The Panama Canal is Set to Expand
The third set of locks of the Panama Canal expansion project have officially passed all performance tests, setting the stage for the transit of the first New Panamax ship on June 26
The significant component of the $5.25 billion expansion program, the new lock complexes, located on the Atlantic and Pacific sides of the Panama Canal, create a third lane of traffic for ships significantly larger than the current canal can handle. Transiting ships of greater dimensions and displacement will see the implementation of overhauled vessel-positioning measures for the new locks. Instead of using locomotives to assist them inside the chambers, New Panamax vessels will be maneuvered using their engines and rudders, with assistance from tugboats. The existing lock system allows passage of vessels that can carry up to 5,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs). After the expansion, vessels will be able to transit through the canal carrying up to 13,000/14,000 TEUs. Creation of the new lane of traffic along the canal is expected to roughly double the waterway’s cargo-conveying capacity.
Engineering is Hot
While debate exists about whether the United States faces an overall shortage of engineers, students are pursuing engineering degrees in record numbers.
According to the most recent data from the National Science Foundation, science and engineering bachelor’s degrees hit a new peak in 2013 of more than 615,000 following a steady climb since 2000. Graduate enrollment also rose nearly 25% in that same time frame. A number of university’s have announced recent plans to form dedicated schools of engineering among them are, The University of Albany ,Quinnipiac University and Campbell University. As the government forecasts a 62% increase in biomedical engineering jobs between 2010 and 2020, The University of Oklahoma and Michigan state are adapting to the projected growth by building facilities to accommodate the students.
Nissan Developing a Bio-Ethanol Electric Engine
Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. Has unveiled a plan for a solid oxide fuel-cell (SOFC)-powered engine that runs on bio-ethanol electric power. SOFC is a fuel cell that uses the reaction of multiple fuels—including ethanol and natural gas—with oxygen to produce electricity. The fuel cell uses hydrogen transformed from fuel via a reformer and atmospheric oxygen to power the vehicle. The e-bio fuel cell using SOFC as its power source allows for greater distance ranges than current electric vehicles (more than 600 km), but it retains the features of electrification such as a silent drive, linear startup and brisk acceleration, Nissan says. Nissan plans to offer future iterations of the e-bio fuel cell to include ethanol-blended water as the fuel, which is far safer than current gasoline or diesel-based fuels.
