Heat Islands not Just a City Thing
We’ve all heard about the heat island effect around large cities. Concrete, buildings, and asphalt absorb solar radiation and then re-emit it to the air. It makes cities a few degrees warmer, particularly on sunny days. But the same effect happens around data centers too. Data centers often draw hundreds of megawatts of electricity, and […]
FEATURED TESTIMONIAL – “Dr. Tom Does a Sterling Job”
“If it wasn’t for Dr Tom’s encouraging and clarifying teaching style, I doubt I’d ever have the courage take on the Thermal and Fluids Systems PE exam. In fact, Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer were the areas in which I was struggling the most in college, some twenty years ago. Dr Tom’s course made these ‘difficult’ […]
Making Heat Pumps Better with a Common Ingredient
Heat pumps are a great way to use the power (and heat) of thermodynamics to move heat from a cold space to a hot space. Their Coefficient of Performance (COP) makes them a better option than fossil fuels in some climates. Renewable energy like solar, can also reduce the carbon footprint. However, the biggest problem […]
MECHANICAL PE EXAM TIP – Units, Units Units!!!
If I wasn’t Dr. Tom, I’d be Dr. Units. I cannot tell you how many times units are the reason someone gets the wrong answer to a problem. It might be as simple as inches needed to be converted to feet, or the other way around. Or, it is a combination of units like gallons per minute […]
The Dr. Tom Method – The Perfect System to Pass the PE Exam
At Dr. Tom’s Classroom, we’ve worked hard to create the perfect system to help Mechanical engineers pass the PE Exam and become Professional Engineers. With PE Exam Review courses for all three Mechanical PE Exams (HVAC & Refrigeration, Machine Design & Materials, and Thermal & Fluid Systems), we can help you pass the PE Exam. […]
The Automotive Differential – lots and lots of gears!
While being absorbed watching videos on a popular social media site, a video appeared talking about the need for a differential on your car. It was very short and didn’t provide a satisfactory explanation of how the design evolved. I searched the internet and discovered a very unique discussion of the principles involved. Surprisingly, it […]
PI – Around and around we go!
Today is PI Day and if there is any number that should be celebrated it is PI. PI shows up in so many formulas and equations in math and science and engineering that it would be virtually impossible to make even a passable list. For mechanical engineers, anything rotating “around and around”, like gears, will […]
Microalgae to Fuel a Tropical Paradise
Researchers at the University of Hawai’i are working on engineering microalgae – small photosynthetic organisms, to produce useful organic compounds like lipids and other long chained molecules. These can be easily converted into fuels and medicine. The key is rewriting the DNA so that the desired compounds are made in large quantities without hurting the […]
Attention Mechanical Engineers! Now Is the Time to Get Your PE!
You have achieved a lot in your career, but you know you are capable of more. Getting your PE license opens up a whole new world of possibilities for you to achieve the extraordinary. At DTC, we know the Mechanical PE Exam, and we can help you make those possibilities a reality with our comprehensive […]
Using the Web to Measure Indoor Air Quality
We’ve all used the world wide web to collect information on how to do most anything, from tying a necktie to understanding quantum mechanics (OK, enough with my web searches!). But a study published in the Journal of Exposure Science and Environmental Epidemiology puts a new “spin” on using the web to measure indoor air […]
