George Brayton

George Brayton George Brayton George BraytonIn Chrysler The Life and Times of an Automotive Genius by Vincent Curcio, American inventor George Brayton (1772-1837) is recognized as the most important of the early American inventors of vehicles utilizing internal combustion. The extent of his accomplishment may even be more wide reaching than whats on record. Inventor George Selden (1846-1922) developed a combustion engine that he admitted welches influenced by Braytons work and was the basis of a lawsuit that went on for years and that would have declared Selden as one of the most vital minds in the history of automobiles. Originally winning on the basis that his patent covered any engine using gasoline, he was beaten by Ford on the appeal.According to the book, Brayton turbines in their earlier uses were in a Providence, RI streetcar and an off-rail omnibus in Pittsburgh, PA. His engine was explained this way Air is compressed in the single-acting pump, which has a volume one-half t hat of the power cylinder. The compressed air passes from the constant-pressure receiver through pipeand over the absorbent materialthrough which the fuel is fed by a pump. Here it takes up vapor and the mixture passes the wire-gauge grating and into the cylinder, where it burns. Means are provided to prevent entirely shutting off the air from the power cylinder, and thus there is kept constantly burning a small flame which increases for the power stroke. Governing is effected by a variable cut-off to the power cylinder.Thermodynamics and Thermal Engineering by J. Selwin Rajadurai explains how the components of the Brayton Cycle (invented in 1872)consisting of a compressor, turbine, heat exchanger, and combustioncreated open cycles and closed. Of the open, the author wrote Fresh air in an ambient condition is thrown into the compressor, and the air gets compressed isentropically. During this stage, work is done on the system. During this process, the pressure and temperature of the working substance increases, whereas the volume is reduced. The high pressure proceeds into the combustion chamber, where the fuel is burned at constant pressure. Due to constant pressure heating, the temperature and the volume of the working substance increases. The resulting high temperature gases then enter the turbine, where they expand to the atmospheric pressure isentropically, this producing the power.It goes on to say that because of the isentropic expansion, the temperature goes down while the volume rises. The exhaust gases leaving the turbine go into the atmosphere and, since theyre not recirculated, it is an open cycle.The closed cycle portion has the same compression and expansion processes but a constant heat pressure addition fills in for combustion and the exhaust is replaced by constant pressure heat rejection. Thermal efficiency of the cycle comes from regeneration but is only recommended when the turbine exhaust temperature is higher than the compressor exit tempe rature.In the end, the Brayton engine eventually was seen as inferior to the later developed Otto, which relied on a four-stroke piston system instead of going with a two-stroke. But few can deny Braytons impact on the progression to todays modern automobile.Eric Butterman is an independent writer.The components of the Brayton Cycle (invented in 1872)- consisting of a compressor, turbine, heat exchanger, and combustion- created open cycles and closed.J. Selwin Rajadurai, author of Thermodynamics and Thermal Engineering

Loaned Office Space Pays Off for Banker

Loaned Office Space Pays Off for BankerLoaned Office Space Pays Off for BankerAfter being laid off, Detroit banker Jeff Ciochetto lands a job with MT Bank in Pennsylvania in just six months.When Jeff Ciochettos entire department welches laid off from their jobs at FlagStar Bank in metropolitan Detroit last October, he welchesnt going to let an economic downturn keep him down. So the former first vice president and senior commercial banking division manager kept going to work. Not at the bank, but at the office of a generous friend. My buddy is a CPA, and he gave me space in his office to use while I searched for a job, he said.For Ciochetto, 50, who could have just as easily trolled job-search Web sites at home in his bathrobe, it helped him to maintain his work schedule and his professional mindset as he worked his way through the ups and downs of unemployment. I got up in the morning, I got dressed, I went to the office, the FinanceLadder member said. I put on a tie, I met with peo ple. I kept that whole work mode going. Being unemployed can be very depressing. It welches better to have someplace to come to than be home alone.Looking for a job in an area that was very hard hit when the economy started its downward trend was a daunting task. But Ciochetto was up for it. I think I worked harder looking for a job than I did when I was working, he said.There were two things that Ciochetto came to terms with pretty quickly as he looked at classified ads and job-search Web sites, and networked throughout October, November and December. To begin with, he realized that he would likely have to relocate from the Detroit area, where he had worked for more than 20 years, in order to find a job with the responsibility he was looking for. Second, even if he did relocate, finding a job that matched the salary he had been making was going to be difficult. Its pretty tough in this industry everywhere, he said. I was finding that there was a huge salary depression. He opened up his search to areas of the country where there was a lot of banking activity, including Oregon, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Florida, Texas and Arizona. Still, he wasnt getting a lot of response to his resume.Ciochetto continued to speak to recruiters and friends throughout the end of 2008. But it was a tough few months. I think I was going for the Guinness Book of World Records for the number of jobs I applied for, he said. I interviewed with a lot of recruiters, but I got the feeling they were doing it more for the purposes of building up their inventory for when the market finally improved, than for specific jobs. That was frustrating.Neighborly adviceCiochetto received another benefit from going into his friends office some advice from the man in the office next door. In January, I told him I wasnt getting a lot of response to jobs I had applied for, he said. He asked me if I had heard of Ladders. I hadnt, so I went and checked it out, and I was amazed at the number of jobs, and how y ou could create your profile. It just created a whole new set of tools for me to use.And propelled his job search forward. The difference from the other sites was incredible, he said. Once I started sending resumes for jobs listed on Ladders, I received a lot of phone calls from recruiters that had specific jobs. I had several phone interviews. There was just a great deal more activity, and it was more serious. These people were actually looking to hire people.Expediting the searchOne of the first jobs Ciochetto applied to after looking at Ladders was for a vice president position at MT Bank. He had his first contact with them on January 15, and had his first interview, by phone, just five days later. After a few more phone interviews, he was brought to Pennsylvania, where the job was located, to meet people there, and then, a couple of weeks later, went to Buffalo, N.Y., where the banks headquarters are, for a final round of interviews. He was offered the job in mid-March and will move to Pennsylvania in mid-April, where he will become vice president and business-banking team lead for a territory in Pennsylvania that includes Lewisburg and Harrisburg.According to recruiters he has spoken to, its not unusual for people in the banking industry to take nine to 15 months to find a new job in this economy. So Ciochetto said he feels fortunate that, although he is taking a pay cut from his last job, and relocation expenses are up to him, he has found a job that will offer new challenges in a tough economic market.The benefits as well as the incentive part of the compensation was one of the best Ive seen, he said. Ill have eight loan officers in the field reporting to me. The challenge, when you are coming from the outside, is convincing the people you work with that you are the right rolle for the job. If theres not a challenge to it, then whats the point?

Job-Hunting Insights From Jon Stewarts Daily Show Resignation

Job-Hunting Insights From Jon Stewarts Daily Show ResignationJob-Hunting Insights From Jon Stewarts Daily Show ResignationPopular media is obsessed with the search for the new host of The Daily Show when Jon Stewart leaves it sometime later this year. Beyond speculating on whats next for Stewart and who will replace him, this major late-night transition can provide helpful insights for your own career advancement. Ask yourself some basic questions 1. Can you really afford to resign? Stewart has superstar status, a virtually limitless network within his industry, 19 Emmy Awards, and (presumably) enough money to never have to worry about another paycheck. Simply put He has the luxury of walking from his job at a time of his choosing. Rare is the person with this kind of freedom You may be tempted to resign because you have a strong disagreement with your boss, because you are bored, overworked, underappreciated or poorly paid or because you have some other pain point. Remember, howev er, that employers invariably ask why you left your last position and are inherently skeptical about hiring someone who resigned with no other job offer in hand. Regardless of how well you justify walking away, it can be interpreted as hot-headed, disloyal or overly risky. Even worse, they may erroneously assume you resigned one step ahead of being fired. Dont jump from the frying pan into the fire 2. Whose shoes do you want to fill? Conventional wisdom suggests that your chances for success at a new job are greater when you follow someone who has a poor or mediocre record. It will take comparatively little to look better than your predecessor. On the other hand, this predecessor may leave a situation in shambles, and it may prove difficult to perform an overall turnaround. Whoever follows Stewart will be widely compared to him and meakoranversd by his standards of success surely a daunting challenge. Nonetheless, he or she will inherit a well-oiled machine with a solid pool of wr iters. Given that, the right person may be able to take the show in an unexpected and refreshing new direction. One of the reasons you want to know the circumstances of a job opening is to gauge the stated responsibilities and context, as well as theexpectations you will be inheriting if you take on the role. 3. How do you identify your challenges and successes? Imagine the task of writing Jon Stewarts rsum. Hell presumably forgo a mundane bullet point like this Responsible for watching news streams and movies staring future guests and attending endless meetings with writers. In favor of something like this Transformed lackluster program into must-watch TV for key demographic audiences by conducting thoughtful interviews with key governmental leaders and politicians across all party lines, film and TV stars and leading authors. Mentored a new generation of top-tier talent, including Stephen Colbert, Steve Carell, John Oliver and many others. In the same way, your rsum will need to place your day-to-day tasks and responsibilities into the larger context of your accomplishments and the impact they have made in your workplace. 4. What is your reputation? No matter what you hear, a well-composed rsum remains the lynchpin for virtually any job hunt. As the saying goes Your reputation precedes you Any talent agency, producer or network knows quite a bit about Stewart before speaking with him about a potential new role or project. The same holds true for you. Employers routinely scour your LinkedIn profile, Facebook page and Google search results and speak with common connections to learn about you. All this often takes place before an employer even decides to interview you, and it almost always happens before an offer of employment is extended. Make sure you do a good job of curating and highlighting your professional accomplishments online and expunging anything that could be embarrassing or prompt a negative thought about your competence or character. Sometimes it is better not to get the job of your dreams. Its easy to imagine that Jon Stewart is now thankful he was passed over for opportunities he was pursuing earlier in his career. In her book, Angry Optimist The Life and Times of Jon Stewart, Lisa Rogak reminds us that he failed to get a spot at NBC when Letterman left Late Night. Stewart was also passed over in his attempt to replace Tom Snyder. Ironically, that position went to the then Daily Show host, Craig Kilborn, thereby creating the opening that Stewart has so successfully filled since 1999. Neither of those roles would have given him the space and freedom he had at Comedy Central to achieve his monumental success. As a job hunter, you will likely encounter any number of ads for perfect positions. Keep in mind that youll never know who youre up against or the real priorities of the hiring manager. It might just be that this perfect job is a bit mora perfect for someone else, and another job that offers tremendous potential fo r you is just around the corner. Happy huntingArnie Fertig, MPA, is passionate about helping his Jobhuntercoach clients advance their careers by transforming frantic Ill apply to anything searches into focused hunts for great fit opportunities. He brings to each client the extensive knowledge he gained when working in HR staffing and managing his boutique recruiting firm.