(can of worms alert) Globe hasn't warmed in the last 16 years 76

[beej67]

Worth a read. One significance of the article to me is the 'skeptic' isn't a loon, she's the head of the EAS department at Georgia Tech.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencet...-report-quietly-released--chart-prove-it.html



Hydrology, Drainage Analysis, Flood Studies, and Complex Stormwater Litigation for Atlanta and the South East -

http://www.campbellcivil.com

 

[zdas04]

Taking 7 inch Water Column of pressure to 3600 psig is a 5 stage recip. I get really nervous about a home do-it-yourselfer being able to keep a 5 stage compressor running leak free. DIY guys get what they deserve, but their family's don't really deserve to die because of a small mistake.

David Simpson, PE
MuleShoe Engineering

"Belief" is the acceptance of an hypotheses in the absence of data.
"Prejudice" is having an opinion not supported by the preponderance of the data.
"Knowledge" is only found through the accumulation and analysis of data.
The plural of anecdote is not "data"

 

[JohnRBaker]

Here's a more recent item about the state of fuel-cell technology as it pertains to some of today's leading auto manufacturers:

http://www.technologyreview.com/news/516711/why-toyota-and-gm-are-pushing-fuel-cell-cars-to-market/

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[FeX32]

More concerning than what pollution may (or may not) be doing to temperature averages is what it is doing to our general health.
Nice article, good read.


Fe (IronX32)

 

[cranky108]

Interesting "the dedicated home appliance uses 3.2 kWh of electricity (on a 240V circuit) to put 50 miles worth of CNG in the car, taking 4 hours to do so." Sounds almost like the electric car would be easer and faster with the same amount of electricity.

Woulden't it just be more efficent if we timed the traffic lights so we don't have to stop at each one?

 

[TomDOT]

Lots of traffic signal coordination work has been happening in Texas over the last 10 years with quite a bit of success. It does take some expertise and money to make it happen, there are distance limits, the timing on each signal needs to change several times over the course of a day to match traffic loads (weekends are different too) - and the signals often need to be networked to keep the timing synchronized.

 

[SnTMan]

The only real problem with hydrogen-fueled vehicles is....the fuel.

For example:

http://www.tbp.org/pubs/Features/Sp04Uhrig.pdf

(A little dated, perhaps, but still relevant)

Regards,

Mike

 

[KENAT]

"Woulden't it just be more efficent if we timed the traffic lights so we don't have to stop at each one? "

Just do what my hometown of Basingstoke did, avoid use of traffic lights or Stop signs for that matter, and put roundabouts (traffic circles) everywhere.

Only works up to certain traffic flows though then you get to combine them with traffic lights and get the worst of both worlds.

Posting guidelines faq731-376

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(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[JohnRBaker]

Actually I think traffic circles (AKA roundabouts) are very effective and we're seeing more of them popping up here in the 'colonies' all the time.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[KENAT]

There's a section on Basingstokes beloved roundabouts here

http://www.basingstoke.me.uk/#HHGG

including it's nick name of 'doughnut city'.

The other theory was that there were some very messy town planners back in the day, they kept putting their tea/coffee cups down on the maps, and anywhere they left a ring a roundabout got built.

Posting guidelines faq731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[TomDOT]

Terminology is important, here's what it means in the USA:

"Roundabout" is the simple, efficient version: Yield signs for entering traffic, no other traffic control other than possible striping. Volumes need to be fairly low, but it is a great improvement on the 4-way stop or a low-volume signal*, if you have the space available. Traffic never stops, unless entering traffic needs to yield to traffic already in the roundabout.

"Traffic Circle" is the monstrosity you see in DC which destroys the efficiency - you have signals and all sorts of crap to stop/slow traffic. Blockages and stops all the time.

I'm very much in favor of the Roundabout, but not the Traffic Circle.

*Signal/traffic light

 

[SnTMan]

TomDOT, roundabouts have kind of come back in vogue lately where I live. I mostly agree with your statements about them, except to add, for them to work also depends on moderately skilled and courteous drivers. Which we abundently don't have. Me First!

We had a small one built downtown which had a fountain in the center. Guess what, the fountain was repeatedly struck by cars and damaged (mostly in the late evening hours if you know what I mean). I think they finally took it out.

Regards,

Mike

 

[TomDOT]

Around here the roundabout centers tend to have large decorative rocks and some landscaping in the center.

 

[KENAT]

"if you have the space available."

Pah, there is almost no intersection so small or tight you can't paint a nice round circle in the middle and call it a roundabout. At least so the Basingstoke planners seem to believe. Next step up is a slightly domed round about with no kurb.

Both of the above give the option for large vehicles that don't have the necessary turning radius to simply go over the roundabout.

Posting guidelines faq731-376

http://eng-tips.com/market.cfm?

(probably not aimed specifically at you)
What is Engineering anyway: faq1088-1484​

 

[CheckerHater]

I‘ve got an impression that the whole purpose of roundabouts is to drive truckers away from certain areas.

 

[SnTMan]

In an older part of town there is a kind of a small, D shaped "roundabout" connecting three streets. I always thought the designer should have to spend all day, every day driving around it in a vehicle with a manual transmission and no power steering. Like I drove around it in.

 

[TomDOT]

Hm, apparently I underestimated the throughput of a modern roundabout. City of Austin is saying double(!) the throughput of a signalized intersection.

http://www.austin-mobility.com/news/cost-saving-congestion-reducing-roundabout-planned

http://tti.tamu.edu/conferences/traffic_safety11/program/2-breakout/schatz.pdf

No doubt there are also plenty of examples of cruddy pseudo-roundabouts and other road design failures.

 

[JohnRBaker]

Yes, I've seen some of those 'White Dots' in the middle of an intersection 'roundabouts' in Cambridge. But I have to say that England has some of the best behaved drivers I've ever seen, although it may not look like it at first, the drivers in India are also very well behaved or else no one would ever get anywhere in that country.

John R. Baker, P.E.
Product 'Evangelist'
Product Engineering Software
Siemens PLM Software Inc.
Industry Sector
Cypress, CA
Siemens PLM:
UG/NX Museum:

To an Engineer, the glass is twice as big as it needs to be.

 

[cranky108]

The whole problem with round abouts here is no one seems to know what to do at a yield sign. And it seems worse around military bases. I would think that would be required for driving on bases, but apperently not.

What happens is between people who believe yield means you should not stop (Or to those from the West cost who believe drivers are required to let you in), and those who see no problem with tailgating, several people a day get run off the road. Not just at roundabouts either.

I also think it goes back to the Me First.

 

[TomDOT]

cranky, you may as well complain about the folks who run red lights, tailgate on the freeway and don't stop at stop signs - I actually see fewer violations at my nearby roundabout than the stop sign a few blocks over.

 

[TenPenny]

Why did the name Al Gore and the internet spark so much conversation, and the rest of what said did not? Why are we wasting more than a swipe at the fat, energy wasting millionare?

Oddly enough, on my vacation I happened to read a biography of Armand Hammer, interesting fellow, he liked to make sure he had politicians of every stripe in his pocket, one of the pictures shows Al Sr with his wife and Al Jr, firmly in the pocket of Armand Hammer and Occidental.