Friday, November 29, 2019

5 Reasons to Be Jazzed About Fusion

5 Reasons to Be Jazzed About Fusion 5 Reasons to Be Jazzed About Fusion Nuclear fusion is again making a big bang in the sustainable energy world. The launch of Germanys new Wendelstein 7-X (W7-X) fusion reactor symbolizes a new optimism about fusion energys commercial viability. The W7-X is the worlds largest optimized stellarator. Housed at a Max Planck Institute for Particle Physics (IPP) facility in Greifswald, the W7-X has the rapt attention of the global energy community. Once approved by German nuclear regulators and online, it will soon be evident whether or not its nontraditional plan and construction can deliver on its promise to generate more energy than it consumes on a sustained basis. If it matches or outperforms todays dominant reactor design, the Tokamak, it could upset the paradigm of a Tokamak-based future for commercial fusion power.The ITER reactor under construction in France will be the largest Tokamak in the world, the product of a 35-nation, $15 1000 milliarde n alliance to emulate the power of the sun here on Earth. But for all its sophistication, its design gives rise to the same wertzuwachs challenges that have motivated many fusion die-hards to pursue tokamak alternatives. Enter the Stellarator.One of a total of 50 stellarator magnet coils for the Wendelstein 7-X. Image IPPStellarators vs TokamaksStellarators were invented at Princeton University in the early 1950s. They were eventually outshone by the Soviet Unions Tokamak, which offered a simpler design and superior plasma-containment times.The two technologies follow the same basic principles to create fusion reactions. They generate a powerful superconducting magnetic field that acts as a cage to contain plasma gases at temperatures exceeding 100 million degrees Celsius, the intense level of heat required to sustain the reaction. They differ in the technologies used to stabilize the magnetic field strength throughout a ring-shaped reaction chamber. Tokamaks achieve this with an in ternal system that delivers pulses of current into the plasma stabilize the field. Stellarators feature externally placed magnets around a torus-shaped plasma containment ring, something akin to an inner tube wrapped in ribbon. Stellarators maintain steady state operation without pulsation. In principle optimized stellarators like the W7-X could contain plasma for longer periods without the tokamaks dangerous tendency to disrupt the magnetic field and damage the reactor.Supercomputing StridesScience magazine called the engineering model behind W7-Xs design one of the most complex ever devised. The devices promise in its optimized design, in which the magnets encircling the containment ring are irregularly shaped to precise specifications to ensure a steady-state field within the tube. Its a significant improvement on the Stellarators classical design that was only possible with todays supercomputers and sophisticated 3-D design software. By defining the ideal shape of a plasma-conta inment field on the computer, researchers modeled a series of unusual magnet shapes contoured precisely to form an optimal reaction environment. Schematic of the W7-X stellarator. Image IPPStellarator SpecsThe W7-X incorporates 50 twisted superconducting magnets that weigh 6 tons each and measure 3.5 meters tall. They each contain about 1 km of superconducting cable. The magnets and a series of 20 planar magnets encircle a torus shaped vacuum chamber matched precisely to the optimized twists and turns of the magnetic field. The liquid helium-cooled assembly, which resembles a giant, semi-squashed Slinky, is housed in a 16-meter-wide cryostat with 250 entry portals. Mega-ProjectThe W7-X took 19 years (some 1.1 million construction hours) to build, at a cost of 1 billion euros (approximately $1.1 billion). The project had been close to cancellation due to cost over-runs, technical problems, and the bankruptcy of a primary magnet supplier. Teams of engineers and scientists have been te sting the system for more than a year since construction wrapped up in May 2014. Following the lengthy assembly time, we are now very pleased with the excellent measurement results, says IPPs Sunn Pedersen. The flux surfaces look just how we wanted them to appear.Other StellaratorsThe Large Helical Device (LHD) in Toki, Japan, has been the worlds largest Stellarator. It opened in 1998 and currently reflects the state of the art of stellarator technology by achieving performance rivaling Tokamaks of its size. A decade earlier in Germany, Max Planck teams launched the first partially optimized Stellarator dubbed the Wendelstein-7AS. Seeking to build on these promising advances in stellarator optimization, the U.S. Department of Energy commissioned the Princeton Particle Physics Laboratory to launch the National Compact Stellarator Experiment (NCSX) in 2004. Faced with unanticipated costs and technical issues, the project was cancelled four years later.At this writing, the W7-X had yet to go live. But as the ITER project faces yet another lengthy delay in completion, all eyes are on Griefswald to see if this complex device will show the way forward toward infinite, safe, clean energy.Michael MacRae is an independent writer.Explore cutting edge solutions for the challenges that the nuclear industry faces today at ASMEs ICONE For Further Discussion Following the lengthy assembly time, we are now very pleased with the excellent measurement results.Sunn Pedersen, Max Planck Institute of Particle Physics

Sunday, November 24, 2019

How to Close Your Cover Letter

How to Close Your Cover Letter How to Close Your Cover Letter After youve written a couple of paragraphs about your work experience, skills, and enthusiasm for the job and company, its time to wrap things up. Weve written about email sign-offs, but closing your cover letter comes with its own tischset of rules. Here are Grammarlys best tips for signing off a letter to a potential employer.Say ThanksNobody wants to hire an employee with bad manners. Make sure to thank the reader for his or her time with a brief sentence. Thank you for your time and consideration is standard, but if that sounds too formal, try changing the wording to reflect the way you normally speak. The cover letter is a great place to let your personality shine, so adapt the language to suit your style.Contact Information and Call to ActionDont make the hiring managers job any harder than it needs to be. Include your contact information in the header of your letter and toward the end of the text. You should also add a call to action, a marketing term for a message that prompts the reader to do something such as clicking a link, signing up for a newsletter, or buying a product. In this case, you want the hiring manager to offer you an interview.Example Please feel free to contact me at phone number or email address. I look forward to hearing from you soon.If youre feeling especially bold, flip the script Tell the hiring manager that youll be in touch soon to follow up on your application but be courteous and respectful of theirtime.Choosing the Best ValedictionMost letters begin with some kind of salutation or greeting, whether its Yo Homes or To Whom It May Concern. The closing of your letter formally known as a valediction should mirror the tone of your opening salutation. The standard business letter etiquette dictates that you begin with Dear Mr./Ms. Manager, and the most common closing is Sincerely, but thats not your only option.Thank You A classic for a reason, you cant go wrong wit h a simple expression of thanks.Best/Kind Regards A solid choice that conveys a warm, caring tone.All the Best A personal favorite, it subtly implies that the letter writer is the best. Not a bad subliminal message when youre on the job hunt.Respectfully A little more reserved and formal than other choices, its a good choice for a more conservative hiring manager.Cover letters are business documents, so you should avoid an overly friendly or familiar tone- even if you know the hiring manager personally. Obviously you wouldnt sign off Love, but Thanks and Cheers are a little too casual for a cover letter. You should also steer clear of old-fashioned phrases like Faithfully Yours. According to Amy Levin-Epstein, writing for CBS MoneyWatch, you should choose the sign-off that fits the industry and your personality the best.Remember, having all the right words wont count for much if theyre misspelled or punctuated incorrectly. Grammar matters, so make sure you proofread multiple times . Read your work out loud, ask a friend, and run your work through aspelling and grammar checker before you send your letter.Master the art of closing deals and making placements. Take our Recruiter Certification Program today. Were SHRM certified. Learn at your own pace during this 12-week program. Access over 20 courses. Great for those who want to break into recruiting, or recruiters who want to further their career.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Nominations Now Being Accepted for 10 ASME Awards

Nominations Now Being Accepted for 10 ASME Awards Nominations Now Being Accepted for 10 ASME Awards Nominations Now Being Accepted for 10 ASME AwardsJune 17, 2016 The ASME Honors and Awards department is currently accepting nominations for 10 ASME awards, including the Fluids Engineering Award, the Freeman Scholar Award and the Ralph Coats Roe Medal. The nomination deadlines for these awards will fall between Aug. 30 and Sept. 15.Nominations for the Fluids Engineering Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions to the field of fluids engineering, are due Aug. 30. The winner of the award will receive $1,000, a bronze medal and a certificate. Nominations should be e-mailed to Khaled Mammad, award chair, at khaled.j.hammadgmail.com.The deadline to submit nominations for the Freeman Scholar Award, which honors extensive experience in fluids engineering, is Sept. 1. The candidate chosen as the Freeman Scholar will receive $10,000 and a certificate. Nominations should be e-mailed t o Fran McKivor, ASME Honors and Awards, at mckivorasme.org.Seven other ASME awards also have a nomination deadline of Sept. 1 The Edwin F. Church Medal, for eminent tafelgeschirr in increasing the value, importance and attractiveness of mechanical engineering education $2,500, a bronze medal and a certificate e-mail nominations to Kenneth Ball, award chair, at ballgmu.edu. The Y.C. Fung Young Investigator Award, which is intended to encourage investigators under the age of 36 to pursue research in bioengineering $1,000, a bronze medal and a certificate e-mail nominations to Jeffrey Holmes, award chair, at holmesvirginia.edu. The Patrick J. Higgins Award, which recognizes an individual who has contributed to the enhancement of standardization $1,000 a bronze medal and a certificate e-mail nominations to Peter DeMarco, award chair, at Pete.demarcoiapmo.org. The H.R. Lissner Medal, for active members of the Bioengineering teilen who have made a pioneering contribution in biomechanical research $1,000, a bronze medal and a certificate e-mail nominations to Noshir Langrana, award chair, at langranarutgers.edu. The Van C. Mow Medal, for candidates with a Ph.D. or equivalent degree who have made meritorious contributions to the field of bioengineering $1,000, a bronze medal and a certificate e-mail nominations to Ray Vanderby, award chair, at vanderbysurgery.wisc.edu. The Ben C. Sparks Medal, for eminent service to mechanical engineering or engineering technology education through outstanding contributions that bring innovative, authentic, practice-based, engineering design-and-build experiences to undergraduate students $1,000, a bronze medal and a certificate e-mail nominations to John Williams, award chair, at williajcalfredstate.edu. The Savio L-Y. Woo Medal, for active members of the Bioengineering Division who have translated meritorious bioengineering science to clinical practice through research, education, professional development, and with service to th e bioengineering community $1,000, a bronze medal and a certificate e-mail nominations to James Moore, award chair, at james.moore.jrimperial.ac.uk.The deadline to submit nominations for the prestigious Ralph Coats Roe Medal is Sept. 15. The award, which recognizes significant contributions to understanding the engineerings worth to society, consists of a $12,000 honorarium, a gold medal and a certificate. Nominations should be submitted by e-mail to Ozden Ochoa, award chair, at oochoatamu.edu.To learn more about these 10 ASME awards, or for more information on the ASME Honors and Awards program, visit www.asme.org/about-asme/get-involved/honors-awards.