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TECHNOLOGY BULLETIN
space, since the ravir materials would ordinarily wind up in landfills. The EcoWriter, which sports a "green" eraser rather than the typical yellow one, carries the seal of the Pencil Manufacturers Association. Call Lydall's Carole Butenas, (203) 646-1233.

HOW TO GET USERS IN ON PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

^ ^ ^ ^ ^ Newton, MA, inventor Daniel Abelow has an idea that could change the concept of beta testing. He has developed interactive software that, once embedded into products, would provide vendors regular feedback on how customers perceive product features before, during, or after product launch. In effect, product testing would never end. "It's like a private telephone network," he explains. "The modules 'call' customers at various trigger events the vendor selects and ask them for comments." Vendors periodically download the data. Among the reports: ease of use, and features customers like and don't like. Abelow developed the modules for software products, but says they'd work with some mechanical products too. Call him at (617) 244-3692.

SOFTWARE LOOKING FOR HOT SPOTS

^I^^^^^^^B Software, so often a critical tool in design of mechanical products such as engines, is helping a Penn State University engineer understand the convective heat-transfer process inside gas turbine engines. In a NASA-sponsored project, Brian Wiedner is using DADiSP, from Cambridge, MA-based DSP Development Corp., to calculate turbulence. "We want to know the physical mechanisms for the transfer of thermal energy from a hot fluid to the surface of a relatively cooler turbine component," he says. DADiSP's data acquisition, calculation, and post-processing capabilities make the calculations manageable, he adds. The research could uncover regions in the turbine passage exposed to severe temperatures, and help in design of better cooling mechanisms. Call him at (814) 863-7503.

SPRAY-COATING SYSTEM COMBINES ELECTRIC ARC WITH MOLY

Because of the potential for oxidation of the wire, the spray-coatings industry traditionally stayed away from using molybdenum wire with electric arc systems. No more. Engineers at Concord, NH-based Hobart Tafa Technologies Inc. have developed the first molybdenum wire and electric arc spray system to apply high-quality coatings on aircraft components, valves, valve stems, electrical contact faces, and other products. Among the benefits, according to product engineer Elliott Sampson: Capital equipment costs for the system are five times lower than plasma spraying systems, and hourly operating costs are 10 times lower. Also, the moly coatings are self-bonding alloys, have good bearing qualities, and resist galling and scuffing. As for the old oxidation problem: "We solved it by reducing the spread pattern while accelerating spread velocity, so there is less air to oxidize the wire," Sampson told Design News. Call him at (603) 224-9585.

CHEAPER WAY TO CAPTURE SUNLIGHT FOR POWER

The first large-scale photovoltaic system for capturing sunlight to generate electricity has been installed at Pacific Gas and Electric, Davis, CA. Built by Advanced Photovoltaic Systems (APS) of Princeton, NJ, the system includes thin-film modules of amorphous silicon similar to the kind found in calculators and watches. They don't capture as much sunlight as the silicon crystals used previously, but they are a lot cheaper to build. The power plant arrays use 9,600 of those cells. Each is 31 inches by 61 inches and capable of delivering more than 50W. The system takes up five acres. "This is an important step in using sunlight to generate electric power in homes and office buildings," says APS spokesman Walter Andrews. A Swiss university plans to install panels on one building to generate electricity. CaU Ronald Matlin, APS director of power systems, (609) 275-5000.
Paul E. 'Dsague. Associate Editor
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