- Lehigh University engineering highlights
= Engineering highlights =
Lehigh University students, faculty and alumni have made significant contributions to the nation and the field of engineering, including:Columbia Space Shuttle Forensics
analysis during a two-day joint Lehigh-NASA symposium.cite news
last = Rubinkam
first = Michael
coauthors =
title = College students testing pieces of doomed space shuttle
work =
pages =
language = English
publisher = The Associated Press
date = 03/01/2005
url = http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=14057894&BRD=2212&PAG=461&dept_id=465812&rfi=6~
accessdate = 2006-08-14 ] This became part of their senior project, a requirement for graduation. Lehigh was the first university to investigate the debris due to its advanced microscope technology.The escalator
Jesse W. Reno , an 1883 engineering graduate ofLehigh University invented the firstescalator and installed it as an amusement ride atConey Island , New York in1897 . This particular device was an inclined belt with wooden slats or cleats on the surface for traction. The incline was as steep as 25°. Reno sold this machine to theOtis Elevator Company in1899 , and together they produced the first commercial escalator. This escalator won a first prize at theParis 1900 Exposition Universelle inFrance . Some escalators of this vintage were still being used in the Boston subway until 1994.First Commercial Product Manufactured in Space
The first commercial product manufactured in space were microscopic polystyrene beads, 10um in diameter, that were made during
STS-6 aboard theSpace Shuttle Challenger April 4 - 9, 1983. The beads were made to be used for the calibration of particle size measuring instruments such as optical and electron microscopes. The manufacturing process took advantage of being able to form near perfect spheres in amicrogravity environment. The technology necessary to produce the beads was jointly developed byLehigh University andNASA .Ford Mustang
's Ford Division. Still in production, the Mustang combined fun, performance and styling at a low price and had the most successful first year sales of any automobile. In its first two years of production, three Ford Motor Company plants produced nearly 1.5 million Mustangs, a record unequalled before or since.
Golden Gate Bridge
Originally designed by
Joseph Strauss , theGolden Gate Bridge construction project was carried out by the McClintic-Marshall Construction Co., founded by Howard H. McClintic and Charles D. Marshall, both of the Lehigh Class of 1888. The project was completed in1937 inSan Francisco Bay . Today the bridge is recognized as one of the "Seven Wonders of the Modern World" [http://www.ce.memphis.edu/1101/interesting_stuff/7wonders.html] . McClintic-Marshall, (later becoming the Fabricated Steel Construction Division of theBethlehem Steel Corporation ), built numerous other bridges, including Detroit'sAmbassador Bridge andNew York City 'sGeorge Washington Bridge . Other construction projects included theWaldorf Astoria Hotel and thePanama Canal .Landing Ship Tank
A critical factor for the Allied victory in
World War II was the rapid development and production of the Landing Ship Tank (LST). A 328 foot cargo ship with an opening bow capable of beaching itself, it enabled armored support of landings without the need to capture a port. This greatly increased the choice of invasion locations and made defense against the landings more difficult. The Dravo Corporation, founded by brothers Francis Dravo (Lehigh Class of 1887) and Ralph Dravo (Lehigh Class of 1889), was the lead yard responsible for the LST shipbuilding program [http://www.insidelst.com/dravo.htm] and produced hundreds of them for use in the Allied landings in Normandy and the Pacific. Dravo Brothers also built Destroyer Escorts for the Battle of the Atlantic and many of thetugboat s used in American harbors.Packard V-12 Engine
The Packard V-12, a product of the
Packard Motor Company that was co-founded by James Ward Packard (Lehigh Class of 1884), was one of the most powerful inline aircraft engines ever manufactured. The 4M-2500 version produced 1500 horsepower and was essential to the success of US NavyPT Boat s in World War II, which were each powered by three of them. James Ward Packard introduced many advances to the internal combustion engine, including the first automatic spark timing advance, allowing an engine to produce more power at higher RPM's and still in use today.P-51 Mustang
One of the most famous fighter aircraft of all time, the
P-51 Mustang was the key to gainingair supremacy over Europe inWorld War II . Initially underpowered with an Allison engine, it rapidly achieved dominance when powered by thePackard Merlin engine made under license from Rolls Royce. The mass producedPackard Motor Company (co-founded by James Ward Packard, Lehigh Class of 1884) version of the Merlin was actually found by Rolls Royce to be superior to its own handmade version, and the Packard version powered most P-51s. Packard also made improvements to increase the maintainability of the engine, which were subsequently adopted by Rolls Royce in its own versions.Panama Canal
Two firms founded by Lehigh graduates were instrumental in the construction of the
Panama Canal . The McClintic-Marshall Construction Company constructed the locks and the Dravo Corporation manufactured the enormous lock gates. The gates were uniquely engineered to float and have adjustable buoyancy. This allowed them to be made in the U.S., towed like a barge toPanama , and minimized the force needed to open and close them. The Panama Canal is recognized as one of the "Seven Wonders of the Modern World" [http://www.ce.memphis.edu/1101/interesting_stuff/7wonders.html] .Penske PC-23 Indianapolis Race Car
The Penske PC-23, developed by
Roger Penske , Lehigh Class of 1959, was one of the most dominant open wheel race cars ever developed. In 1994, it won theIndianapolis 500 and 12 wins out of 16 total races, collecting 10 pole positions and 28 podium finishes on the way to theCART championship. That season sawPenske Racing simultaneously take the Driver's Championship withAl Unser, Jr. , the Constructor's Cup with the Penske PC-23, and the Manufacturer's Cup with the Ilmor-Mercedes-Benz engine. Between 1969 and 2006,Penske Racing has competed in 32 Indianapolis 500s, winning 14 of them, more than any other team.RSA Security Key Factorization
Lehigh University is home to Dr. Bruce Dodson, whose significant contributions to
cryptography led to the factorization ofRSA-140 andRSA-155 on anSGI Origin basedsupercomputer in 1999. The claim is by being able to derive the factors of the encryption key, it was proven that it was easier to break security schemes based on it. The factorization ofRSA-155 , a 512-bit key, led to the recommendation that commercial encryption of computer data be based on stronger 1024-bit keys.Tau Beta Pi
Tau Beta Pi (ΤΒΠ), the highly regarded nationalengineering honor society, was formed at Lehigh University in1885 to recognize the accomplishments of those in the field ofengineering . The seal ofTau Beta Pi features brown and white, the colors of Lehigh. Lehigh's chapter was the first established and is known as the Pennsylvania Alpha.References
External links
[http://heritage.web.lehigh.edu/index.php/Main_Page Lehigh University Engineering Heritage Wiki Site]
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