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Stirling Engines
by Don Issac, P.E.
Thursday, June 29, 2000 Meeting
In 1816 a Scottish minister, Rev. Robert Stirling, invented a hot air engine with increased efficiency due to addition of an "economizer" or regenerator. The regenerator conserved thermal energy as the internal air oscillated between hot and cold sections of the engine. Stirling engines consumed far less fuel for equal work, and were better than steam engines with their large quantities of energy stored in boilers.
But the Stirling engine gradually fell into disuse as the steam engine and later the internal combustion engine gained popularity. In 1937, Phillips Co. in the Netherlands began a Stirling engine revival with the development of modern high speed engines for radio battery charging. Since then, designs have been produced all over the world for applications ranging from cryogenic coolers, electrical power generation, automobile and submarine propulsion, etc.
Conservation and environmental impacts are becoming important concerns for energy conversion systems. These issues are driving another revival in development of Stirling engines. These high efficiency heat engines with multi-fuel (external combustion, solar, nuclear, etc.) capability should provide clean, low cost mechanical energy in the near future. Don is a Mechanical Engineer from Northeastern University, Boston, MA, earning his BS degree in 1970.
More About Don Isaac -- Speaker
Continuing from the front page, Don Isaac, Thursday's speaker, after graduating from Northeastern University with a degree in mechanical engineering, went to work for Square D at the Motor Control Division Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and later at the Circuit Breaker Division, Cedar Rapids, IA.
Moving around the midwest, he worked in the welding machinery, nuclear plant service, and machine tool industries before heading west in 1979. Working for Lockheed in California, Don was involved in projects from underground testing, to radiation spectrometers, and cryogenic testing for space flights. In 1995, he left Lockheed to develop Stirling engines at Tamin Enterprises.
Tamin began as a part time business that has grown into a full time one with activities in machine tool design, Stirling engine design, and metal sculpture production.
Dope Sheet Preparation Takes About Five Hours
One might ask: "Why?" We often ask the same question. Fact is that it is predicated on doing the job right. Maybe it's a perfectionist attitude. Good enough isn't.
Then it's a matter of getting different items together, determining what's important, what isn't. Then space has to be allocated to each item.
Type faces need to be chosen. Clip art has to be loaded and copied so it can make the newsletter more than a hodgepodge of text.
Everything needs proofreading (there are those who can find a type in the wink of an eye).
After all is ready, they are printed two sides. Then folded, and address labeled. Finally, they are run through the postal meter, and have to be taken to the post office.
Frequently anecdotal material is needed, and different periodicals are perused to locate some of these items. Here's an example: "LOVE is an irresistible desire to be irresistibly desired."
But with all the work complete, nothing -- ABSOLUTELY NOTHING -- can happen until the editor gets information about the program for a given date. It's the PRIMARY purpose of the Dope Sheet. The editors phone is 408-257-2444; FAX 408-257-6007; emails [email protected] or APROP@AOL.
Annual Joint Golf Tournament
Golf -- Tennis -- Dinner
Sunol Valley Golf Club
Friday, July 21, 2000
Sign In 11:45 am,
Shotgun Start 1:00 pm
Team Competition Format
Individual Competition Format
Tennis
For Further Information Call
This is a fun filled afternoon and evening that you don't went to miss So make reservations early. Reservations are due by July 1, 2000. Make Checks payable to APWA. Please send your reservations and check to Patti Fontanilla, Mark Thomas Co. Inc., 90 Archer Street, San Jose, CA 95112.
Include Name and Handicap and total number of reservations. Also include the name of firm and phone number.
Reservations due by July 1, 2000
Event date July 21, 2000
from John Buchholtz, June 2000
The meeting at Harry's Hofbrau on May 25 was a spectacular. Where the club had previously attracted 11 or 12 attendees, the meeting on Thursday had 27 present! What a difference. This despite the fact the Dope Sheet was delayed until Sunday for mailing, so many received it on Tuesday and Wednesday. The consensus at the conclusion of the meeting was that food was good, camaraderie excellent, and price was right. Yves Zsutty and Kaathy Ranney presented an excellent program supported with audio visuals.
We don't know for sure if Harry's Hofbrau will be practicable, and other efforts are being made to explore other possibilities. But Lou's Village is a meeting place of the past.
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