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George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering Annual Distinguished Lectures
George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering Annual Distinguished Lectures
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ItemAnalysis and design of a high temperature liquid metal solar thermal receiver(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2016-05-03) Deangelis, Alfred N.Current concentrated solar technologies are not cost-effective means of generating electricity and would benefit greatly from higher operating temperatures. To reach these temperatures at high efficiencies, a novel receiver design should be used in the plant. As a first step in the design of such a receiver, a sensitivity analysis is useful to determine what parameters most affect the performance of a generic cavity receiver. The results of this sensitivity analysis can be used to develop an optimized cavity receiver geometry intended to operate at a high efficiency (>80%) at extreme temperatures (1,350°C). It was found that limiting re-radiation and convection through the cavity aperture most improve the performance of the receiver; at the same time, the receiver must be designed in such a way as to minimize thermal stresses. Descriptions of many experimental components that have been developed to allow for a successful test of a laboratory scale receiver are also included in this thesis. Additionally, presented here are the results of some initial experiments intended to validate the simulations used to perform the aforementioned sensitivity analysis. Finally, some remarks are proffered detailing additional steps and considerations necessary to scale up the receiver design to an industrial scale.
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ItemThe Role of Engineers in Poverty Reduction: Challenges and Opportunities(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2008-09-09) Amadei, BernardIn the next two decades, almost two billion additional people are expected to populate the Earth, ninety-five percent of them in developing or underdeveloped countries. This growth will create unprecedented demands for energy, food, land, water, transportation, materials, waste disposal, earth moving, health care, environmental cleanup, telecommunications, and infrastructure. The role of engineers will be critical in fulfilling those demands at various scales, ranging from remote small communities to large urban areas, mostly in the developing world. As we enter the first half of the 21st century, the engineering profession must embrace a new mission statement—to contribute to the building of a more sustainable, stable, and equitable world. In particular, we need to train a new generation of engineers who can better meet the challenges of the developing world and address the needs of the most destitute people on our planet. Today, an estimated twenty percent of the world’s population lacks clean water, forty percent lacks adequate sanitation, and twenty percent lacks adequate housing. This lecture will present the challenges and opportunities associated with practicing engineering in the developing world and the education of engineers through organizations such as Engineers Without Borders. The lecture will also discuss the importance of integrating engineering with nonengineering disciplines when addressing the needs of developing communities.
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ItemEnergy Trends and Technologies for the Coming Decades(Georgia Institute of Technology, 2007-04-24) Koonin, Steven E.The world’s demand for energy will grow by some sixty percent in the next twenty-five years. Satisfying that demand in an economical and environmentally acceptable manner is one of the most significant challenges facing society. New technologies will play a central role in meeting this challenge, albeit conditioned by the economic, social, and political contexts in which they are developed and deployed. The presentation will focus on the major forces shaping the world’s energy future and the technologies required to respond to them.
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ItemDedication of the School of Mechanical Engineering to George Woodruff(Georgia Institute of Technology, 1985-09-20) Woodruff, George W. ; Brighton, John A. ; Pettit, Joseph M. (Joseph Mayo) ; Bourne, Henry C.