Category: Engineering

Driving cycle

Driving cycle

Driving cycle

04/26/17

“How do engineers analyze the speed of an automobile?”
The Automobile is one of the most omnipresent devices on the planet. And as such, when being analyzed, all studies must be done with great precision. So how can engineers look at one component, velocity, with extreme detail? Well, thanks to the hard labors of many researchers, a tool known as the drive cycle has been developed. In essence, a drive cycle is a collection of data points representing a vehicle’s velocity in contrast to time. This system is often used by engineers to estimate the amount of fuel that a car has used since a car operating at higher speeds will burn more petroleum.

Boilers

Boilers

Boilers

04/25/17

“How can we use machines to heat up fluids?”
We use warm fluids in our lives every day, whether it be in the showers we take, the HVAC systems that make our homes cozy or in our electrical generators. However, how exactly can we heat up such fluids? Well, let’s use our engineering mindset to find out. We know that if left to the surroundings, the heat from a fluid will radiate out. So if we were to place this fluid into a container, then logically the heat would be trapped inside. Furthermore, let’s control the temperature of this fluid by placing the container near a combustible source as to constantly supply energy. After constructing this, we will have ourselves what engineers have termed a boiler. Such machines are vital to the operation of our infrastructure, whether it be in the engines of trains or for culinary purposes.

Magnetic attraction bearings

Magnetic attraction bearings

Magnetic attraction bearings

04/24/17

“How can we use magnetic attraction to make bearings?”

 

Conventional mechanical bearings are limited by the effects of mechanical friction which impinges their durability, speed, and control. However, by removing physical contact with the shaft, the bearing will become far more optimal. So how could we implement such an idea into reality? Well, one method is to use the physical mechanism of magnetic attraction to remotely control the bearings. Such magnetic attraction bearings would be freed from the limitations of traditional mechanisms and could provide for far more efficiency. However, due to chaotic nature of rotation, a self-centering device must be used with such mechanisms, so that no side becomes too close to the magnetic center and therefore lose balance. Such conundrums can be remedied with magnetic repulsion models.

V-6 engines

V-6 engines

V-6 engines

04/23/17

“How can we make an engine with six pistons?”

 

Most non-American car models are powered by conventional four-piston engines. However, such technology can be slow and weak. So how could we create a new engine that would be faster and offer more powerful acceleration? Well, let’s use our engineering mindset to figure this out. We know that one of the bottlenecks of four-stroke engines is their limited stroking numbers. So what if we were to increase the amount of pistons active? Well, if we were to take six cylinders, put them at 60 degrees from the horizontal (to smoothen vibrational effects) and activated them, we would have an engine that is both compact and powerful. This configuration is known as a V-6 engine, and is used widely by American automobile manufacturers.

Exhaust gas

Exhaust gas

Exhaust gas

04/22/17

“Why do diesel engines vehicles cause pollution?”

 

Every day, you probably hear about how the levels of greenhouse gas concentration in the atmosphere are growing exponentially, and how much of that derives from the use of petroleum vehicles. However, why do such machines cause so much harm? Well, let’s use our scientific mindset to figure this out. Upon analysis, one would be able to obtain that the exhaust gas emitted by vehicles are composed of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and hydrocarbons. These pollutants are potent greenhouse gasses, and can not only impinge upon the health of the atmosphere but the health of human society through the instigation of smog and other health hazards.

Desalination plants

Desalination plants

Desalination plants

04/21/17

“How can we make saltwater drinkable for humans?”

 

Humanity is running into a problem. With each year our water supplies are getting lower and lower. Soon enough, we may not be able to provide ourselves with one of the most basic components of life.

 

But does it have to be this way?
If we apply our engineering mindsets, then we can devise a method for water purification to sustain our livelihoods. To begin, let’s start out with some simple chemistry. 96% of the water on this planet is stored in oceans as salinated water. And because of its salty nature, by default, it is unsafe for human consumption. However, we must take one more fact into consideration, that the evaporation point of liquid water is lower than that of salt. So what if we used some simple logic and create a device that would heat salt water up until the point of evaporation, move it over into another container, and then condense it into drinkable water? Well, this is the fundamental idea behind a system which engineers have termed desalination plants, and are used to treat saltwater around the world. One downside of traditional desalination plants is the vast amount of energy required to heat up the water, taking around 5 kWh for a cubic meter of just fresh water!

Aeroponics

Aeroponics

Aeroponics

04/20/17

“How does NASA grow plants suspended in the air?”

 

With the advent of hydroponics, the roots of plants have been liberated from the soil, allowing for far more sustainable agricultural systems to develop. One of these methods actually involves suspending the roots of the plant in the air and then filling the environment with a nutrient mist. Scientists have termed this process aeroponics, and allows for a higher density yield and allow for the roots to more efficiently absorb oxygen. However, one drawback is that this system must be constantly sprayed with a 35% hydrogen peroxide to prevent the spread of impinging fungi and bacteria. NASA uses aeroponic systems to grow food for astronauts on year long missions.

Heat exchangers

Heat exchangers

Heat exchangers

04/18/17

 

“How can we transfer heat from one fluid to another without them being in contact?”
Fluids are often used as materials to heat other materials. However, sometimes fluids themselves need to be heated. So wouldn’t it be logical if we could use one fluid to heat another? However, there is one problem with this. If we have two fluids come into physical contact with one another, they will usually merge and mix with one another. So how could we prevent such a phenomena from happening? Well, let’s use our engineering mindset to figure this problem out. We know that pipes are a very efficient way to transport fluid phenomena. And we also know that heat can be transferred from inside the pipe to the outside. So what if we were to create a machine that would take on one fluid, extract the heat from it using piping and other mechanisms, and pass it onto a separate fluid? Well, this is the fundamental idea behind a device known as a heat exchanger, and it can be found in a vast multitude of devices, ranging from refrigerators to power plants to diesel engines.

Liquid fluoride thorium reactors

Liquid fluoride thorium reactors

Liquid fluoride thorium reactors

04/17/17

“How can we actually make thorium energy a reality?”
Thorium energy is definitely not like your grandparent’s form of nuclear energy. Because of this, the engineering design for its reactors must be significantly different. First, instead of using liquid water to power this system, why not use liquid fluoride? This element is chemically stable, strong against radiation damage, have a high volumetric heat capacity, and can operate at high temperatures while remaining at normal pressures. Next, let’s think about how to implement this. First, let’s feed the salt into the reactor core. The fission from the thorium/uranium decomposition will heat this salt, which can then be transferred through a pipe to heat up a gas which drives a turbine which created electricity. We can then use the excess salt to flow back into the core to be recycled, and the waste heat from the gas can then be used to desalinate water