"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Category: Engineering
Superchargers
10/05/17
“How can we increase the pressure and density of air supplied to an internal combustion engine?”
Internal combustion engines are famous can consume a lot of energy. However, we can drastically reduce the amount of energy to power them by pre-increasing the pressure and density of supply air with a special type of compressor called a supercharger. Superchargers come in many different varieties and can be found in automobiles all over the world.
Water Heat Recycling
10/04/17
“How can we recycle some of the warm water from our showers?”
There is something very wrong with our water use. We spend a great deal of energy making hot water for our showers, and once it’s used it gets completely wasted! So how can we use our engineering mindset to solve this problem? Well, we know that this hot water has a certain amount of energy associated with it. And we also know that we can extract some of this energy to perform useful processes. So what if we were to take the wasted water and run it through a heat exchanger to warm some other water? This could save us a large amount of time and energy dedicated since if we wanted to warm up the other water to be used in household applications, we would need less energy. This is the fundamental idea behind Water Heat Recycling and is used in buildings all over the world.
How microgrids can help get Puerto Rico back on its feet
10/03/17
“How can the people of Puerto Rico use microgrid technology to help get their infrastructure up and running?”
For those of you who are out of the loop, a recent hurricane has totaled the energy infrastructure of Puerto Rico. As much as 95% of the island is out of power, affecting around 3.5 million individuals! But how can the people of Puerto Rico use their engineering mindset to fix this problem? Well, if they have been keeping up on recent trends, then they might have heard of a little technology called microgrids. They can be set up much quicker than for a centralized grid to be repaired and are even cheaper to run. The German company Sonnen GmbH is already supplying the people of Puerto Rico with these much-needed systems.
Autonomous Buildings
10/02/17
“Can we create buildings that provide all of its own needs?”
Buildings are traditionally created with the assumption that all resources such as energy and water will be provided by an external source. But what if our area does not have such a privilege? Well, what if we to use our engineering mindset to make buildings that provide their own necessities, such as using onsite generation for electricity, recycling water systems, and even hydroponics for food? Well, this is the fundamental idea behind autonomous buildings and is an idea to be taken into great consideration for future architects and engineers.
Louvers
10/01/17
“How can we have open windows that prevent rain from coming in?”
Open windows can be great for letting in air and light to brighten up a home. However, one downside is that they can’t protect buildings from the rain. So can we use our engineering mindset to fix this? So what if we were to simply add in blinds with horizontal slants? This would protect us any vertically following objects. Well, this machine is known as a louver and is used in homes around the world as a low-cost solution for internal climate control.
Barrier pipes
09/30/17
“How can we make pipes that are resistant to corrosion?”
We need pipes to transport into our homes water and other fluids necessary for survival. However, the interface of these fluids can interact with the pipe casing and cause corrosion, which can make the material dangerous for use. So how can we use our engineering mindset to fix this problem? Well, what if we were to develop a pipe whose material is impenetrable to oxygen? Well, this is the idea behind a technology known as barrier pipes and is used in residential units around the world.
District Cooling
09/29/17
“Is there a cooling equivalent to district heating?”
District heating is great for delivering hot fluids to a local community. But sometimes we want things to be cooled instead. So is it possible to create a cooling equivalent to district heating? Well, it turns out that engineers have created something called district cooling which can store and transport chilled water at command!
Ducts
09/28/17
“How can we direct the flow of air?”
HVAC systems often rely on the flow of air for operation. However, since air is a gas, it can be very difficult to control. So how can we use our engineering mindsets to contain it? Well, let’s think back to some basic principles. We know that that gas is a fluid. And we already know that one method for transporting another type of fluid (liquids) is to use pipes. So what if we were to make a conduit that does this same exact mechanism except for gases? Well, it turns out that this system is actually one of the most widely used HVAC structures on the planet, and has been termed a duct by engineers.
Impellers
09/27/17
“How can we add energy to a fluid with one simple part?”
Fluids are so useful for doing things! But sometimes our fluid doesn’t have enough energy inside it. So how can we use our engineering mindset to solve this problem? Well, what if we were to use a mechanical motor with a hole in it, and if we were to pass our fluid through it? Then the fluid would gain energy from the rotational motion. Well, it turns out that this solution actually works and is known as an impeller. This added energy can change the pressure of a fluid, and energy can even be decreased if we use smart planning! In fact, it turns out that turbines are a specific form of an impeller.
