiprotons" (MFS-31780), NASA Tech Briefs, Vol. 29, No. 3 (March 2005), page 66.) Cleaning of the interior surfaces is necessary to minimize numbers of contaminant atoms and molecules, which reduce confinement times by engaging in matter/antimatter-annihilation reactions with confined antimatter particles.

A modified Penning-Malmberg trap like the one described in the cited prior article includes several collinear ring electrodes (some of which are segmented) inside a tubular vacuum chamber, as illustrated in Figure 1. During operation of the trap, a small cloud of charged antiparticles (e.g., antiprotons or positrons) is confined to a spheroidal central region by means of a magnetic field in combination with DC and radio-frequency (RF) electric fields applied via the electrodes.

In the present developmental method of cleaning by use of RF-generated plasma, one evacuates the vacuum chamber, backfills the chamber with hydrogen at a suitable low pressure, and uses an RF-signal generator and baluns to apply RF voltages to the ring electrodes. Each ring is excited in the polarity opposite that of the adjacent ring. The electric field generated by the RF signal creates a discharge in the low-pressure gas. The RF power and gas pressure are adjusted so that the plasma generated in the discharge ( see Figure 2) physically and chemically attacks any solid, liquid, and gaseous contaminant layers on the electrode surfaces. The products of the physical and chemical cleaning reactions are gaseous and are removed by the vacuum pumps.

This cleaning method is much more aggressive than is the standard baking of ultrahigh-vacuum systems; adsorbed gases are removed much faster and more nearly completely.

The cleaning is also superior to that of a system in which plasma is generated outside the apparatus to be cleaned and made to flow through the apparatus. In contemplated further development, the method would be extended to afford a capability for plasma cleaning of, not only the electrodes, but also the interior wall of the vacuum chamber. For the purpose of cleaning the wall, it would likely be necessary to modify the electrical connections and electrical operating parameters to optimize the array of electrodes as an antenna for generating plasma between the electrodes and the wall.

This work was done by William Herbert Sims III, James Martin, and J. Boise. Pearson of Marshall Space Flight Center and Raymond Lewis ofRLewis Co., and Wallace E. Fant of Cortez III. For further information, access the Technical Support Package (TSP) free on-line at unvw.techbriefs.com/tsp under the Physical Sciences category.

This invention is owned by NASA, and a patent application has been filed. For further information, contact Sammy Nabors, MSFC Commercialization Assistance Lead, at sammy.a.nabors@nasa.gov. Refer to MFS-31825.

USB Flash Drive includes fingerprint authentication

2007-01-04T03:53:00.001-08:00

Corporation (NASDAQ:ATML), a global leader in the development and fabrication of advanced semiconductor solutions and FingerGear(TM), the newly formed consumer products division of biometrics technology leader Bionopoly LLC, announced today the immediate availability of a new biometric USB Flash Drive featuring software-free operation and a large font LCD display for the ultimate user-friendly experience. The Bio USB Flash Drive, which features the Atmel FingerChip(TM) Sensor, also includes the built-in capability of generating a One-Time Password from a fingerprint match.

Because no software is required to run on the host PC, FingerGear's(TM) Bio USB is truly portable and cross platform compatible among Windows, Macintosh, and Linux machines that have a standard USB port. The onboard LCD display screen guides the user through Setup mode in which the user trains the device to recognize his or her finger. In addition, a push button on the device enables the user to enter into other modes including Add User, Delete User, and One-Time Password Generation. Up to 5 additional users may be added per device.

Prepare for a major disaster: the laboratory and beyond

2007-01-03T03:52:00.000-08:00

The world has changed. The Oklahoma City bombing, the World Trade Center attacks, and the proliferation of terrorist organizations intent upon inflicting massive innocent loss of life have heightened the level of emergency preparedness we must achieve. A practical perspective is that while terrorist threats have driven enhanced emergency planning worldwide, the payoffs of preparedness for most of us will more likely accrue for a natural, nonterroristic disaster caused by incidents of nature or accidents of man.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

If the worst happens, we must respond as a team to best preserve lives and livelihoods: first responders; local, county and state governmental agencies; public health and humanitarian entities; and healthcare facilities and laboratories. This article highlights generic relationships within this team and promotes preparedness for selected nonanalytic challenges a laboratory may experience during a major emergency.

The purpose of the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute (CLSI, formerly NCCLS) Report X4-R, Planning for Challenges to Clinical Laboratory Operations During a Disaster, is to fill a perceived gap in readily available information geared specifically to logistical, nonanalytic challenges to laboratory operations during a major emergency. The focus of this article is the challenges faced by hospital-associated laboratories, and it draws upon X4-R to help laboratory leadership appraise the preparedness level in their community, facility, and laboratory. It should be noted that preparedness plans for hospital-associated and independent laboratories are different.

Spread spectrum monitoring and control

2007-01-02T03:51:00.000-08:00

New technology will make wireless I/O commonplace in harsh industrial environments.

Wireless radio technology as fixed frequency radio in our homes, cars, and factories is common.

Operation requires a government license that theoretically prevents other broadcast signals inside the "bandwidth" and territory covered by that license.

This high power output allows transmission across great distances and blasting through obstacles. The downside is an almost immediate drop off in performance if interference (manmade or environmental) moves into the allocated bandwidth. Limited available frequencies also means users, particularly in urban areas, must often wait years for a license. To allow greater access and utilize new radio technologies dealing with interference, in 1987 the FCC allocated Industrial, Scientific, and Medical (ISM) spread spectrum bands.

Radio technology has worked in the telemetry world for years instead of costly long run cable. Licensed radios and even spread spectrum radios are commonplace in the wide-open spaces of the oil fields and outlying municipal water systems around North America. Here, reliability depends on the FCC maintaining the end user's exclusive rights to that portion of the bandwidth. One claims reliability, or in the case of spread spectrum radios, often maintains reliability simply because there aren't other radios competing for the bandwidth in the same area.

The recalcitrant aircraft

2007-01-01T03:50:00.000-08:00

In mid-November 2003, six months after returning from deployment during Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF), our squadron had a lot of hours to fly and training to do. We needed to maintain our readiness status. Our jets had been ridden hard during the war, and, with no time to rest after returning home, we continued to press on.

Nothing was out of the ordinary about our Tomcat flight. It was a strike-fighter weapons and tactics (SFWT) level III signoff for myself, a 2-versus-unknown night-offensive counter-air (OCA). I briefed the event, read the aircraft-discrepancy hook (ADB), and walked.

Aircraft 111 had experienced multiple left-engine problems during the previous two weeks. These problems included several instances of the engine switching to SEC (degrading from electronic to mechanical control) mode multiple times during flight, and of SEC-mode degrades coincident with air-inlet-control-system (AICS) failure. Three days before our flight, the left-engine rpm rolled back to 60 percent after landing. The morning of our flight, the port augmenter-fan-temperature control (AFTC), an electronic device responsible tot controlling the engine's primary mode of operation, was replaced as a fix for the SEC-mode discrepancies. The next flight, 111's second flight of the day, turned up another uncommanded SEC-mode gripe.

Start-up was uneventful, with no sign of trouble from the engines. We taxied to 05R--11,997 feet by 200 feet. We covered "Aborted Takeoff" and "Single Engine Failure Field" procedures and considerations before crossing the holdshort. We took the runway with our wingman for an eight-second, flight-lead-sep takeoff: My pilot ran up the engines and performed a control wipeout. Everything still looked good, so we started rolling.

Innovations in manufacturing and insulation

2006-12-31T03:49:00.000-08:00

Next month's insulation and electrical manufacturing conference in Indianapolis to highlight what's new in electrical design and application

INSULATION, OUTSOURCING, and power transmission are among the subjects to be covered at this year's joint Electrical Insulation Conference and Electrical Manufacturing Expo, being held Oct. 23-26 at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis.

Exhibitors will emphasize, in addition to products and services along these lines, motor/drive and motor/ generator systems as opposed to discrete machines working in isolation from one another. The two conferences have traditionally been held jointly in odd-numbered years.

The conference isn't just for those in manufacturing. Some sessions intended for designers and manufacturers of electrical power systems may also be of interest to those involved in service and repair. These include sessions on innovations in motor and transformer design as well as predictive maintenance and the latest in resins and other insulations.

Many of the speakers hail from companies and universities in what may be called "the insulation belt"-northern Indiana and Ohio and southern Michigan-as well from countries other than the U.S. These include Italy, Japan, Canada, Hungary, Austria, Brazil, and Iran. At least a dozen speakers will be visiting from companies and universities in China.

IAR Systems launches development kits for STMicroelectronics' 32-bit microcontrollers

2006-12-30T03:48:00.000-08:00

STMicroelectronics (NYSE:STM) has announced availability of cost-effective development kits for its recently introduced STR711F and STR712F 32-bit ARM-based microcontrollers, which are intended for high-performance but cost-sensitive applications, and which offer embedded USB or CAN interfaces. The $299 (Recommended Resale Price) kits from IAR Systems answer a real need in the market for a low-cost, high-quality solution for evaluating the STR7 MCU family and for creating and debugging new applications.

The STR711-SK/IAR and STR712-SK/IAR KickStart kits support all of the normal development phases, and enable designers to move from evaluation to full-scale development with no additional work. They include an evaluation board complete with STR711F or STR712F microcontroller, a USB to JTAG hardware interface for debugging, a 20-state version of the visualSTATE(R) graphical design environment, and a KickStart version of Embedded Workbench(R) for ARM (EWARM), IAR's integrated development environment (IDE).

This proven development toolset is fully optimized for the STR7 family. The evaluation board provides a full range of features -- including I/O ports, ADC, UART, two SPI and I2C ports, and USB or CAN connector -- to help designers to evaluate and start developing applications for the on-board STR71xF MCU. The board is powered through the USB to JTAG interface from the host PC to eliminate the need for an external power supply.

The EWARM integrated development environment includes the KickStart 32KB C/C++ compiler for building the application, and the C-SPY(TM) debugger for debugging the code while it runs on the evaluation board's STR71xF microcontroller. It also offers complete integration with the J-Link-KS JTAG interface, plus editor, linker and librarian tools, and built-in flash programming, all controlled through a single intuitive user interface. Embedded Workbench is well regarded among developers of 8, 16 and 32-bit systems worldwide, and its ultra-dense code generation makes it ideal for the STR71xF target market.

SatCon introduces product to offset power outages

2006-12-29T03:47:00.000-08:00

SatCon Technology Corporation(R) of Cambridge., Massachusetts, maker of power and energy management products, introduced a new family of uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) at the Los Angeles Power Association Winter Conference on January 31. The product line, produced by SatCon's Ling Electronics Division in Anaheim, California, is designed to provide up to 2.0 megawatts of power during power outages.

The StarSine MegaPower UPS will combine Ling's StarSine power converters and controls with commercially available battery banks or flywheels to provide uninterruptible power during brownouts or blackouts, such as the rolling blackouts that have already affected parts of California. The new line is modular, allowing for a number of UPS power levels that can accommodate a variety of businesses, from hotels and hospitals to offices and manufacturing facilities. The products will be sold, distributed, and serviced by Ling Electronics' worldwide sales and service network.

"Maintaining power during power outages has become a major issue for businesses throughout the world," said David Eisenhaure, SatCon's president and CEO. "Today, everything in the facility is critical - not just the data center. Globally, businesses are becoming more dependent on electricity to manage everything from data processing to automated manufacturing. When the power goes down it's often a disaster."

Initially, SatCon will target the higher-end of the market with its 2.0MW system, designed to be paralleled to provide emergency power for an entire facility until a generator can be started to replace lost utility power. Currently, systems of this size are not readily available.

High reliability power

2006-12-28T03:46:00.000-08:00

SELECTING ELECTRICAL systems that meet an organization's needs presents a complex challenge. Facility executives must identify load density, determine the reliability required for the electrical systems and understand the future needs and implementation plans. What's more, any plan for assuring that the facility will have adequate, reliable power must be based on a detailed understanding of the business plan of the organization, a close look at the maintenance plan, and a careful review of how the facility is to be operated; from all of that information, a reasonable budget must be developed.

A starting point is to determine load density. The best way to determine the load is to assemble a detailed list of equipment to be placed in the data center. Unfortunately, because data centers need to accommodate changing equipment and rising loads, it is more common to use load projections based on square footage of usable area in the data center. To identify future needs, it is important to understand how the facility will be operated today and what tomorrow might hold. That means good communication between the information technology group and the electrical engineers is essential.

Probability studies can be used to determine the system reliability if the facility executive knows the reliability level required. If not, the facility executive must understand system redundancy and cost issues. The latter includes the tradeoff between the cost of the redundant equipment and the revenue lost when an outage occurs. The lower the risk of an outage, the higher the initial cost of the electrical system. Only by weighing costs and risks can the facility executive make the correct decision about the redundancy required.

Charging Generators suit static charge pinning applications

2006-12-27T03:45:00.000-08:00

A new line of single-polarity charge generators from Ion Industrial feature the choice of "constant current" or "constant voltage" operation suitable for a broad range of static charge pinning applications, including card insertions, chill roll edge pinning on cast film lines, in-mold labeling (IML), roll transfer, lamination, shrink wrapping, plastic bag manufacturing and many other processes. While "constant voltage" has been a standard mode for most other generators, the "constant current" feature provides more consistent pinning power regardless of changes in ambient conditions or contamination of ionizing electrodes or variations in the material's properties. Ion's line of new charging products also includes a small-profile, lightweight charging bar with tungsten ionizing electrodes.

The new 7020 OEM Generator is a fully-integrated "black box" controllable by a PLC using an analog I/O connection. The 7220 Generator, in addition to the remote I/O, provides all controls and displays on the front of the unit for ease of monitoring or operator adjustments. Both systems utilize universal output connections compatible with many makes of charge applicators. An IP54 protection rating is standard on both generator models.
Ion has more than 20 years of experience in the design and manufacture of ionization products for the control of static charge in manufacturing processes. Having previously and primarily served high tech manufacturing, Ion formed Ion Industrial to service the paper and film converting and packaging industries in 1997.

Safety in the storm: while Katrina raged, a special-needs shelter reached out to help others

2006-12-26T21:12:00.001-08:00

On Monday, August 29, Hurricane Katrina, a storm of biblical proportions, hit the Gulf Coast with a vengeance. While New Orleans, Gulfport, Biloxi, and other cities addressed the storm's devastation, witnessed its toll on life and property, and were consumed with rescue and recovery efforts, the residents and staff of Biloxi Community Living Center (BCLC), a 240-bed skilled nursing facility in Mississippi, weathered Katrina and its aftermath in relative comfort and safety.

"In September 2004, we evacuated our residents who lived in the path of Hurricane Ivan," says Rachel Duncan, vice-president of community relations of Community Eldercare Services (CES) in Tupelo, Mississippi. From that difficult but educational experience, CES realized the importance of having a special-needs shelter available to the elderly in emergencies. "We worked closely with the Federal Emergency Management Agency [FEMA] and its Mississippi counterpart, MEMA, to meet all the standards necessary to receive designation as a certified shelter," says Duncan.

As part of the certification process, BCLC signed an agreement with FEMA to install a 50kW emergency generator financed by FEMA loans and some out-of-pocket cash. "Only a few companies manufacture this generator, but once we achieved our special-needs shelter certification, we were bumped to the top of the waiting list," explains Duncan.

Active Power Introduces a New Battery-Free, Generator Starting System; GenSTART Module and Starting System Eliminates Primary Reason For Gen Set Start

2006-12-25T21:11:00.000-08:00

Active Power, Inc. (Nasdaq:ACPW), of Austin, a developer and manufacturer of battery-free power quality solutions, today announced two complementary products: GenSTART System, a new innovative battery-free starting system that increases starting reliability of up to 8MW of multiple standby engine generator systems, and GenSTART Module that supplies 1725 cold-cranking amps to the generator set starting motor. Both products supply engine generators with assured starting power when it's most critical - at start-up. Now available to end-users, these new products will eliminate the number one reason generator sets fail to start - dead or weak lead-acid batteries.

"The weakest link in the backup power train of all major 7x24 operations, from hospitals to casinos, is the generator set starter battery. With GenSTART, these enormously expensive facilities are no longer dependent on failure-prone batteries. We believe our patented GenSTART products are simply the lowest cost way to improve the electrical reliability of both new and existing 7x24 facilities," said Joe Pinkerton, Chairman and CEO of Active Power.

Power Price Spike Sends Edison Into Quagmire of Debt - Southern California Edison Co - Column - Statistical Data Included

2006-12-24T21:11:00.000-08:00

As power prices on the open market have skyrocketed this summer, Southern California Edison is going deeper and deeper into debt -- completely wiping out recent gains in the company's stock price.

Edison has racked up more than $1 billion in "under-collections," in which it cannot recover from its customers the full cost of buying power.

That's because in the last three months, the average price of power on the open market has run four to five times last summer's levels, but the rate Edison charges its customers has stayed frozen thanks to provisions in the 1996 state law deregulating the state's electric utility industry.

This revenue shortfall has forced the utility and its parent company, Edison International, to postpone paying off $1.15 billion in remaining debt in preparation for full deregulation of the state's electricity market; the shortfall is in fact adding to that debt month by month.

This in turn has prompted Wall Street rating agencies to place the firm on watch for a possible credit rating downgrade. The stock closed on Sept. 20 at $21.94, the same level it was trading at the end of August. (The stock had run up afterward in response to an announcement by billionaire investor Warren Buffet that he had made an investment in Edison.)

Induction Luminaire is rated for 100,000 hr of use

2006-12-23T21:10:00.000-08:00

With 20-year rated life, Mercmaster III is suited for hazardous and non-hazardous industrial lighting applications where access for relamping is difficult. It utilizes QL induction technology, which offers instant restrike, exhibits little or no sensitivity to power fluctuations, and produces no flickering or stroboscopic effect. Each product, featuring under 10% harmonic distortion, comes with discharge vessel, power coupler, and high-frequency generator.

ROSEMONT, IL, September 27, 2005 -- Appleton, a worldwide leader in hazardous location electrical equipment, today introduced its new Mercmaster III Induction Luminaire featuring QL Induction technology.

With a 20-year rated life or 100,000 hours, this unique fixture provides a cost-effective, long-term solution for hazardous and non-hazardous industrial lighting needs, and is especially effective where access for relamping is difficult, maintenance is prohibitively expensive, and reliability is absolutely essential. Even after 60,000 hours of use, the Mercmaster III Induction Luminaire should maintain 70 percent of its total light output.

QL induction technology promises many additional benefits to Mercmaster III Induction Luminaire users including: instant restrike; T3C "T Code" (maximum internal temperature is 136-160 degrees C), no cycling at end-of-life, no flickering or stroboscopic effect, little or no sensitivity to power fluctuations, low harmonic distortion (<10 percent), and frequency of 50/60 Hz.

Connecting existing phones to VoIP

2006-12-22T21:09:00.000-08:00

Let us start with a question that arose while we were testing USB drives: Does anyone know how to turn off the stupid Windows alert that says "This device can perform faster if you connect it to a Hi-Speed USB 2.0 port"?

This is shown when you plug a USB 2.0 device into a USB 1.1-compliant port, and it is a really stupid message if you don't, in fact, have a USB 2.0-compliant port, which is something Windows can easily determine.

Another amazingly dumb message we got when we were trying to view an unformatted USB drive with Windows Explorer was "Volume information for this disk cannot be found.'OK.we have no problem with the message so far.but that was followed by'This may happen if the disk is a 1394 or USB device on a Windows 2000 machine."

What this alert really says is that the Microsoft engineers couldn't be bothered to test which operating system they were running on and apparently figured that a generic but useless message would cover enough ground so they could get on to a more interesting project.

Carbon monoxide poisoning after hurricane Katrina—Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, August-September 2005

2006-12-21T21:09:00.000-08:00

On September 30, this report was posted as an MMWR Early Release on the MMWR website (http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr).

Hurricane Katrina made landfall on August 29, 2005, on the Gulf Coast of the United States, causing loss of life, widespread property damage, and power outages. After hurricanes, some residents use portable generators and other gasoline-powered appliances for electrical power and cleanup. These devices produce carbon monoxide (CO), and improper use can cause CO poisoning (1,2). During August 29-September 24, a total of 51 cases of CO poisoning were reported by hyperbaric oxygen (HB[O.sub.2]) facilities in Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi. This report describes these cases and the rapidly implemented reporting system that identified them. CO poisoning can be prevented by reducing exposure to CO through appropriate placement and ventilation of gasoline-powered engines.

Investigations into CO poisonings in Florida after hurricanes in 2004 revealed that approximately 40% of patients had received HB[O.sub.2] treatment. To monitor cases of CO poisoning from HB[O.sub.2] facilities in the three affected states, CDC collaborated with the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medicine Society (UHMS) to initiate reporting after Hurricane Katrina. Members of UHMS were asked to report cases, which were compiled and submitted to CDC and shared with each affected state on a daily basis.
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HB[O.sub.2] facilities were asked to report information on individual cases and incidents in which multiple persons were poisoned by the same exposure, the date of presentation to the HB[O.sub.2] facility, state of residence, source of exposure, and the source of HB[O.sub.2] treatment. Of the 35 HB[O.sub.2] facilities (Alabama: five, Mississippi: 10, and Louisiana: 20), four (one, two, and one, respectively) reported treating patients. The extent of underreporting of treated patients is unknown.

These reports were sent daily to CDC. A case of post-hurricane CO poisoning was defined as one occurring in a patient with a clinical diagnosis of CO poisoning who had resided in a hurricane-affected state (i.e., Alabama, Louisiana, or Mississippi) and whose exposure was reported by an HB[O.sub.2] facility. Cases of CO poisoning caused by intentional exposures or fire- or smoke-related exposures were excluded.

During August 29-September 24, a total of 51 cases of CO poisoning among residents of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi were reported by the HB[O.sub.2] facilities. These cases included 46 nonfatal CO poisoning cases and five deaths. Among the nonfatal cases, 16 occurred in residents of Louisiana, 24 in residents of Alabama, and six in residents of Mississippi. Among the 46 nonfatal CO poisoning cases, 37 occurred in patients who were treated with HB[O.sub.2], and nine in patients who received high flow oxygen. None of the patients treated with HB[O.sub.2] died. All five decedents were Louisiana residents. One exposure incident accounted for four of the deaths and one nonfatal case. Another incident accounted for one death and two nonfatal exposures. Two incidents each involved seven nonfatal cases. A total of 38 (74.5%) of the cases occurred within the first week after the hurricane; the other 13 (25.5%) occurred during September 6-24 (Figure).

The source of exposure for all but one of the nonfatal cases was exhaust from a portable generator. One nonfatal case was associated with use of a gasoline-powered pressure washer. The incident in which four deaths and one nonfatal CO poisoning occurred involved use of a generator in a house. The single death with two nonfatal CO poisoning cases involved use of a generator in a garage. The locations of the generators for the other cases were: under a deck (28.6%), near a window (26.2%), in a shed (16.7%), in a garage (11.9%), in a carport (9.5%), and in a basement (7.1%).

Since March 15, 2003, CDC and the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) have collaborated to facilitate the early detection of chemical exposures of public health importance. Carbon monoxide is one of several exposures monitored. During August 29-September 24, AAPCC reported a total of 58 calls regarding CO exposure: eight in Mississippi, 21 in Mabama, and 29 in Louisiana. No deaths were reported from these exposures.

ARRL Takes Va. BPL Carrier To Task

2006-12-20T21:08:00.000-08:00

The American Radio Relay League (ARRL), which represents amateur radio operators, continued its campaign against the alleged interference by emerging broadband-over- power line (BPL) systems in a two-punch maneuver last week, objecting to what it calls limitations in license administration processes and attempting to shut down a new BPL installation in Manassas, Va. (TelecomWeb news break, Oct. 14).

ARRL has been fighting BPL for years - almost since the technology was born - but the intense battle essentially was lost when the Federal Communications Commission finally set rules for the technology last year (October 2004). Nevertheless, ARRL has continued to cause sparks at the commission and in Congress over loss of usable spectrum, interference concerns and federal rules on BPL licensing (TPR, April 20).

Last week, the group wrote to the FCC on two items: objecting to functional hassles with a BPL "interference resolution" Web site provided by BPL advocate the United Power Line Council (UPLC), and asking the regulator to shut down a two-year-old BPL system run by Communication Technologies Inc. (ComTek) in Northern Virginia.

Expo exhibitors marketplace

2006-12-19T21:07:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the 2005 Pool & Spa News Expo Exhibitors Marketplace, the must-have guide for exhibitor and product information during this year's Expo in Orlando, Fla. More than 700 exhibitors will be displaying thousands of products this year. Navigating the industry's biggest annual show will be a snap with this Expo Marketplace. Here, you'll find an extensive list of exhibitors and detailed descriptions of their product offerings, as well as where to find them on the show floor. So turn the page and get ready for some fun!

Don't forget, to learn more about a specific product, circle that item's number on the Postage-Free Card on page 338 and mail it today. Product details are based on information provided by the manufacturers.