Exhibit 37
Background notes
The following meeting Minutes libel Dow by falsely claiming that
“It was agreed that the use of a textile “containing bag” around the Covelle bag should not be investigated further since this is not acceptable to Dow.”
Nobody from Dow or Cheshire Innovation (Bill Courtney) attended the meeting and there is no evidence to support the claim.
In fact, at a later date, two Dow Chemicals representatives refuted it.
In any case, abandoning the containing bag made no engineering sense because the bag was intended to mimic the containment characteristics of the outer plastic bumper face. Dow’s supposed request for the containment bag to be removed would have rendered the test results for them useless.
The Minutes were copied to the EPSRC and other funding bodies, so it should be possible to verify the authenticity of this document using the Freedom of Information Act.
Copies of these Minutes were emailed to
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.i.gov.uk>';document.getElementById('cloak8f9b6d85e65a63b774f009a12a808fba').innerHTML += ''+addy_text8f9b6d85e65a63b774f009a12a808fba+'<\/a>'; ;; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. ; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (Foresight Vehicle)
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.> (The representative for the SMART funded CrashSALi project.)
Bill Courtney <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;; Cate, Peter (PJ) <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;;;; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;; GEORGE GEORGIADES <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;; Michelle Cooper <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;; This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.;
PEDSALi Project
Minutes of the Technical Review Meeting - Tuesday 9th September 2003
Present
Tunde Oyadiji (SOO), George Georgiades (GG), John Harrigan (JH), John Turner (JTT - Chairman).
Apologies were received from Jan Wright, Bill Courtney and Michelle Cooper.
Coverage
The following topics were discussed.
- Construction of the bags
GG reviewed the different methods of bag construction which he had investigated and described the extensive period of development work which has been necessary. The ensuing discussion covered the method of welding the Covelle sheet into the required form and the techniques adopted for the filling process to achieve a satisfactory and repeatable mix of the beads with the liquid. It was agreed that significant improvements have been achieved.
The mechanical problems which have been encountered include failure of the welds under impact load. These failures occurred at the seams and the clamped ends, according to the length of bag investigated. A tendency for the bag material to suffer plastic (permanent) deformation was also reported.
A much improved method of sealing the ends has been developed which incorporates O-rings, internal flanges, and external clamping rings. It was agreed that the use of a textile “containing bag” around the Covelle bag should not be investigated further since this is not acceptable to Dow.
With regard to the filling process, this is now achieved under more carefully controlled conditions in which the bag is first packed with the beads. The fill liquid is then introduced at a flow rate which is controlled more precisely than hitherto by a system of valves and a hydrostatic liquid supply tank. So far, only the low viscosity liquid has been used and it is recognised that a more sophisticated liquid filling method (incorporating a heater) may be needed before the more viscous fill liquids can be investigated.
- Beam testing
It was stated that work on the beams was underway, even though improvements to the construction and filling of the bags can be expected to continue. The performance of bags of length 190, 380, 570 mm (approximately) will be measured. The apparatus for these tests continues to be improved e.g. by the addition of clamps attached to the load measuring system, and by appropriately positioned pressure transducers.
- Experimental findings
GG (and SOO) presented the results obtained most recently. These were discussed in considerable detail by those present.
NOTE. All these results will be presented at the next PEDSALi Management Meeting on 29th September so are not circulated herewith.
Force versus displacement and pressure versus displacement data characteristics have been obtained for the Newtonian fluid-based SALi. The tests were limited to the lower velocity levels because of the tendency of the Covelle bag to fail at the seam, or distort badly, under impact. Two different sizes of beads were used. Here, there was some indication that the performance between these did indeed differ along the lines suggested earlier by the core characterisation (piston in cylinder) tests.
The following observations were made: -
(i) Good repeatability was obtained.
(ii) The trends appear to follow those established by the core characterisation tests.
(iii) It will be impossible to achieve the number of tests envisaged in the Project Programme produced by Dow (Peter Cate – July 2003) because clamping the same (long) bag cannot be used if we are to achieve repeatability of the test conditions. This means that a separate filled bag will need to be produced for each and every test.
(iv) The availability of Covelle in the form of a seamless tube would be very helpful, particularly in terms of achieving the project timescales.
- Actions
It was agreed that SOO would approach Dow to request materials, as follows: -
Covelle in tube form or some suitable adhesive
Selection of liquids – with known properties
Beads with controlled sizes – the existing supply is now nearly exhausted.
GG would now concentrate on completing the experiments on the beams and on data reduction. A review of the principal developments is to be given at the next Management Meeting on 29th September 2003.
- T. Turner
School of Engineering
25th September 2003