Another “Units” Debate
As those who have been in one of my classes would agree, if I wasn’t Dr. Tom I’d be Dr. Units. So a recent article in the Washington Examiner, republished in an ASME SmartBrief, caught my eye. Apparently, in 1975, some 50 years ago, President Gerald Ford approved an experimental project where Interstate 19 from […]
A Cool New Way to Make Hydrogen Fuel a Reality
Hydrogen has been proposed as a way to remove our dependence on fossil fuels. Although generating hydrogen is energy intensive, it represents an effective fuel that can supplement or replace fossil fuels in applications like automobiles and combustion devices. One of the major challenges with hydrogen is storage because it must be either highly compressed […]
“DTC Is Worth Its Weight in Gold!”
At Dr. Tom’s Classroom, we have worked hard to make our courses the absolute best preparation for the Mechanical PE Exams. We strive to keep our courses as affordable as possible. We know that purchasing a PE Exam prep course is a major investment, and we want to make sure that your investment pays off […]
Artificial Intelligence’s Nuclear Option
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has become a part of our daily lives, helping us analyze data, keep our schedules, and even writing term papers. But this computing power requires a tremendous amount of electrical power, which utilities are struggling to provide. Microsoft has decided to invoke the “nuclear option” and reactivate Unit 1 at the Three […]
The “Spruce Goose” (my kind of story)
With my BS being in Aerospace Engineering, it is very hard for me not to be attracted to great aviation stories, and the story of the Spruce Goose is one of those stories. The recent ASME SmartBrief article provides some very startling specifications associated with the Spruce Goose, the largest seaplane ever built. Katherine Huit, […]
“Diminishing” Returns for Lighting Energy Efficiency
Lighting energy efficiency has dramatically increased since the days of Edison’s light bulb. In our office and retail spaces we’ve seen large improvements in fluorescent style lighting. From 180 Watt four lamp T12 fixtures in the 1980’s, to 110 Watt T8 fixtures in the 1990’s, and now 36 Watt LED fixtures with just two lamps […]
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. We even developed and launched a whole new Dr. Tom Method specifically targeted to the CBT exam format, and it’s been a huge success. With PE Exam Review courses for all […]
120 Years of Wonder and Comfort
The 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis may not come up in many history books as a major event, but it was memorable in the annals of engineering. The event saw the introduction of hamburgers, hot dogs, and ice cream cones (OK, not Earth shattering engineering inventions to be sure). But there the X-ray machine, […]
When a Fixed Dock is Not Available
When one of our DTC instructors was visiting Ireland, he came across a ferry service that carried along its own dock. Lots of community discussion typically takes place when a permanent location for a dock is under consideration. Some people want it close to their needs, while others want it as far away as possible. […]
