2
OFFICE OF STUDENT DEVELOPMENT THE AMERICAN UNIVERSITY IN CAIRO
the
machine AN MEA PUBLICATION
Spring 2013
FEATURING EXPERTS ON
SUPPLY CHAIN
CURRENT TRIBOLOGY RESEARCH
IMECHE EGYPT
ENGINEERING TEAM
M. AZAB M. SHAHIN Z. ARBAD
WELCOME TO THE MACHINE “True investment lies in enriching your mind with knowledge”
Jon Rawlinson
Anyone who has been to the Department of Mechanical Engineering has seen this quote, modestly placed under a famous one for Mahatma Gandhi, posted on the door of Dr. Hany Fayek’s office. By none other than Professor Fayek himself, this quote beautifully captures the intent of this student magazine, a substantial investment of resources for the betterment of the sciences and engineering community at AUC. Although Dr. Fayek was not able to share articles in this issue, his mentorship during the early beginnings of this magazine has driven its theme and careful content selection. As Paul Veroude took apart three thousand parts of a Mercedes GP car as a form of art, this issue of The Machine delivers a similar artistic showcase of engineering mindsets and deep expertise in exploded view. Every engineering field is a holistically created boundless sphere of knowledge. A closer look shows us the integral elements of science, which this issue emphasizes. The harmony among such elements is necessary in academic research, technological advancement, and entrepreneurship—major topics of the magazine. You will find that the constituent articles of this magazine complement each other in a unique way, with each one linking to multiple topics of precise scientific methodology.
001
components
004
supply chain management a word from the AUC’s Executive Director of Supply Chain and Business Support Office
006 three exceptional industries 008 motorsport for everyone
010 the disenchantments of technological evolution why the PS4 may be a disappointment
013 engineering for enterprise
014 academic curricula in Design and Manufacturing 015 computer-aided design
016 SPSE student thesis a crash course on a current student thesis project
002
Dwonderwall
018 probability and statistics the science of uncertainty and data 022 faculty tribology research Dr. Salem’s graphene nanocomposite research 024 meng425: polymers and composites 026 interview with IMechE Egypt’s Representative membership qualification and recognition 028 success stories of AUC graduates 031 self motivation a word by Engineer Abdel-Aziz Country Operating Manager at Halliburton
003
supply chain management I
joined the American University of Cairo as the Executive Director of the Supply Chain Management (SCM) and Business Support Office in late January of this year. I began my work with a great sense of urgency as there were many things I had to learn about this great institution in addition to other transitional tasks. Despite being busy, I was delighted when I was asked to make a contribution to this journal. I feel that it is important to reach out to the community by sharing both my role in the University as well as my professional experience and expertise. My office fulfills a vital role in the life of the University as it is responsible for serving faculty, staff, and students with goods and services that allow them to carry out their daily operations and long-term projects. This includes computers, chemicals, audiovisual equipment, cars, air conditioners, stationary, lab equipment, shipping and clearing of goods, and even visa and residency permits. While delivering items such as stationary and air conditioners may seem like a mundane task, it is in fact integral to facilitating the overarching pedagogical and research mission of AUC. The work of this office is a complicated and intellectually-fascinating and is, quite literally, an academic pursuit in its own right. Supply chain management includes all activities involved in sourcing, production, delivering the final product from the supplier's original supplier to the end customer. As with any complicated project, the timely flow of data across the whole chain is integral to providing the right product at the right time to the right customer. The Supply Chain Management and Business Support Office’s portfolio is best understood when it is reduced to its most basic function: managing the flow of information.
004
ENGINEER
TAWFIK
EL-KLISLY Executive Director,
Supply Chain and Business Support Office
The American University in Cairo
In many ways, the Supply Chain Management and Business Support Office is best understood as a complex system that must transfer user inputs into the most accurate results in the shortest amount of time in the most economical way. More succinctly, the office is essentially a giant machine composed of employees and processes rather than metal and circuits. Even though supply chain management is not ‘mechanical engineering’ in the narrow sense of the word, it has a lot in common with mechanical engineering. Again, the entire discipline of supply chain management is about transforming user inputs into results in the most efficient way possible. I personally find that my background in engineering provides a helpful intellectual framework for analyzing the Office’s operations and devising more efficient business processes. To that end, I intend to implement several fundamental changes to the current supply chain management processes to better fulfill the University’s needs within the coming year. I have already identified a number of fundamental changes that I am certain can better serve the community. First and foremost I believe that the faster flow of information coupled with a better understanding of our internal customers demand patterns is a critical component to streamlining and automating the procurement process. A more complete picture of the entire process will eventually create more transparency and allow the introduction of more advanced supply chain techniques such as supplier relationship management (SRM) and customer relationship management (CRM). All of this will require a significant remapping of current business processes but will ultimately benefit the entire AUC community not only in terms of increased transparency and accountability, but also more economical goods and services and more efficient operations.
The Office is continuously looking at novel supply chain management strategies to increase the Office’s efficiency and better serve the AUC community. The private sector, for example, is filled with examples of innovative supply chain management models that have saved millions of dollars and facilitated the meteoric rise of companies like Dell computers and Zara fashion. Dell, for its part, developed a platform concept that would allow many different varieties to be built from a single base model. This allows customers are able to select specific components to configure their own unique computer. More importantly, it allows Dell to perfectly anticipate and accurately accommodate their customers’ needs. Zara also has a cutting edge supply chain that allows the company to have an unprecedented response time and product variety. Zara has around ten thousand different items in stock and takes only two weeks to deliver a new item to stores. Gap, by comparison has around two thousand items in stock and take up to six months to deliver a new item to stores. While AUC is not a computer or fashion company, there is a lot that we can learn from other organizations that have used innovative supply chain management processes to take them to the next level of operational efficiency. I encourage all mechanical engineering students to consider supply chain management as a potential career and even academic pursuit. While supply chain management does not involve building physical objects, it is vital to building and strengthening organizations and institutions and as such has a palpable impact on society.
005
Sports Engineering Newtonian physics Solid mechanics Aerodynamics Programming CAD and simulation Project management
006
First successful flying model propelled by an internal combustion engine
Here is a short list of industries that just may have strong prospects. While there are some that require in-depth study of the science behind them, others are suitable for graduates of established undergraduate programs, from management to physics to, naturally, mechanical engineering. You will find nonexhaustive content lists that are intended to give you a rough idea of what you would like to be knowledgeable about before attempting to join the industry. To know more, a quick search online will take you to academic institutions, professional associations, and perhaps career opportunities.
Paper mathematically demonstrates Solar collector invented liftoff with liquid fuels
1901 1902 1903 1904 1908 1909 The telescope shock absorber developed Steam turbine generator invented Standard drum brakes are invented Diode invented
Precipitation hardeni
First established in the UK by the University of Sheffield, this program started as a special set of activities under the department of mechanical engineering. Today, sports engineering is heavily invested in the design of equipment, research in sport organization and strategies, and education. It is complemented by sports marketing and consulting, making sports engineering a worthy industry. Students focus on the physics behind numerous sports, research optimization and design opportunities, learn management, incorporate technology and simulation, and graduate to join an industry of product design companies, professional associations, consulting firms, software and game development companies, and academic institutions.
ewwhite
the   running timeline of the fundamentals
Most of us want to graduate and work in a place that we have strong influence in but also one that constantly challenges us. Such a work environment must also then have a potential to grow and advance. We should not make the dreaded mistake of taking for granted such a unique characteristic in industries. Just because all engineering fields rely on technology and on-going research does not mean they make their component companies versatile. This is often observed in organizations that develop and manufacture consumer products—one winning design will sufficiently be the company’s breadwinner spanning generations of employees and engineers, leaving little room for new concepts and products.
Slinn, M., Matthews, P., Guest, P., Traffic Engineering Design: Principles and Practice, Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann, 2005. Koc, C. K., Cryptographic Engineering, Springer, 2009
exceptional industries
divemasterking2000
Traffic Engineering
Slinn
Physics, Dynamics Calculus, Statistics Economics Law Financial Analysis Management Computer Networking
A unique hybrid of civil and transportation engineering, traffic engineering is actually a well-established industry, with strong trace back to the 1970s. Governments employ thousands to fill roles in urban planning, risk assessment, maintenance, surveillance, and security. Engineers and analysts must project trip durations and routes and analyze activity distributions all to ensure smooth running of a city’s transportation systems, consisting of pedestrians and vehicles. The field further encompasses a broad range of specialties in metropolitan areas, military bases, airports, sea ports, borders, and agricultural lands. The field also qualifies expertise in air, sea, and railroad transportation, all of which are subject to national and international regulatory bodies. It is easy to see that traffic engineering is an especially important field.
Synthetic rubber developed High-pressure hydrogenation process developed
Jet engines designed
1913 1917 1930 1934 1937 1939 Theory of stimulated emission founded
Cryptographic Engineering Math Programming Networking Embedded Systems Computer Security Systems Electronics Statistics
Nylon created
Atanasoff-Berry Computer developed
This field is a high-tech, highly exclusive field that addresses several types and levels of modern-day problems from authenticity to identity-theft to military espionage and warfare. Specialists use complex math, powerful computer science, and electronics to design, implement, test, and validate encrypted management systems. They are often employed in banks and companies that rely heavily on data storage. Moreover, intelligence agencies and government sectors of possibly inaccessible job descriptions utilize comparable skills.
Defence Images
ing discovered
007
Motorsport, although under constant debate of whether or not it classifies as a sport, remains one of the highest-attended, the most expensive, and technology- and consumer-intensive spectator event. When automobile manufacturers first joined racing it was because they were advertising their machines to the public—the famous “Win on Sunday, Sell on Monday� mantra. But in recent history the situation has become more complicated: extreme competition and large variations among machines set classes of vehicles, technological expertise became the true assets of the companies, and markets became less and less distinguished by region.
MOTORSPORT a quick course on what cars to follow and why In this diverse sport anyone can follow the classes of vehicles that are of interest to him or her. Anyone who follows motorsport knows it is not just entertainment and not just about winning. The development of the team is especially educational. Racing teams are very diverse organizations in themselves; engineers and technicians work closely with drivers and riders while managers acquire funding and press coverage and schedule events. It is a sophisticated team sport in which teams must operate flawlessly in order to become worthy competitors.
The fans, too, are diverse. Some follow for the economic merit of the races, some for entertainment, and others for the engineering and technological developments. While some are loyal to teams, others are loyal to manufacturers, and some are only loyal to the tracks. The industry is huge, the risks are large, and the research opportunities are endless. With thousands of races a year under different classes, data is abundant: lap times, manufacturers, seasons, drivers, and tracks. This data is used for all sorts of projects, from probability models for race analyses to physics for multi-million dollar video-game franchises.
The races may not be the best venture for manufacturers as it very difficult for teams to make profit racing, but they are definitely profitable to the hosting country, PR firms, logistics and shipping companies, airlines, and other auxiliary businesses.
Integrated circuit invented Ceramic magnets developed Discovery of the area rule of aircraft design
1940 1947 1952 1954 1958 1964 Transistor is invented
FORMULA 1
engineering Undoubtedly the most famous, expensive, and competitive in the sport, it is a heavily regulated race. Nevertheless it is responsible for the most advanced technological breakthroughs in automobile electronics and dynamic systems. The cars run at speeds in excess of 200 mph and corner at speeds impossible for supercars to match.
Synthetic diamonds produced
Carbon fiber developed
Morio
Adam Pigott
show
FIA GT Series
Divided and dissolved several times, the FIA-regulated race series was designed for the participation of more manufacturers and new drivers. Only select cars are allowed, many of which have stock productions available to the public. The race is known for minimal car development. The appeal in such races is factory performance and driving skill.
skill
World Rally Championship
Tiago Fernandes
The WRC features limited engine-size rally cars with extensive modifications for a unique test of skill and endurance on challenging terrain. Strong frames, lightweight, unparalleled torque, and manual four-wheel drive on standard road cars.
Amorphous metal alloys created
Hydrogen fuel-cell invented
1970 1987 1997 1998
Doped fiber amplifiers invented
Plastic transistors developed
Edio
DAKAR adventure Among the most influential races, Dakar is a “rally raid� for off-road vehicles. It is a test of navigation and endurance of driver and vehicle in rough desert terrain. Three classes, motorcycles and quad bikes, cars and SUVs, and trucks participate. Also labeled as the most dangerous race, it still remains among the top-sponsored races in the world.
009
the
disenchantments of
technological
evolution
Abdel-Rahman Hassan @AbdoRepublic Before I dwell into the heart of my subject, I would like to mention (possibly needlessly) that tracking technological development is always a tricky business. It is not very often that unexpected breakthroughs occur; but if they do, they have to potential to change the course of pretty much everything...
010
Image courtesy of Mashru Mishu
What flows into the volatile minds of the masses when a device like Sony's Playstation 4 is announced is no secret. Most people are already wondering what the introduction of such device will bring along to their gaming experience. A brief walk-through of the trends of technological evolution has the answer to such speculation.
The image circulated the internet in different forms across graphic design and image-sharing websites. What this picture teaches us is actually fundamental to studying trends of technological evolution. The main argument that this pictures tries to get across is that increasing the number of triangles will improve the image drastically at first, but eventually, change will be only marginal while the cost continues to soar. Similarly, the same idea is present with technological development; performance of a certain machine or process may be enhanced drastically at first by introducing better components or sub-systems, but reiteration of the optimization processes eventually thins out any considerable advantage.
Such a trend is in fact not planned, but happens mainly due to structural complexities in the improved component. This article takes a deeper analysis of the computer industry, with a special focus on Sony’s PlayStation enterprise as a real example to this observation. Perhaps the processor of your personal computer is the biggest example of the above trend. It is no secret that processor development is a process that has come a long way since its initiation in [1939]. When comparing the number of cores in a modern-day processor to the induced factor of speedup we come to find half-expected results. Increasing the number of cores will ponder significant improvements in the speed of the processor only at first. After a certain number of additional cores the corresponding speedup factor will be barely noticeable, analogously resembling the qualitative perspective taken by examining the “sculptures” earlier. For example, increasing the change from one to two cores will trigger a phenomenal 200% increase in processing speed. However, doubling the number of cores further from 1024 to 2048 will barely cause noticeable change in processing speed. What we just illustrated is the famous Amdahl’s law, comparing the number of cores to corresponding speedup factors. Amdahl justifies this argument by explaining the variances in programming where there is a distinction between parallel programming (multicore-dependent) and sequential programming (multicore-unaffected) brought about by different architectures. In light of this, it must be noted that the argument was not proven wrong. Without equations, Amdahl argued that high processing power is useless without intelligent design of sequential subtasks. This provides strong grounds on which we can build our judgment of the PlayStation 4.
011
Daniels220
is difficult to foresee how “...it the precious bottlenecks in a sequential computer will be effectively overcome.
”
— Gene Amadahl
“Validity of the Single Processor Approach to Achieving Large Scale Computing Capabilities”
A visual representation of Amdahl’s law: processing speed VS number of processors.
So there are no revolutionary improvements in memory, speed, engines, or graphics. What is it good for? The keyword here is interactivity. The PS4 will form a relative breakthrough in human-console interaction. The games will probably stay at the same level and quality, but the way we play them will be changed. Software-wise, Sony announced that a new app to enhance communication between Android and iOS devices will be introduced and games will have upgraded multiplayer schemes. This means that while the PS4 will give people the option to physically control their games, users will also enjoy gaming in an integrated environment, where they can share their gaming experience real-time on their social media profiles. Hardware-wise, two types of input will be introduced, the PlayStation Eye, which is an advanced motion sensor, as well as a new controller equipped with a touch pad. If you have used Microsoft’s Kinect before, you know that the first feature is not new. As for the touchpad, the effect it will be having on gameplay is debatable, and still touch technology is quite archaic. Amdahl’s law is really a specific argument: based on the assumption that programs are a relatively inflexible set of parallel and serial processes, additional raw processing power does not effectively translate to higher speed or performance since the serial components are still significantly loading the queue. It is virtually unfalsifiable. Within the bounds of Amadahl’s observation, one can conclude that only by revolutionizing software architecture and programming altogether will we be tapping into the next generation of gaming or simulation or any processor-driven technology for that matter.
012
Yes, Amadahl’s law was designed to address the issue of speed, but the basic concept of diminishing returns (quality, utility, time consumption, cost), is very much present in the real world, qualitatively and quantitatively. It is unfortunate that little can be said about the PS4’s revolutionary gaming environment, but machines can only go too far.
faseextra
PlayStation (1) was a defiant breakthrough in the field of gaming consoles from the preceding Ataris; it provided a reliable game engine with somewhat developed graphics, limited memory, and 33 megahertz processors. PlayStation 2 came along to pump up the processing capacities to almost 300 megahertz, and significantly improve the game engines and user controls, as well as considerable graphic improvements. To follow up on the PlayStation 2's success, Sony produced a 3.2 GHz-strong PlayStation 3 with an even more-superior game engine, immense hard drive storage capacities, and a reality graphics synthesizer enabling 3D games to come into place. However, the announced PlayStation 4 does not quite introduce the same type of revolutionary improvement in graphics, memory, or processing power. It has an announced internal memory of 8 GB and will follow ‘x86’ architecture, which is the same architecture on which computer games run.
Engineering for Enterprise engineering is just another word for entrepreneurship by Ziad Arbad
The importance of engineers entering the market with innovations and research initiatives is crucial for technological advancement and economic growth. Engineers are given the knowledge and the tools to design, test, and implement projects of varying technological reliance from the ground up during their undergraduate studies. While recently some especially engineered products surfaced as the work of students and recent graduates, corporations that fund particular visions and research their own concepts of products and services are more common. They are after all wellestablished—they have had in the past produced popular products and have effective finance, network, and supply models. Graduates must be able to cope with the rapidly changing work environments and conditions, but must also be able to create their own methods and solutions to compete in newfound technological arenas that make up the new marketplace. In the mobile sector, products and services are based on connected and personalized interfaces, enabling them to cater to large demographics. This brings up two rival ideas: monopolizing a service to build smoother networks or shifting to perfect competition, where terabytes of applications, software, and websites are readily available for users to pick and choose. We can see both models work today—social networks like Facebook could be classified as attempted monopolies of social networking and advertising while the App Store, Play Store, and other exclusive e-stores offer comparable software that essentially provide users with the same set of services and products. It is important to notice that in both models, entrepreneurs have no problem in entering the marketplace and are in fact encouraged to do so. Facebook offers them unrivaled reach and by capitalizing on the existing competition among system providers, the product launches across several platforms.
Smart Train
Upon investigating physical commercial products, however, a different situation is encountered. Physical objects are more tied down by the effects of corporations, industries, and the local, regional, and global markets. It is not easy to build television sets and supply them in your city even if the necessary capital is at hand. As a manufacturer you will have to go through government regulation and inspection, permits and leases, and quality programs. Also, monopolies are difficult to get past, and stores generally do not switch loyalties very easily. That’s what makes getting hired in multinational companies among the priorities of most engineering students. The system works, and the companies are productive. However, in this part of the world and within this downward economy, entrepreneurship is the better solution. Small and medium enterprises boost the economy, create job opportunities and markets, and the competition is always healthy. Engineering entrepreneurship is also uniquely different. Engineers study how to optimize processes and graduate with knowledge about the latest methods in their fields. Their skills allow them to do more than plan, and that saves any startup considerable costs. Engineers no doubt have launched the most exciting products in the region recently, with Instabeat and Integreight as powerful examples.
Instabeat is a sports accessory that measures the heart rate of a swimmer instantaneously and displays visual (LED) indications inside standard water goggles. More on instabeat.me
Integreight is a start-up company that builds smart electronic solutions. Its first product is a software-controlled electronic breadboard that requires no external wiring among components. More on integreight.com
Engineering entrepreneurship is becoming a field of its own, with universities like the University of Pennsylvania and North Carolina State University offering engineering students programs that build a strong background for the inception and management of high-tech ventures. Courses include “New Product Development” and specific areas under intellectual property, marketing, and product design. Aside from tailored courses, engineers have numerous resources to aid them in conceiving and implementing their product concepts. Incubation organizations, crowd-funding, and science and business plan competitions are all viable options.
013
WITH MODERN CURRICULA
OF DESIGN AND MANUFACTURING
by Ziad Arbad
Engineering undergraduate programs comprise generally heavy course loads. This is partly because they rely greatly on sequence of topics and the deliberate integration of theory and practice. This often shows in a studied program plan that features pre- and co-requisites and in courses that are offered in lecture-lab format. Course design, therefore, becomes a crucial topic, and drags with it technological involvement and textbook content and organization. Som Chattopadhyay, a professor of mechanical engineering design, wrote numerous texts on the teaching of engineering courses and the pedagogy associated with different curricula, from Bachelor of Science to Engineering Technology programs. Chattopadhyay has spent time in several universities and institutions, including Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne, Ball State University, and shortly at the American University in Cairo. His work focuses on pressure vessels, on which several publications are dedicated to, but also lectures on general manufacturing and design. Chattopdhyay’s main concern in “Teaching of Design in Various Academic Settings” is the integration of design and manufacturing concepts in most curricula, where he finds it extremely important to achieve balance between theory and practice, or more specifically design for assembly and design for manufacturability, as he writes in that proceeding of the 2004 American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) Annual Conference and Exposition.
014
Another concern was one of literature. Popular texts in most schools today include editions by Norton, Shigley, and Mott, all of which are structured similarly: solid mechanics, strength concepts, failure concepts, and detailed assessment of basic machine elements. Chattopadhyay however takes us to examine an overlooked component—that these texts do assume that the materials are elastic, automatically isolating materials that are becoming more widely used in structures and machines, namely plastics and polymeric composites. The mechanical engineering program at the American University in Cairo is no exception. The topics of polymers and composites and the mechanics of operating materials beyond elastic limits is an elective course under Materials and Manufacturing, and only addressed in the AUC’s MENG428 (Selection of Materials and Processes for Design). Nonetheless, the real dilemma is not introducing such fundamental concepts in the introductory texts of the foundation manufacturing and design courses.
Finally, in the instruction of machine design, it is sometimes made as to show deterministic models of selection of materials and failure analysis when in fact they are stochastic. Courses that address this variability are few but effectively bring together concepts taken from introductory courses such as strength of materials and engineering economic analysis in key areas of design and manufacturing processes. It is yet to be addressed in the source literature of these courses. This leaves a market for new, more inclusive textbooks that address stochastic decisionmaking and miniaturization with the advent of nanotechnology. The overall picture, argues Chattopadhyay, is more serious: academic institutions aim to train engineers for future roles that are more integrated and thus more complex. It is becoming more difficult to isolate the “concentrations”. Good engineering practices rely increasingly on simulations, numerical approaches, and stochastic methods. Designers graduate to work alongside specialists in specific areas, such as thermal and structural analyses, and hence need to have a common reference—typically strong finite element analysis and CAD and simulation knowledge. Chattopadhyay attests to the AUC’s working model which he himself has experimented with at Bucknell University in 2003, putting strong lab sessions as a priority in any engineering program today.
Chattopadhyay, S., “Teaching of Design in Various Academic Settings” Proceedings of the 2004 ASEE Annual Conference
A DISCUSSION OF THE PEDAGOGIES ASSOCIATED
It is often found that the optimum design is not necessarily a common one for an economic manufacturing process and operability in the end-product. This calls for the holistic preparation of the previously (and to this day) isolated design and manufacturing courses. Universities develop different styles in presenting manufacturing courses. In courses of design of machine elements, for instance, some institutions offer only lecture courses while others make the use of a three-hour session lab, complementing the course. Chattopadhyay mentions the exceptional model followed at the Middle East and gives the American University in Cairo as an example, where the courses are essentially divided over two semesters, each of which is offered in lecture-lab format. He is in fact referring to MENG356 (Mechanical Design I) and MENG457 (Mechanical Design II), each of which are 3-credit courses. This in turn calls for the discussion of computer aided design and finite element analysis, which are core components of those courses. While the use of CAD, which is introduced to students in their freshman year, fulfills the purpose of understanding overall assembly and operation, FEA packages serve a different purpose that is often not introduced to students before senior level.
NinjaPickle
Engineering: An Academic Perspective
CURVEAIDED DESIGN
CAD (Computer-Aided Design) is utilized significantly in mechanical design. This allows any engineer, whether mechanical, architectural, or construction, to use programs and even code to create two- or three-dimensional figures. From the founding fathers of mathematics, such as Euclid of Alexandria, CAD history is mainly based on the use of postulates and axioms, which are part of the Euclidian geometry. Staring from the 1960’s to the 1970’s, which introduced the concept of interactive computer graphics and the evolution of computers, CAD design has proved to be a significant step in structural and mechanical development. During this period, computeraided design has been introduced as a step to be beyond normal drafting procedures. This involves the use of imagination and optimization integrated to establish the necessary design needed for operation.
tanakawho
Tripix Designs
by Abdullah Abdel Aziz
The significance of this evolution is astounding in many industries and in particular the automotive and aerospace industries. Much of the competition that occurs between automotive industries is based on the evolution of the current CAD software to produce vital curves that help to form a particular design from scratch. These designs of the curves in particular aid in establishing new designs for cars and help in developing further upcoming designs that are not released until specific time periods where periodic testing occurs. Furthermore CAD further aids in implementing the creativity imposed by certain artists when they create prototypes of car chassis designs. In many of the car industries, companies hire artists who are specialized in designing new concepts that further allow the company to develop them. In many cases some of these prototypes could not be implemented due to the proper software development needed to establish curves that form the chassis prototype design required.
However through CAD development, automotive industries produce specific software through the use of NURBS (Non Uniform Rational B-Splines) to fit a series of points taken from the original model design to produce a prototype that is suitable for fluid and solid mechanics testing. Likewise for the aerospace industry; concept designs are made through models and even through concepts taken from natural animal behavior and incorporate it into current airplane designs. These concepts, animal-like behavior and those of previous testing procedures, improve airline designs by only using fitting on just a series of points. This helps in developing anything from war technology to proper transportation.
015
SPSE thesis1
Solar Powered Stirling Engine
When we first came together to discuss thesis project proposals, we came up with a diverse group of proposals: KERS (Kinetic Energy Recovery System) Diesel Engine to a Natural Gas Engine Digester The Classical Stirling Engine Fusion of Solar and Wind Energy Harvesting Flying Submarine! Don’t ask why—or how. Automated Assembly Line Adaptable Exercise Machines
Rather hectic, the group sought Dr. Amr Serag El Din, Dr. Mohammed El Morsi and Dr. Mohy Mansour. The Stirling engine was then chosen as the thesis topic, but slightly different: the task was to design and build a free piston Stirling engine with no connecting rod, crankshaft, or mechanical constraint on the piston movement. In a nutshell the aim of this project is to design, create mathematical models for, and manufacture an operating Free Piston Stirling engine that uses solar energy as its heat input. Two types of Stirling engines are being modeled: the classic Stirling engine and the free-piston Stirling engine. The classic Stirling engine model was taken as a reference model to verify that the results from our models are close to actual results obtained through experimentation and previous work. After this was verified, a model for the floating engine, which has not gone commercial yet, and the engine itself were being designed. Material selection for the engine was done according to the operating temperatures calculated in the solar dish experiments. We allowed access to the dish with no specifications, so an experiment to obtain the dish efficiency and the temperature at the focal point and relate it to the heat added to the hot side of our engine was begun.
016
Then came the Power calculations, as we have come to call them, which are highly dependent on the MENG 361, 365 and 415 courses, were done through the use of the collected data from the Solar dish to set a basis for our understanding of the cycle and make predictions for each proposed design. Then came the modeling which is dependent on the MENG 375, 475 and 476 courses, the outputs of the Power equations were used and inputs into the equations of motion to produce a controlled response to match those of the Power Equations by altering the dimensions of the components such as piston mass, crankshaft moment of inertia and overall system damping. Below is the PV diagram produced from the classical cycle analysis on Simulink which is a perfect match to the one produced form the power equations and the experimental analysis in the literature.
After the verification of the model, the same methodology of modeling was used to approach the free piston Stirling engine. The modeling was a tad different due to the system being nonlinear and time varying, therefore new methods of modeling had to be researched and studied many attempts were made at S-code, Scattered modeling, solo Matlab codes, but all our efforts were in vain, no matter how deep we went with our current level of knowledge we couldn’t make the free piston model budge, until a few days before the deadline the model showed signs of responsiveness, but the outputs were wrong.
The reason the calculations were unsolvable using closed form was due to our insufficient knowledge of the physics of the system. Our approach from the beginning was solving the Power equations independently from the Equations of motion that used the outputs of the Power equations to produce the vibratory response of the system. The advisors informed us of a higher level of knowledge we needed, PHD level math with Masters level understanding of the fusion of Mechatronics, Vibrations and Power, Thermo-acoustics. The explanation is long and tedious but basically any vibration or oscillation is a series of compressions and expansions, therefore any oscillating property be it velocity, displacement or acceleration differs along the length of the vibrating body and obviously the time at which the vibration is measured; hence, 475 past students would recall, vibrations are a function of both (x,t). Since then the group has been developing the theory behind thermo-acoustics while setting aside the modeling as we were advised that the modeling is too advanced and PhD’s are done in the modeling alone. Currently work is being done on testing the design without having to model the system using Simulink, through the use of programs such as Autodesk Inventor, Autodesk Simulation and Autodesk CFD motion to produce designs and expected outputs.
Abdallah El Daour, ‘13
After designing and modeling the engine and defining the components needed to build up the engine and knowing the boundary conditions of which each part is going to operate in, a very important phase has to come in before getting into the cool stuff of building the actual engine—Material Selection. Deciding on the materials needed to construct each component is critical to guarantee it will provide you with the required performance. There are many different materials that exist around us, and within each family of materials, different formations alter their characteristics in terms of strength, operating temperature and other properties that are important to have in mind while constructing your bill of materials for the engine.
Industrial Engineering and Power
Mark Ghali, ‘13
Design and Mechatronics
Miriam Awni, ‘13
Industrial Engineering and Power
Omar Salman, ‘13
Industrial Engineering and Power
Shereen Ramadan, ‘13 Power
For this purpose, we used software specifically designed for material selection purposes, created by Prof. Dr. Michael Ashby, CES Edupack, or Cambridge Engineering Selection Software. This software helped us identify composite and alloy materials that are suitable for each component of the engine.
Overall, this project was greatly educational. Not only did we use knowledge from previous courses of mechanical engineering, but we also learned about thermo-acoustics, a new field. Even though it is similar to our courses, it is at the same time vastly different in its approach and approximations. This thesis project is not over and won’t be over until we are finished with MENG 491, the second session. The amount of work is overwhelming; we took the first step in the pursuit of the free piston Stirling engine and we did our best and reached results more amazing than what is mentioned here.
After casting the piston, a series of machining steps are needed to be conducted to form the slots for the snap rings needed to seal pressures, this is done by applying turning by using a very hard pin with the required dimensions.
Jordanhill School D&T Dept
After deciding on the material required to build the component, revisiting the piston, then comes in the time to decide what manufacturing process we are going to consider for it. The most traditional pistons are created by the method of die casting. Die casting is a simple method of producing parts due to the high accuracy and quality it entails which is what we need in creating a delicate component like the piston. The figure below shows the molten fluid being plunged into a cavity within the steel die where the liquid metal fills in and shapes as it fills in.
All these programs will give us insight into the workings and efficiency of the free piston Stirling engine that has been designed. Then and only then can manufacturing start.
SPSE team 017
PROBABILITY AND STATIS Although probability and statistics are very close subjects of study, there is an important difference. Probability is almost a mathematical science of its own, one that requires logical proof, theorems, and corollaries in order to effectively describe any experiment. Statistics is the use of probability data and distributions of samples to approximate, often by simulation, events in large populations. For this reason, one would rarely find an introductory text that contains one and lacks the other. Together, they form a powerful driving force for the advancement of computational technology and research in countless fields.
Conor Lawless
Dr. Belhachemi is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics and Actuarial Science at the American University in Cairo. Known for his sense of humor and unique style of instruction, he draws students enthusiastically to class, sharing with them stories and formulas. This article, an exploration of the significance of his subject, is inspired by his singular instruction of such a hefty topic as statistics by viewing it as a powerful tool in popular fields of study.
In almost all disciplines math plays a key role in describing, hypothesizing, proving, and modeling real-life phenomena and observations. There are two essential subjects applicable to most majors today: probability and statistics. Designed to prepare undergraduate students in the science of uncertainty, the courses introduce the concept of chance and experiments that pave the way for an understanding of mathematically analyzing an event, which could be anything from getting heads on a coin toss to amount of rainfall in a year. More importantly, from an undergraduate curriculum perspective, students need to understand the significance of uncertainty in industry. Much of the material introduced and proven in probability textbooks are crucial for optimizing processes in many fields including engineering, finance, medicine, weather forecast, and management. Uncertainties in a manufacturing plant’s defective products, for instance, are a focus in quality control purposes. In finance, bankers and customers attempt to understand investment risks. Similar statements could be made about other fields of study as well. In this article, a review of the main applications that rise from the understanding and implementation of probability and statistics, including the key terms and concepts used in select professions, is presented. As you will see, probability and statistics are instrumental in advancing—and even creating—fields of study.
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Quite briefly, probability allows a practitioner to make a quantitative inference about uncertainty. Using mathematical techniques, statements about the chance of a desired (or undesired) event can be made, which is valuable information for assessing any situation. Probability follows closely from logic and builds its theorems from combinatorics and—for the most part—elementary functions. To carry on, we must understand uncertainty. It is the state of real-life objects, people, and events of being unpredictable. We do not know which of the two faces of a coin we will find face up every time we toss a coin and we do not know when the stock market will crash. There are many “facts of life”, none of which we are completely certain of. In some we are just unsure of when a certain event will strike, in others we don’t know how many, and still others we simply do not know which. The good news is that there is one central thing that we know for certain, strong proof, and has survived for thousands of years—math. Therefore, it is only natural to attempt putting those uncertainties in terms of math: numbers, relations, and functions. To end this introduction, it is sufficient to say that two major concepts of linking uncertainties to math are the concept of relative frequency and the axiomatic approach. In relative frequency, the subject event is considered in a group of like events in a loop of experiments. The classic example is tossing a coin n times and if say the subject outcome is heads, the frequency of heads divided by n represents the probability of that desired “getting a head” any one time. The axiomatic approach, however, translates experiments into sets and uses the mathematical relations among sets (set theory) and formal logic. However, the concept of relative frequency adequately represents and solves most cases.
Bean, Michael A. Probability: The Science of Uncertainty with Applications to Investments, Insurance, and Engineering. American Mathematical Society, 2009.
A DEDICATION TO DR. RACHID BELHACHEMI
the SCIENCE of UNCERTAINTY and DATA
STICS In Engineering
The School of Sciences and Engineering is one of the most heavily populated schools at the AUC and luckily for most majors a course in probability and statistics is required. The role that uncertainty plays in engineering problems is worthy of being studied and assessed in projects, ranging from designing computer games to accommodating the risk of structural collapse. Ultimately, when discussing the role of probability in engineering, a study of products and systems, there are specific areas where the concepts of probability remarkably influence the applications. Among them are three discussed in Michael Bean’s The Science of Uncertainty: Reliability When concerned with the reliability of components, often the value being studied is service time, which could also translate to cost. How long will each component in a generator last before failure? This simulated or projected information is going to affect the design process or the maintenance schedule, saving the engineer valuable resources. Quality Control When monitoring the quality of products of a manufacturing plant, the number of defective products is to be minimized. The study of probability and statistics allows the engineer to adopt sampling and derive meaningful information. This process involves determining how many items to sample or finding the average number of defectives. Queuing This process is a complex application of both time and number. In queuing system, several “clients” are assigned to several “servers”. The goal is to design a system that makes the client-server allocation optimum for reducing waiting times for all users. Knowing how to approach queuing problems is a powerful tool in supply chain, database systems, production line, and other large-scale practices.
In Actuarial Science Actuarial science is a relatively new field of study that is concerned with evaluating financial statuses associated with unpredictable losses. Any damage that might occur to a person or property has financial consequences that could be managed using what is known as the insurance principle. Following closely from the law of large numbers, insurance is a field that relies heavily on probability and statistical information that is continuously changing to adapt to real living conditions. An insurance company must consider general and conditional risk to people and property, develop premium schemes that protect their reserves, appropriately run their capital, and encourage residents to insure. In the process that is known as underwriting, probability distributions are used extensively. For example, in California, where earthquakes often occur, a real estate insurance company would assign higher premiums to buildings closer to fault lines, where earthquake damage to structures is probabilistically higher. Actuaries attempt to overcome the unpredictable circumstances and behavioral changes by designing policies and making systems that gather as much information as they can about the potential buyers, which enables the insurance companies to better evaluate the risks.
In Financial Engineering This field of study is not present in isolation at the AUC, but it is a relatively new field that takes on new challenges, continuing where actuaries stop. Using advanced computational and modeling techniques and large amounts of data, financial engineers focus on observing the market and managing risk, often in currency and stock markets. It also operates closely within the bounds of economics, international monetary policies, and the legal spheres. Unlike actuarial science, financial engineering is concerned with uncertainties in the assets of a business, while actuaries seek accommodating liability risk. In other words, actuaries assess the burden imposed on a business (or an individual) in the case of a harmful unpredictable event. Financial engineering, however, explores the situation in which that burden would not be done away with by pre-event means. One key concept in financial engineering is the principle of no arbitrage, which defines equivalency with respect to securities, investments, opportunities, and cash flows. Another is the principle of optimality, which calls investors or benefactors to adjust their funds in a way that, collectively, maximizes returns— which carry inherent risks. Smart Train
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PE RE RESEQUIA EOST, SED MI, SANT OMNIMA DOLESSUNT RERERUM ACERO TEM AUT ET LA SANDEM SIMINCIUNDIS NISQUATET IUR, EXPLICTIBUS, OFFICIA CULLIA PORIONSEQUE VELES DOLO EOS AS QUISCIPIT INVENIS NIS AS QUID EICATURI RENDANDAE MOLESTIIS ESERUM QUAM, QUOS DOLUPTIIS ETUS, IPIT, VEL IDERITAS RESTIO QUIS EXPED MA AUT IPSANIMILIC TEM. EHENT AUT HARUM RES SUNT, SIT HARUM, OPTATES TIONSENTE ET VOLUPTA SPIDENESSI ATEM UTEMOLEST AM HILLUT ESCIUSDANDA NONSE RATEM. MINVELISQUE RE, UT REST ETUR? UT EVELESE QUAEST QUATIST OTATIUSA PREST QUE NONSEQUID QUE MODIGENET VEL IUR ABORESEQUAM FACCATEM RE MOLORATUS. UR? QUI BEA NULPA SIMO BLAB IS ET ODIS ET LIGENDIS IDIORECATIS VOLORE OD QUUNT ASPERIO. GENIA DOLUPTATIO EXCESEQUE CORIBUS, CULLESTIAE NON REM QUIS ASPEL ET ALIQUATIUS INVEL INVERUM FUGA. ON RES RESTIIS ELIT IUNDES ET ABORUM A CONSECTOR MI, CONSECUS ABORPORPORE, UT RERNAM ILLIA NON REPUDAE ENIHICI ENDITIA SUSDAE SANDIT ET QUAM RENDERUNT. QUIA AM VELESEQUO IPISQUE SI UTEM REPED QUAS ESTIUNT. 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EQUID ETUR, VOLO DOLES PREMOLUPTA NEM AUTEM IL INT, SUNTOTA TQUUNDIT EARUM FUGITIS materials and processes used in making the ET UT OFFICTIO CONSEQUATIO. ITAQUO TEM ET MA VERO IN NULPA SOLUPTATE OD UT A PARUM VELIBEATI OFFICAE CTATIAE. DOLOR RA product can have a large influence on its CONSE PORIAM QUE RATE NOBITA PORE AUTEM UT OCCUS DEMQUODIPSAM NULLORIBUS VOLUPTIUM IUSTO QUAE. NEQUOS MAIONSEQdesign, cost, and performance in service. UIS ET QUATIA VELECUPTUR? QUIA ARUNT. For example, making a part from injection NES ET ET QUE ET AUT QUIA SI ODI DOLORIAM QUATET FUGIT ESSUS EOS IPSANDI DOLUPTA TIBUS, UT DOLORERIS POREM SITIOREST ET molded plastics instead of pressed sheet VOLUPTI BUSAEST LA EREMQUI CONSEQUI OMNIT EIC TO MINT. metal is expected to involve large changes in NUSAMUS. 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NEM ENI RE DOLUPTAS ETThe VENTI NON PA QUIA EX EOSSI ODIPSA PORIONS ERCIMIL IM QUO DOLUPTI BUSCIANIMUS ALIGNIS QUIDIGimportance of the fieldNOBIS of “materials NIS QUID MAGNIM QUE EATAS SINIA VOLUPTA A QUI DOLORERUNTIS SIN NIMO CONSEDITIANT OFFICIUST DIPIDEL IQUATUS. and manufacturing” stems from TISTINIS the fact that INTORESENTIA DOLUPTAQUO VOLORERUM ID QUIA SI NOSAM, IDITATIS DUSAE NUS NONSERI TATUR, ET AUT AB ILIQUI REPREPUDAM, ID new materials and processes are continually MAXIMPED ES RE VELENIMUS EATURinAUDIPSAMET DELIT being invented order to meet the ever FUGITATEMOLO ET MAGNIHIL IPSANTEM IN REIUSAPIT ARCIIS DOLO CONSEDIT OPTAESEQUID ES EUM, ODITAT PORESER CHICIPIS EXCEPED ET EXERNAM LISSIT ACCUS DES AB INCTASS EQUODIT, VELITATUR ADISTIO increasing challenges of modern technolREPERA IPSANDELITAE RESENDI RE LANDAM VENISmaterials ET AUT ESTIS VOLUPTA DOLES ILIBEAT QUE ELICTIN VELIQUIS AUT VOLUPTIO. HARUM ogy. Nanostructured and smart ENISTIUR SOLENT. now appear more frequently in products. LIQUI VENDA CONSE QUE POREM are ADICTECTUR REM. EBIT AUTATURITIA CONSENDIATUR ASSINCIDIT FACCATUS, QUAESSU NDISQUIA COR Composites now used in manufacturing REM SIMUS, ERUM EOS ET LABO. AS SUM UT LANDA essential parts GA. of civilian airliners and evenCOMMOLUPTAT AUT AS ANDAM ACCATIUM VOLORATUR? UR ADIGENE VIT ENDIS DOLOR ADIS VELIATES ID EUM SUNDIT, CON CUME MOLORE PELESTE VERUM VOLORE, INUS MOST QUIANIM OLORIBUS UT A QUODICI the whole aircraft, as in Boeing Dreamliner ADITA CON PREMPORE EXEREPED QUAEPUDAM OFFICIA DOLLORPOR SUM QUI COMNISQUATUR AUT REM AS MOLORES QUIBUST ION787. Biodegradable materialsAUT are increasSECESTRUM NOS ingly usedQUE instead of NECTEM traditional INCTION plastics as NOBIS ET AUT QUASPEL IUSAE EXERIT, VELITIBUS NIT IUM ALIGENISIT APIENT. 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AUT CONETchalOMNIHICIETUR RATIUNTUR AD QUI IPSANDITI AUTA ALIBEA DIGENDA VELLUTA lenge producing moreCONSED economicEX andET yetMOLOR RE PERFERO QUAS ARCHIT ET ET QUIAT FACCUM VOLOREM. SED EXCEA TATURIST ELESTINT AUDA ETofMI, OFFICIMI, reliable, aesthetically and environDOLORERFERIO VELENDAE SIMUS ET,pleasing OMNISCILIQUE LATA VELECTOTA ABORPOR ENDIT, QUI QUAE VOLUPTUS EVELESTIBUS, ASSIMIN mentally friendly product if materials and IHILLO EX ES PLIQUAE EUM QUIAE NULLAB IMODIS REM FACEPERUM AUDIT HITAE VERIBUS QUAM, VOLORIT QUI VIDUCIU RERERO BERRUmanufacturing processes areEATIA considered in MET ULPA COMMOLO RERCHICI DOLORROVIT DOLUPTA TURITAT ENDUNT ET UTEM VERUMQUAM ENISTI TOTATUR AM SINT, UNTI theQUO early stages of product development.FUGITATIONET RE NIS ARIA VOLUPTATUR? LUPTUR AUT OFFICID EXPLITIUM ALIT DOLORRO MA QUIATENDA OMNIMI, UNT LATQUAM ASPED MOLORERATUM ELES DOLUPTATECES ALIQUASSUNT UT ULPARUPTUS. NIENDAE QUID ERUM NESED EUMQUI REPERO EAQUIA IL IUS ERUM SUNTI DOLORIANDA DOLORITAT DOLOREM OLUPTAQUE SIMINT QUE PE PELENIS RA COMNIS DOLLORP ORESTIO QUAM RERATUR? CULLATUR? GIATEMO ESCIT AS QUE VOLUPICIUM DOLLIQU ATECEPRO DOLUT — Dr. Mahmoud Farag LABOR SINULPARUM QUAS SEQUIATIO QUI SIMINVERUM ET QUIAT UT ERRO ALICIMO DIPSAPE LICIPSAM ET ADIATIA VENECUP TASPIENIHIT Professor DIT QUE VOLES SIMILIG ENDUNT ET OD QUIS VERI CONEM QUE DIS AUT PORE, VERUM FUGIT POSAM QUATINTO MOLOREPE CONECTUR Director of Engineering and Science Services AUTEM LANDIONSECUM UT LIQUAMUS. Department of Mechanical Engineering FUGIAM AUT MIL INTI DOLUPTATE OFFICIL MOLUPTAE ASPERCIUM VOLORUM CONSED MOLENIHICIUS EOSSITA CORIT VENI ODIST, UTATEMPORIT, SI DOLUPTATUS ELITIS ANT IPSANTIS VITATUR, VENTEM. UT IL IPSUNDIT ODI VOLUPTAS UNTET ENDICIA ILIBUS SUNTIOR EMOLUPT ASPEDIT IBEATUR? ESTI ARCHILIBERI RENTIIS QUIS ALIQUI CONET FUGIAS DOLUPTATUR RES ERISCIAE RENT FUGITATEM NON CUS MAXIME EOS RESEQUIDEL INUMQUAM, UT MAIO OCCUMQUIATE PORE NON NIENIMAIO QUOD ELESTORE EXCEPERIO VOLUT AUT QUI DI VERI TO VOLUPTI ISCITATUR, QUO VOLUPTATUM ENTISCIA NIS QUIAEPED MOS MILICI DIT QUE CUPTATENE SIMILIQUI NOS DOLUPTAE IUM IPSAECERRO BEAQUATIANI INUS. GIATECEARUM IPICIUS. DUNTE DOLORE EUM VOLUPTIST AD MINT ET HARUM RERIO. OLLANDISTIAS UT EXPLIQUAM VELLAUD ITECTIO QUOSTIBUST, QUE ES AUDI TEM FACCAB IS QUASIMETURE NOBIS VOLUPTATUMET RE QUE PE QUATEMP OSANDENIS SUSCIUM UT OFFIC TE DE VOLORERNATE NOBIT, VOLUPTA TIATEM NIMINVE LECERROVIT, AUT PORIS EA CONSEQUUNDI UT ET ALIGNIHIC TORESEQ UATEST, SU
on materials and manufacturing
The Materials and Manufacturing concentration in the mechanical engineering program graduates engineers with further abilities to control material composition, treatment, and manufacturing in order to meet design requirements and achieve desired levels of performance. This includes the conventionally used materials as well as the development of advanced materials in the form of bulk products, films and coatings for high temperature, load bearing, wear and light weight applications as well for dental and biomedical and energy storage applications. Their knowledge includes synthesis of Nanomaterials and Nanocomposites (metal, and polymer matrices) reinforced with natural fibers, CNT, graphene, as well as the development of environmentally friendly biodegradable composite materials.
faculty research
current program
My research work focuses on the synthesis, fabrication and processing of Bulk Nanostructured materials (BNSM). Nanostructured materials are known for their enhanced strength/toughness, improved strength-to weight-ratio, improved fatigue and creep properties, and enhanced wear resistance compared to the currently used conventionally produced microstructured materials. Production of mechanical components associated with superior propertied was the focus of my research since 1995. Refinement of the internal structure of the conventional materials provides enhanced mechanical properties and hence higher reliability at a lower cost. Further refinement of the material internal structure to the nanoscale-level has been strongly demanded by automotive, aerospace, and oil industries for the replacement of the conventional materials. Retention of the nanoscale structure during manufacturing represents the main challenge encountered by researchers and manufacturers. Accordingly, my research is dedicated towards the fabrication and processing of mechanical components from nanostructured metallic and/or ceramic monolithic and composites with ultrahigh strength/toughness combination, ultrahigh wear resistance suitable for various industrial applications.
— Dr. Hanadi Salem Professor
Director of Masters Nanotechnology Program
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Tribology
Dr. Hanadi Salem
Engineer Ahmed El-Ghazaly
Professor
Director of the Nanotechnology Program
Department of Mechanical Engineering The American University in Cairo
Considered to be the thinnest and strongest material discovered to this date, graphene adds to the various matrices (when reinforcing composites) and is expected to improve the composites’ performance and reliability as a result of the enhanced mechanical properties. The enhanced properties naturally translate to cost effectiveness when compared to other conventionally-reinforced composites. Energy losses due to friction and wear have major implications in machine performance. Some estimates predict that over 20% of the world’s energy resources are spent in overcoming losses associated with friction. Friction and wear also have implications to the function of biological joints significantly affecting an individual's quality of life. Production of nanostructured Aluminum nanocomposites, for example, is suitable for high wear resistance mechanical components in automotive and aircraft industries locally. For example, graphene nanocomposites (GNCs) will be suitable for use in numerous industries such as automobiles and trucks, construction, manufacturing of defense and aerospace equipment, and durable consumer products due to the low specific densities and enhanced mechanical properties.
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What is tribology? Tribology the study of friction, wear, and lubrication; the science of interacting surfaces in relative motion. The word historically comes from the Greek word “tribos”, meaning “rubbing” or “to rub”. The suffix, “ology”, means “the study of ". Tribology is the study of rubbing, or the study of things that rub. The first record of a tribologist is a 2500 BC (or earlier) wall painting of ancient Egyptians transporting the heavy statue of Ti from a tomb at Saqqara, Egypt. Dowson
Graphene, a recent discovery, is the first truly two-dimensional crystalline material. It is made up of a single atomic layer of carbon where (sp2) hybridized carbon atoms are arranged in a hexagonal lattice structure. Since its isolation in 2004, it has been studied for several applications due to its unique physical properties, which attracted the attention of areas related to electronics. Another promising field for the application of lightweight nanoscale materials such as graphene is “ultra-high strength nanocomposites”. Graphene’s extraordinary strength makes it a suitable candidate for reinforcement of composite structures.
Research Assistant YJ-Science &Technology Research Center The American University in Cairo
Shown here pouring lubricant (possibly water) before the sledge used to pull the statue.
In recent years we have observed unexpected technological advances which lead to the progress of new advanced materials. Ceramics, metals, polymers, bio- and composite materials have efficiently improved our quality of life from side to side by producing new and better products and services.
From aerospace to medicine to information technology sectors, these new materials have contributed to radically changing the way of life. It is definitely true to say that materials technology is shaping our lives and drawing our future. Research on new materials will be a pre-condition to meeting our society’s challenges more than ever. New materials will have the potential to assist us in attaining the goals of efficiency, economy, and reliability. In the engineering sense, tribology is a multidisciplinary field with strong roots in dynamics, metallurgy, surface chemistry, heat transfer, and stress analysis. The contact between two sliding or rolling surfaces leads to complex effects, so testing a material to measure or conduct its tribological behavior is a necessary step in materials science. This is done by fixing all the parameters except one. For example, fixing the sliding speed and distance allows us to vary the load. To sum up, the science of tribology is utilized to reduce the mechanical wear and energy consumption and to understand the actions between to contact bodies in a relative motion. Moreover, to improve the performance of equipment, efficient lubrication technology must be implemented. The main aim of a lubricant is to provide cooling, prevent—or minimize— wear, remove debris, and reduce friction.
Dowson, D. History of Tribology. London: Professional Engineering Pub., 1998 "The Powder Metallurgy Industry Worldwide 2007 – 2012." The Powder Metallurgy Industry Worldwide 2007 – 2012. Materials Technology Publications, Sept. 2007
RESEARCH
Ghazaly
Practices in Graphene Nanocomposites
Graphene nanocomposites, like Aluminum alloys, are self-lubricating solids (SLS). This means GNCs could be of use in diesel engine components such as piston rings, substituting the currently used Aluminum-based composites. Self-lubricating GNCs actually produce mechanical components of higher reliability and cost-efficiency.
Market Presence and Potential According to the statistical data powered by the Research and Markets organization, powder metallurgy products, of which 70-85% are automotive and aerospace parts such as bearings, gears, and engines, made up an estimated $30 billion market in 2012, a 42% increase from its market worth in 2006. Hence, the American University in Cairo can easily market the new nanocomposite material because of its suitability for the global and local industrial markets.
Objective To enhance the tribological properties of Alalloys through the Fabrication of Al-2124-graphene Self-Lubricating Nanocomposite Components. A combination of Powder metallurgy and Extrusion are employed in the current research for the processing of the components.
Results Figure 2 shows a bar chart that compares the Vickers hardness values measured for the processed Al-graphene (G) hot extruded (in red) and hot compact rods (in red) with the hardness of the same alloy reinforced with ceramic particles (in Blue) such as Cr3Si, MoSi2 and SiC used in industry. It is clear that the processed materials here at AUC labs have much higher hardness compared to the conventionally used ones. Comparing the Tribological properties of the processed Al-graphene nanocomposites (in red) with the conventionally used ones in industry (in blue) as shown in figure 3, shows that the weight loss during the wear test using the loads of 100N is much lower values which indicates higher resistance to wear. The Al214-3wt% Graphene displayed the lowest weight loss and lowest coefficient of friction (figure 4 pointed at by arrow) using wet and dry wear pin on disc testing.
Figure 2
Comparative bar chart of Hardness of Al-graphene nanocomposites and indus- trially used composites
Figure 3
Comparative bar chart for wear tests weight loss Al-graphene nanocomposites and industrially used composites
Al-2124 powder with average particle size of 45Âľm and average crystallite size of 87 nm was supplied by the Aluminum Powder Company limited (APC). The Al 2124 powder chemical composition is Al-3.9 Cu-1.5 Mg-0.65 Mn-0.1 Si-0.1. Graphene platelets with average particle size of 15Âľm and monolayer thickness between 5-10 nm were employed as a filer in the Al-matrices. Graphene was content in the aluminum matrices varied between 0.5-5 wt%. Mixing Al2124 powder with the graphene nanosheets was carried out followed by high energy milling. The mixed powders were enclosed in argon atmosphere to prevent contamination. Figure 1 shows details of the processing procedure carried out starting from separate Aluminum and graphene powders ending by fully consolidated rods.
Figure 1
Processing procedure employed for the fabrication of the self-Lubricating Al2124graphene nanocomposite
EMSL
Processing
Figure 4
Comparative bar chart for Friction Coef- ficient of Al-graphene nanocomposites and industrially used composites (arrow points at the Al-3wt%G)
Conclusions Al2124-graphene nanocomposite milled and extruded powders were successfully consolidated into discs with superior tribological properties as a self-lubricating solid compared to conventionally used Al2124 composites. The nanocomposites processed at the SSE laboratories displayed highest hardness, lowest dry and wet weight loss and wear rates, lowest coefficient of friction, which makes them suitable products for high wear resistance applications. Graphene’s addition to aluminum alloys results in the formation of soft graphene film on the mechanical component surfaces, which self-lubricates the interfaces between the rubbing surfaces. This in turn improves the wear resistance of the component and hence produces components with longer operating durations with higher reliability.
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POLYMERS AND COMPOSITES MENG425
MENG425 (Polymers and Composites) is a 400-level ‘group A’ course that consistently enjoyed high-enrollment rates and great feedback from students until a significant drop after 2011. It is also the only course that introduces the undergraduate student to the plastics, composite materials, and polymers industries. This caused an alarming observation among faculty, says Dr. Shenouda, a MENG425 instructor. A materials engineer can officially graduate knowing nothing about polymers and polymeric composites. It is a problem because plastics are used in all different types of industries, from aviation to petroleum, and engineers are expected to know how to use them. Students often realize that deficiency when working on thesis projects. Dr. Shenouda further suggests making this course a requirement for all engineering students, to stay on par with universities abroad. In an effort to regain the 30+ students-per-year record, Dr. Shenouda has joined as a MENG327 instructor, dedicating two lectures to introduce polymers in an attractive way and from an industry-centric perspective.
Course Description Structure-property relationships of different plastics, commodity and engineering, are studied theoretically in class sessions as well as experimentally during the lab sessions. The lab sessions allow the student to master the different manufacturing techniques that are actually used in the plastic and composite industry in Egypt and worldwide. To provide a good idea of the properties and applications, lab sessions are utilized in testing the manufactured specimens physically, mechanically, chemically, and electrically. Recycling is also covered in this course. Students are required to attend two field trips, one to witness on-site plastic manufacturing techniques and the other to visit the largest polymeric composite factory in Egypt and the Middle East.
Manufacturing techniques for plastic products: • • • •
Injection Molding Extrusion Compression molding Blow molding
Manufacturing techniques for polymeric composite products: • • • •
Filament Winding Centrifugal Casting Pultrusion Hand lay Up, Spray Up
Gosh, P., “Polymer Science and Technology” Sheldon, R. P., “Composite Polymeric Materials” Charrier, J., “Polymeric Materials and Processing: Plastics, Elastomers and Composites”
Under the Materials and Manufacturing (M&M) concentration, students pick four among eight uniquely different courses. In one group, courses are designed to provide students with the science of different materials, their treatment, and their applications. In the other, the department offers courses on processes, quality control, design, and the latest manipulation techniques. Some courses have naturally been under more demand, which is easily observed when considering the Egyptian market for material engineers. Fortunately, the program offers a good balance and requires students to enroll in two courses from each group. Unfortunately, this causes trends in enrollment in some courses over others, misleading some students into believing that some are more important—or more useful in their careers—than others.
This course is very practical for an engineering student who will graduate and work in the plastics market or start his own project.
MENG327 is an Engineering Materials introductory course, covering topics in crystal structures, metallic properties, heat treatment, and types of insulating and semiconducting materials.
— Dr. Mervat Shenouda Dr. Mervat Shenouda is an Adjunct Professor at the Mechanical Engineering Department of the AUC. She graduated from the American University in Cairo with a degree in Materials Engineering. Dr. Shenouda remained an instructor for MENG425 for 21 years. She also holds the position of Managing Director in her private Consulting Engineering Office. Her research interests include Polymers and Composites as well as Recycling and Environmental problems. You may contact Dr. Shenouda for any consultations regarding academic research or questions about starting a project in the plastics industry through her email mshen@aucegypt.edu.
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INTERVIEW IMechE Membership
Professional Qualification & International Recognition IMechE stands for the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, and is the UK's qualifying body for mechanical engineers. IMechE has been the home of Mechanical Engineers for over 150 years. Around 100,000 engineers world-wide are members (in 120 countries). IMechE is also the fastest growing professional engineering institution in the UK.
What is the Vision of IMechE?
Why should students join?
The IMechE slogan is “Improving the world through engineering”. The Institution’s mission is to do just that by undertaking challenges and opportunities that face mechanical engineers. They highlight five key themes, which reflect the issues most relevant to society and IMechE members. IMechE makes recommendations for government policy with regards to these themes which are: energy, environment, transport, manufacturing, and education.
There are many benefits. Members get the chance to network with fellow professional engineers so they receive some career advice which can help increase their job prospects. They can participate in competitions and win awards and prizes. Members also have free access to a range of online services and resources. This includes attending BEIE events for free and getting to know student members from other universities. Everyone should also look ahead and consider how they want to develop as engineers and aim to become chartered! Again networking with other IMechE members helps a lot in understanding the procedures and the benefits.
What are the membership grades and requirements? As students you can become affiliate members of IMechE. All what is required is to register on the website and to fill an on-line application. Affiliate membership is free, which is a major advantage. You then get automatically added to the membership database and you receive notifications of events organized locally. After you graduate you can apply to become an associate member (AMIMechE). As you gain professional experience in your job, you can start preparing to apply for full membership and for being chartered (MIMechE and CEng). CEng is a globally recognized mark of professionalism and commitment to engineering. CEng means you are registered with the engineering council in the UK which means you are recognized all over the world as a professional engineer and helps you in your career progression. I am very proud that over the past three years, several MENG graduates have become chartered. Finally, when you become more senior and have a proven record of professional experience and contribution to mechanical engineering, you can apply to be a fellow of IMechE which is the highest grade.
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You mentioned BEIE. What is it and how is it connected to IMechE? British Engineering Institutions - Egypt (BEIE) is a local joint volunteer group comprising members of IMechE as well as members of ICE (Institution of Civil Engineers) and IET (Institution of Engineering and Technology). We arrange activities and events together for members of the three institutions. We aim to inspire engineering students and young graduates and help them develop into better engineers. We also support local engineers wanting to become professionally recognized by the Institutions in the UK by explaining the procedures and requirements, mentoring them, and in some cases arranging professional interviews locally. As the country representative for IMechE, I do this for mechanical engineers whether AUC graduates or graduates from other universities.
Dr. Amal Esawi, MIMechE, CEng
Professor of Mechanical Engineering IMechE Country Representative - Egypt
ENERGY development of more
sustainable sources of energy which will also help reduce emissions ENVIRONMENT minimizing
waste, pollution and our impact on the world around us. TRANSPORT promoting safe,
efficient transport systems to ensure less congestion and emissions MANUFACTURING a growing and thriving manufacturing sector will provide future economic growth, wealth and prosperity. EDUCATION inspiring young
people to become the engineers of the future.
What were some of the events that BEIE organized? In celebration of Global Wind Day in mid-June, we organized a hugely popular site visit to Zaafarana wind farm and we also stopped on the way to visit El Sewedy factory in Ain Sokhna which builds the steel towers for the wind mills. This event is also officially listed on the IMechE website. We have also previously organized a half-day Renewable Energy Symposium in which experts in the fields of solar, wind, and nuclear energies shared their views and expertise. Last spring we organized the local heat of the famous Present Around the World Competition which is an IET competition organized all over the world and is open to students and graduates from all engineering disciplines. We fund the local winner to travel and compete regionally and if he or she wins in the regional competition. Regional winners participate in the global competition in London. Last year, the local winner was an AUCian from the Department of Electronics Engineering while an Egyptian from another university won the London finals.
Can you tell us more about the competitions? Yes, one well known competitions is Speak Out for Engineering. It was originally established in 1964 to challenge young engineers to prove that they could communicate effectively. You are evaluated on how well you can present a technical topic to a non-technical audience. Last time this competition was organized in Egypt and was won by a mechanical engineering student.
AUCian SUCCESS STORIES
There is, of course, the very famous Formula Student competition. This is run by the IMechE and is Europe’s most established educational motorsport competition. Teams of students from various universities design and build a single-seat racing car, which is then put to the test at the famous Silverstone Circuit in the UK. Recently, teams from Ain Shams and Helwan universities have participated. The AUC also has a team that will hopefully participate next summer and I wish them the best of luck.
Nick J Webb
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We have also arranged a lecture about recycling and another about the Internal Combustion Engines which was requested by students at Cairo University. We also arranged a session about leadership skills by Dr. Phil Johnson. We also hosted a session titled Engineering the London Olympics, which was dedicated to introducing the contributions of engineers that made the 2012 London Olympics a success.
To find out more, you can visit the IMechE website www.imeche.org. For information about local events, check out the “Near You” feature on the website or the BEIE Facebook page. You may also contact Dr. Amal Esawi through her email address a_esawi@aucegypt.edu or Nivert Kaldas, the IMechE Student Chapter’s President at the AUC, through hers at nivert@aucegypt.edu.
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WHY
Islam Abdel Fattah, ‘06 Subsea Engineer at BG
I
am currently subsea projects engineer in the BG Egypt development team, working with the engineering contractor on expanding the existing subsea gas production and controls system in the Mediterranean to accommodate future gas-producing wells. There are many interesting aspects to developing such a system, including the arrangement and type of pipelines used to collect the gas and transport it to our onshore facility, the chemical distribution network that will be expanded to ensure the low seabed temperature does not cause water or condensate in the gas lines to freeze and block our pipelines, the hydraulic control fluid distribution, and the electric power and signal transmission across the network. My Mechanical Engineering degree from AUC has set me up to join a world leader in the oil and gas industry; however, standing out in such a competitive market requires both constant accumulation of practical and theoretical experience coupled with recognition of such experience. IMechE helped me in both aspects.
Registering as a member in IMechE in 2008 was helpful in understanding the difference in and expectations from a graduate engineer and a chartered engineer, the latter being responsible and accountable for your work and subsequent failure or success in front of the community and law. Having understood the wider perspective, I was able to focus on the particular attributes required to gain Chartership. Although getting chartered was looked at in the beginning as only validation of the skill and responsibility level I’m attaining, it turned into a target to work towards and a method of ensuring that I was always on the right track in my career. It has been four months now since I’ve successfully completed my Chartership application and the implications on my career both within my current company—being promoted to Lead Subsea Engineer—and within the global oil and gas market are easily recognizable. The engineering market is a competitive one, with demand on high-skilled mechanical engineers set to increase in the future. Membership of IMechE and subsequent Chartership are key to standing out and succeeding.
Kareem Khalil, ‘06
Subsea Engineer
I
graduated in 2006 with a specialization in both Design and Production Engineering and was fortunate enough to kick-start my career within the O&G Industry by joining the development program of one of the leading O&G companies. I worked on various roles within both Projects and Operations functions, like installing, commissioning, and starting-up two 13.3 MW onshore booster compressors and the commissioning and starting-up of subsea wells and their relevant subsea infrastructure. Thus, ensuring that the Egyptian gas supply is steady and the lights in Egypt do not go out—or minimize the number of times they do! Currently, I am part of and leader of the subsea inspection team, single point of accountability for activities associated subsea inspection activities. In my quest to seek and expand the limits of my career advancement and recognition in the industry, I joined IMechE as an Associate IMechE member via the Company run MPDS scheme, to mark the first step towards professional recognition, as a professional engineer of high caliber working at worldwide level of Industry standards and ethics.
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Becoming a member of IMechE has helped in opening up new career prospects and provided vast networking opportunities with other members of the Institution. Also, Professional recognition enables me to help other engineers towards their professional recognition thus contributing to my continuing professional development as well as my coaching and relationship management skills. I would definitely recommend students to apply for professional registration, as it helps provides them with the necessary tools to plan and oversee career advancement. Also once a Chartered Professional Engineer, this status will be one of the contributors towards further career advancement. In addition, the Chartership status provides positive recognition among peers and within industry, not to mention the fact that becoming a member gives access to virtual libraries that have proven to be valuable sources of information.
IMECHE
Karim El Gedawy, ‘04 Project Engineer at BP
I
graduated from AUC in June 2004 with a BSc in Mechanical Engineering specializing in materials and manufacturing and industrial engineering. I joined BP soon after I graduated from AUC in 2004 and have been with the company since then. During my time in the company I undertook many roles in projects and operations both in Egypt and overseas. I am currently a Project Engineer working on the development of a major gas field in Egypt where I am responsible for the delivery of major gas processing equipment starting from the design phase through to fabrication, site delivery, erection and commissioning. As an indication of scale these packages are worth approximately $30 million and involve complex metallurgy and control systems. Being responsible for delivery I have to ensure that the equipment is built in compliance with BP’s technical requirements and that is delivered to site on schedule utilizing the allocated budget. As such the role is multidisciplinary in nature where I have to manage and make decisions on matters outside my core discipline and involves a large degree of project management.
Obtaining chartered status in the IMechE has helped me apply for jobs internally within my company that are only offered to chartered engineers. This because being a chartered engineer is considered a very strong proof of competency and commitment to the mechanical engineering profession. Such jobs were primarily outside Egypt and for certain grades within company. A number of technical, business, leadership and management courses are also offered through the institution, and there is something for everyone. The Institution also provides career guidance and advice and can help people find the right job, so I highly recommend joining IMechE. Graduates of AUC are fortunate that their ABET accredited mechanical engineering degree is recognized by the UK Engineering Council which is an important starting step in obtaining chartered status. As undergraduate students you can join IMechE as an affiliate member. This will give you access to IMechE library which is a great resource for your research in addition to giving you the opportunity to attend conferences and seminars held by the institution. You can also apply for postgraduate studies and scholarships through the institution once registered as a student. The alternative route to such schemes is to directly apply for chartered status once you believe you have built the right level of competency and managed to have two sponsors who will support your application. You will need to attend a professional review interview by an IMechE assessment panel who will review and assess your competency and eligibility for chartered status.
Sameh El Tahan , ‘04
Operations Supervisor at Shah Deniz
I
graduated in 2004 with concentration in Industrial and Materials/Manufacturing Engineering. My Mechanical Engineering career journey has taken me around different roles and locations in the Oil & Gas industry where I worked as Projects Operations Engineer in Gulf of Suez, Egypt. I have also worked as a Mechanical Integrity Engineer in the In Salah Gas plant, Algeria. I currently work as Operations Supervisor, leading a team of site technicians and control room operators where I am responsible for the day to day production and maintenance operations for the Shah Deniz gas plant in Azerbaijan, which produces around 900 million cubic feet of gas per day and is located in Sangachal Terminal, one of the largest Oil & Gas terminals in the world.
Following graduation, as a standalone Engineer I felt the need for professional recognition within the international Engineering world. In every respect, professional registration with IMechE as a Chartered Engineer was a significant milestone in my career development, and was indeed a mark of quality benchmarking within my organization that has significantly supported my employment promotion. In addition, registration with IMechE has brought to me new networking and volunteering opportunities whereby I am now engaged in helping local Egyptian Engineers gain professional registration through mentoring, sponsoring, and through assessment as an authorized International Professional Review Assessor. I personally believe that gaining Chartership status with IMechE is a step in the right direction for every Mechanical Engineer; it is the true start of a professional Engineering career as it opens doors for a multitude of networking opportunities, and widens the scope of technical knowledge and Engineering capability.
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Sarah Hussein , ‘07
Development Project Engineer at BG
I
graduated from AUC in 2007 with a degree in Industrial engineering and Materials & Manufacturing with honors. My current post is a development project engineer in the Technical Development team in BG Egypt which supplies almost 40% of Egypt’s natural Gas. I’m basically looking after new developments in the company, one of which is the “Hub Strategy” where I identified new opportunities to make up for the production decline in the current gas fields thus filling the market-demand Gap. I researched the market for new exploration opportunities and fields owned by other companies in Egypt that can be tied in to our existing facilities. Research involved technical data about these fields & also scheduling, planning, and commercial issues. I am also working on two other projects, work over program through injecting acids into depleted wells through MARS, Multiple Application Re-injection System, a new technology. I’m also working on a tie-in of two new wells to existing facilities to increase production. I developed my technical knowledge on the Front End Loading phase of the projects and also in the economic and commercial aspects.
I joined IMechE because it was a requirement from BG and it is mandatory in order to accelerate my career prospect. I’ve just had my CEng interview early March 2013 and I’m currently waiting for the result! I think membership in the Institution and professional registration has several benefits, especially in career development, which gives international recognition and strengthens my position in my current role & future ones if I decided to look for other job opportunities. Also, in learning and continuing professional development, the IMechE provides various training courses and gives an opportunity for employment coaching. Events, mentoring, and networking opportunities are good opportunities for networking with other mechanical engineers worldwide and keep me up-to date with engineering news & technical issues even today. More importantly for students, however, scholarships and awards are exciting ways to participate regionally and internationally with other students and professionals. I recommend becoming members in the Institution and registering professionally to other engineers, basically to gain positive recognition from peers and businesses worldwide. I think it would accelerate career progression through its unique verification of one’s skills and experience.
Youssef Wahby, ‘07
I
graduated from the American University in Cairo in 2007 with BSc in Mechanical Engineering (high honors). I have been working for BG Group (Oil & Gas International Operator) since 2007 till present where I joined as a graduate Engineer in the International Graduate Development Program (IGDP) for 2 years and had the opportunity to work within different gas processing plants in Egypt and Tunisia. Then, I worked as Projects Mechanical Engineer in the complex main compression project in IDKU for 2 years with responsibilities in detailed design closure, commissioning and start-up of various machinery packages. Currently, I’m the Project Interface Engineer for Phase IXa Subsea Development Project responsible for setting out the Operations & Maintenance Philosophies for the new facilities, managing project brownfield tie-in activities with focus on minimizing impact on plant operations and optimizing shutdowns, defining start-up methodology and coordinating the activities required to ensure that the operating asset is ready to take ownership and safely and efficiently operate the facilities delivered by the project following handover.
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Project Interface Engineer at BG In 2008, I joined the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) as an Associate Member, where my company mentor and peers in UK encouraged me to join this international engineering institution to start developing my career professionally where I got the chance to network with Mechanical Engineers from different parts in the world and from various specializations. Since then, I registered for four years in the monitored professional development scheme (MPDS) by IMechE in order to complete a record of my development online and measure progress against the UK-SPEC competencies matrix. In 2012, I went through the Professional Review Interview, became elected as a Chartered Engineer, and registered with the UK Council of Engineering. I strongly recommend peers to membership of the Institution and professional registration as a structured path for development into competent Professional Engineers and for establishing networks. On a personal level, my membership within the IMechE helped me better plan my career, participate in the right technical and leadership trainings that match my competencies, and access e-library services which had very useful handbooks and engineering publications. Following my Chartership, I also gained positive recognition from line management in the company and was promoted to senior level.
Latumahina, D., Self-Motivation: How to Motivate Yourself, 2008. Babauta, L., The Essential Motivation Handbook, 2011.
S E L F
M O T I V A T I O N
A
ctually it is a struggle for everyone to stay motivated. Both negative thoughts and anxiety about the future are always present to put down our motivation. How many times had each one of us faced doubt and depression? However, what separates the highly successful person is the ability to keep moving forward. Andrew Carnegie stated that “People who are unable to motivate themselves must be content with mediocrity, no matter how impressive their other talents”. To be honest with you there is no simple solution for the lack of motivation. The key is to understand your thoughts and how they drive your emotions. By learning how to raise motivating thoughts, neutralizing negative ones, and focus on the task at hand, you can drive yourself through a motivational momentum and then you will need to keep this drive going. If you want to do extremely well in life, self motivation is essential. You need to believe in yourself, you must know how to motivate yourself, and you must be able to keep your spirit high no matter how discouraging a situation is. This is the only way to get the power you need to overcome difficulties because those who are discouraged in difficult times are certain to lose even before the battle is over.
progress is not created by contented people — FRANK TYGER
Here are several tips I’ve found to be effective to build self motivation:
1 2 3
iz,
Have a cause that you care about, this is laz de b one powerful source of motivation that will A ed inspire you to give your best even in the m a M oh MP face of difficulties. It can make you do the M , el T seemingly impossible things. Ad ID M Country Operations Manager, Have a dream. A big dream. You need to Halliburton make your cause sold by putting it in the form of a dream that must be big enough to inspire you. It must be realistic but challenging. It must stretch your ability beyond your comfort zone. Be hungry for success. To be truly motivated, you must have a hunger and not just desire. Whenever you think that you are losing hunger, all you need to do is to connect again to your cause and dream. Let them inspire you and bring the hunger back. According to Les Brown “Wanting something is not enough. You must have hunger for it. Your motivation must be absolutely compelling in order to overcome the obstacles that will invariably come your way”.
your own race. When you have your 4 Run own race, wondering how other people
perform is irrelevant. Comparing yourself with others is not effective, it will only demotivate you. The only competitor you have is yourself, and the only one you need to beat is you.
5
Take one more step. The courage to continue is what makes difference between the winners and the losers. Winston Churchill said “Success in not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts”. Don’t think about how to complete the race and don’t think about how many more obstacles are waiting for you. Just focus on taking the next step.
6
Let go of the past. Today is a new day and you having the chance to start again. No matter how bad your past might be, you still have a bright future ahead waiting for you. Just don’t let the burden of the past demotivate you. Listen to Ralph Waldo Emerson saying “Finish each day and be done with it. You have done what you could”.
To close, I would like to tell you that only from problems come solutions! Learning how to motivate yourself can take time but if you persist you can achieve anything you set your mind to.
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Lamb’s Questions and Answers book Everything about IC engines in a consistent question and answer format. Originally authored by John Lamb, most copies found today are rewritten editions by Stanley G. Christensen.
The Light Bulb Conspiracy documentary In this 2010 documentary, the concept of planned obsolescence is introduced. The ethics of engineering were violated in the 1920’s and the legacy continues today. Cosima Dannoritzer
jhasson
Pieter Kuiper
the good investment
See-ming Lee
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