In the lastest article I read in the ASME Mechanical Engineering journal there was a series of articles relating to valves. There are valves in so many things we use everyday. One valve in particular that peaked my interest was a valve used on an HVAC (Air Conditioning) system. An air conditioning system, whether in your house or in your car, uses a fluid called refrigerant. This fluid is hazardous to your health and to the environment. In order to purchase, handle, install or dispose of this fluid you have to be licensed by the state. The article talked about a new valve that makes the refrigerant lines that run to the outside HVAC unit tamper proof. This is something that could be easily over looked, but these new valves guarantee that only a licensed professional could handle or release the fluid.
This is a small addition to a widely used system that could protect against serious injury. The part of the HVAC system that is located outside, most of the time in peoples' back yards, could be seen by a child. The curiosity of a young child could make them want to tamper with such a system. This new valve would most definitely insure that if they were to tamper with the unit they would be safe. A new HVAC system with these valves could be marketed effectively to the safety conscious parents who own homes. This is just another example of how important even the smallest engineering updates are.
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