Does Santa Violate Export Control Laws Every December? Before we can answer that highly seasonal question, we should probably start with “What are export control laws anyway?”. Even before that, I...
A blog on what's new, notable, and next in turbomachinery
By Bradley Leiser, Director of Contracts
Dec 20, 2024
Does Santa Violate Export Control Laws Every December? Before we can answer that highly seasonal question, we should probably start with “What are export control laws anyway?”. Even before that, I...
By Francis A. Di Bella, P.E.
Aug 2, 2019
The previous blog, Entropy Happens… Deal with It! ended with the statement, “That’s how Concepts NREC deals with the constraints of the Second Law of Thermodynamics when designing high-efficiency...
By Francis A. Di Bella, P.E.
Jul 19, 2019
If there’s one thing good about sitting in snarled traffic in Boston, it’s that you get to see some very original bumper stickers. The most recent bumper sticker I saw was probably the strangest one,...
By Francis A. Di Bella, P.E.
Jun 28, 2019
When discussing the efficiency of transforming one form of energy to another, circularity is the way to go. Anyone who has spent even a little time studying engineering thermodynamics knows that the...
By Francis A. Di Bella, P.E.
Apr 19, 2019
It sounds like an opening to a joke, but I wanted to share some creative thinking sparked during a field trip to a local gas turbine cogeneration plant with some undergraduate students I teach. The...
By Francis A. Di Bella, P.E.
Dec 28, 2018
I am an engineer and teacher, so as the year draws to a close, I like to look back on memorable events where an engineering activity went, or almost went, awry. Luckily all were caught in the nick of...
By Francis A. Di Bella, P.E.
Nov 2, 2018
Credit for the first gas turbine engine used in flight is given to Dr. Frank Whittle. Dr. Whittle maintained a steadfast commitment to developing gas turbine-powered aircraft in the midst of World...
By Francis A. Di Bella, P.E.
Jul 6, 2018
The AS9100 Certification identifies companies who have qualified to manufacture products for the Aerospace Industry. Manufacturers who meet the extensive requirements of the AS9100 Certification have...
By Francis A. Di Bella, P.E.
Mar 2, 2018
Boston, MA is known as a walkable city. Boston’s downtown area is very small, relative to those in other cities. However, the walkable size provides you with a special opportunity to explore the many...
By Francis A. Di Bella, P.E.
Jan 12, 2018
My gym has been crowded with a lot of new people these past couple of weeks. It happens every year in January as people try to stick to their New Year’s Resolution to exercise more. I don’t mind the...
By Francis A. Di Bella, P.E.
Nov 15, 2017
Have you ever been to the beach on a very hot day? Then I am sure you noticed that the sand is very, very hot, uncomfortably so. Congratulations, you have had first-hand experience with ground source...
By Francis A. Di Bella, P.E.
Sep 28, 2017
There are not many people who would argue that if you only received 30% of a commodity that you need to purchase every day to enable you to have your share of “…life, liberty and the pursuit of...
By Francis A. Di Bella, P.E.
May 18, 2017
The 2015 Paris Climate Talks (COP21) were successful in achieving consensus from 196 countries that climate change must be given significant attention. There was a particular focus on the release of...
By Francis A. Di Bella, P.E.
Apr 27, 2017
The contemporary gas turbine engine, developed in the 1940’s by Sir Frank Whittle (pictured), is stillconsidered to be among the most efficient, external combustion engines. Today, there is a...
By Francis A. Di Bella, P.E.
Oct 7, 2016
Sisyphus in Greek Mythology was condemned to eternally roll a large rock up a hill only to watch it crash to the bottom. The myth lives on today with the term Sisyphean that refers to tasks that are...