Category: Engineering

Pull-up Resistors

Pull-up Resistors

Pull-up Resistors

02/21/18

“How can we make sure that buttons on a microcontroller work?”

 

Microcontrollers are the backbone of modern-day mechatronics systems. However, the default circuitry has a serious problem. When a button is not pressed, the input automatically reads ground. This can cause serious misreadings to happen, which can cause the microcontroller to crash! So how can we use our engineering mindset to solve this problem? Well, what if we were to simply add a resistor to the input voltage? This way, when the switch is grounded, we can have the system read “High” instead of ground!

Fuel Injection Systems

Fuel Injection Systems

Fuel Injection Systems

02/20/18

“How exactly is fuel supplied to an ICE vehicle?”

 

Oil is what keeps old-fashioned internal-combustion engine vehicles going. If it wasn’t for a constant supply of this dangerous liquid, then all of the cars on the road would freeze up! However, how exactly is fuel supplied to a vehicle’s internal combustion engine? Well, let’s use our engineering mindsets to find out. An internal combustion engine is housed in a cylinder. And naturally, if we open up ports to this cylinder, then we can let fluids in. So what if we were to create an opening that would allow us to inject fuel when we need it? Well, this is known as a fuel injection system and is one of the most fundamental components of a car system.

Finite-State Machine

Finite-State Machine

Finite-State Machine

02/19/18

“How do most mechatronic industrial machines operate?”

 

Believe it or not, most modern day industrial mechatronic devices share a common operating principle. But how exactly does this work? Well, let’s use our engineering mindset to find out. When running through their cycles, they are in one state at a time. Whether it be an elevator changing floors or a car starting its motors. And if they want to change states, then a certain condition needs to be satisfied, such as reaching the destination floor or reaching full speed. Resultantly, this system architecture is called a Finite-State Machine and is one of the most common examples in the world.

The Critical Radius

The Critical Radius

The Critical Radius

02/18/2018

“What is the most optimal radius for insulation?”

 

It is usually thought that if one wants to provide more insulation to an object, then all they have to do is add more layers. However, if this also increases the surface area of an object, which can cause the heat loss by convection to increase as well. If the insulation becomes too large, then the convection effect actually takes over! So how can we find the most optimal radius for convection? Well, if we use our knowledge of heat transfer and calculus, then we can find out that the critical radius r for a cylinder is equal to k/h and 2k/h for a sphere, where k is the conductive heat transfer coefficient and h is the convective heat transfer coefficient.

Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting

Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting

Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting

02/16/18

“Can we make energy by just walking on floor tiles?”

 

The ground floor of a building is typically thought of being statics and unuseful. But can we use our engineering mindset to change this? Well, energy generation often requires some sort of change of state in a system to happen. And in buildings, one change that is always happening is people’s movement. Specifically, people seem to be stepping everywhere to get somewhere. With this motion, pressure is exerted on the ground of a building. And if we take a note from our knowledge of circuits, then we know that we can create an electric current through this pressure with piezoelectricity. Therefore, if we implement piezoelectric tiles in a building, we can create a Piezoelectric Energy Harvesting framework. Researchers at San Jose State University are studying this field, and are hoping to implement a working piezoelectric tile by the end of Spring 2019.

Brownouts

Brownouts

Brownouts

02/15/18

“What happens when there is an unintentional drop in electric voltage in a power supply system?”

 

What roads were to Rome the electric grid is to modern civilization. Like a heart pumping blood to the rest of the body, the grid ensures that every component receives enough vital supplies. But sometimes, there is not enough voltage to go around, and as a result components will need to take a drop in voltage. This phenomenon is known as a brownout, and can lead to unexpected results like all of the lights in the city dimming down or space heaters losing their practical functionality.

Dwell Mechanisms

Dwell Mechanisms

Dwell Mechanisms

02/14/18

“How can we design a linkage to allow an element to stay in one place on command?”

 

Linkages are some of the most beautiful contraptions in the science of engineering. However, one problem is that when one part moves, all parts seem to move at the same time.

 

But does this have to happen?

 

If we think back to circles, we can see that if we place a line on the radius and revolves it, no matter what direction that link moves the center will stay put. So what if we were to simply put a link’s end on the centerpiece? Well, this is the basic idea behind something known as a Dwell Mechanism. Dwell mechanisms can also be shaped such that they change position when their connecting link moves past a certain angle, as seen in link EF the figure.

The Problem with Battery-Powered Planes

The Problem with Battery-Powered Planes

The Problem with Battery-Powered Planes

02/13/18

“What do we need to overcome before we make battery-powered planes?”

 

Although promising, battery-powered planes have a major hurdle to overcome before they make any major traction. As it stands, electrochemical batteries have only 1/60th the energy density of conventional plane fuels. This is further compounded by the fact that such batteries are heavier to equip, meaning more weight on the aircraft and a reduced ability to fly. However, if we can overcome these problems, whether it be through a new type of battery or improved electrical motors, then battery-powered planes are poised to disrupt the entire aviation industry!