Research Engineering and Learning Institute Concept Design Document

Anthony Valenzano 2005-1 REV-1

Maxwell's Laboratory
Research Engineering and Learning Institute
Concept Design Document
Written by: Anthony Valenzano

Introduction
The United States is quickly losing it's technical edge over the rest of the world1.
There are many reasons for this, but one reason clearly presents itself; less interest in
engineering. Forty years ago, with the space race, engineering interest in this country
was at it's peak. Now, unfortunately engineering interest has dwindled to almost
imperceptible levels. One possible reason for the lack of interest in engineering could be
that it has become localized to a few parts of the country. The rest of the nation is left
with little, or no engineering at all. This causes our country to miss out on many
potential engineers, because quite
simply, children do not know Selection From: Rising Above The Gathering
anything about it. Without the Storm: Energizing and Employing America for a Brighter
media attention, like from the space Economic Future. National Academy of Sciences. 2005
race, science and engineering has www.nap.edu
lost accessibility to children whose
Programme for International Student Assessment
parents are not involved in those measured the performance of 15-year-olds in 49
fields. There is also another industrialized countries and found that US students scored
fundamental issue that blocks in the middle or in the bottom half of the group in three
children's understanding of important ways: our students placed 16th in reading, 19th
engineering, in that a child can not in science literacy, and 24th in mathematics.
easily observe these technical fields After secondary school, fewer US students
in society. Doctors, lawyers, and pursue science and engineering degrees than students in
teachers can all be observed other countries. About 6% of our undergraduates study
engineering; that percentage is the second lowest among
performing their tasks in society. developed countries. Engineering students make up about
This is not true of most engineers. 12% of undergraduates in most of Europe, 20% in
Engineering is highly competitive Singapore, and more than 40% in China. Students
and therefore done behind closed throughout much of the world see careers in science and
doors. It's not likely that children are engineering as the path to a better future.
going to choose a career that they
know nothing about. This document introduces a program which is intended to help
spark interest in science and engineering in communities where engineering is not
common-place. This program will bring science and engineering out to be observed by
the public and therefore make it a more obvious career choice for young adults. This
program therefore proposes to design and construct a science center unlike any other.
This center will be partly an learning institute and partly a working research center. This
way the visitors will observe actual engineering and scientific research. The research will
also allow the institution to attract and retain talented scientists.
While this document proposes to design and build one institute, this document is
designed to guide the planning of many of these institutes. This plan is specifically
designed for cities under 100,000 in population, will little existing engineering and with
no other science centers. This plan may be modified to suit other cities.
1 Broad, W. J. US Losing Its Dominance in Sciences. New York Times. May 3,2004
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Anthony Valenzano 2005-1 REV-1

Purpose
The purpose of this program is to introduce children and young adults to
engineering, and develop the local engineering community. This program proposes to do
this by developing a science center that is tuned to just this goal. The science institute
functions will be threefold. First it will be a learning center for school students. In this
role the institute will provide educational displays on specific topics, laboratories for
lessons in major fields of engineering, and access to people working in the scientific
community. This institution will be more “hands-on” than other comparable science
centers. It will consist of more lab experiments than museum-type push button examples.
The purpose is to show students their own abilities in engineering and not to intimidate
them with complex examples of engineering. The other two functions are derived from
this most important function. The second function is as a working research center, as this
will give the students the best understanding of engineering. By making the institute a
research center it gains actual 'living' science. Visitors can see science developing before
there eyes, and just how this is done. The research has two other purposes, to attract
bright engineers, and to provide additional income for the institute. The third function of
the institute is to spread engineering to the entire community. This center will be a
resource for everyone in the community, with everyone welcome to join the institution
and utilize the labs under supervision of lab attendants. The salient goal of this institute
is to improve the technological state of this country, this goal is not well served by just
showing students science and then abandoning them later. This institute will nurture all
kinds of science and engineering, for all people. Students will be able to return to the
center to try to build things that they have learned. As adults they will be able to turn to
the institute as a place to work on a project that they are developing outside or their nine
to five jobs. This is an important aspect of the institute, people are most effective when
working on projects they are passionate about, but they are rarely able to work on those
projects as a living. This institute provides these people with access to the resources they
need to complete these goals. The institute will also be an excellent resource for home
schooled children and their parents, who often don't have access to science labs. Lastly,
the institute will provide a meeting and work place for science-based student projects,
such as Junior Achievement.
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Description
The institute will require a building of at least 15,000 sq ft of floor space. The
building should have an industrial look with modern accents. Preferably the building will
be two stories with a large open area that can make up the central floor / display area.
The first floor should also house the cafeteria. The second floor will consist of four labs
and an engineering library. In addition there will be several small offices, and
conference rooms. The building would be best if positioned high on a mountain or hill
for the use of ham radio as well as telescopes, and radio astronomy equipment. To
accommodate telescopes and antennas the building will need roof access. All aspects of
the institute will be designed to accommodate 60 children per day.
To ensure security for the institute, video cameras, and recorded devices will be
utilized in critical locations in the building. Fiber-optic locking systems will be attached
to all lab equipment and oscilloscopes probes will be secured to each scope. The doors
all labs will have magnetic badge readers to ensure that visitors are not allowed in the
labs alone, both for security and safety reasons.

Illustration 2: Sample Floor Plan, 1st Floor Illustration 1: Sample Floor Plan, 2nd Floor
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Anthony Valenzano 2005-1 REV-1

Central Floor / Display Area

The central floor will contain displays much like other science museums. These
displays will be interactive and educational. Each display will consist of written
explanation that will be narrated by the push of a button. Displays may also include
monitors to provide visual understanding of the display. The display should be arranged
in a semi-circle around the central floor, with an open area in the center for live
demonstrations, speeches, or a focused display. Displays will also show where its
particular science shows up in the real world. For example, the Friction Display will tie
the display activity to how cars grip the road.
The walls of the first floor will contain many educational wall displays which
describe events in the history of science and engineering. The wall will start in the center
of the north wall and progress clockwise in a chronological order. The purpose of this
wall is to tie today's very complex science and engineering to a time when it was much
simpler.

Possible Displays:
Van De Graaff Generator
Mechanical Advantage
Jacob's Ladder
Aerodynamic Lift
Friction
Magnetic Forces
Relativity /Time-space relation
Wet-Cell Battery Construction
Communications
Feedback Systems

For more information on display see the Display Requirements Document.

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Anthony Valenzano 2005-1 REV-1

Computer Engineering Lab

Personnel: Two computer engineers + Two part-time lab attendants
This laboratory will consist of approximately thirty computer systems with a
variety of open source operating systems. These operating systems are powerful
educational tools as well as powerful research tools. These systems will allow the users
to develop programs, interact with robotic systems, and develop web pages, along with
numerous other activities. Open software is also free of cost and can be modified to
better suit a purpose. The computers will be equipped with large hard drives to
accommodate several operating systems. Seeing as computers are used in all forms of
engineering, the computer lab will be equipped with all the software to perform these
engineering tasks.
Possible open operating systems:
Mandriva Linux
Fedora Core Linux
Debian Linux
FreeBSD

Software Programs:
OpenOffice – Word Processor, Spreadsheet, Presentation Software
QCAD – Mechanical Drawing Program
Dia – Diagram drawing program
Oregano – Electrical Simulation Software
Gnuplot – Graphing Program
Scilab – Matrix Math Program
Kde Edutainment – Educational Software
The GIMP v2 – Image editing software
Mozilla-FireFox – Web browser

Workstation Computer Specifications:

17” CRT Display
3-bay mini-tower case w/ power supply
AMD-64 mainboard w/ processor – 3.2 GHz
200 Gigabyte hard drive
1 Gigabyte memory
DVD/CD-RW Drive
Sound card / Speakers
Mouse/Keyboard

During educational lessons approximately thirty students will each sit at a

computer. They will be introduced to the operating system and will be taught to use one
particular piece of software, depending on their age. At the end of the lesson the students
will be able to print out their work and take it home. Possible projects may include
designing a web page, editing a photo, or making a mechanical drawing. In addition,
older students may write programs while younger students will utilize the educational
software on the computer.
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Electrical Engineering Lab

Personnel: Two electrical engineers and two part-time lab attendants
This lab will have all the equipment required to create ten lab stations. Each of
these stations will have one two-channel 300MHz digital oscilloscopes, one dual variable
power supply, a soldering station, and a signal generator. The lab may also have ham
radio equipment, weather measurement equipment, and electrical instrumentation.
Various other equipment maybe acquired and kept in a supply area to be signed out when
needed. Hand tools and electronic parts will also be kept in the supply area. Equipment
at each station will be carefully controlled.
Future expansions to this lab will include a network analyzer, spectrum analyzer,
Anechoic chamber, and optics equipment.
During educational lessons approximately sixteen students will sit two per lab
station so that they may work together for these experiments. Students will utilized some
or all of the lab equipment for preform and experiment. One possible such experiment
might be a microphone and speaker communication system. Here each set of students
would be given a microphone and a ear piece. First the students would be instructed to
attach the microphone to the oscilloscope to view their voices as they speak. Next they
would attach the signal generator to the ear piece and listen to the sounds it is outputting.
Lastly they would connect the microphone with the ear piece and one student will speak
and the other will listen at some distance away.

Mechanical Engineering Lab

Personnel: Two mechanical engineers and two part-time lab attendants
The mechanical engineering lab will have several work tables and machining area.
The machining area will be carefully segregated from the rest of the lab for safety
reasons. This area will require safety glasses and clothing before working in the area.
There will also be safety training before visitors are permitted to operate the machines.
This lab will have supply room that will contain all other power tools and hand tools as
well as any materials. Only engineers and lab attendants will have access to the supply
room.
Future expansions to this lab will include a color plotter, plasma cutter, and rapid
prototype machine. Several other smaller tools will also be added.

Aerospace Engineering Lab

Personnel: Two aerospace engineers and two part-time lab attendant
Aerospace engineering has an advantage over other forms of engineering when is
comes to educating children, and that is because model airplanes and rockets follow the
same laws of science as their larger brethren. This fact can be used to give a very good
understanding of aerospace, at a fraction of the cost. In this lab students can construct a
wing, and test it in a miniature wind tunnel. Students can measure the thrust of small
model rocket engines, exactly in the same way engineers would test much larger rockets.
Along with observing the work of real aerospace engineers, the students will have a great
understanding of this field of engineering.
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Engineering Library
Personnel: One librarian and one part-time attendant
The most important part of successful engineering is access to information. For
this reason the institute will have an engineering library on the premises. This will allow
researches and visitors to have access to all of the information they need to complete their
tasks. The librarian will be responsible for signing out and returning all books as well as
organizing and maintaining the information resources. This lab will have five computers
available for Internet searches.

Cafeteria
To accommodate a full day of activities for school students the institute will
require a cafeteria. The cafeteria will be operated by a food services contractor. The
cafeteria will not be completed until later in the project, until that time lunches will have
to be 'brown bag'. The cafeteria will accommodate 75 people for lunch. This will be 10
tables with 8 people per table. The cafeteria will also double as a gathering area for
groups.
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Education Methods
Children should be brought to the institute several times during their schooling
careers, and each time they should walk away with a better understanding of science and
engineering. For younger students, a wonder of science should be introduced, but this
should not be left at that. If left at the the wonder stage, science can seem too
unattainable and mystifying. Therefore children should be taught that they too can
control and manipulate materials. This can only happen if students are shown that they
can work with the laws of science. This can start with the simplest of gears and levelers
and end in an understanding of complex electronics.

Research Plan
Research is a very important part of the institute. This is the key to showing the
children how engineering works. The research is also vital to employ engineers, as
engineers want to do engineering, and if they are not doing engineering, they are not
engineers. The research also has another positive aspect, it can help supplement the
engineer's salary, even the institute itself.
The research can be SBIR from the national agencies. Phase I SBIRs are $75,000
for initial research, lasting just a couple months. Phase II SBIRs often follow phase I
SBIRs which are worth $750,000 and usually have a duration of two or three years.
Another source of research engineering is from private industry. Many companies
do not have the resources or personnel to develop some product that they wish to market.
These companies can contract with the institute to help develop their product.
Engineers working at the institute will also have the opportunity develop their
own research projects. They will present the concept to their peers and, if approved, will
be able to work on these projects as budget allows.
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Funding and Resources

Government
The National Science Foundation offers grants for programs that bring science to
students. The institute will search out and apply for these type of grants. The institute
will look to local and state government for additional funding, including the possibility of
suppling the building.

Private Industry
Private high-tech companies will be a great resource for the institute. Companies
such as Lockheed Martin routinely encourage employees to help out with communities
programs, and will often donate money to these causes. The institute will look to these
companies for donations of equipment, time, and money. High-tech companies will also
be encouraged to develop displays to be added to the main floor display. These displays
will follow the same guidelines as all of the institutes's displays, in that they are
educational and interactive.

Research Gains
Money acquired from research gains will be folded back into the institute to help
supplement the other sources of income. This will in turn provide money to improve all
aspects of the institute and reduce the costs of attending and joining the institute. The
goal is that eventually the doors of the institute may be opened, free of cost to the public.

Donations
Donations will be particularly important to startup the institute. The largest costs
will be to acquire the equipment needed before the doors are ever opened.
Donations will also help to reduce the cost for students to attend the institute.

Universities
The institute will have close relationship with local universities. Universities will
find the institute a resource for locating possible engineering students. They will also be
able to utilize the labs where their labs fall insufficient. Engineers working at the
institute may have the opportunity to teach engineering classes at the university.
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Implementation Plan

Phase I – Planning, 1-3 months

Gather funding. Refine concept. Draw up plans and documents.

Phase II – Forward Motion, 2-3 months

Some funding acquired. Search out more funding. Acquire location. Select first
employees. Develop first lesson plans. Find research opportunities. Develop initial web
site.

Phase III – Construction, 3-5 months

Construct facility. Acquire tools and materials. Develop displays. Continue to develop
lesson plans. Select remaining startup employees. Begin research.

Phase IV – Initial Operations, 6-12 months

Open doors with minimal staff. Evaluate operation and adjust as needed. Grow staffing
and capabilities at a reasonable rate. Finalize web site. Notify schools.

Phase V – Full Operations

Normal operations. Add cafeteria. Hire any remaining staff. Stabilize costs vs earnings.
Make any final adjustments. Open doors to public.
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Financial

Staffing
Position Beginning Description Salary
Phase
General Manager / EE I Oversee all operations, begin funding,
EE/AE Labs $65,000.00
Technical Leader / EE II Oversee all technical aspects, Run EE lab $65,000.00
Business Leader / HR II Oversee all business aspects, HR, Safety, $60,000.00
Funding
Mechanical Engineer III Run ME lab, develop displays, develop
lesson plans $50,000.00
Computer Engineer III Setup CE lab, develop lesson plans $45,000.00
Librarian III Setup Library, Community Outreach $35,000.00
Aerospace Engineer IV Run AE Lab, develop lesson plans $50,000.00
Mechanical Engineer V Run ME lab, Research, Present $50,000.00
Computer Engineer V Run CE lab, Research, Present $45,000.00
Electrical Engineer V Run EE lab, Research, Present $55,000.00
Business Staff V Accounting, Acquire Funding $35,000.00
Aerospace Engineer V Run AE Lab, Research, Present $50,000.00

Monthly salary expenses according to Phase:

Phase I – $5,400/month
Phase II – $15,800/month
Phase III – $26,600/month
Phase IV – $30,800/month
Phase V – $50,400/month
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Materials Acquisition
Table 1: Computer Engineering Lab, Material Costs

Item Quantity Cost Total

Computer Workstation 30 $1,550.00 $46,500.00
Computer Servers 2 $1,750.00 $3,500.00
Projector 1 $1,700.00 $1,700.00
Ethernet Equipment 1 $5,500.00 $5,500.00
Various Software 1 $8,000.00 $8,000.00
Interactive Hardware 1 $4,500.00 $4,500.00
Electrical Materials 1 $5,000.00 $5,000.00
Desks 15 $250.00 $3,750.00
Chairs 30 $55.00 $1,650.00
Computer Accessories 1 $1,000.00 $1,000.00
TOTAL $81,100.00

Table 2: Electrical Engineering Lab, Material Costs

Item Quantity Cost Total

Oscilloscopes 12 $3,500.00 $42,000.00
Power Supply 12 $1,000.00 $12,000.00
Signal Generators 12 $700.00 $8,400.00
Soldering Stations 12 $250.00 $3,000.00
Digital Multimeter 12 $200.00 $2,400.00
Hand Tools 1 $2,000.00 $2,000.00
Electrical Materials 1 $5,000.00 $5,000.00
Desks 5 $1000.00 $5,000.00
Stools 15 $30.00 $450.00
Microscope 3 $400.00 $1,200.00
TOTAL $81,450.00
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Table 3: Mechanical Engineering Lab, Material Costs

Item Quantity Cost Total

Drill Press 1 $800.00 $800.00
CNC 1 $18,000.00 $18,000.00
Band saw 1 $2,500.00 $2,500.00
Lathe 1 $2,500.00 $2,500.00
Grinder 1 $350.00 $350.00
Three-axis Mill 1 $3,500.00 $3,500.00
Hand Tools 1 $10,500.00 $10,500.00
Desks 12 $350.00 $4,200.00
Stools 25 $30.00 $750.00
Tool Cabinet 4 $400.00 $1,600.00
TOTAL $44,700.00

Table 4: Aerospace Engineering Lab, Material Costs

Item Quantity Cost Total

Computer Workstation 2 $1,550.00 $3,100.00
Materials 1 $13,000.00 $13,000.00
Equipment 1 $24,000.00 $24,000.00
Desks 12 $300.00 $3,600.00
Chairs 25 $55.00 $1,375.00
Projector 1 $1,700.00 $1,700.00
TOTAL $46,775.00
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Table 5: Engineering Library, Material Costs

Item Quantity Cost Total

Computer Workstation 5 $1,550.00 $7,750.00
Engineering Books 1 $25,000.00 $25,000.00
Bookshelves 10 $300.00 $3,000.00
Desks 10 $300.00 $3,000.00
Chairs 25 $55.00 $1,375.00
Projector 1 $1,700.00 $1,700.00
TOTAL $41,825.00

Table 6: Central Floor, Material Costs

Item Quantity Cost Total

Computer Stations 6 $1,550.00 $9,300.00
Education Displays 10 $3,000.00 $30,000.00
Accessories 1 $7500.00 $7,500.00
LCD Monitors 4 $2200.00 $8,800.00
Chairs 40 $35.00 $1,400.00
Information Desk 1 $1,500.00 $1,500.00
TOTAL $58,500.00

Table 7: Facility Materials

Item Quantity Cost Total

Video Displays 1 $11000.00 $11,000.00
Cafeteria Chairs 90 $35.00 $3,150.00
Cafeteria Tables 10 $250.00 $2,500.00
Decorations / Accessories 1 $3000.00 $3,000.00
Security Equipment 1 $10000.00 $10,000.00
Basic Supplies 1 $1,500.00 $1,500.00
TOTAL $31,150.00
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Table 8: Office Supplies

Item Quantity Cost Total

Employee Computers 12 $1600.00 $19,200.00
Employee Desks 12 $350.00 $4,200.00
Employee Chairs 12 $150.00 $1,800.00
Various Office Supplies 1 $5500.00 $5,500.00
Copier / Fax / Printer 1 $2500.00 $2,500.00
Ink jet Printers 8 $400.00 $3,200.00
TOTAL $36,400.00

Table 9: Total Material Costs

Area Cost
Computer Engineering Lab $81,100.00
Electrical Engineering Lab $81,450.00
Mechanical Engineering Lab $44,700.00
Aerospace Engineering Lab $46,775.00
Engineering Library $41,825.00
Central Floor $58,500.00
Facility Supplies $31,150.00
Office Supplies $36,400.00
TOTAL MATERIAL COSTS $421,900.00
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Operating Costs
Table 10: Expenses Per Month For Each Phase

Expense Phase I Phase II Phase III Phase IV Phase V

Salaries $5,400.00 $15,800.00 $26,600.00 $30,800.00 $50,400.00
Facility Lease / Payment $30,000.00 $30,000.00 $30,000.00 $30,000.00 $30,000.00
Lab Materials $0.00 $0.00 $0.00 $2,500.00 $5,000.00
Office Materials $500.00 $1,000.00 $1,000.00 $1,500.00 $1,500.00
Employee Benefits $500.00 $1,000.00 $1,500.00 $2,000.00 $3,500.00

TOTALS $36,400.00 $47,800.00 $59,100.00 $66,800.00 $90,400.00

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About the Author

Mr. Anthony Valenzano is an electrical engineering consultant with five years
experience. Most recently at AeroAstro (Ashburn VA), he was the principal electrical
engineer for the design of a modular flight computer for a satellite. He has also designed
analog power control systems as well as S-Band RF circuitry. Prior to his employment at
AeroAstro, Mr. Valenzano was an Electrical Design Engineer at Lockheed Martin -
Missiles and Fire Control (Archbald PA), where he designed flight control systems for
laser-guided and GPS-guided munitions. He was lead engineer for their Laser-Guided
Train Round and Mission-Readiness Test Set programs. Before Lockheed, Mr.
Valenzano obtained his bachelor's degree in electrical engineering from Penn State
University where he focused on analog circuit design, high-speed power circuity, and
microwave design. At Penn State, he was also a lead member of a team that successfully
designed and launched a sounding rocket from NASA Wallops Flight Facility. During
this program he developed an interest in bringing engineering to children when he
became involved in the SPIRIT Outreach Program. This was a program that introduced
K-12 students to aerospace engineering. Since then Mr. Valenzano has mentored
freshman college students through their college careers and also introduced other students
to engineering. Lastly he taught science to 3rd and 4th graders at Abington Elementary
School as part of an after school program designed to introduce students to different
careers.

For more information contact:

Anthony Valenzano
RELI
570-498-7223
axv129@gmail.com
http://www.maxwells-lab.com
1305 Pittston Ave 2S
Scranton PA, 18505