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Protecting Lunar Samples from Contamination

Moon Rock Containment Chamber in the Johnson Space Center in Houston

For as long as humanity has been looking up at the sky, we’ve wondered what lay beyond the ground beneath our feet. When the astronauts of the Apollo 11 mission took their first steps in 1969, the world saw a future filled with spaceships and rockets. We dreamed of a lack of gravity, fueled by grainy images on a TV and the words of Neil Armstrong: “That’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” The Apollo 17 mission in 1972 was the last trip to the moon for several decades.

Lunar science has become a thriving field of study which helps to define our knowledge of the formation of the universe. The lunar rock and soil samples gathered by Apollo astronauts are still studied to this day. 

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What Does It Mean for a Product to be “Made in USA”?

With a growing emphasis on buying American-made products, it is becoming increasingly important to understand the differences between a product that is labeled “Made in USA” and one that has the country of origin as the “USA”. So what does the “Made in USA” label mean and what distinguishes this label from simply having a country of origin as the “USA”?

Magnehelic® Differential Pressure Gage, Series 2000

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Monitoring Center Pivot Irrigation Systems

You arrive at a large field, small sprouts peeking out of the soil. At the center of the field lies a structure connected to a span of pipe from which sprinklers hang. Trusses brace and support its weight. From the air, this field would appear to be a perfectly circular patch of green.

Center pivot irrigation systems are one of many ways to distribute water to crops. As its name suggests, this method involves rotating around a central pivot point. When the machine rotates, it releases water from the sprinklers and irrigates crops. (Agrivi.com) By using this system, farmers can ensure a uniform application of water across an entire field.  Continue reading “Monitoring Center Pivot Irrigation Systems”

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Measuring Thermal Energy in Hydronic Systems

So you’ve decided to track how much energy your HVAC system consumes in order to increase the system’s energy efficiency — great! But how will you do it? There are multiple methods that can be used to measure thermal energy in hydronic systems. We’ve outlined several methods below to make it easier for you to select the best technology for your application.  

Measuring thermal energy requires three components: a fluid flow sensor, two temperature sensors (one for inlet temperature, one for outlet temperature), and a calculator. Although thermal energy can technically be measured without a calculator, doing an energy calculation by hand is very complex and can introduce manual calculation error into the measurement. For that reason, we recommend incorporating a calculator into your system for the most accurate energy measurements. This calculator can be either an independent BTU controller, part of your building management system, or integral to a complete thermal energy system. A complete system includes a flowmeter, temperature sensors, and a calculator that are all calibrated together, eliminating the need for multiple pieces of equipment.  Continue reading “Measuring Thermal Energy in Hydronic Systems”

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International Women in Engineering Day 2021: Engineering Heroes

June 23rd is International Women in Engineering Day (INWED), which is an annual event sponsored by the Women’s Engineering Society (WES). INWED is an international awareness campaign intended to celebrate the work of women in engineering and inspire the next generation of innovators. National Women in Engineering Day was launched for the first time in the UK on June 23, 2014 by WES and became international for the first time in 2017 due to enthusiasm from an international audience.

We take great pride in the intellect and integrity of our employees. In honor of this day, we wanted to highlight one of our engineers at Dwyer, Angela Wiscons. Angela is a Key Account Manager at Dwyer and has been with the company since 2018.

What sparked your interest in becoming an engineer?

I think I became interested in engineering probably a long time before I even knew what the word “engineering” meant. When I was really young, I was interested in math in school and I was really fortunate that I had a lot of teachers who supported that part of me and helped me develop those skills.

I think I’m also really fortunate I had parents who supported my interests in math and reading. My dad was a structural engineer, so he would always take time to point out different structures around me, like trusses and bridges. I think that inspired that interest at a young age. And my mom always inspired me to read, so I remember reading a lot of stories with strong female characters who were courageous in pursuing what they were interested in and standing up for what they believed in. That definitely helped me shape myself and what I wanted to go into.

What is your favorite part about your job?

My favorite part about my job is being able to feel productive every day by solving problems. It really gives me a high level of satisfaction that I can come into work and know that there are a set of things that I want to resolve in a productive way for somebody.

What advice do you have for other women interested in engineering?

If you have any part of you that thinks that you want to pursue the field of engineering or that you think you could be an engineer, don’t let anything hold you back. A lot of times, people hold themselves back by thinking that they’re not smart enough or they’re not good enough, but trust me, you can do it! So if you want to pursue it, you’ve got to go for it! It will be the best and most rewarding thing you do.

For more information about International Women in Engineering Day, please visit the INWED website. And to all of the women engineers out there, we appreciate all that you do!