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Stubborn GE scientist creates new fuel-saving material
Houston Chonicle / AP ^ | May 15, 2015 | JONATHAN FAHEY

Posted on 05/15/2015 6:25:46 AM PDT by Abathar

NISKAYUNA, N.Y. (AP) — For nearly three decades Krishan Luthra stubbornly labored away in a General Electric research lab on a long-shot effort to cook up a new type of ceramic that few consumers will ever see or use.

Now this obscure material, which is lightweight, strong and can handle extreme temperatures, is being built into the bellies of jet engines and promises to save billions of gallons of fuel in the coming decades by reducing weight and allowing engines to run hotter.

(Excerpt) Read more at chron.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; News/Current Events
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To: PGR88
A small example of why free-enterprise and capitalism is actually the most environmentally-friendly economic system as well.

so true!

21 posted on 05/15/2015 7:03:23 AM PDT by edwinland
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To: Moonman62

Yes indeed, ceramics are already being used in jet engines and other industries.


22 posted on 05/15/2015 7:03:52 AM PDT by American Constitutionalist (BeThe Keystone Pipe lik ProjectR : build it already Congre)
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To: Red Badger

Yes indeed, already aware of those things, but I was hoping that this can be apply pervasively across the whole industry as a whole.

Imagine how this could transform everything.
More duriable engines, better performance, even greater fuel savings.

With fracking once it recovers and this ceramic tecknowlogy ? The Saudies won’t know what hit them.

This could also transform America’s economy over night.


23 posted on 05/15/2015 7:12:05 AM PDT by American Constitutionalist (BeThe Keystone Pipe lik ProjectR : build it already Congre)
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To: PapaBear3625

Amen !


24 posted on 05/15/2015 7:12:56 AM PDT by American Constitutionalist (BeThe Keystone Pipe lik ProjectR : build it already Congre)
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To: American Constitutionalist

Yes, I know, but we are not an ‘exceptional’ country, according to The Won................................


25 posted on 05/15/2015 7:14:14 AM PDT by Red Badger (Man builds a ship in a bottle. God builds a universe in the palm of His hand.............)
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To: Lake Living

No kidding.


26 posted on 05/15/2015 7:20:02 AM PDT by logi_cal869 (-cynicus-)
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To: Red Badger

The Kenyan don’t know what he is talking about.

America is exceptional, make no bones about that, the Christian God of America made America great.

Look at all, and I mean, ALL of those countries that worship false gods, most of them are in proverty, the reason why the Filipinos live in proverty is because of government corruption.


27 posted on 05/15/2015 7:23:11 AM PDT by American Constitutionalist (BeThe Keystone Pipe lik ProjectR : build it already Congre)
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To: Abathar

FTA: like the ceramics people have been making for 25,000 years

Only took 25,000 years. A little more research money and I bet it could have been done in 20,000


28 posted on 05/15/2015 7:25:17 AM PDT by minnesota_bound
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To: Lake Living
Don’t worry the Chinese will be stealing the know-how very soon or GE, in the spirit of international cooperation, will just give it to them. Can’t have America being too superior or exceptional you know.

LOL.

Soon? Yeah right.

I bet half the computers GE owns were made in China, and were manufactured with back doors pre-installed.

They have his lab notes NOW.

29 posted on 05/15/2015 7:25:51 AM PDT by null and void (My favorite drawings at the Muhammad cartoon festival in Texas were the two chalk outlines out front)
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To: Eric in the Ozarks

Industrial ceramics are amazing. Kodak made their own small ceramic hammers so they could tap in tiny little roll pins without bending them from the friction of the hammer face against the end of the pin. You could swing that hammer as hard as you were able without putting as much as a nick in it.

Railroads use ceramic inserts in the plates that go under the rails that move back and forth at track switches to reduce friction - which is a huge maintenance issue for them.


30 posted on 05/15/2015 7:28:16 AM PDT by Quality_Not_Quantity (Liars use facts when the truth doesn't suit their purposes.)
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To: Cooter
Get ready for more because GE is merging with the French company Alstom.

Not at all. They sold their transportation systems unit to them.

31 posted on 05/15/2015 7:29:28 AM PDT by Quality_Not_Quantity (Liars use facts when the truth doesn't suit their purposes.)
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Comment #32 Removed by Moderator

To: profdeming

Well, Kyoto Ceramics is still in their original business....though I don’t remember if this new knife chips easily, or not.


33 posted on 05/15/2015 8:45:56 AM PDT by __rvx86 (Ted Cruz: Proving that conservative populism is a winning strategy. GO CRUZ!)
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To: Quality_Not_Quantity

I cut 55+ Rc steel in my lathe with ceramic inserts now and I love it, way better than diamond IMHO. If you try and use them on soft steel they break down almost instantly, but they seem to last forever in the hard stuff. The chips are glowing bright red coming off it too, it just keeps cutting and gives you a mirror finish without any coolant either.

A pack of 10 weights about as much as 2 comparable carbide inserts as well.


34 posted on 05/15/2015 8:58:51 AM PDT by Abathar (Proudly posting without reading the article carefully since 2004)
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To: Dr. Sivana

I don’t think it’s a scaling problem, but a mass production problem.

Vapor deposition happens in a vacuum chamber under high thermal conducting conditions; not suitable to bulk material economics.

But if he keeps going, then yes, an internal combustion engine (ICE) made from 100% of this stuff could run incredibly efficiently.

I would suspect an ICE made this way now would cost $100,000 or more. But when compared to a $26,000,000+ jet engine, it’s a small portion of the total cost (Burners and first two turbine stages).


35 posted on 05/15/2015 9:18:28 AM PDT by Freeport (The proper application of high explosives will remove all obstacles.)
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To: Abathar

A cousin to Rearden Metal?


36 posted on 05/15/2015 9:23:04 AM PDT by Night Hides Not (Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad! Remember Mississippi! My vote is going to Cruz.)
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