TEGSA’s 3rd ANNIVERSARY
A MEMORABLE OCCASION

It was celebration time again. Time to celebrate yet another milestone - TEGSA’s  Third Anniversary. The venue – The Princess Banquet Hall. Soft strains of music and the inviting ambiance in the hall with attractive centerpieces on each table greeted the members to a setting of a memorable evening. The cocktail hour which included unlimited exotic fruit drinks and also individual plates of Thai hors d’oeuvres, was a welcome beginning.

After the grace led by Bernadette Colaco, the evening began with a scrumptious buffet dinner  Members were escorted to a dining room which displayed a lavish spread of a fusion of exquisite food from East to West. The meal, which was meticulously presented in beautiful copper chaffing dishes, added to the luster of the occasion. The unlimited supply of ‘masala shrimp’ was obviously the favourite dish of the day, even though there was a special treat for every palate. Members were delighted to be treated to a bottle of white and red wine on each table, generously donated by the Royal Bank of Canada.

Soon after dinner, President Al Andrade and his wife Jean led the dancing to the nostalgic strains of the Anniversary Waltz.

In his welcome address, President Al Andrade paid tribute to the founder members “for their foresight and remarkable contribution in laying the foundation of TEGSA”. The Association has grown from a humble beginning of 70 members to 590. He emphasized his theme of ‘working together as a family’. He said, “By truly making others feel that their work, their ideas and their talents are valued, they were able to communicate more effectively and successfully “. He hoped that the family theme will be continued. He commended the members of his executive for their commitment in working together as a team and fully participating in the organization of all club activities. He praised members of all the sub-committees for their willingness to serve. The support and loyalty of the spouses did not go un-noticed, and was gratefully appreciated and recognized.

The band for the evening, FOCUS, were in their element and eager to please. Their choice of music was delectable and they catered for every taste. They played old and new favourites, interspersed with Jive and Rock and Roll, which seemed to have an electrifying effect. The dance floor was a sea of happy faces as folks danced away to their hearts content. One of the highlights of the evening was the performance of a guest artist- Mark Patel, who enthralled the audience with legendary songs of Elvis Presley. Crispin Noronha also rocked the gathering with his rendition of ‘Jail House Rock’, which got a thunderous applause.

One can safely say that the Master of Ceremonies, Hubert Pereira engineered the tremendous success of the function. He not only kept the spirits high and the mood lively with his subtle wit and tasteful humour, but also gave away a lot of dance prizes with his creative ideas. The generous donors, Joe and Bonita Lobo, Melissa and Krystal DSouza and Hubert and Audrey Pereira were gratefully acknowledged.

It was great to see the camaraderie and the pride of the members who came together as a family to celebrate this special occasion, with the hope that the association will continue to grow and fulfill the needs of the seniors.

KUDOS to the social committee, headed admirably by Vicki D’Souza, who left no stone unturned to ensure the smooth running of the event, and make it a truly memorable occasion.

A car that runs on air, in India soon
March 21, 2007
http://www.rediff.com/money/2007/mar/21car.htm

A car that runs on air could soon be a reality for Indians.

Tata Motors has signed an agreement with Moteur Development International of France to develop a car that runs on compressed air, thus making it very economical to run and be almost totally pollution free.

Although there is no official word on when the car will be commercially manufactured for India, reports say that it will be sooner than later.

The car -- MiniCAT -- could cost around Rs 350,000 in India and would have a range of around 300 km between refuels. The cost of a refill would be about Rs 90.

An overview of the air car

The technology that MDI vehicles use is not really new. Compressed air technology allows for engines that are both non-polluting and economical.
After ten years of research and development, MDI is prepared to introduce its clean vehicles onto the market. Unlike electric or hydrogen powered vehicles, MDI vehicles are not expensive and do not have a limited driving range. MDI cars are affordable and have a performance rate that stands up to current standards. To sum it up, they are non-expensive cars that do not pollute and are easy to get around cities in.

Two technologies have been developed to meet different needs:
• Single energy compressed air engines.
• Dual energy compressed air plus fuel engines.
The single energy engines will be available in both MiniCATs and CityCATs. These engines have been conceived for city use, where the maximum speed is 50 km/h and where MDI believes polluting will soon be prohibited.

The duel energy engine, on the other hand, has been conceived as much for the city as the open road and will be available in all MDI vehicles. The engines will work exclusively with compressed air while it is running under 50 km/h in urban areas. But when the car is used outside urban areas at speeds over 50 km/h, the engines will switch to fuel mode. The engine will be able to use gasoline, gas oil, bio diesel, gas, liquidized gas, ecological fuel, alcohol, etc.

Both engines will be available with 2, 4 and 6 cylinders, When the air tanks are empty the driver will be able to switch to fuel mode, thanks to the car's on board computer.

How does it work?

MDI explains that 90m3 of compressed air is stored in fibre tanks. The engine is powered by compressed air, stored in a carbon-fiber tank at 30 MPa (4500 psi). The tank is made of carbon-fiber in order to reduce its weight. The engine has injection similar to normal engines, but uses special crankshafts and pistons, which remain at top dead center for about 70 degrees of the crankshaft's cycle; this allows more power to be developed in the engine.

The expansion of this air pushes the pistons and creates movement. The atmospheric temperature is used to re-heat the engine and increase the road coverage. The air conditioning system makes use of the expelled cold air. Due to the absence of combustion and the fact there is no pollution, the oil change is only necessary every 50 000 km.

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