Mechanical Enginering

Acoustic Emission Testing

Before acoustic emission testing, oil storage tanks could only be checked for leaks by visually inspecting the inside tank floor. Most companies are usually required to have this done every five years. To do this, all oil in the tank would have to be drained. Following drainage, the whole tank would have to be sandblasted. Inspectors could then go inside the tank and check the floor for damage. This type of damage testing had several draw backs. All the oil that was in the tank upon draining would have to be disposed of; it could not be reused in any way. The price of this procedure could range from 15 to 20 lakh depending on the size of the tank. On top of the high price, the tank itself would be offline and unusable for about 3 months. Note: To view the entire case study, you must first login with your username and password. To create a username and password, click Register. Then you will be sent an e-mail to validate your entry. Once the account has been validated, you can login to this site to access full copies of the case studies.

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Automatic Weld Inspection

For the year 2000, welding expenditures in the U.S manufacturing, mining and construction industry was about $34 million. In order to test these welds in a non-destructive manner, nearly half a million radiographs are being produced every year. General Manager-Operations wanted a team at the imaging lab to develop new methodologies to identify defects in welds for analyzing the radiographs.

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Crist Power Plant Case Study

6Learn the technical and project management details involved in planning and implementation of a maintenance project in a power plant and analyze the alternative using Expert Choice.

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Della Steam Plant Case Study

8A turbine-generator unit in a power plant vibrates heavily and shakes the building. The problem poses a serious safety risk and could create expensive repair costs if it damages itself or requires major preventative maintenance. Two engineers recommend conflicting solutions, and the plant manager had to make a decision that could cost the company millions of dollars.

This case study helps students learn about technical, financial, safety, and credibility issues involved in decision-making.

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Functional Dormitory Design

37This case study describes a design problem faced by the Indian Institute of Technology-Madras (IIT-Madras), a preeminent engineering institution in India, and Larsen & Toubro (L&T), one of India’s largest construction firms. Due to the rapidly increasing student population, IIT-Madras needs to construct more on-campus residences (hostels). However, because it is situated on the beautiful Guidny National Park, the university is restricted to 24% land use.

L&T recently completed a new group of high-rise hostels for IIT-Madras, but the older, sprawling-style hostels remain a popular choice among students. The two designs vary greatly in the areas of thermal comfort and social function. This case study explores how to design thermally comfortable and socially functional spaces while minimizing university land use.

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