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MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Education, energy and youth empowerment punctuate careers
Somewhere between the perfect life and the perfect career
lies the perfect cause to get involved in. Engineers make
decisions each day that impact the quality of life of those
who use the products and work in the facilities they build.
Industrial engineers in particular shape the processes and
systems that serve workplaces, communities and the world
at large. These are tall orders to be responsible for, and yet
so many also dedicate their time and skills to healing societys most pressing burdens.
Here, Industrial Engineer profiles three engineers who
arent only in the business of improving their organizations.
They seek project guidance from the heart, and by accentuating traditional approaches with wisdom and experiences
that take humanity into consideration, these figures possess clear focus and direction. They speak with pride about
the causes theyre attached to and forge programs that will
matter for ages to come. >>>>
January 2009
25
crimefighting
strategy
Lesia Crumpton-Young
takes engineering to the streets
by candi s. cross
26
Industrial Engineer
27
a burst
of
energy
David Hrivnak
puts his conservationist ideals into practice
When you hear about the life and habits of energy conservationist David Hrivnak, you might begin to think that
the worlds energy shortage could be resolved if everyone
could just plug in to him. In his time away from his day
job as an industrial engineer at Eastman Chemical Co.
in Kingsport, Tenn., he has designed and built two passive solar homes and created an electric-assist system for
his heretofore-gas-guzzling truck that he hopes to make
available to the masses.
Apparently his spare time isnt so spare.
Hrivnak, who rides his bike to work at least half the year,
says hes always been passionate about energy conservation, and this enthusiasm manifested itself in a big way 25
years ago when he designed and built his first solar home
using a technique called earth berming. The home, which was
featured in Solar Today magazine, was mostly underground.
by monica elliott
28
Industrial Engineer
upward a little bit, I started wracking my brain: OK, is there anything that can be done that can make this more fuel-efficient?
Hrivnak discovered that there are more than 77 million
trucks and SUVs registered in the United States alone, but
after researching the subject and talking to people in the know
about motors and electric vehicles, Hrivnak began to see a way
out of the waste.
If we really want to move the needle on United States
energy independence and energy efficiency, weve got to look
at these 77 million energy hogs that are out on the highway.
You could argue that maybe people shouldnt have them, and
theres some truth to that. But the cars are already built.
Does it make sense to put them all in a junkyard? Thats not
exactly very environmentally friendly.
If we could figure out a way to convert these trucks and
give them an extra 10 percent boost in gas mileage, thats basically the same as selling a half-million new [Toyota] Priuses.
Moving a full-size truck from 14 to 16 miles a gallon saves a
lot more gas than going from a 35-mile-a-gallon Corolla to a
45-mile-a-gallon Prius because they use so much more gas.
So using new-generation technology, Hrivnak turned his
2004 Chevrolet Avalanche into a gas-electric hybrid, plugging it
into the electrical grid at night to charge. The batteries keep an
extra half-gallon of gasoline that you can use as youre running
around the town and gives you an extra boost in mileage.
Ideally, Hrivnak would like to create a kit that could be massmarketed for people who want to convert their trucks, but its
not economically feasible yet. He originally hoped for a cost
of $6,000 with a 25 percent to 30 percent boost in gas mileage,
but currently the cost is at $7,500 to install with a 16 percent
boost in gas mileage, which Hrivnak says is not the economic
payback it needs to be for the vast majority of Americans.
If we can come up with a kit that can be installed in one
to three days that your average mechanic around the corner
could install with some good instructions then I think we
can get a lot of these mom-and-pop garages installing semistandard kits.
A possible light at the end of the tunnel is recently passed
legislation allowing $7,500 in energy tax credits to anyone
purchasing a new plug-in electric hybrid. If those credits also
apply to new conversion vehicles, then, Hrivnak asserts, the
conversion kit would be viable for mass marketing.
In any case, Hrivnak is setting a standard for the rest of
us, and hes not shy about sharing how his industrial engineering background facilitated his conservation efforts and
his outlook.
I cant think of a better preparation for life than industrial
engineering.
January 2009
29
Zulma Toro-Ramos
targets grade-school students for
pre-engineering program
by david brandt
30
Industrial Engineer
31