Engineering - Tumblr Posts - Page 2
2.8.2024
The past few weeks have been absolutely insane; although stressful due to long hours in the lab and balancing a million things, I can't recall a time I've learned more in such a short period. There is of course still SO much I don't know within my field, but it's satisfying to feel myself becoming more knowledgeable by the day.
Towards the end of last semester, I spent some time reflecting on how my first year was going and considering how to really develop as a researcher. The gap between a first and second year PhD student is huge, in my opinion--since I switched fields from undergrad, it's probably even more true in my case. I did learn a lot last semester, but I was still settling into a new environment and program. There is a lot to get adjusted to in this lab; it's huge, a bit chaotic, and used by multiple groups.
I am finally feeling more confident and independent, so I think this is the time to really grind in order to be where I want to be going into my second year. In addition to ramping up lab work, I've been trying to read way more. For each article I read, I also make a slide in an ongoing PowerPoint that summarizes key findings and any notes or questions I have. This isn't so much an organizational method (I use Zotero for that) as it is a way to follow interesting threads in current research and develop a habit of active reading.
If anyone has a reading practice that really works for them I'd love to hear about it :)
3.17.2024
Honestly, last week was really hard. This hasn't been a very restful weekend either, since I have a (very frustrating) problem set due tonight and a midterm tomorrow. I feel like I'm going in circles in the lab; perhaps I'm just being impatient, but the perceived lack of progress is getting to me. I'm trying to use this as an opportunity to practice gratitude, focus on what I can control, and keep my struggles in perspective. Hopefully things will swing the other way soon.
California’s first woman structural engineer, Ruth Gordon Schnapp, 1970s
Close the lid ! Check out the video, 24 May 2023.
put a lid on it.
sometimes being a woman in STEM is about color-coding your lab data into a perfectly organized Google sheet and honestly? that's ok
This is perfect!!! Will suit you 😉😉😉 @lobotomizedskull
PROUD OF MYSELF:
As some of you already know, I will be graduating as an electronic engineer in weeks. I'm buying this shit just for the occasion. @crazymela 😂
I don't think the post above is following the site safety plan. I'll have to note this for the OSHA report.
Finally got around to making an outfit for engineering mode. Most of the time I'm just wearing slacks and a polo as a CAD monkey on a computer (or CAD otter, but my coworkers probably wouldn't understand), but on the few occasions I make a construction site visit or do a soil investigation, I look a bit more like this.
Also had fun with the idea of anthropomorphic safety, and realized that tails would be a liability with how they are behind the person. High vis straps on tails feels like the same as wearing the hard hat or high vis vest, just another layer of safety for something that could go wrong.
Learning Log: finally decided to tackle UV unwrapping. The vest is a UV unwrapped texture I made in Photoshop, so figuring out how to make it work here was nice. Definitely have much to learn there, but I'm glad to have finally dipped my toes into the UV wrapping side and actually have done something successfully.
Hello! Engineering related question if you don't mind me asking:
I was doing some research on grey-water recycling, and am not sure why it isn't the standard in the majority of the world. It seems to reduce water usage by a reasonable amount (maybe 20%) without having significant downsides (maybe a small upfront cost?)
Despite this, it isn't very common. Why?
I don't mind, I love engineering questions!
The prime reasons are: cost and regulations.
Grey water recycling still takes tanks, pumps, and other filtration systems that require tending. While it's not particularly more expensive than a septic system up front, its still an extra cost that most clients don't want to pay for, plus long term maintenance costs (too which the client sees only these, not the reduced water bill, its just how most people see things: big number upfront bad). Plus, at least for American housing, the house would need special plumbing for grey water collection and use, which would cost you more from the architect or from a plumbing company for retrofitting an existing residence.
Second is regulation. I know some states and countries are changing this, but grey water still has limited usage. For Arizona, USA, it can only be used for gardening and up to a certain amount (400 gallons per day) (https://www.azdeq.gov/graywater) and worse again, only on non-food plants that aren't trees or bushes. Arizona is currently working on changing regulations for Direct Potable Reuse (taking wastewater and treating it enough to reuse as potable water) which would likely see some changes to the grey water reuse rules as well since our state is on the cusp of water scarcity.
Grey water reuse can be a huge help, and since it can be used for flushing toilets (one of the larger wastewater producers of the house), gardening, and some other minor uses, it tends to be a good reduction to water use. The biggest hurdles are regulations and cost, since unless regulations lighten, there isn't anywhere to go, and most clients want the cheapest upfront cost, not the cheapest long term cost. The best way forward would be for regulations to lighten AND for the government to offer rebates like they do for solar panels. That'd incentivize it financially and make it more legal, thus more would do it.
Got a great comm from Twitter based on my engineer model outfit!
Art by: https://x.com/sonofan_oficial?t=IyJ3kZk4aGsf1DenmAkojA&s=09
Do you have a favourite calculator?
*Insert Legend of Zelda Chest opening song*
You got the TI-36X Pro!
By far my favorite calculator if we don't include Excel as an option. It's got so many functions: statistics of data sets, easy dimensional analysis, powerful functions like logs and derivatives, variable solving, its just keeps going. Plus it's not a graphing calculator, so I used it for every test I took in college and got to use its powerful functions. It's only disallowed in tests where you have to use a very dumb pocket calculator, in my experience.
If we include Excel, it wins easily. No better tool for keeping math straight and doing iterative functions. Also making models in Excel that are easy to reuse for similar projects with a few changed variables are awesome. Sadly, you can't use Excel for tests, nor is it easy to use like a calculator, so the TI-36X Pro is my winner for a normal calculator.
Better spec me out as concrete, cause I'm as dumb as a rock.
Celebrate Pride Y'all!
Hooray to all the gay and (insert all the other sexualities because Lord there are a lot) people out there. It's Pride Month! It's actually my first Pride Month since coming out as bi to my friends and family, so it's a bit of a big deal to me.
Fun note: hard hat colors can be used to loosely determine what job a person has on a site. My white helmet typically denotes me as an engineer on site. This helmet is fun but would never work out on a job site. "Bisexual" isn't exactly a job title that'd be useful to advertise, lol.
I am definitely a child
What CAD software would u recommend?
I’ve done a bit with Onshape for school, but I get free Solidwoks, and I’ve heard good things about fusion 360
It depends on your intended use, and even then I have little experience beyond Civil 3d. It's very unlikely that a single CAD software will do everything possible, so it's up to use case.
Civil 3d and AutoCAD are great for plan sets and civil work. Drawing simple things is it's best use, and drawing them accurately for sites based on bearings, distance, and surveys is where it excels. It's even got tools for grading, simple drainage modeling tools, road building, etc.
However, it's not a great 3d modelling tool. Solid works is a very common tool for parts manufacturing which requires 3d modeling, I'd call this the Mechanical engineer's program. It can do material testing and other mechanical things. Fusion 360 is the same way.
Since I don't do mechanical work, I have no suggestions to give on those. When it comes to 3d modeling softwares, I just use Blender, even for mechanical 3d printing purposes. It's free and no more complicated than I need it, though it makes a poor CAD software for engineering-related business.
Apologies for not being more helpful. Each field of engineering is so varied from the next one over that each field has it's own selection of programs to choose from.
Sometimes, even sewer infrastructure can be pretty, especially when it's in a pretty place.
Supai Village Sewage Lagoon, Grand Canyon, AZ, USA
Photo by: Civil Otterneer
Had a gov holiday yesterday. Yay!
But instead of having some rest, we with course mates decided to study, ‘cause we have mid-terms next week. 📌
Did some practice from Numerical Methods for Engineers.
3π/2 defense force unite
actually this makes for a good poll
tumblr where is the poll i added to this post. insanity
do you guys prefer radians or degrees
