Historic Deep Space Network Antenna Starts Major Surgery

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70-meter antenna at the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex
The 70-meter antenna at the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex in the Mohave Desert in California. This complex is one of three comprising NASA's Deep Space Network.
Like a hard-driving athlete whose joints need help, the giant "Mars antenna" at NASA's Deep Space Network site in Goldstone, Calif. has begun major, delicate surgery. The operation on the historic 70-meter-wide (230-foot) antenna, which has received data and sent commands to deep space missions for over 40 years, will replace a portion of the hydrostatic bearing assembly. This assembly enables the antenna to rotate horizontally.

The rigorous engineering plans call for lifting about 4 million kilograms (9 million pounds) of finely tuned scientific instruments a height of about 5 millimeters (0.2 inches) so workers can replace the steel runner, walls and supporting grout. This is the first time the runner has been replaced on the Mars antenna.

The operation, which will cost about $1.25 million, has a design life of 20 years.

"This antenna has been a workhorse for NASA/JPL for over 40 years," said Alaudin Bhanji, Deep Space Network Project manager at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif. "It has provided a critical lifeline to dozens of missions, while enabling scientific results that have enriched the hearts and minds of generations. We want it to continue doing so."

The repair will be done slowly because of the scale of the task, with an expected completion in early November. During that time, workers will also be replacing the elevation bearings, which enable the antenna to track up and down from the horizon. The network will still be able to provide full coverage for deep space missions by maximizing use of the two other 70-meter antennas at Deep Space complexes near Madrid, Spain, and Canberra, Australia, and arraying several smaller 34-meter (110-foot) antennas together.

NASA built the Mars antenna when missions began venturing beyond the orbit of Earth and needed more powerful communications tools. The Mars antenna was the first of the giant antennas designed to receive weak signals and transmit very strong ones far out into space, featuring a 64-meter-wide (210-foot) dish when it became operational in 1966. (The dish was upgraded from 64 to 70 meters in 1988 to enable the antenna to track NASA's Voyager 2 spacecraft as it encountered Neptune and Uranus.)

While officially dubbed Deep Space Station 14, the antenna picked up the Mars name from its first task: tracking the Mariner 4 spacecraft, which had been lost by smaller antennas after its historic flyby of Mars. Through its history, the Mars antenna has supported missions including Pioneer, Cassini and the Mars Exploration Rovers. It received Neil Armstrong's famous communiqué from Apollo 11: "That's one small step for man. One giant leap for mankind." It has also helped with imaging nearby planets, asteroids and comets by bouncing its powerful radar signal off the objects of study.

A flat, stable surface is critical for the Mars antenna to rotate slowly as it tracks spacecraft. Three steel pads support the weight of the antenna rotating structure, dish and other communications equipment above the circular steel runner. A film of oil about the thickness of a sheet of paper -- about 0.25 millimeters (0.010 inches) -- is produced by a hydraulic system to float the three pads.

After decades of constant use, oil has seeped through the runner joints, slowly degrading the structural integrity of the cement-based grout that supports it. Rather than continuing on a weekly schedule to adjust shims underneath the runner to keep it flat, Deep Space Network managers decided to replace the whole runner assembly.

"As with any large, rotating structure that has operated almost 24 hours per day, seven days per week for over 40 years, we eventually have to replace major elements," said Wayne Sible, the network's deputy project manager at JPL. "We need to replace those worn parts so we can get another 20 years of valuable service from this national treasure."

Over the next few months, workers will lay a new epoxy grout that is impervious to oil and fit the antenna with a thicker runner with more tightly sealed joints. They will then test that the rotation is smooth before turning the antenna back on again.

"The runner replacement task has been in development for close to two years," said JPL's Peter Hames, who is responsible for maintaining the network's antennas. "We've been testing and evaluating modern epoxy grouts, which were unavailable when the antenna was built, updating the design of the runner and designing a replacement process that has to be performed without completely disassembling the antenna. We've had to make sure we've reviewed it for practicality and safety."

JPL, a division of the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, manages the Deep Space Network for NASA Headquarters, Washington. More information about the Deep Space Network is online at: http://deepspace.jpl.nasa.gov/dsn/index.html .

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Materials compatible with Methyl Amines

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We have heat exchangers in our methyl amines plants. MOC of shell and tube is F22/P22 respectively. Approximate Composition of fluid at out let is

Ammonia - 25%

Mono Methyl Amine - 13%

Di-Methyl Amine - 20%

Tri-Methyl Amine - 30%

Methanol - 1-2%

Water - 20%

We are

A 860 WPHY 65 VS A 694 F 65

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Dear all,

for reducer material, can we use forged material A 694 F65 instead of A 860 WPHY 65? because i have a situation where my supplier can not supply reducer with material A 860 WPHY 65. What is the advantage or disadvantage of using A 694 F65 reducer instead of A860 WPHY 65?

tq

Differential Relays for Power Transformer

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Info about we want to protect of Transformer

S : 100 MVA

HV/LV : 154.000 / 33.600 Volt

%Uk : 12,0

Connection: Ynyn0

Primer Side CT : 400 / 5 Amper

Seconder Side CT : 2000 / 5 Amper

do anybody calculate differantial setting values for that transformer ?

What sh

Halsted: The Father of Science-Based Surgery

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One (dark and stormy?) night in 1882, a critically ill 70 year old woman was at the verge of death at her daughter’s home, suffering from fever, crippling pain, nausea, and an inflamed abdominal mass. At 2 AM, a courageous surgeon put her on the kitchen table and performed the first known operation to remove gallstones. The patient recovered uneventfully. The patient was the surgeon’s own mother.

This compelling story is the beginning of an excellent new biography of William Halsted, the father of modern surgery, Genius on the Edge: The Bizarre Double Life of Dr. William Stewart Halsted, by Gerald Imber, MD.

When Halsted went to medical school, surgeons still operated in street clothes, with bare hands, and major surgical procedures carried a mortality rate of nearly 50 percent. Suppuration of wounds was called laudable pus. Lister had recently introduced carbolic acid dips and sprays (that were irritating and toxic), but hand washing was discouraged because it was thought to force germs into skin crevices.

Halsted was responsible for the first use of sterile gloves in the operating room, although his initial reason for introducing them was to relieve the skin irritation of the scrub nurse who later became his wife. He collected statistics to prove that gloves reduced the infection rate, although he wasn’t always consistent: he once removed his gloves to better palpate a lesion and the patient got infected and died. In addition to the first gallstone removal, he developed the radical mastectomy (radically improving the survival of breast cancer patients), the first successful hernia repair and aneurysm repair, and many techniques that improved the outcomes of surgery. He established an animal lab to teach surgery to students and to try out new procedures. He kept refining his knowledge of anatomy, used meticulous surgical technique and fine silk sutures to minimize tissue damage (thereby reducing the chance of infection), insisted on hand washing and sterile technique, and kept careful records of outcomes to determine which procedures were best.

With his equally renowned colleagues internist William Osler, pathologist William Welch, and gynecologist Howard Kelly, he helped revolutionize the training of doctors by creating the first modern medical school at Johns Hopkins. Previously, medical schools were little more than for-profit trade schools. There was no laboratory or clinical work and students often did not see patients at all. The course lasted 3 years and had no entry requirements. At Johns Hopkins, an undergraduate degree was required for admission, the program lasted 4 years, there was extensive training in science, bedside teaching rounds were instituted, and there was a hierarchy of post-graduate training with interns and residents.

They even admitted women on the same basis as men. I thought it was hilarious how that came about. After building the hospital they had run out of money and were desperately seeking an endowment to establish a medical school. A committee of women offered to raise the money if the board would agree to admit women students. The board didn’t want to admit women, but they thought it would be safe to agree because they were confident the women would never be able to raise the necessary amount. The women promptly raised more than enough and forced the board to honor its promise! Incidentally, Gertrude Stein was an early medical student there, but instead of sticking around to graduate she went to Paris to write poetry and become famous.

The students Halsted trained (including Harvey Cushing, the father of neurosurgery) developed into a new generation of leaders and teachers: science-based surgeons who were responsible for many of the subsequent advances in surgery. They went on to teach another generation, and many of today’s most prominent surgeons and researchers can trace the line of their teachers’ teachers directly back to Halsted.

Yet this man who accomplished so much for science was a drug addict for 40 years. He was given morphine to help him withdraw from cocaine and ended up hooked on both drugs for the rest of his life. He only worked part of each year. He would disappear for months at a time, apparently to binge on cocaine in privacy. He was sometimes observed by colleagues to be suffering drug effects or withdrawal symptoms. Sometimes he would leave in the middle of an operation, saying he had a headache, leaving his residents to finish the procedure.

He was an odd duck in many ways. He was abrasive, abrupt, inconsiderate, forgetful, and apparently unfeeling: his personality quirks constantly antagonized his students and colleagues. His marriage was apparently sexless and his wife was also addicted to morphine.

His story is interesting in more ways than one. It provides insight into a crucial time in history when medicine was transitioning from superstition to science, when scientific surgery and modern medical education were being born. It is also fascinating to realize that this flawed man was able to maintain an incredibly productive scientific career for 4 decades despite his addictions. I can’t help but wonder what would happen to such a man today.


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response of online generators to trippings

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hi guys, i would just like to ask for some definitions on the report im working whenever generator trippings occur in our grid...

on the graph several plants like sual 2, ilijan and sta rita suddenly increased their load as the frquency dipped due to tripping of sual 1... what'

Babu

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concerning your alignment,the pump feeds are in center of the axe line the grout will be extremly limited!

Like already somewone talled do a cold alignment and when your pump is on working temperature do a check alignment immidiated after you stop the engine.

i don't think you need to be s

Surface energy of thermoplastics

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I was reading something related to surface energy of thermoplastics. And I came across a self made conclusion: Amorphous thermoplastics have high surface energy while Semi-crystalline thermoplastics have low surface energy. I need to know am I right or wrong? and what is the reason behind a plastic

The Island Rental Season is Here

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musha-cay-bahamas-2With  temperatures warming in the Northern Hemisphere, people are beginning to think about the balmy days of summer which in reality aren’t that far away. If you are looking for a unique summer getaway and thinking visiting a private or private island resort, now is the time to start looking, especially considering that private island rentals in high demand areas book quickly.

To make it easier Private Islands Online has a dedicated rental website that allows you to not only search by price, but by geographical region. Making finding the ideal private island escape a piece of cake. Rentals start as low as less than $300 a week for the Isle of Scalpay in the UK all the way up to Musha Cay which rents for $325,000/wk.

To rent your own private island or visit a unique private island visit Private Islands for Rent.  

School Board has questions it wants answered about onsite medical clinic – Terre Haute Tribune Star

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School Board has questions it wants answered about onsite medical clinic
Terre Haute Tribune Star
TERRE HAUTE — Vigo County School Board members still have many questions they want answered before they approve an onsite medical clinic, aimed at reducing ...
On-Site Medical Clinic Under Consideration To Save MoneyMyWabashValley

all 2 news articles »

Dell Vostro 3000 Series Packs Portable Core i5 Power [Dell]

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If Dell's Vostro V13 was Batman's laptop, it looks like the new Vostro 3000 series might just be Bruce Wayne's. They're portable, powerful, and sleek rigs for professionals. But are they a value play, or a luxury item?

That's the big unanswered question right now, though we'll know soon enough; they go on sale today in the US. If the pricing is in line with the V13, though, these could be worth a closer look. The Vostro 3300, 3400, 3500, and 3700 range from 13-inches to 17-inches, and all offer Core i3 and Core i5 processor options. For true juiceheads, the 17-inch Vostro 3700 even includes a Core i7 Quad Core option. Even better: a discrete graphics option. You can add an Nvidia Geforce 310M 512MB graphics card to the 3300-3500, while the 3700 has an optional Nvidia Geforce GT 330M 1GB card.

You even get an optical drive, a rarity these days on an SMB laptop, but something that I'm sure at least some people will be happy to see. You can also order the 3300 without, if you'd prefer to save yourself the extra quarter of a pound that the optical drive adds.

Other specs—including up to a 9 cell battery, 500GB hard drive, and 6GB memory—are in line with the Vostro's competitors. We'll just have to wait and see if the pricing is as well.

Dell Celebrates Entrepreneurial Spirit with New VostroTM Laptops

Vostro 3000 Series Offers World-Class Security, Services and Reliability to Help Small Businesses Succeed

ROUND ROCK – MARCH 09, 2010 – Following the successful launch of the ultrathin and light Vostro V13, Dell is offering business customers even more choice with the stylish Vostro 3000 series – a range of new thin, lightweight and durable laptop computers. Featuring powerful processors, high-end graphics and built-in security, the Vostro 3000 series is designed for small businesses that require robust mobile computing solutions.

Today's SMBs and entrepreneurs want notebooks that are powerful and attractive, and the new Vostro 3000 series was designed to meet and exceed both those needs. For the most demanding tasks, the Vostro 3000 series sports the latest powerful Intel® Core™ processor technology, including, the optional, Core i7 Quad Core processor available on the Vostro 3700. For those that demand portability and productivity, the Vostro 3300 is one of the industry's thinnest commercial 13" laptop with an integrated optical drive. For those that can't afford to be chained to their desks, the 14" Vostro 3400 offers a full day of mobile productivity with up to 8 hours[i] of battery life with an optional 9-cell battery.

"To succeed, small businesses need simple, reliable and affordable technology solutions," said Alex Gruzen, SVP, Consumer, Small and Medium Business, Dell, Inc. "These entrepreneurs want technology that makes them more productive and helps them compete, and the Vostro 3000 delivers in a package they will be proud to show off in the airport or the boardroom."

"Dell continues to sharpen its focus on SMB customers with the new Vostro 3000 series," said Ray Boggs, VP of SMB Research at IDC. "Small and mid-sized firms are returning to the PC market after a year in the recessionary wilderness, and they are ready for the kinds of capabilities, including Microsoft Windows 7, that will get them to the next level of productivity."

"As the first PC brand designed exclusively for small businesses, over the last year, Dell has introduced several new Vostro laptops and desktops to serve their distinctive needs. Ranging from our recently announced, super dependable Vostro 230 or future-proof and powerful Vostro 430 desktops, or the ultra-thin Vostro V13 laptop, Vostro products are designed for small businesses helping them stretch their budget and protect their data, and come with dedicated small business services and support to keep a small businesses moving," added Gruzen.

Worry-Free Business IT

All of the Vostro 3000 laptops have embedded webcam and microphone for collaboration through videoconferencing, while the Vostro 3500 and 3700 offer the option of high definition WLED screens and the 3700 offers the option of up to 1GB of NVIDIA® GeForce® discrete graphics to help ensure one of the best visual experiences. With the built-in HDMI port, users can even make high definition presentations to clients when required.

These new Vostro notebooks are also backed by a dedicated and specially trained small-business sales and support team of experts, which is a key pain point for small businesses that typically have little or no IT support. Inclusion in Dell's FastTrack program enables select configurations of the Vostro 3000 series to ship within 48 hours of ordering[ii], further removing worry from buying a new laptop.

Durability is another feature more customers are demanding from their laptops. The Vostro 3000 series laptops sport durable hinges and are encased in aluminum for extra protection while away from the office. Shipped with a 30-day return policy[iii], the Vostro 3000 notebooks also feature a suite of customizable service and support solutions to keep business data protected and business moving at an affordable price.

Vostro 3000 Series: At a Glance

* Stay in Touch: With the integrated webcam and microphone[iv], users can make Internet calls, conduct video conferences and remotely exchange files to help increase productivity.
* Always Be Connected: Users can go wireless with a full range of connectivity options: 802.11g/n wireless LAN, Bluetooth, and WWAN mobile broadband[v].
* Memory to Spare: Run Windows® 7 effortlessly while performing everyday tasks quickly with support for up to 6GB[vi] of DDR3 SDRAM memory[vii].
* Protect Your Work: Keep your critical data under lock and key with optional finger print reader and full-data-encrypted hard drives.

· "Set & Forget" Online Data Protection: Easy, secure and automated Dell DataSafe online backup protects and helps recover business-critical data.
* Coverage Now and Later: Users can extend their basic Limited Hardware Warranty[viii] from 1-3 years to stay covered into the future.
* Remote On-Call Support: Small businesses can get help when they need it with DellConnect[ix], which allows tech-support agents to troubleshoot and help resolve system issues remotely.
* ProSupport to Simplify IT: Businesses can choose their own level of 24x7 IT support with optional Dell ProSupport™[x]services.

Available in the US and parts of Asia starting from today and available in Europe and Latin America and other geographies from March 16. Visit http://www.dell.com/vostro for additional information.


How to Aim Headlights

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It's so easy to walk into your local auto parts store and grab any ol' headlamp bulb when one burns out, or you just want to upgrade. But before visiting your local AutoZone, Kragen, Napa Auto Parts, Pep Boys, etc., make sure to watch this episode of Motorz.

In Episode 2 of Season

Odessa's Iron Man

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It's too old-school to be a Transformer. But this bizarre hulk has that 1950s sci-fi-comic-book thing going for it. It appears to include the complete front clips of at least three Cold War mobiles. Can anyone identify them

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Mobile Fuel Tank Cleaning

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The MTC-500AFR mobile tank cleaner from Algae-X (AXI) is a three-stage tank cleaning system with an adjustable flow rate motor. The variable speed drive controller is equipped with monitoring LEDs for power and status of the motor. The drive combines a high-starting torque with a soft pump star