astronomy

Ralph G. Nevins

Ralph G. Nevins is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Ralph G. Nevins rather than just read about it. In short: Ralph G. Nevins (November 15, 1924 – October 30, 1974) was an American professor of mechanical engineering and Chair of the Mechanical Engineering Department and Dean of the College of Engineering at Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas.

Key takeaways

Ralph G. Nevins belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Ralph G. Nevins to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Ralph G. Nevins from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Ralph G. Nevins (November 15, 1924 – October 30, 1974) was an American professor of mechanical engineering and Chair of the Mechanical Engineering Department and Dean of the College of Engineering at Kansas State University, Manhattan, Kansas.

Biography Nevins was born on November 15, 1924, at Kinsley, Kansas. He grew up in Dodge City, Kansas. He earned BS and MS degrees in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Minnesota and a PhD in 1973 from the University of Illinois. He spent a year in the military and joined the faculty at Kansas State University as an instructor. He died October 30, 1974. The Ralph G. Nevins Physiology and Human Environment Award is an annual prize given by the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) awarded since 1978 to "young researcher who has distinguished himself in man’s response to the environment, which may include thermal, acoustical, olfactory, microbial or other effects".

Career In 1957 he became chair of the Mechanical Engineering Department. He was the Kansas Power and Light Company Distinguished Professor, 1963–67. In 1961, ASHRAE decided to close its research laboratory, located in Cleveland since 1924, and invited interested organizations to bid on receiving its equipment. Nevins obtained from the state of Kansas $160,000 for a building and a like amount from the National Institutes of Health for installation and operation. He obtained the chamber and promised to carry on research in ASHRAE's interest for at least five years. The new facility was named the Institute for Environmental Research, and Nevins became its Director. Dozens of the Institute's students have received the Ralph G. Nevins Award over the years, and more than 10 graduate students and associated KSU faculty members are now ASHRAE Fellows. In 1967 he was promoted to Dean of the College of Engineering at KSU. He published over 60 technical papers in ASHRAE, ASME, ASEE and others. In 1973 he accepted the position of Fellow and Head of the Environmental Engineering Group and Member of the Executive Committee of the John B. Pierce Foundation Laboratory, New Haven, Connecticut, a world class environmental research organization. In association with Yale University, he was also a visiting professor of Environmental Technologies.

Published works Nevins, Ralph G. "Psychrometrics and modern comfort". ASHRAE Transactions 67 (1961):609-621. Listed among the 100 most important papers in ASHRAE's history Michaels, KB, R. G. Nevins and A. M. Feyerherm. "The Effect of Floor Surface Temperature on Comfort. Part II: College Age Females." ASHRAE Trans 70 (1964): 37–43. Nevins, Ralph G., et al. "A Temperature-Humidity Chart for Thermal Comfort of Seated Persons." ASHRAE Transactions 72.1 (1966): 283–291. McNall, P. E., et al. "Thermal Comfort (Thermally Neutral) Conditions for Three Levels of Activity." ASHRAE Transactions 73.1 (1967): 3.1-3.14. Nevins, Ralph G. and A. M. Feyerherm. "Effect of Floor Surface Temperature on Comfort. Part IV: Cold Floors." ASHRAE Transactions 73.2 (1967). Rohles Jr, F. H., J. E. Woods and R. G. Nevins. "The Effect of Air Speed and Temperature on the Thermal Sensations of Sedentary Man." ASHRAE Transactions 80(1) (1974): 101–119. Nevins, Ralph G. "Air Diffusion Dynamics: Theory, Design, and Application". Business News Publishing Company (1976). Gagge, A. P., Y. Nishi and R. G. Nevins. "The Role of Clothing in Meeting FEA Energy Conservation Guidelines." ASHRAE Transactions 82.2 (1976): 234–247. Gagge, A. Pharo and Ralph G. Nevins. "Effect of Energy Conservation Guidelines on Comfort. Acceptability and Health." 491 (1977): 93.

Awards Nevis won the distinguished alumni and service awards from the University of Illinois in 1970 and 1971. He received the ASHRAE's Distinguished Service Award.

See also ASHRAE Thermal comfort Physiology ASHRAE 55

References

External links Institute for Environmental Research, Kansas State University

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Ralph G. Nevins

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Ralph G. Nevins claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Ralph G. Nevins before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Ralph G. Nevins ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Ralph G. Nevins

In research: Ralph G. Nevins appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Ralph G. Nevins in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Ralph G. Nevins is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics 1924 births, 1973 deaths, 20th-century American people, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Ralph G. Nevins outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Ralph G. Nevins in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Ralph G. Nevins means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Ralph G. Nevins out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ralph G. Nevins in simple terms?

Why does Ralph G. Nevins matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Ralph G. Nevins?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Ralph G. Nevins.