Month: July 2017

How installing a microgrid can save money

How installing a microgrid can save money

How installing a microgrid can save money

07/12/17

“Is it possible for a town to save money by installing a microgrid?”
One of the biggest criticisms of microgrids is that they are too expensive to implement. However, the town of Sterling, Massachusetts proves that wrong. Sterling Massachusetts has recently installed a 2-megawatt battery attached to a microgrid with a 3-megawatt solar panel that can support the town’s police station and emergency dispatch center for at least two weeks in case of an emergency situation. During peak use, the batteries can discharge and power homes, eliminating the need for external energy transmission. This technology saves the town up to $400K per year and is attracting visitors from Japan to Germany. Read more Sterling here.

Malaria

Malaria

Malaria

07/12/17

“What is Malaria?”

 

Mosquitos spread all sorts of diseases. However, one of their more infamous ones is known as Malaria. Malaria is characterized by high fevers, chills, and muscle pain. Malaria can be treated with medicines, but are not always effective due to possible bio-resistance by certain strands of the Malaria parasite. Malaria is commonly found in Asia, Latin America, and Africa

Convection heating

Convection heating

Convection heating

07/11/17

“How can we heat spaces using gas?”
With space heating, we can keep our buildings at a warm temperature no matter the weather outside. However, what is one way that we can implement this? Well, let’s use our engineering mindset to find out. We know that processes in nature can raise their temperature using convection. So why don’t we just imitate this and use convection heating? To do this, let’s take some air, and channel it across a heating element to warm it up, and then mix it into a local space. This method is widely used across buildings worldwide.

Space heating

Space heating

Space heating

07/10/17

“How can we keep spaces in buildings warm?”

 

Buildings are the most common form of shelter for humans. They can provide simple comfort, warmth, and protection from the exterior world. However, they are subject to variations which make them less habitable, such as unwanted changes in temperature. So how could we use our engineering mindset to solve this problem? Well, we know that most of the heat in buildings is caused by the gaseous atmosphere inside it. So what if we were to pump a gas with a higher temperature into the living space? Well, this is the fundamental idea behind space he ing, and is used everyday by people all over the world

Surveying trilateration

Surveying trilateration

Surveying trilateration

07/09/17

“What is the modern method for surveying?”

 

Surveying through triangulation can be a painful and arduous task whose accuracy is limited by larger distances. So how can we make a rethink of surveying methods to take into account modern technology? Well, let’s use our engineering mindsets to think about it. We know that we can control the emission of light and microwaves and that these can reflect off surfaces all while moving at the speed of light. So what if we were to use this timed response to infer the distance traveled between two points? Well, this method for surveying is known as trilateration and has become widely used in civil engineering

Control systems

Control systems

Control systems

07/08/17

“How are complex engineering systems controlled?”

 

In the modern world of engineering, devices and processes are no longer operated in a purely mechanical format. Instead, they now have a network of sensors and actuators that allow for programmable movement and operation. However, what exactly causes these systems to move? Well, after many years of incremental development, engineers have designed something known as control systems to manage all operations. Control systems are the programmable logic that allows engineering systems to operate. Engineers that work with control systems are known as control systems engineers.

Parasites

Parasites

Parasites

07/07/17

“Do some organisms require the suffering of another to survive?”

 

One of the most important factors for the survival of organisms is to be able to obtain nutrients. Some obtain it through absorbing sunlight, some through consuming other creatures. And all organisms also need a habitat  (a place to live). But some organisms are quite special in the fact that their living food source and habitat are one in the same. Specifically, they live by stealing nutrients from a hosting animal. These animals are known as parasites and can be found all over the world, from mites on your hairs to tapeworms in a stomach

Using infrared sensing to see through objects

Using infrared sensing to see through objects

Using infrared sensing to see through objects

07/06/17

“Can we see through objects using infrared sensors?”

 

Wouldn’t it be cool if we could see through objects without X-rays? It would be really useful for applications such as scientific research and security, and we would not have to deal with harmful radiation. Luckily, Scientists and Engineers have discovered that some objects such as shopping bags that are opaque in the visible spectrum are actually transparent in the infrared spectrum!

Theodolites

Theodolites

Theodolites

07/05/17

“What instrument do we use to perform surveying?”

 

Surveying is a very intricate science. Since we are measuring areas to be used for structural bedrock, we have to be accurate to the millimeter. However, what machines do we use to accomplish this? Well, let’s use our engineering mindset to find out. Before we need to measure the lengths, we also need to measure angles. And often times, we can use a distant object for a reference. So what if we were to get a telescope, put it on a tripod to stabilize it, and then add circumference measures so we can focus at some point and measure the angles? Well, this is the basic idea behind a theodolite and is the vital tool for surveying