MIT: Independent Activities Period: IAP

IAP 2013 Activities by Sponsor - Chemical Engineering

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"Fuel Your Mind" -- A Primer on Transportation Fuels, Current and Future

William H. Green, Professor of Chemical Engineering, Jim Simnick, George Huff

Jan/08 Tue 09:00AM-04:00PM 56-114

Enrollment: Limited: First come, first served (no advance sign-up)
Limited to 63 participants

How is crude oil converted into gasoline and other transportation fuels? Is the gasoline available in Boston the same as what is available in Chicago?  What are biofuels and what is driving the demand for these fuels of the future? Which fuel properties matter for performance? Please join us in this short course offered by engineers from BP and Prof. Green to answer these questions, and to gain a better understanding of transportation fuels, and fuel processing technology. 

Projections and recent history suggest significant shifts in the transportation fuels system over the next few decades, but no one is sure how things will actually develop. This mini-course will give you a more complete perspective on the many issues involved when fuel standards or regulations shift and when new types of fuel feedstocks become available.

Experiences so far with E85 (and CNG) illustrate some of the realities which make it very challenging to introduce alternative fuels which are not compatible with existing engines and infrastructure.

Topics Include:

Sponsor(s): Chemical Engineering
Contact: Prof. William H. Green, 66-352, 617-253-4580, whgreen@mit.edu


"Horses and Thunder" -- Meeting the Energy Needs and Oil Exploration and Production in the Deepwaters

Ahmed Ghoniem, Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Adam Ballard, Ryan Yeley

Jan/29 Tue 09:00AM-04:00PM 66-144

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up

How will we meet our growing energy needs in the future, especially for transportation, which is heavily dependent on oil? More and more oil is discovered and produced offshore, in deeper and deeper water. How do we know where and how to drill for oil? What are some of the engineering challenges in working at 5000’ of water? How do we produce it efficiently, bring it to shore safely, and beyond? What are some of the recent developments in science and engineering that will take us further? This short course will discuss: 1. Energy needs and role of offshore oil 2. Exploration - the idea phase 3. Drilling - the discovery and development phase 4. Production - the extraction phase 5. Transportation - getting it to market 6. Recent science and engineering developments We will look at the Thunder Horse field located in the Gulf of Mexico. Starting with 1999, this field has contributed > 5% of the oil produced within the United States. Since then, oil has been discovered further out and effort is underway to produce from these fields.

No enrollment limit, no advance sign up, lunch provided.

Sponsor(s): Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering
Contact: Prof. Ahmed Ghoniem, 3-344, 617) 253-2295, ghoniem@MIT.EDU


5S for Chemical Laboratory Safety, Productivity, and Positive Morale

John F. Carrier, Sloan School of Management

Jan/24 Thu 10:00AM-11:30AM 66-110

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: none

Overview

5S is a technique to improve the performance, morale, and safety of its "human systems". It is based on 5 “S” words:

It is the best way to stabilize and optimize systems where people share common resources and equipment. Despite its apparent simplicity, it is rooted in the principles of control system dynamics and the psychology of human interaction.

If you feel –

Then 5S is for you!

During the session, we will discuss –

To bring:

Nothing is required. Bring members of your workspace!

Sponsor(s): Chemical Engineering
Contact: John Carrier, (617) 939-4396, JFCARRIE@MIT.EDU


Beating the Corporate System; An Engineer's Guide

John F. Carrier, Senior Lecturer, Sloan School of Management

Jan/24 Thu 07:00PM-08:00PM 66-110

Enrollment: Unlimited: No advance sign-up
Prereq: none

Back by popular demand!

In this lively and engaging one-hour session, we will examine how a fundamental understanding of systems can help engineering, science, and humanities students overcome the tremendous hurdles they will encounter in their pursuit of a successful rewarding career in the face of large, bureaucratic companies and institutions - organizations that seem to have been set up solely to degrade their professional skills and extract all measures of job satisfaction.

We will specifically touch on the following topics:

We will wrap up with a brief discussion with a short discussion of the history of System Dynamics at MIT, with current examples of its application in the manufacturing and processing industries, based on Dr. Carrier's 10+ years in the field.

Sponsor(s): Chemical Engineering
Contact: John Carrier, JFCARRIE@MIT.EDU


Creating a Non-Profit Enterprise

Janet Rickershauser, Senior Lawyer, Charles L. Cooney, Robert T. Haslam (1911) Professor of Chemical Engineering, Alyssa Fitzgerald, Lawyer

Jan/31 Thu 01:00PM-03:30PM E70, 12ft Floor

Enrollment: Unlimited: Advance sign-up required
Sign-up by 01/04
Prereq: None

Not all teams achieve impact by creating a for-profit enterprise.  Organizations like Ashoka, MITx, New Profit, and The Robin Hood Foundation are organized and reach their target audiences as non-profit organizations.

The seminar will enable members of the MIT community to further their understanding of how 501(c)(3) status can help them better deploy their technologically-based projects, and is open to students, faculty, and staff who have practical questions about how to organize and operate a non-profit. 

Sue Abbott, Janet Rickershauser, and Alyssa Fitzgerald, core attorneys in the Tax-Exempt Organizations practice group at Goodwin Procter LLP, a Boston-based Am Law 50 firm, serve the legal needs of many of the Greater Boston Area’s most prominent non-profits. 

Since the inception of these free seminars in 2003, we have provided the legal tools for achieving and maintaining 501(c)(3) status to over 1400 organizations in the Boston area. 

Over the 2.5 hour seminar, we propose to cover:

 

Sponsor(s): Chemical Engineering
Contact: Jose Estabil, E70-1270, 617 253-5978, JJE@MIT.EDU