Kicking Into the Wind

Football season is finally here and at last I have something else to do on Sunday besides laundry (ok I haven’t done laundry in like two weeks but STILL…). 

The most interesting storyline in this young season so far?  Well in my opinion, that’d have to be the University of North Texas’s recent announcement that they’ll be installing three wind turbines to contribute power to the campus’s Apogee “Mean Green” Stadium.  The turbines are one part of a collective strategy the college has implemented to keep the stadium relatively green and sustainable.  Up until this point that meant non-toxic paints and local raw materials, but the addition of wind energy is a first.  The three 121 foot turbines are expected to offset 6 percent of the campus’s energy output and generate a third of the campus’s annual 2million kilowatts average.  That’s a pretty decent contribution for three wind turbines, and it got me thinking:  what else could wind power in football?  A few ideas:

  

The Jumbotron...

The Halftime Show...

Field Goal Defense...

Touchdown Pylons...

Blitzing...

Jay Cutler's pocket protection...

Jay Cutler's inevitable post game anti-social-ness...

An actual way of stopping Tom Brady...



And, of course, Brent Musberger.

Honestly, I don’t understand why we haven’t thought of these things already…progress takes patience, doesn’t it?

Enjoy the season, y’all!

Donal Thoms-Cappello is a freelance writer for Rotor Clip Company.



US Tidal Power: Lunar Truce

Another potential US Manufacturing enterprise takes shape



ORPC’s RiveGen power system that generates electricity

 from the rise and fall of the tides.

The Moon has always been a source of misery for me.  I look up at it now as I write this and all it makes me think of are lost romances, failed attempts at poetry (don’t act like you never tried either), my mother reading “Goodnight Moon” in a not-so-subtle way of getting me to go to bed, or just morbid thoughts of lifelessness in general.  I mean, it’s a dead rock floating in the air, I get it.  It glows.  “Wooo”.  It’s still a piece of rock.  Why am I supposed to be so fascinated?

Recently, Ocean Renewable Power Co. (ORPC) announced plans to install what would be the US’s first tidal-powered turbine that lies in the grid.  The turbine, called the TidGen power system, would be placed deep in the waters of Cobscook Bay, near Eastport, Maine.  The turbine is a Tidal Energy Converter (TEC), mounted turbines that extract energy through the power of Earth’s tidal system, which of course revolves around the gravity of the Moon’s orbit. 

NOW, you’re starting to interest me, Moon.

Tidal power is almost non-existent in the US, yet it is a powerful and extraordinarily consistent method of generating electricity through renewable energy.  Because it relies on tidal patterns, it’s more reliable than wind and solar energy, where abundance of either can vary daily due to weather shifts.  Once they’re installed, they cost next to nothing to maintain as well.  Unfortunately, the downsides to tidal power have stopped serious investment in its tracks: it poses several environmental risks, needs ideal conditions in underwater locations and costs a boatload of initial capital to establish (one proposed tidal plant for the UK would amount to $15 BILLION altogether.  Music to Congress’s ears, n’est ce pas?) 

However, recent innovations in technology, specifically the advent of cross flow turbines, have proven that tidal power can generate more energy at a lower cost than previously thought.  Apparently other countries have already concluded the resource is worth investment.  Right now, according to Renewable Energy Development (Renewableenergydev.com), there are seven major tidal energy projects underway in Canada, the UK, New Zealand and Korea.  These tidal grids are projected to harness energy from 1 to 300 MW worth of electricity. 

Now compare that to ORPC’s initial model, which is slated to produce a whopping 60 kilowatts, enough to power 50 homes.  Clearly, the US is not exactly enjoying a comfortable lead in creating a tidal power grid, but it’s a step in the right direction both for this new technology and our quest to establish more US manufacturing jobs. ORPC’s president and CEO said it best:

“This isn't theory because we're actually doing it. We have equipment in the water, so it's a fact.  We think this is a highly desirable new industry for the state of Maine-Chris Sauer, CEO and President, ORPC

So here’s what I am willing to do, personally, as my part for the American tidal power industry and the country as a whole:  I am willing to forego my grudge with the Moon.  I’ll visit my local observatory, I’ll read more Greek mythology; I’ll even howl late at night (like my college days).

While it has its risks, tidal power is a potential manufacturing opportunity that can pay off in the long-term.

Donal Thoms-Cappello is a freelance writer for Rotor Clip Company.

Profile: 350Green and the Future of American EV Networks



350 Green works with municipalities to develop charging

networks for electric vehicles in their areas.



Charging station infrastructure demands can lead to US Manufacturing jobs

Recently I wrote about the lack of a national charging infrastructure being a key obstacle to more widespread interest in use of EV’s like the Chevy Volt and Nissan Leaf.  Private companies like Walgreen’s and Ikea are taking the first necessary steps to make this happen, planning to build Level Two charging station operations on the premises of their stores.  This is a much-needed step in the right direction, but it’s also a drop in the bucket when you compare it to just how much of an “American highway system” there is, and how many stations need to be in proximity if we’re all going be able to stay on the road with lightning in our respective fuel tanks.  

In order to get a better gauge on how all this can feasibly happen, I decided to interview 350Green (you can learn all about them on their website, 350green.com) , a company founded in Washington DC in 2006 and now based in San Diego, California that develops charging networks in urban areas all around the country.  If you’re looking for who’s “on the floor” of the transition from gas stations to electric-based recharge centers, it doesn’t get any better than these guys.  Mariana G, a spokesperson for the company, answered my questions:

Me-       “-I am particularly interested in who you work with in both the manufacturing of
EV chargers as well as the installation. Do you do this on your own or do you
facilitate between other companies?  And if so, who?”

Mariana- “We are equipment agnostic and work with several manufacturers.  We always bring and install the best equipment that is available on the market.  We’ve been installing [from] AeroVironment and will be announcing other manufacturers shortly.”

Me-       -“Where is the equipment usually made?  Do you import the parts and then
assemble them here?”

Mariana-“Most of our contracts require [parts and products] to be made in America.  We work with manufacturers that have the ability to manufacture in US.”

Me-       “Do you see charging infrastructure and its need for EVs
to thrive as potential for job growth in construction or some other industry,
like retail (considering what Walgreen has just announced)?”

Mariana-Infrastructure will definitely spur [growth] in the job market, 350Green is hiring installers, engineers and managers.  Our retail partners, subcontractors and suppliers are hiring as well.  The job demand goes further than just the EV industry, and reaches solar, steel, copper, software and many other industries.

Me-       “Are there any ways in which the typical urban/suburban landscape will adapt in
reaction to charging infrastructure that may not have been anticipated in design
and research stages?”

Mariana- There are many theories out there on how the market will adjust to infrastructure.  I would imagine one of the hypotheses will eventually prove right.  I doubt our crystal ball is better than everyone else's, so we keep a close tab on the pulse of the consumers and will react to whatever [the] market dictates.

That last part is what we’re all skittish about.  For all the presumptions and hope that this kind of infrastructure makeover will trickle down (up?) to other sectors and industries unseen, they’re just that: unseen.  But all the pieces for a growing industry that will create economic opportunity seem to be there with 350Green: they’re part of several supply chains, specialize in areas with a massive number of potential consumers, work with many different industry sectors like construction and engineering, and the best part: most of their contracts are homegrown.  This is a system that’s truly localized.  Hopefully, companies like 350Green keep improving their networking systems and we wind up reaping the benefits in the near future.  It sure sounds like they’re onto something!

Donal Thoms-Cappello is a freelance writer for Rotor Clip Company.

Ronpack Bags Louisiana



Ronpak makes a variety of bags from paper to foil including the cookie

bags pictuired above, all 100% Made in the USA.

 Its Commitment to US manufacturing continues as it opens its new factory

Ronpak, a bag company based in South Plainfield, NJ, is expanding its operations to the Port of Shreveport-Bossier in Louisiana, according to their press report released July 28^th.  The company specializes in bags used in tons of major industries, from liquor stores to hospitals, and you’ve no doubt unwittingly used their product when buying a pack of Wrigley’s at the grocery store or a box of munchkins at Dunkin’ Donuts (I have so many of those particular boxes strewn on the floor of my car I could pass as one of their warehouses.)  This will be their third plant, having another one all the way out in Mira Loma, CA, giving them more of a license to the title of a true “national” company.

That’s important for them when taking into account the part of their mission statement that includes, “We are responsible to our employees, the men and women who work with us throughout the United States…We are responsible to the communities in which we live and work and to the world community as well.” 

So details on the expansion into Bayou country: Ronpak will receive a $3.55 million grant, contingent on performance standards, to buy equipment and set up payroll.  Hiring begins in September, and they’re banking on a labor force of 175 jobs, while construction on the new plant plans to finish in early 2012, a fairly speedy set-up process so it appears RonpaK is ready to hit the ground (or bog) running.

I love these guys for two reasons.  First, they make it a point to mention that all of their bags are made from reusable or recycled products.  Secondly, Ron Sedley, the company owner, chose Louisiana out of three other states in a site selection competition.  No location outside of the country was considered, keeping Ronpak true to their mission statement.  Of course, Louisiana’s promise of tax rebates for job creation and state-supported training maaaay have played into that, but I’m still giving them a thumbs-up.  Post-Katrina Louisiana needs more of these stories, and a manufacturing company that can now truly call itself “multi-regional” is good news for us all.

So get a move on with those bags, PSB, LA!  Because I am now craving an extra powdered-chocolate frosting-filled donut, and without you guys I’m going to look like a disaster area before I even bring it to the car.  

Donal Thoms-Cappello is a freelance writer for Rotor Clip Company, Inc.

What Mainstream Media Could Learn From A Doctor Visit



THE HEART WITH NO BEAT—Researchers
have developed a heart that circulates blood
without the typical heart biorhythm.

Like most Americans, I don’t work too hard for my news.  I flip through the channel cycle on my flatscreen like three times and consider that a satisfactory exploration of the daily information spectrum.  Four times and I’m an expert.  Five?  I could be God’s gift to Columbia’s School of Journalism. 

Of course, the downside to this method of getting my news is that it’s chock full of personality sources; people who throw broad statements about important issues in this country without- y’know- “knowing what they’re talking about”?  There are those who insist the US’s biggest problem is that it “doesn’t make anything anymore”, and then enough people on the air and in periodicals take their lead and before you know it, perception has become reality: we don’t make anything anymore.

Outside of the hundreds of companies who may want to refute that, America’s medical manufacturing community has the biggest case against this “news”.  According to the Federal Reserve, industrial production of medical equipment and supplies has doubled since 1990 in a steady incline that makes a graph-plotter’s job mighty easy.   Not only is the sector churning out products that are used in medical communities around the world, but it’s developing technology and devices that receive little media attention yet are rivaling iPhones and video games in innovation, ingenuity and invention.  And are, or most likely will be made right here.  Some highlights:

-An artificial heart developed by Doctors Billy Hunt and Bud Frasier, both of the Texas Heart Institute, that has no beat.  The device consists of two centrifugal tubes with a rotor in each one, steadily pumping blood at a more fluid rate than previous artificial hearts but without trying to mimic the heart’s biorhythm.   The heart is currently working its way through experimental volunteers and has shown no signs of failure.

-A new bioglass material developed by Missouri State University and licensed by the Mo-Sci Corporation of Rolla, Missouri that is used to treat unhealed wounds.  The material’s use of boron instead of silicate glasses as used in previous products has been proven to cause wounds left unhealed for three years to repair themselves in a matter of months (Phelps County Regional Medical Center). 

-A prototype-invented by a team of researchers at the University of Maryland- of a “brain cap” that produces motion with thoughts, making it a very real possibility that soon paraplegics or amputees will be able to move prosthetic limbs by simply thinking.

I confess I’ve been one of those 24 hour cable news cycle-fueled zombies who bought into this trending group-think about US manufacturing not making anything of value anymore.  It’s easy to fall into that mindset when so many foreign-made products are immediate and right in front of us, with shiny buttons and logos to constantly draw our attention (do I really have to name examples here?  I do?  Okay, you phone, your car, your clothes) while, as Professor Mark J. Perry says in his economic blog, Carpe Diem:

“You probably won't see or notice a ‘Made in the USA’ label on a heart pump or a lot of other high-tech medical equipment manufactured in America like MRI machines, CT Scans or X-ray equipment, but they are all part of America's thriving and growing high-tech manufacturing sector.” (Prof. Perry, June 13, 2011)

Here’s hoping more of us try to look through the cracks between cable news pundits and Chicken Little headlines to see the realities of manufacturing sectors like these.  The heartbeat of mass media is certainly in full effect these days, but the real news is underneath.

And apparently, has no beat at all.

Donal Thoms-Cappello is a freelance writer for Rotor Clip Company, Inc.

Delphi’s EV Wireless Charging Tech Ripe for Practical Innovations

Delphi's wireless charging system features no cord, and
is ease to use

Previously, I wrote about the need for US manufacturing to concentrate on products and technology that were broader in implementation and had innovation needs that weren’t so specialized so that more people from across the economic spectrum could be recruited.  Delphi recently debuted what I believe to be a spot-on example of this in its wireless EV recharging system.  In a nutshell:

A wireless charging system eliminates the need for a charging cord. Drivers can simply park their electric vehicle over a wireless energy source situated on the garage floor or embedded in a paved parking spot. Other wireless charging systems under development make use of traditional inductive charging, the same technology used in electric toothbrushes, which is based on principles first proposed in the mid-nineteenth century. These systems only work over a limited distance range, require precise accurate parking alignment and can be very large and heavy, making them impractical for widespread use on electric vehicles.

"The Delphi Wireless Charging System offers more practical and flexible installation than traditional inductive systems because it uses highly resonant magnetic coupling, a    modern technology that safely and efficiently transfers power over significantly larger distances and can adapt to natural misalignment often associated with vehicle positioning during parking," – Randy Sumner, director of global hybrid development, Delphi Packard Electrical/Electronic Architecture.

The implications of this are pretty exciting…and kind of making the little hairs on my arms and neck…..okay and back, I have a hairy back….stop laughing.

I mean, not only has Delphi completely jumped over the dilemma of having no national electric charging infrastructure- an issue frequent travelers using the Chevy Volt find themselves dealing with-not only did they do it using a more sophisticated version of the inductive charging we use for camera batteries and toothbrushes(!), not only is this a potential game-changer in making electric vehicles FYYYnally more economically viable without government assistance in the form of tax incentives- but this is something that can still be IMPROVED upon.

Forgetting the potential prosperity in manufacturing the systems and then installing them in every American garage or driveway (or the possibility of construction and utility job growth if urban areas want to install them on roads), there’s lots of room to make the initial designs even better.  The chart may look nice, but there’s clearly going to be on-the-ground issues of driver accuracy, as well as wear-and-tear for the actual magnet plates.  Not just on the surface but also the one under the car.  I mean, how many times do you hear that THUNK-A-THUNK sound as some unknown object/animal rolls under your car while you’re doing 65 on the highway (because you never go over 65 mph. And you slow down at the yellow light instead of speed up)?  What is that going to do to the magnetic plate under there that has to have a perfect surface for optimal energy absorption?

These are just a few possible monkey wrenches I can think of off the top of my head; just imagine what qualified workers can discover as the logistics of this technology begin to unfold.  

As we see more leaps being made in energy and resource shifting for manufacturing- and trust me, we will- the nation’s slow-but-necessary makeover of its infrastructure and energy grid are going to reveal opportunities like this for both the recently unemployed and the next generation of employment to get on board in the transition.  That’s enough to get anybody’s hairy back in a tizzy.

PLEASE stop laughing….

Donal Thoms-Cappello is a freelance writer for Rotor Clip Company, Inc.

O is for “O-Rings, “Opportunity”..umm “Octopus”

“… when it comes to US manufacturing, I see this as a golden opportunity.”



Photomicrograph of green algae. The airline industry is testing fuel made from this substance to save energy costs and reduce emissions.



When the first American commercial flight using algae biofuel took off a couple years ago, the results were very promising. The fuel had the same energy output and a lower freezing point.

Of course the flight wasn’t completely relying on the jatropha-derived bio-fuel; more like a 50-50 mix with petroleum…….in one engine…..for two hours…..yaaay….but still….

Bio-engineering algae so that it produces the same energy output as petroleum-based fuel without being so expensive is a stop-gap issue, and is being addressed right now. If there was more funding, it would have been solved before Lost had ended. Airline companies stand to benefit the most from this resource, as its light weight alone could make substantial cuts in its travel budgets.

So why don’t they cough up the cash?

According to Jennifer Holmgren, a chemist for UOP of Honeywell, algae fuel is apparently missing a key ingredient:

“… jet fuel from petroleum contains so-called aromatics—hydrocarbon rings—that interact with the seals in current engines, helping swell them shut. "We don't make aromatics through the vegetable oil route," she says. "If we wanted to fly on 100 percent [biofuels], there are issues around O-rings and things like that."- Jennifer Holmgren to David Biello, Scientific American, Dec. 30, 2008.

So the engine sealing design isn’t structurally compatible with the- and I believe I’m using the terminology here- “little green plant stuff what makes the energy go boom”, right?

Now, there are tons of other issues surrounding bio-fuels in general right now. Shell recently ditched their division because it proved too costly to mass-produce. However, when it comes to manufacturing, I see this as a golden opportunity. O-rings are already being improved through the use of nanotechnology. With a mondo investment in R & D, there’s no reason why the standard airline engine can’t be modified so that it’s less dependent on fuel to assist in sealing.

If that happens, not only would airline companies have a cheap source of fuel to power their jets, the manufacturing industry would have a new engine to build and refit planes with immediately (with the amount of money airlines could save on this fuel, they wouldn’t want to waste time). Presto. New stuff to make, new jobs needed to make them!
Sure those are tons of steps to take. But the ethanol industry in Brazil has been taking those steps for almost the whole decade now. They had to spend capital and make a public/private coordination to convert their engines to handle E85, and they’re booming right now. A similar effort could be done here with algae biofuel instead.

Contrary to what people like to say these days, I don’t think we should be looking for “the next big thing” to jumpstart our country’s economic identity. I see more added improvements and innovations to things that already exist and are, in some cases, pretty little.

Like an O-ring.

Donal Thoms-Cappello is a freelance writer for Rotor Clip Company, Inc.