FEATURED PE EXAM PREP TIP – Two Calculators are Better than One

Of course you want to make sure you are using an approved calculator.  The list is in the NCEES Examinee Guide available on the NCEES website. 

I recommend that you purchase two identical models and use both calculators during your review. You should have a back up during the exam, and you need to know that both of them are working correctly. So alternate calculators regularly as you prepare for the exam to make sure they both get a work out and you are confident they will both work for you on exam day. - Dr. Tom

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Could Green Technology get any Cooler?

As they say, "necessity is the mother of invention." When it comes to air conditioning, a recent ASME article estimates that 40% of the energy consumed by a typical building in hot weather goes into cooling the air. The article goes on to say that roughly 6% of all the energy produced in the US is used to cool the indoor.

A team working at the University of Singapore has developed a prototype system that basically uses evaporative cooling, but in a very innovative way. Their process accomplishes the cooling in two separate steps. First, the air is passed over paper filters coated with super hydrophilic chemicals which separate the water vapor from the air. Then, the very dry air passes through a series of counter flow passages, 10 to 20% through wet channels and the remaining through dry channels. Evaporative cooling takes place in the wet channels. Each pass can drop the temperature about 6 degrees.  And since humidity and temperature are treated separately, they can be controlled very accurately, basically independent of each other.

Three monumental benefits of this system. First, no harmful chlorofluorocarbons are involved. Second, evaporative cooling replaces costly and energy hog compressors. And third, the system produces drinkable water. In Singapore where the outside humidity is typically 85% (and 50% of the water is imported, 30% recycled), the prototype system produces 12 to 15 liters of water, only 1 liter of which is needed to keep the wet channels wet. The net gain of useful water could have an enormous impact in areas where a lack of clean water causes significant health problems, and at the same time bring indoor cooling to people who have never experienced such an environment.

There will certainly be challenges in scaling up this test system and its application in areas where the humidity is low, however the benefits are so substantial that the power of "Green" takes on a whole new meaning. - Dr. Tom

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FEATURED TESTIMONIAL - The 2nd Time Is the Charm with DTC

“As a repeat exam taker, I felt like I was prepared the first time I took the exam, but very inefficient. I had to look through multiple books for formulas and conversion factors which resulted in wasting very valuable time. With the Dr. Tom Method on the second, I had 75-80% of the necessary formulas, conversions, and charts/graphs right in front of me. I also understood the importance of not dwelling on any one single problem for too long, which also hurt me in the first attempt. With a little luck and some good fortune, I passed on the second attempt. Thanks to Dr. Tom and his staff for helping me achieve this career and personal goal.”
- Phillip Scrimpshire, Thompson’s Welding Services, Hamilton, MS

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Modeling Sneaker Waves

Have you ever been standing on the beach and out of nowhere, a wave rushes up and knocks you down (or wets your stuff), even if you were standing far back from the water line? You might have met up with what some call “sneaker” waves. These “run-ups of unusual size” can pull unsuspecting beachgoers into the water and even cause fatalities.

A recent study examined how a phenomenon called bore-bore capture (when two or more breaking waves in the surf zone combine into one powerful wave rolling onshore) can lead to extreme wave run-up events. Study researchers developed a mathematical model to simulate the typical behavior of waves on a gently sloping beach. Using this model, they found that when two or more bores (the water rushing up after the wave breaks) merge, the combination can create a wave run-up that could be more than 50 percent larger than the sum of the run-ups that would have been caused by each of the individual waves. Read more about the study here and see a video of a “sneaker wave” on the Oregon coast. - Beth Sciaudone, DTC Civil Water Resources & Environmental Instructor

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Who Says You Can’t Be a Super Hero?

All you need to activate your super powers is a little help from Dr. Tom’s Classroom. Armed with the preparation, strategies and resources you get with our PE Exam reviews, you can achieve the extraordinary. And now is the perfect time to start your PE Exam preparation with our 20-Week Reviews.



Dr. Tom developed the 20-Week Review because he found, after many years of preparing engineers for the PE Exam, that 20 weeks is the optimal time frame for learning and retaining the knowledge and skills you need to pass the exam (more on why Dr. Tom's 20-Week Review Method is critical to your success).

Dr. Tom has also honed his review into a targeted, structured review that will help you focus your efforts and make the most of the ideal exam preparation window, all with the support of a team that is dedicated to your success. Let us help you activate your super powers and triumph over the PE Exam.

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FREE VIDEO OF THE MONTH - Dr. Tom’s 2nd Most Popular Video of All Time! - Slider-Crank

A couple of months ago we featured Dr. Tom’s most popular video ever on Distributed Loads, which has now topped 50,000 views! Today we’d like to highlight Dr. Tom's second most popular video on Slider-Crank with over 24,000 views. This video is an instructional companion to the MERM, covering the section on the Slider-Crank mechanism in the chapter on Kinematics. It’s generated comments like, “Thanks a lot sir, you have just saved my gpa.” and “This was excellently explained, thank you very much!” and “Simple and easy, thank you!” and “You are a lifesaver sir. Thanks a lot.” and “Thank you sir for helping us through amazing lecture videos.” Maybe it’s time to check out what all the fuss is about.

Dr. Tom has created over 40 videos about Mechanical Engineering Topics that he offers for free on the DTC website and on YouTube. These videos have become very popular with engineers and engineering students around the world. They also supplement the lessons contained in Dr. Tom’s Mechanical PE Exam Review Courses.

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Hitting Asteroids with a HAMMER

Sometimes two things come together to jolt your imagination from scary science fiction to even scarier science fact. My wife and I were surfing channels the other night and came across the 1998 movie, Armageddon, which was a science fiction story about an asteroid destined to hit earth. It came out several months after the movie Deep Impact, which had a similar plot. In Armageddon two space shuttles were to be launched toward the asteroid, land, then drill down to its core and then deposit a nuclear weapon. The crews would take off and the weapon would be detonated blowing the asteroid into tiny pieces.

Well, the next day, I'm going down through my ASME SmartBriefs and see a link to a NewAtlas article about NASA's plan to "bat away Earth-bound asteroids." Could not believe what I was reading.  Basically the same scenario as the movie Armageddon, except the rockets NASA plans to build would have dual capabilities, either kinetic impact to change the course of the asteroid, or deliver a nuclear weapon, just like in the movie. What is fascinating is that while in the movie the timeframe for the asteroid to hit Earth is like in days, the timeframe NASA would be faced with would be in years. They have a 10-year scenario where 34 to 53 separate rockets would be involved, or a 25-year scenario where only 7 to 11 rockets would be needed. The difference being the closer to Earth the more impact is needed to change the course of the asteroid.

And to top off what can only be Hollywood thinking is NASA's name for the rocket, "Hypervelocity Asteroid Mitigation Mission for Emergency Response," or HAMMER. Is that a great name or what?  A movie title if I have ever heard one. - Dr. Tom

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FEATURED TESTIMONIAL - The Best Method

“I passed the Civil Geotechnical PE Exam with a score of 79. Thank you for providing excellent tools for taking the test. It really was the best method to help me prepare well. I will be telling my colleagues about your course and how well it worked for me. Thanks again!”
- PE, Texas

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Well-Oiled Machine or Stuck in the Mud?

Ultimately, every transportation engineering project that is constructed needs to have the right mix of attributes to be successful. They must fill a need, be reliable and cost efficient, perform with a satisfactory safety record, and perhaps involve a certain amount of luck. Five international examples of good and bad transportation infrastructure show us how things can work like a well-oiled machine or get stuck in the mud. From the oldest surviving railroad in Europe to implementing new data and technology to misappropriated sidewalks and stolen bikes, these transportation ideas provide lessons for practitioners:- Daniel Findley, DTC Civil Transportation Instructor

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Triumph over the PE Exam!

Preparing for the PE Exam requires an heroic effort, but now is the perfect time to start your PE Exam preparation with Dr. Tom's Classroom ‘s 20-Week Reviews.

Dr. Tom developed the 20-Week Review because he found, after many years of preparing engineers for the PE Exam, that 20 weeks is the optimal time frame for learning and retaining the knowledge and skills you need to pass the exam (more on why Dr. Tom's 20-Week Review Method is critical to your success).

Dr. Tom has also honed his course into a targeted, structured review that will help you focus your efforts and make the most of the ideal exam preparation window, all with the support of a team that is dedicated to your success. Let us help you activate your super powers and triumph over the PE Exam.

Taking the October 2018 Exam?

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Dr. Tom's Classroom – Helping Engineers become Professional Engineers!
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