The Olympic Tore Tech scientists created aflame that defies the elements
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long before the Olympic Torch Relay began its 84-day, winding cross-country trek from Los Angeles to Atlanta to ignite the opening of the Olympic Games, it underwent a baptism of sorts. Dr. Sam Shelton, who heads the Georgia Tech team that developed the components of the torch, held a lighted torch directly under a bathroom shower. The flame kept burning. Shelton, a Georgia Tech professor in mechanical engineering, is project manager of the six-member team that developed the components of the torch. Lee Durbetaki, a professor in mechanical engineering; Lee Payne, a professor in industrial design; and graduate students Kevin Berry, David Craig and Andv Delano; all helped engineer the Centennial Olympic Torch. Shelton was selected as one of the 10,000 individuals who will carry the torch. The lighted torch can withstand rain and winds up to 45 or 50 mph. It weighs 3 ] h pounds, carries enough fuel to burn for 45 minutes and emits a flame that is robust enough to be seen easily by spectators. It was designed by Malcolm Grear Associates to resemble the simplest of ancient torches, a gathering of
reeds bound by twine. The 32-inch-high torch—the tallest for a Summer Olympic Games—ranges from 2.25 inches to .3.5 inches in diameter. Its crown is made of outwardly spread prongs or "reeds," representing the 22 cities that have hosted the modern Olympic Games. The lower part of the torch resembles a Greek column. The handles are made from Georgia pecan wood donated by the Georgia Forestry Commission. Two gold bands hold the sections together: one features the Atlanta 1996 logo and Quilt of Leaves motif, the other lists the name of each Olympic Games host city. The torch is further secured by a threaded rod extending from the propylene fuel tank in the lower cylinder through the crown at the top. The flame arrived in Los Angeles on April 27 and began the 15,000-mile relay to Atlanta's new Olympic Stadium. During the July 19 Opening Ceremonies of the Olympic Games, the flame will be transferred to the
In late April, torchbearer Kourtney Swanson takes her turn carrying the Olympic torch near her home in Newport Beach, Calif.
The first torchbearers: Professors Sam Shelton (left) and Lee Payne headed up the six-member Tech team that created the "eternal flame" for the '96 Olympics.
Olympic Caldron, also designed by Shelton's team. The team developed a unique dual-burner system that both gives a dynamic flame and resists being extinguished by the wind or elements. One of the primary considerations for the torch is the sanctity of the flame, Shelton says. "The flame that gets to Atlanta and lights the caldron must have come from the flame in Athens, Greece," Shelton says. "If the flame along the way becomes extinguished, you can't take out your Bic and relight it." Should a torch become extinguished, Tech-designed, safety lanterns that have also been lighted by the Olympic flame in Athens accompany the relay caravan and can relight the torch. Shelton calls the torch project the embodiment of the philosophy expressed in the book Zen ami the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. "'Zen' represents the arts," Shelton explains, "and 'Motorcycle Maintenance' represents technology. I have always felt a kinship with artists, and I believe this torch is a great symbol of the marriage of artistic and technical creativity."
Summer 19% • GEORGIA TECH
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