StUNDAY, OCTOBER 13, 1953
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
PAGE MV
CENTURY OLD PROBLEM AIRED
Professor Investigates Smoke Nuisance
By NAN SWINEHART
Ever since the thirteenth cen-I
tury when visiting royalty was a
essary information to groups
which may be interested in some
particular aspect included in the
signal for the town's blacksmith study
to close shop for the day, smoke Prof. Sherlock and his asso-
and atmospheric sanitation have ciates were consulted in 1934
presented a problem. when smoke from a Chicago sta-
Many cities today have this tion went down instead of up
problem, and the matter concerns under certain conditions. As a
not only cities but also outlaying result of this phenomenon sur-
districts where plants and factor- rounding apartment buildings
ies are located. In many districts, acquired a layer of soot.
measures have been taken to keep After a year and a half's study;
smoke from becoming a nuisance. changes were recommended which
* * * when made controlled the down-
THE STACKS designed for the
plant are to be the highest in the
world, 707 feet of reinforced con-
crete. This is 100 feet higher
than the highest ones in existence
now.
The smokestacks for the
atomic power plant must be de-
signed to resist vibration due to
wind and even earthquakes, ac-
cording to Prof. Sherlock. In
mentioning earthquakes, he ex-
plained that in the past there
have been some serious earth-
quakes within a 200 mile radius
of the area.
A similar problem is present in
many cities. In some smog ridden
cities, it has been necessary for
ITM Group
Joins ERI
In Research
Richard F. Stoll, Grad, recently
assumed supervision of the Meth-
ods Time Measurement for stan-
dards and research which recently
moved its laboratory facilities to
the University.
In its new affiliation with the
University's Engineering Research
Institute, the association will ex-
pand its research activities in the
field of work measurement, ac-
cording to Association president
Seth Winslow, of Chicago.
Stoll is studying for his doctor-
ate in cost and systems analysis
at the Rackham graduate school.
The diversification of industry
in the Ann Arbor area will pro-
vide ideal experimental grounds
for study of manual motions and
operations to be made by the re-
search staff under the direction of
David L. Ruxhall, Winslow said.
WORK ON smoke at the Uni-
versity began in 1927, when a sur-k
vey was made to find out how
much money would be needed toI
finance some power lines. At the;
ward currents of the smoke. The
smoke has been going the right
direction ever since.
AT PRESENT plans are being
Y
--Daily-Don Campbell
WINDTUNNEL CITY IN MINIATURE-AND GIANT EXPERIMENTERS
i
UP IN THE AIR:
Research, Study Highlight Aeronautics
completion of the survey, such a drafted for an atomic power plant factories which could not meet
large sum of money was involved on the Ohio River. Prof. Sherlock minimum standards of air sanita-
in the project that officials decid- has been consulted on the matter tion to go out of business.
ed research was needed on weath- because waste gases, if not con- "Atmospheric sanitation of a
er and structure of the wind. trolled. could be very harmful to city depends on how prosperous
Prof. Robert Sherlock of the the state park and hospital in the the community is," Prof. Sherlock
engineering college was contact- surrounding area. said. When they can afford to,I
ed to organize and head the re- The smoke from the plant they sanitize. Because of this the
search. Research was done at a contains a quantity of sulphur process is a "piecemeal" one.
station in this vicinity where dioxide which would be injur-
wind velocities in storms were ious to the vegetation. If this
recorded over a period of seven smoke settles on a vegetable gar-
years. den while there is still dew on #C M
Recording was done through the the plants a reaction will takePLEASECI
use of a tower which would com- place and the sulphuric acid
pare in height to a 22 story build- formed will eat holes in the
ing. An oscillograph was used to plants.
record the wind velocity at dif- The problem lies in constructing
ferent heights on the tower. smokestacks high enough and per-
* * mitting enough exit velocity for
ALL INFORMATION resulting gases so that by the time they TAke hom e
from the seven years study is now reach the ground, the concentra-
on file with Prof. Sherlock. It is tion of sulphur dioxide would be
not uncommon for him to supply sufficiently reduced so as not to UY
necessary information to . groups harm surrounding vegetation.
S / . .. .tAll W '^i Al M l
By MARK READER
Between the time the Wright
brothers decided to fly and Lind-
berg 'demonstrated it could ef-
fectively be done by taking a jaunt
across the Atlantic, the University
had set up the first aeronautical
engineering course in the United
States leading to a degree under
the direction of Prof. Felix A.
Paulowski..
The "flying bug" had not bit-
ten deeply then and students prov-
ed to be few-but as time pro-
gressed and air flight became an
accepted part of the American
transportation system, the aero-
nautical department mushroomed
in population.
TODAY THE department bus-
ties with activity and it is diffi-
cult, if not impossible, to recall all
the projects that student engi-
neers and faculty members have
engaged in during the past decade.
Research activity now ranges
from determining just how
streamlined the new Studebaker
actually is, to taking samples of
the earth's atmosphere at alti-
tudes of 250,000 feet and better.
The massive department located
in the East Engineering Bldg. with.
research centers at ,Willow Run
and a new hub planned for the
University's North Campus is di-
vided into four major fields of
study.
Aircraft Structure, Aircraft Pro-
pulslon, Aircraft Design and Air-
craft Instrumentation constitute
the major training fields of con-
centration for engineers planning
to enter the aeronautical industry.
THE DEPARTMENT continues
to train students not only in the
theoretical phases of air problems
but also in the practical applica-
tions of their learning. Upon gra-
duation most students are ready
to enter inta the industrial field
of airplane production-many stu-
dents snaring top posts in the in-
dustry after appropriate training.
Comparatively few students
remain in the Aeronautical De-
partment to work on a much
coveted PhD. In fact less than
a dozen engineers received their
PhD's at the end of the second
World War.
However, the number of gradu-
ate students in the field is com-
paratively high when matched
against other schools around the
country devoted to the same sort
of training.
The pressing desire on the part
of the Air Force for the most up-1
to-date air discoveries has brought
more and more students into the
graduate program offered in the
department.
* * *
THE AIR FORCE has sent manyj
of its men to study here in order
to pick up valuable information
on guided missiles-one of the
many courses open to graduates.
However, as one of the grad-
uate students was quick to
point out, many of these stu-
dents must first be trained in
the rudiments of propulsion, an
integral part of aeronautical
training.
With the rapid advance made
during the past few years on the
general stock of basic information
in aircraft a simple knowledge of
the mechanical workings on the
part of an engineer is no longer
sufficient in itself.
Intensive courses in physics and
chemistry as they relate to the
aircraft industry are now neces-
sary to continue the advancements
in the field.
* : s
RECENTLY, THE entire curri-
cula of the department was re-
vised to bring it up to date in or-
der to meet the requirements and
demands of practicing industry.
Now most students add to their
education by working in aircraft
industries during summer vaca-
tions.
Research projects continue to
be numerous. Perhaps one of
the most interesting is work be-
ing done on the construction of
wind tunnels.
One of the most noteable
achievements in this field was the
construction of a supersonic wind
tunnel built shortly after the war
which is capable of testing minia-
ture airplanes in conditions equal-
ing four times the speed of sound.
The tunnel's test section is only
8 by 13 inches.
* * *
ANOTHER problem being work-
ed on is the construction of a tun-
nel capable of changing speeds
drastically while a plane is being
tested. Still another tunnel is
nearing completion for the study
of low speed turbulence on air-
craft. The low speed wind tun-
nel has proven more difficult to
construct than the regular high
speed one.
This tunnel when completed
will be 5 by 7 feet and will be
used to study the effects of gusts
of wind and other similar na-
tural phenomena on planes in
Iflwi h
been dropped from tremendous
heights to detect the various
wind currents circulating about
the earth. Research on the la-
test rockets is also being con-
ducted by the department. Most
of the research involves develop-
ing a better combustion engine
to allow higher temperatures
and lower fuel consumption by
the rocket.
The main objective though is
designed to allow students to en-
ter the industry at some future
date.I
Investigation on jet engines isI
being carried on at the depart-
ments and centers around ram-
jet and turbo-jets. Extensive
wnrk is t kin- e nino denl tonn-
N AND BROWSE
a Michigan
enir
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4I
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I
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i
rgni .WorK is axig place oln ~l
Plans are underway to construct tioneproblems in the firing of the
a larger and more perfect low tur- I-jet engine.
bulence wind tunnel on the pro- * * *
jected North Campus.j THE MAZE of research activi-
The U.S. Signal Corps is pre- ty sometimes leads the research
sently sponsoring the department's engineer into strange endeavors atI
research into high altitude samp- the department. Once, one of the
ling. V2 rockets have been laun- larger corporations in the country
ched at White Sands, New Mexico, was planning to construct a gi-
to take samplings of the air at 90 gantic plant.
miles above sea level. They asked the department to
* * * conduct research on how tall
I
I
tongratruiarions.
MICHIGAN COLLEGE
OF ENGINEERING
ON YOUR
100th Anniversary
We feel that we should join in with you
in celebration owing to the fact that you
are at this time dedicating the Mortimer
E. Cooley Memorial Research Laboratory
Building.
We take pride in having had Valley Metal
Products Company's windows selected by
the planners and builders of this beautiful
memorial.
Our compliments on a century of outstand-
ing engineering progress.
THE VALLEY METAL PRODUCTS COMPANY
PLAINWELL, MICHIGAN
A Subsidiary of Mueller Brass Co.
All wool m U an U elsU l 0. and up
Book Ends . . . 2.50 and up
Beer Mugs with M Seal
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Pennants - Pillows - Key Chains
Michigan Song Books
Michigan Scrap Books
ULRICH'S
The Engineers' Book Store
OPPOSITE THE ARCH
h°
Several of the school's outstand- they would have to build smoke-
ing students participate in this stacks in the plant to clear a
program during their summer va- near-by hill. Researchers went
cations and from all reports the to work in conjunction with Civ-
experience gained on the White il Engineers.
Sands project is invaluable. By constructing a model of the
- "We don't get much in the way plant, complete to the last detail,
of findings though," said one pro- and building the terrain around
fessor. "There is a pretty high the structure in scale the answer
vacuum at that altitude." was finally found.
* * * At another time the manufac-
WHATEVER findings are re- turer of billboards asked the re-
ported however, are sent to Eng- search staff to find out how strong
land and parts of the United a huge billboard would have to be
States to be analyzed for future constructed to withstand various
use. wind velocities. The investigators
Signal- balloons have also came up with this answer also.
l
--
__-_-
6
STEP OUT IN
GOOD TASTE!
ri
...
Research workers have available modern appa-
ratus, such as the infrared spectrometer being
used here by Vaughan C. Chambers, Ph.D.
Org. Chem., M.I.T. '50.
.L ib W w%.0 0- V ./0G
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