Category: Engineering

X-bar Charts

X-bar Charts

X-bar Charts

02/12/18

“How can we use statistics to describe industrial quality?”

 

Even with the most perfect manufacturing processes, flaws are expected to happen during production. As such, we need a way to quantify how stable a given industrial output is. So how can we use our engineering mindset to solve this? Well, we know that if an item’s measurements become three standard levels of deviations outside of the mean, then it is probably unusable. So what if we were to create a chart that would graph the average of all measurements for each part with along with the mean and the tolerance levels so we can visually see anything out of the ordinary? Well, this is called an X-bar Chart and the control limits can be calculated by the formula UCL/LCL = (mean of all measurements) +/- 3*(standard deviation of all measurements)/sqrt(number of measurements per sample).

 

Battery-Powered Planes

Battery-Powered Planes

Battery-Powered Planes

02/11/18

“How can we make planes that do not rely on fuel?”

 

As it stands, the vast majority of the world’s air travel infrastructure rests upon hydrocarbon-based fuel. However, is there a more sustainable model to this approach? Well, if we use our engineering mindset, then we would be able to see that this jet fuel is fundamentally just energy storage, and that another option is batteries. Therefore, we can create battery-powered planes in place of their traditional alternatives. One caveat is that current battery technologies have 1/60th the energy density of plane fuels, making them a much less viable option.

How Distributed Energy Resources Help National Security

How Distributed Energy Resources Help National Security

How Distributed Energy Resources Help National Security

02/10/18

“Does implementing distributed energy resources and national security go hand in hand?”

 

It is usually thought that renewable energy sources such as solar and wind cause danger onto communities due to their lack of centralization. However, can this feature actually be a security advantage? Well, it turns out that by having energy generation be distributed instead of in a centralized location like a power plant, the grid becomes less prone to attacks and can recuperate much faster in case of such an event. Therefore, Distributed Energy Resources actually help national security!

 

Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems

Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems

Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems

02/09/18

“How can we create a central management system for distributed energy resources?”

 

Without a doubt, distributed energy resources are the way of the future. With their ability to efficiently generated clean and renewable energy in optimal locations, they can make a truly sustainable civilization possible. However, if left unregulated, they can wreak havoc on the grid, and destroy an efficiency associated with them. So how can we use our engineering mindsets to solve this problem? Well, what if we were to create a centralized control system that could monitor and actuate upon these systems? Well, this is the main idea behind Distributed Energy Resource Management Systems, and are a very hot topic for the future of energy research!

Bidirectional Electricity Flow

Bidirectional Electricity Flow

Bidirectional Electricity Flow

02/08/18

“Can electricity flow in two directions between appliances and suppliers?”

 

In the 20th century, electricity distribution was thought to be a unidirectional, constant supply given from a generator to a sink. However, with the advent of the Smart Grid, this paradigm is now shifting. Distributed energy can be generated on site from home solar and electrical vehicles and then be fed back into the grid, therefore creating Bidirectional Electricity Flow.

Oscilloscopes

Oscilloscopes

Oscilloscopes

02/07/18

“How can we analyze varying voltages?”

 

With the invention of alternating current, voltages are no longer buying too strict linear patterns. In fact, many now oscillate in a sinusoidal fashion. But how can we analyze this voltage? Well, what if we were to simply hook up our circuit to a machine that can visualize these voltage swings in real time? This is the idea behind an oscilloscope and is used in engineering laboratories all over the world.

Ramjets

Ramjets

Ramjets

02/06/18

“How can we make a jet that has an engine without a compressor?”

 

Jets are some of the most powerful machines that humans have made. However, their engines often have many fancy parts such as compressors which could result in numerous complications. So how can we completely redesign the jet engine? Well, let’s use our engineering mindset to think of this. We know that when an object goes really fast, then the air around it will also move very fast because of Newton’s third law. And if we are able to guide this air into a constricted area, then its pressure would rise immensely. And this pressure can then be used to produce thrust. So what if we were to have an aircraft move through at ultra-high velocities, capture in the surrounding air into its engines, compress it into a small area, and then heat it up to produce thrust? Well, this is the fundamental idea behind ramjets. Ramjets are able to travel much more efficiently at high velocities when compared to their traditional counterparts but require prior movement in order to operate.

Metal Film Resistors

Metal Film Resistors

Metal Film Resistors

02/05/18

“How can we make higher quality resistors?”

 

Carbon film resistors are great for being cheap circuit components. However, sometimes we need something much more specialized. To solve this let’s use our engineering mindset. What if we were to take a non-conducting body, wrap a thin piece of metal around it, and attach it to a circuit? This would limit the flow of electrons greatly, and also ensure is that the system would be tolerance against temperature changes. This is known as a metal film resistor and is a great application for high-frequency devices.

Refrigerants

Refrigerants

Refrigerants

02/04/18

“What is the working fluid for an HVAC system?”

 

HVAC (Heating Ventilation And Control) systems are some of the most important inventions for human living conditions by transferring heat from one place to another. Because of them, people can live hospitable lives in inhospitable environments. However, in order to work, they need a working fluid called a refrigerant. Refrigerants are a gas or liquid with a high thermal conductivity that is used for heat transfer. Common refrigerants include freon, hydrocarbons, and chlorofluorocarbons.