Texas A&M professor develops “the perfect engine”

Mark Holtzapple, left, describes his StarRotor engine.

(College Station)—The StarRotor engine being developed by Mark T. Holtzapple, a professor of chemical engineering at Texas A&M University, seems too good to be true. It is expected to last about a million miles, go 1,000 miles between fill-ups, and up to 100,000 miles between oil changes. It produces virtually no pollution, and runs on a variety of fuels—even olive oil.

It’s basically a jet engine for cars, so it may lead to the development of space cars, a la “The Jetsons.”

The only drawback? So far, the StarRotor engine exists only on paper. But with half of the engine—the compressor—successfully created and tested, Holtzapple is confident that it’s only a matter of time before the StarRotor engine will be standard equipment on a wide range of motorized devices.

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TEEX marks 40 years of training Spanish-speaking firefighters

More than 680 Spanish-speaking firefighters from 15 different nations attended the 2006 school.

(College Station)—More than 680 Spanish-speaking firefighters from 15 different nations attended the Texas Engineering Extension Service’s 40th Annual Spanish Fire School July 9-14, solidifying the largest enrollment the school has experienced in five years.

Studying everything from basic firefighting operations to officer development, the firefighters learned from the experience and knowledge of 190 volunteer instructors teaching only in Spanish. These instructors donated their time and money to travel to College Station, where some have been teaching at the school for more than 30 years.  

The firefighters came to TEEX’s Brayton Fire Training Field from as far away as South America and Europe and ranged from basic volunteer responders to experienced career firefighters. While many of the participants were sent to the school by their employers, others relied only on their personal savings and dedication to journey to the world-renowned, one-of-a-kind school.

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