Both operations will utilize Cummins standard work processes and procedures to perform design and validation testing of integrated equipment. The Houston center will deliver customized packages for the customer, starting with workover rigs capable of operating anywhere in the world, certified to the most stringent environmental regulations in California and other non-attainment regions – something no other engine manufacturer can provide. The center will also have the ability to integrate the new QTR Series Transmissions with our QSK50 or QSK60 engines, delivering a more integrated approach to working with customers. Other products include land-based drilling power modules, hazardous-area packages, pump drive packages and oil field power generator sets. Each system will be fully tested to Cummins standards, resulting in a quality product that meets customers exacting specifications. All complete customized products will be covered under Cummins warranty, and can be supported by more than 6,600 Cummins distributors and dealers worldwide.

The new Cummins Oil and Gas Center of Excellence will be fully operational at the end of June 2011 and will add 50 highly skilled jobs by the end of 2012, with future job growth expected in 2013. The new 70,000-square-foot building sits on six acres of land on the north side of Houston, and features office and meeting spaces, assembly cells, a paint booth and two test cells physically sized for up to a 78-liter engine. The two test cells with AVL instrumentation and testing system are capable of supporting both engineering and production testing and testing of mechanical or electrical drive systems up to 3500 hp (2610 kWe). The test facility is capable of conditioning the intake air up to 50 degrees Celsius for high ambient temperature testing, as well as supporting standard 23 degrees Celsius test conditions. All data is stored through a high-speed data acquisition system that ties directly into Cummins global test database.

“Cummins has chosen to locate the Oil and Gas Center of Excellence in Houston because we fully recognize that Houston is a major hub for business and engineering for the oil and gas market,” said Carlos Ayala, General Manager, Center of Excellence Houston. “Because of the importance of the oil and gas business to Houston, there is an excellent source of industry resources. The Greater Houston Partnership Group and Harris County have played a large role in our decision to locate in Houston, providing incentives for skills development. We are also fortunate to expand upon our existing relationship with the University of Houston, allowing us to tap the university’s resources for testing and foster a mentor program between our product engineers and students.”

Via Cummins

The power and beauty of time lapse photography is rarely as dramatic as when it is shot from a ship. This clip of the Houston Ship Channel, 500 Knots on the Houston Ship Channel is a real pleasure to watch. Portofhouston.com tells us that, The Houston Ship Channel has been a catalyst for growth in Harris County since the first journey of a steamship up Buffalo Bayou in 1837. The ship channel plays a critical role in today’s community as well. It generates jobs and opportunities that allow businesses to flourish. A 2007 study by Martin Associates says ship channel-related businesses support more than 785,000 jobs throughout Texas while generating nearly $118 billion of statewide economic impact. Additionally, more than $3.7 billion in state and local tax revenues are generated by business activities related to the port. It is projected that the Port of Houston will continue to be an important factor as north-south trade expands.

Fred Fry pointed us to this amazing time lapse video by our favorite maritime photographer. Click HERE for the details.

Another amazing Time Lapse video from our friend Lou Vest of the Houston Pilots. You can find more of Lou’s amazing photos on Flickr (link).

A time lapse video made by setting a camera to take photos at six second intervals during a trip outbound on the Houston Ship Channel. I used Quicktime to assemble over 2000 individual photos into a 3 minute movie representing an actual time of over 3 1/2 hours. The ship was only moving at 5-6 knots for the first half of the trip and up to 10 knots in the open areas away from the docks. The journey begins just below the Port of Houston turning basin at the end of the channel and continues down to Morgan’s Point at the head of Galveston Bay. We still had 32 miles to go to get out to the pilot station in the Gulf of Mexico at that point. The ship is a Panamax tanker 600 feet long by 106 feet wide.

Another amazing Time Lapse video from our friend Lou Vest of the Houston Pilots. You can find more of Lou’s amazing photos on Flickr (link).

This morning Fred Fry pointed us to this amazing time lapse video by our favorite maritime photographer. Click HERE for the details.