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THE QUALITY INSPECTOR NEWSLETTER
Copyright © 2008 American Inspection Society, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
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Volume 24
Issue 4
December 2008
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
* Issue on Quality Control - Coatings, Gears, & Sacrifical Anodes Inspection
* Nano-Coatings Technology Improvement
* How solar power has changed the world in which we live
* Wind Power Pit falls of "The Pickens' Plan."; A closer look at the
Gears Inspection.
* Sacrifical Anode Longevity, Aluminum vs. Magnesium
* National Safety Council's Weekly Safety Tip
* Employment: Wanted: Inspectors / Sites Links
* RPI Stamp~Application~www.webspawner.com/users/rpistamp/index.html
* http://news.yahoo.com/comics
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THE AMERICAN INSPECTION SOCIETY BOARD MEMBERS AND THE OFFICERS WISHES each and every member, & sponsors a MERRY CHRISTMAS an A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
~<:)>::<
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Nano-Coatings Technology Improvement
Abrasion-resistant polymers for oil drilling sensors are in field testing. Laboratory wear testing demonstrates that NTC coated Al2O3 covalently incorporated into an epoxy formulation using targeted chemical reactivity at 30 wt % provides nearly 4 times more wear resistance than 80 - 83 wt % filled epoxy and 19 times more wear resistance than 46.5 wt % filled elastomer-modified epoxy, which are the best commercial materials. The NTC coated Al2O3/epoxy dispersion is also the only material than can be processed by filament winding techniques.
Critical Parameters
Although every dispersion application is unique, the powder surface must always be rendered compatible with the dispersing fluid. If a coating is employed, individual powders should be coated with a minimal layer of material without causing aggregation and agglomeration. Additionally, in the cosmetics and skin care market, NTC titania must be chemically passivity and photo stabilized by introducing surface impurity traps to force recombination of photogenerated excitons (Solomon and Hawthorne 1983).
Table 6.1
Applications for Nanoparticle Dispersions
NTC developed a coating process that encapsulates nanocrystalline particles with a durable coating not removed by subsequent processing to ensure that the particle size distribution generated by the GPC process is preserved after coating. Until patents are issued, details of coating chemistry and processing remain proprietary. The coating may be engineered to allow dispersion of nanoparticles in organic fluids with dielectric constants ranging from 2 to 20 as well as water, and steric stabilizers or specific chemical groups can be incorporated into the coating to affect greater dispersion stability or specific (targeted) chemical reactivity, respectively.
Reference Credits;
Parker, J.C., and R.W. Siegel. 1990. Appl. Phys. Lett. 57(9): 943.
Parker, J.C., et al. 1995. U.S. Patent 5,460,701. 1996. U.S. Patent 5,514,349.
Siegel, R.W., et al. 1994. U.S. Patents 5,128,081 and 5,320,800.
Siegel, R.W., and J.A. Eastman. 1989. Mat. Res. Soc. Symp. Proc. 132: 3.
Solomon, D.H., and D.G. Hawthorne. 1983. Chemistry of pigments and fillers, Ch. 2. New York: John Wiley & Sons.
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How solar power has changed the world in which we live.
A brief look at nanocoatings perfection.
Science tells us that all of our familiar sources of energy came from the sun. Plants absorb sunlight and convert it into carbon molecules which, over millions of years, have been turned into oil and gas, the earth's primary energy source of the past.
Much of the world still heats, cooks and survives on burning wood or charcoal plant fibers that have converted the suns energy to fuel.
Wind currents and ocean currents are driven by temperature differentials created by the sun and used to produce energy.
Driven by the industrial revolution, centralized systems were developed to transform energy sources such as oil and natural gas into transportation fuels and electricity. The developed world quickly became dependant on these cheap, abundant sources of energy for industry, transportation and comfort at home. The legacy system always required connection to the central system electrical lines for electricity, gas lines for heat, gas stations to distribute fuel to run your car.
Looking forward:
Solar energy also uses the suns energy to deliver power where it is needed but with one very important difference: It does not require a huge centralized refinery or power plant to which everyone must be connected to access power. Solar energy can be generated where the power is needed-- instead of at a giant power plant distant from the location where the energy is needed. This simple principal changes everything.
Analysis forecast :
Solar market would grow from $7 billion to $30 billion in 2010. Solar Energy Markets report an annual growth rates exceeding 30%, and expanding profit margins, solar energy is becoming one of the hot profitable industries for investors.
California law already requires investor-owned utilities to generate 20% of their electricity renewably by 2010 and 33% by 2017. This has created a robust market for many renewable technologies, but especially for solar thermal energy, or concentrating solar power (CSP).
Read More: http://www.sunrisesolarcorp.com/research.html
The editors research has found that the endurance of the coatings in remote harsh environments on the rigid metal frame work will require a vigilant inspection team. They will have to check the surface prep, base material conditioning and coatings thickness after the final powdered nanocoatings applications. The environmental endurance research of improved coatings will be required.
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Wind Power Pit falls of "The Pickens' Plan."
T. Boone Pickens has stated recently in a press conference. why the wind power progress is so slow to catch on. He simply stated, "It's the economy, stupid!"
Delivery times for his equipment will take up to two years and the interest rates and ease in borrowing capital is getting tighter and tighter even for a rich man like him. I did a little research on the equipment required to get his wind mills for electric up and running. The turbine blades have a gear attached to the center shaft. These gears are either made of plastics, polymer composites, of metalic gears with special splined teeth. If the wind forces exceeds 55 MPH the special mechanism automatically locks the shaft and the blades may be folded downward for safe storage from harmful hurricane or gale force winds. The DC power to AC current invertors require heat resilient silicon wafers for the circuitory. The abundunate supply has been stalmated by market futures buyers.
Sounds like some good work projects for a pole climbing gears inspection crew with some elevated maintainence characteristics.
Well it appears Congress has got ear that his projects has met a little winds. So they are going to help him out by allocating funds for loans for alternative energy sources to somes states including Texas where some of his projects just happens to be primarily located.
Read More:
http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/national/2008/08/22/why-t-boone-pickens-could-be-the-best-hope-for-wind-energy.html
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Sacrifical Anode Longevity, Aluminum vs. Magnesium
The basics in simple water heater applications.
I recently acquired knowledge that I would like to share with those of you which could to save yourselves some really big bucks. These tips can help make your water heater be more efficient. These tips are just the basics and are not to replace the plumber.
Sacrificial anodes types make a difference in the protection in your water heater tank. It appears that the magnesium type is more durable in this cathodic sacrificial type protection. See the article in more detail at the link enclosed.
http://homerepair.about.com/od/plumbingrepair/ss/trblsht_hwh.htm
Remember that the dielectric plastic lined piping nipples and piping unions are the preferred replacements. There is a reset switch adjacent to the top electric hot water heater element. It needs to be reset after the defective heaters element coils are replaced. Use a pipe wrench with the correct 1-3/8" long type socket to remove the element. Usually the bottom one goes first because of the calcarious sediment deposit that kills the heating effectiveness. The coiled wire inside of the heater element shorts out due to excess heating at the weak point inside the heater element tube. ALL MAIN BREAKERS SHOULD BE TURNED OFF AND THE ELECTRIC TO THE THE HOT WATER HEATER CHECKED BY A QUALIFIED ELECTRICIAN OR A PRIOR CALIBRATED AMPS VOLTAGE METER BY YOURSELF.
Remember the old training rhyme, righty tighty..lefty loosy, turn the pipe wrench counter clock wise to remove the element. Use this information in removing and replacement of the hot water heater elements if you do it yourself. Always replace the elements with the same compatiable wattage and voltage rating that was inside the tank. Take the old one to the store with you to match it. The length of the element is critical also. Get some teflon plumbers tape to wrap on the threads of the heater element upon placement. They say wrap it six or seven times with the teflon tape before tightening down the threads. Wrap it the opposite direction of the threads so as to allow the tightenig effect at the threads joint. If one is replacing the element or nipples wrap them counter clockwise with the tape prior to their replacement.
Reference the link below prior to replacement of the anode as necessary.
http://www.waterheaterrescue.com/pages/WHRpages/English/Longevity/water-heater-anodes.html
http://www.waterheaterrescue.com/pages/WHRpages/English/Longevity/water-heater-preventive-maintenance.html
Temperature/pressure Relief Valve (T&P)
As we said earlier, how this part is installed has a lot to do with whether you need a plumber or just a pipe wrench.
The T&P unscrews from the tank and is no big deal to remove, especially if it's been installed with pipe-thread seal tape. What's connected to it and how is the sticking point. Code requires, at minimum, a pipe leading to within about six inches of the floor so that, if the valve opens, someone standing nearby won't be sprayed with hot water.
Our tank has a single threaded pipe serving that function. However, it's not uncommon for these drain lines to be plumbed with soldered copper piping to a drain or through a wall and outside. If right-angle turns are involved, it's going to take soldering expertise to replace the valve, since the drain line will have to be cut and resoldered to be able to unscrew it.
The photo at right provides one way of solving that problem. A brass union connects a copper pipe screwed into the T&P with the rest of the drain line. First the union can unscrew, allowing the upper part to be unscrewed from the T&P and then the T&P from the tank.
The shutoff valve photo toward the top of the page provides the clue to another way: use a brass nipple and copper flex line to connect T&P and drain line.
Something important: T&P drain lines should always go generally down and out. And the temperature probe at the bottom of the valve must extend into the tank. For some examples of how NOT to do these things, check out the Closet of Horrors.
As to testing, you do that by pulling up on the handle, holding it a few seconds and letting go. Water should flow through the line while the handle is raised and stop when you let go. If it won't let water through, won't stop running, or won't stop dripping within a few minutes, it should be replaced.
The T&P will have sediment coating at the temperature probe and caking the interior. No wonder it wouldn't stop dripping! This is often why these valves fail -- they "lime up."
That nearly concludes this section. Remember to check your water heater once in awhile. Leaks outside the tank can destroy it as surely as leaks inside.
Many of the parts we've talked about are very hard to come by, so we offer some of them. T&Ps you can find in any hardware store. But anodes are fairly esoteric. And curved dip tubes simply don't exist unless they are custom made. See more at:
http://www.waterheaterrescue.com/pages/WHRpages/English/OrderPages/PayPal/Water-Heater-Rescuer-Kit-Flex-Combo-PP.html
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Safety is your responsibility. Safety is "Number One" on the job and at home.
Drink and Drive Responsibily. Designate a non-drinking driver. Friends don't let friends drive home drunk. DUI doesn't pay on the road. It pays in jail. Don't drive drunk.
Get a FREE tow and ride in the tow truck. Most states allow the car to be towed home within a reasonable distance FREE. Call and check with your local AAA courtesy approved towing service.
Re-examine your busy schedule and MAKE TIME TO SLOW DOWN.
Remember: Click it or Ticket.
EXCESSIVE SPEEDING with a motor vehicle KILLS. You can't afford to leave loved ones without that last special hug.
WATCH your speed limit in SCHOOL ZONES. DON'T PASS that STOPPED SCHOOL BUS. You can't afford the grief nor the EXPENSIVE ATTORNEY'S FEES that follows upon hitting someones bundle of joy. This type of TRAFFIC VIOLATION FINES are very expensive and HAVE DOUBLED in some states and cities.
Sponsored by:
The National Add Council and the Alcohol and Beverage Council
The Texas and Louisiana Departments of Public Safety.
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The National Safety Council's Weekly Safety Tip
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QA/QC Engineers and Inspectors ..GO TO Links for Employment :)
AIS unemployed members please submit your resumes to the editor for review of your and march with our data base for referrals.
If there are any sponsors or companies needing extra staffing during inventory efforts or special projects staffing please let the editor know about your needs so I may pass it on to those most qualified.
Build better, Build it in America!
www.www.webspawner.com/users/researchlinks.com
www.inspectionjobs.com
www.ndtjobs.com
www.eogresources.com
www.equipmentinspectors.com
www.careerbuilder.com
Commercial Coating Services International,
Contact: Dennis Roberson,
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Copyright © 2008 American Inspection Society, Inc.. All Rights Reserved.