Stanford Engineering Library Blog

As biodiesel continues to penetrate the market, work is ongoing to refine existing standards as well as to develop new ones. Though ASTM D6751-07b, Standard Specification for Biodiesel Fuel Blend Stock (B100) for Middle Distillate Fuels, has already been published, the ASTM Committee on Biodiesel Fuel, under the leadership of chair Steve Westbrook, continually works to revise it.
The ENG library provides online access to the ASTM standards through the ASTM digital library

Bloomberg (11/15, Koenig) reports that "General Motors Corp. said it will have prototypes of its Volt electric car ready for testing in 2008's first quarter, as the automaker challenges Toyota Motor Corp.'s hybrid technology." According to Vice Chairman Robert Lutz, GM "will take Chevrolet Malibu cars and install Volt underbodies for the prototypes," adding that they will also use lithium-ion batteries. Meanwhile, "Toyota is touting its hybrid strategy, saying its Prius gasoline-electric car uses market-ready technology while the Volt depends on batteries that don't yet exist." Detroit-based "GM may sell the Volt, a so-called plug-in hybrid, as early as 2010. Toyota is planning the first tests, in the U.S. and Japan, of plug-in Prius cars that can recharge from home outlets." Bloomberg points out, "The Volt, like the Prius, combines an electric motor powered by batteries with a gasoline engine."

The Financial Times (11/15, Simon) adds, "The biggest test of General Motors' ability to regain the loyalty of North American car buyers has begun to unfold at dealerships across the U.S. and Canada with the arrival of the 2008 Chevrolet Malibu family [sedan]." If Malibu is successful enough "in eating into the market share of Toyota's top-selling Camry [it] could also help determine whether GM can retain its 76-year title as the world's biggest carmaker against Toyota." Notably, "GM sold just 10,000 vehicles more than Toyota globally in the first nine months of this year."

snipped from ASEE's First Bell online newsletter

IRITE/Elevator Talk Workshops will take place twice Autumn quarter. Learn to produce short, accessible written statements that explain your research and one-minute long "elevator pitch" oral presentations that are succinct and invite further discussion. FREE!! Especially good for advanced doctoral students and postdocs. See: http://www.stanford.edu/group/i-rite/about.html

Session 1: Tuesday October 23, 6-9 pm & Thursday Oct. 25, noon - 5 pm.
Session 2: Thursday November 8, 6-9 pm & Saturday Nov. 10, 1 - 6 pm.

GSBGEN 374: Interpersonal Influence and Leadership. Open to graduate students outside of the school of business, this course combines two popular and long-standing GSB courses. It teaches students to build productive, effective and rewarding relationships at work. Students develop self-awareness, and learn to raise and work through difficult issues, to give and receive feedback, and to work effectively in groups. Winter & Spring quarters. For more information, including the pre-qualification assignment (due October 15, 2007), see this site http://vpge.stanford.edu/students/id.html and follow the links to the course.

VPGE has funding available on a competitive basis to support dissertation research expenses on diversity-related topics. Funds will be awarded on a competitive basis. Deadlines: November 15, 2007; April 15, 2008. Details at: http://vpge.stanford.edu/students/diversity/diversity.html#funding
Please contact Stef Moss (stefmoss@stanford.edu) with questions.

Carmaker to fund Stanford auto lab
By Matt Nauman
Mercury News
Article Launched: 11/16/2007 01:37:35 AM PST

Volkswagen of America said Thursday that it will spend about $6 million to build and fund an automotive research lab on the Stanford University campus.

To be called the Volkswagen Automotive Innovation Lab, the building will serve as a research center for vehicle-safety and environmental issues, as well as continuing work on autonomous driving. Since 2004, Stanford professors and students have collaborated with VW's Electronics Research Lab in Palo Alto to build a series of robotic vehicles that have finished first and second in Defense Department events in 2005 and 2007.

Chris Gerdes, a mechanical engineering professor, will direct research that will take place, which Stanford has dubbed as CarLab.

VW said it will donate $2 million for the building, and $750,000 a year for five years to fund research.

The 8,000-square-foot lab near Stock Farm Road and Campus Drive West will replace a dusty Quonset hut where the robotic vehicle team tested its vehicles. It will include auto bays with lifts, a machine shop, meeting rooms and an outdoor drive space.

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Contact Matt Nauman at mnauman@mercurynews.com or (408) 920-5701.