16x10 - Dial Thermometers/Hummus/Spent Fuel Containers/Straw Sombreros

[bunniefuu]

Narrator: in the world
of temperature-gauging,

The dial thermometer
is a lot easier to read

Than a glass-stem thermometer.

A needle points to bold numbers
on a dial,

And even from a distance,

It only takes a quick glance

To confirm an initial impression
that things are heating up.

All the highs and lows
are plain to see

On the face
of a dial thermometer.

It often comes
with lengthy tubing

To measure temperature
from afar.

It's a handy feature
for power plants

And heating and refrigeration
systems.

To begin, rollers straighten
very narrow metal tubing.

Then a blade cuts it to length
depending on the application.

As the blade makes the cut,
a mechanism pries open the ends.

Next, a worker inserts a fitting
into a much wider tube

That will become
the thermometer's sensor bulb.

He secures the tube in a fixture

And welds the narrow tubing
machined earlier

To the fitting
on the end of the bulb.

With the bulb
and tubing now linked,

Production moves
to the next stage,

The making of the burden tube,
which is a kind of a spring.

A worker cuts flat, wafer-thin
tubing to length.

Down the line,

They clamp the flat tubes
in a device that's on a track.

It moves past an arc welder

That melts and closes one end
of the flat tubes.

Here's a before-and-after
comparison.

A worker now encloses the tube
in a die

And drives a pin
into its open end.

This widens
and redefines the opening

From inside and outside.

He slides it over another pin

And activates
a mechanical punch press.

This fine-tunes the shape
and dimensions of the opening.

The next worker clamps the tube
in another device.

He operates a roller to wrap it
around a mandrill,

Bending it into a "c" shape.

This completes the thermometer's
burden-tube spring.

The next worker clamps a bracket

To the bottom
of the burden tube.

He inserts a small piece
of connector tubing

In the burden-tube hole

And applies liberal amounts
of a flux compound.

The flux prevents tarnishing
of the metal

As he melts silver solder
to braise the parts together

And to seal the opening.

Now a test.

He pumps gas
into several burden tubes

And immerses them in water.

If no gas bubbles out
of the tubes,

It means the tubes
are perfectly sealed.

The gas pressure also causes
the tubes to spring into action.

It's this action
that will move the pointer

On the dial
of the thermometer.

The next worker attaches
a brass connector to the tubing.

He braises them together
to create a solid bond.

He folds the braised parts into
the curve of the burden tube

And pushes it into place
with a mechanical press.

He installs the gear assembly

That will translate the linear
movement of the burden tube

Into the rotational movement
of the thermometer pointer.

He screws
the dual-temperature dial

To the burden-tube assembly.

The more detailed and extensive
the scale,

The bigger the dial.

This one is mid-sized.

And now everything
comes together

As he tethers the sensing bulb,
along with a short fill tube,

To the back of
the burden-tube assembly.

Using a braising torch
and solder,

He seals the connection.

He then steam-cleans
the braised joint.

He buries the bulb
in a hot sand bath

That causes any moisture
in it to evaporate.

Through the fill tube,

He fills the bulb
with nitrogen gas.

To calibrate the thermometer,

He plunges the sensing bulb
in boiling water

And adjusts the pressure
of the nitrogen gas

Until the dial
reads 212 degrees fahrenheit.

The fill tube's job is now done,
so he crimps it to seal it off.

He tests its accuracy
by immersing the sensing bulb

In numerous controlled baths,

Each one
a different temperature.

And if it's on the mark,

He encloses the inner workings
in the stainless-steel case.

He protects the joint
with a special metal spring...

And snaps a clear window
to the case.

A gasket between them
ensures a dustproof seal.

He screws a part called a well
to the sensing-bulb connector.

The well will protect it
in high-pressure situations.

And this dial thermometer
is now ready

For the ups and downs
of temperature-gauging.

Narrator: hummus is
the original snack food.

People have been eating
this chickpea dip

For thousands of years.

Countries from the mediterranean
to the middle east

Lay claim to its invention.

But one thing
is beyond dispute --

As an appetizer or side dish,
hummus has real staying power.

Hummus is a vegetarian form
of protein,

Which could be why
more and more people

Are choosing to take a dip.

The word "hummus" is actually
arabic for "chickpea,"

Which is of course
the main ingredient.

The chickpeas arrive
at the factory in dried form.

They ride a conveyor upward

And then spill down
onto a long, vibrating tray.

It shakes out
heavier contaminants

Like pebbles or twigs.

The contaminants
fall into a bin below,

While the chickpeas
bounce off the tray

And into a tub of filtered water
to be rinsed.

Still dripping wet,

It's onto a conveyor
with perforated buckets.

The water drains
from the chickpeas

As they're transferred
to big tanks.

Each tank holds thousands
of little chickpeas.

They add clean water
and soak the chickpeas.

After 14 hours in the tank,

They swell to twice their size
and soften up.

They pump the softened chickpeas
into big trays,

Which they stack on a cart.

Then it's into a huge,
cylindrical steam cooker

That's been preheated to around


They bake the chickpeas
for just over half an hour.

This softens them even more
and darkens the color.

From dried beans
to soaked and then cooked.

They now transfer the cooked
chickpeas to the next conveyor,

And they're on their way
to being ground to a pulp.

This is the grinder,

Now being reassembled
after cleaning.

It has two sharp-toothed,
circular blades.

One is stationary,
and the other revolves.

A big turn screw
will force the chickpeas

Through these toothed blades
to grind them up.

A quick test confirms this
grinder is in working order.

Meanwhile, the chickpeas
have arrived at a hopper

Above the grinder.

As the chickpeas
spill into the hopper,

They add water and a blend
of sunflower and olive oil,

Followed by salt, garlic,
and other dry ingredients.

The chickpeas
and other ingredients

Flow into
the grinding device below

And are turned into a paste.

The next ingredient is tahini.

It's a thick paste
made from ground sesame seeds.

Three powerful pumps
pulverize the tahini

To evenly disperse the particles

So it can now be blended
with the chickpea mix.

Big, steel blades revolve
to thoroughly mix

All the ingredients in a tank
and produce hummus.

For different-flavored hummus,

They add red pepper,
more garlic,

Or other ingredients.

After the blended product
is pasteurized,

A technician takes samples
for lab testing,

For mold, shelf life,
and other tests.

She also does her own
taste test.

If the flavor
seems even slightly off,

They'll put the product on hold
and tweak the ingredients.

But this batch gets the nod.

Meanwhile, plastic containers
are queuing for a fill-up.

Machinery moves them forward
toward piston fillers.

The pistons push the creamy
hummus out of nozzles

And into the tubs.

Now filled to the brim
with hummus,

The tubs travel under a sheet
of plastic film.

Hot, round irons
melt the plastic

To seal it to the rims.

Suctioning devices swoop down
to apply the lids,

And the hummus
heads towards a roll

Of adhesive-backed labels.

A sensor detects the approach
of the tubs

And triggers a device
with little air jets

To slap the labels on the lids.

This hummus production has gone
very smoothly indeed.

Narrator: spent fuel containers
are designed to take the heat,

The kind caused by the most
radioactive of waste --

Used nuclear fuel.

These fuel rods
are too dangerous

To be casually disposed of,

But encased in special
spent fuel cannisters,

The risk should be contained.

Nuclear waste
sits in a holding pattern,

And that means storing it
in massive cylinders

Until there's a way
to dispose of it.

These containers start

With a big, rectangular sheet
of stainless steel.

A special circular cutter
carves a beveled edge onto it.

They feed it to rollers

Which curl the sheet
into a cylinder.

It takes four trips
through the rollers

To really round it out.

They tuck a template inside
the curve to check the radius.

Next, a welder joins
the neatly beveled edges

To complete the cylinder.

This cylinder will be
the outer wall of a cannister.

The cannister will fit
inside a big cylinder

Called an overpack.

Its outer shell
is just under an inch thick --

About the diameter of a quarter.

As you can see,
building a container

To hold used nuclear fuel
is a many-layered process.

The next step involves the lid,
made of multiple steel disks

With concrete placed
between the steel layers

Like a sandwich.

Incredibly,
high-pressure water jets

Easily cut through the thick
steel to produce the disks.

A computerized tool
cuts a groove profile

Along the edge of each disk.

They also machine
the top of each disk

To the correct profile

And then measure to confirm
it's exactly right.

Next, a computerized laser

Slices through more
stainless-steel plating

To produce long, narrow panels.

Each is designed to fit together

To create a grid of storage
cells inside the cannister.

They line each panel
with an aluminum alloy

That's neutron-absorbent,

And they place a piece of
steel sheeting on top of that.

They weld the steel sheeting
to the steel panel,

Encasing the neutron-absorbent
material.

Working within a metal framework
for guidance,

They weld four of the lined
steel panels together

To create a fuel-cell grid

For one used
nuclear fuel bundle.

They then build a 68-cell grid.

With that complete,
they're ready to piece together

All the parts
of the spent fuel cannister.

They first lower the inner shell
onto the base plate.

The shell is held steady
by a supportive structure

As they weld it together
at the seams.

Moving inside,

They install numerous bars
to support the fuel-cell grid.

With the cannister now wrapped
in plastic to keep it clean,

An automated cutter
gradually shaves down the rim

To trim it
to the correct height.

Precision is everything.

Using a level and a laser,

They ensure that the trim job
is even and exact.

Once they're satisfied,

A crane carries
the fuel-cell assembly

Over to the cannister

And then suspends it
above the open cavity.

It dangles briefly as workers
inspect the assembly.

They give it the thumbs-up,

And the crane then lowers
the fuel assembly

Into the cylinder.

It's a snug fit,

With about 4/10 of an inch
of clearance

Between the inner assembly
and the wall of the cylinder.

This technician inserts a camera
into each cell of the grid

And scrutinizes the image.

He's looking for any debris

That could hamper
the installation

Of the nuclear fuel bundles.

Both the cylinder
and the fuel cells

Have been meticulously cleaned,

But the camera inspection

Confirms they haven't
missed anything.

So it's time to put a lid
on this nuclear-waste cannister.

It's a trial fit.

The lid will be permanently
welded to the cannister later

Once the used fuel rods
are safely inside.

The cannister will then be
placed inside the overpack,

With concrete poured
between the walls.

That should keep the hazards
of nuclear waste

Entombed indefinitely.

Narrator:
the word "sombrero" is derived

From the spanish "sombra,"
which means "shade."

The expansive brim
of these mexican hats

Is designed to cast
a wide shadow

Over the face, neck,
and shoulders.

Fancier sombreros
are made of felt.

Regular ones are woven
out of straw.

[ Band plays ]

This workshop makes traditional,
straw sombreros in many styles.

This model's called a winston.

This one, an americano.

Here's the speedy,

After the cartoon mouse
speedy gonzales.

And the casidy.

These sombreros
are hand-crafted.

The straw is white palm leaves

Purchased from a supplier
in the region.

First, workers soak a bunch
in water for a minute or so

To soften them up.

Then, using a needle,

They tear strips
about 2/10 of an inch wide.

Then they take
three strips at a time

And braid them together
into a single strand.

They intertwine
several braided strands,

Making a long,
braided straw rope.

Then they feed this rope
into a manually operated press.

The press flattens the rope

Until it's just about


This Fl*ttening makes the coarse
rope soft enough to sew.

With the raw-material
prep work done,

Hat construction can begin.

They take the rope and wind it
in concentric circles,

Sewing one circle to the next.

They first make a flat base,

Then turn the base on its side

And keep sewing
until they've formed the cup --

The part of the sombrero
that sits on the head.

They place the cup over a form
to check the size.

Then they resume sewing
on more straw rope,

Working outward now
to form the hat's brim.

Brim width varies by style.

They measure to make sure
it's the correct size.

Once the sombrero is finished,
they boil water,

Pour in gelatin...

Stir until
it's completely dissolved...

Then soak the hat
for about a minute.

The gelatin penetrates
the straw fibers.

Then they hang the sombrero
out to dry in the sun

For about three hours.

The workshop has a steel mold

For each sombrero style
it produces.

Workers place the sombrero
on the appropriate one

In a hot press,

Then close the press
for three minutes.

The heat and pressure combined

Form the straw
to the mold's shape.

The heat also hardens
the gelatin,

Locking in the shape
permanently.

Many sombreros
have a decorative band

Encircling the base of the cup.

This band, called a scarf,
is hand-crafted,

Typically out of leather,
or like this one out of magee,

A fiber from the stalk
of a tropical plant

Native to mexico.

A few dabs of glue
hold the scarf in place.

Once a sombrero is finished,

The workshop tags it
with a certificate

Stating the model
and serial number.

Sombrero shapes
can vary significantly,

But they all share
a common characteristic --

A wide brim to protect
from the blazing sun.

Certain models
have an extra feature --

A cord or leather drawstring

So the hat doesn't fly away
in windy weather.

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