Industrial Factory Automation

An unusual bowstring truss iron bridge that carried traffic across Roaring Run in Bedford County, Va. for almost 100 years is now a picturesque footbridge at the I-81 Ironto, Va. rest stop. Built in 1878, it is the oldest standing metal bridge in Virginia. In early December, a Virginia Tech undergraduate conducted a load-bearing analysis of the structure. It may have been the first such test on the bridge. "There was no documentation of a structural analysis from when the bridge was designed," said Elaine Huffman of Bowie, Md., a student in civil engineering. As part of her research project, she did a historical survey of the bridge through a literature review, developed a computer-based structural analysis, and recently verified the computer model with an actual load test. The bowstring truss design was patented by Z. King in 1859 under the name "Tubular Arch Bridge," Huffman learned. When the bridge was bypassed by a pipe culvert in the 1970s, it began to fall in...

Lifebatt has extended its range with the introduction of eight modules: four assembled using the X-1E 3.3V 10Ah and four using the X-2E 3.3V 15Ah high-energy cell. This module range is available in four voltages, 12V, 24V, 36V and 48V, configurations with capacity ranging from 10Ah to 180Ah and is specifically designed for high-energy applications with a maximum continuous discharge current of 30A, with peaks of 50A. This range offers high performance, improved cost of ownership, cycle life of 2,000 cycles and lower environmental footprint when compared to other traditional batteries, according to Lifebatt. Stand-alone renewable energy sources and UPS systems are becoming increasingly popular in a wide variety of applications and require a high-quality, long-life and low-maintenance battery solution. This is a particular requirement in remote locations where uncontrolled temperature variations and sometimes erratic shallow discharges are common. Lead acid batteries and technologies...