Category: Engineering

Magnetic repulsion bearings

Magnetic repulsion bearings

Magnetic repulsion bearings

04/16/17

“Can we use magnetism to improve bearings?”

 

Normal bearings use mechanical forces to lock onto a rotor. However, this method can be made highly inefficient due to heat and frictional losses resulting from contact. However, can we use our engineering mindset to improve this system? Well, to start, let’s look at the root of the problem, the mechanical contact. If we remove this feature, then our system can work with much fewer impingements. One way to create a non-contact grip is to use a magnetic force. So what if we made bearings that make use of magnetic levitation technology to keep in contact? Well, this is the exact idea behind magnetic repulsion bearings, which use a repulsive force to achieve passive levitation. Not only does the repulsion effect keep the bearing afloat, but it also introduces a self-centering mechanism, so if one part becomes to close it will be repelled away.

Thorium energy

Thorium energy

Thorium energy

04/15/17

“Wait, there’s another way to make nuclear energy?”
Traditional nuclear power plants use the decomposition of uranium 235 through fission to generate energy. However, This process is unstable and dangerous. But is there another way that we can generate nuclear energy? Well, let’s use our engineering mindset to find out. If look into fundamental chemistry, we will run into a most peculiar atom known as thorium. When Thorium is hit by an extra neutron, it will begin a decay process that ends with a transformation into uranium 233, which will produce energy when the object itself is hit by a neutron.  One of the primary benefits of thorium energy is that it does not produce Uranium 238, therefore being much less pollutive on a 10,000-year scale, as well as being more plentiful. Many countries (notably India and China) are looking in to develop their own Thorium energy systems, and it might prove to be the nuclear power of the future.

Pipeline transport

Pipeline transport

Pipeline transport

04/14/17

“How can we move fuel over long distances?”

 

Human infrastructure has a logistics problem. The resources needed for the operation of our civilization (such as water and petroleum) are produced in locations far, far away from where they are consumed. So how can we devise a mechanism to transport these materials over long distances? Well, let’s use our engineering mindset to solve this problem. We know that these resources are often extracted in fluid form. And we know that one way to transport fluids is to use piping systems. So what if we were to use giant pipelines strewn throughout the landscape for the transportation of this material? Well, it turns out that pipeline transport of resources is more than a theoretical idea but a practical reality, and is used by almost every country in the world.

Hydrogen pipelines

Hydrogen pipelines

Hydrogen pipelines

04/13/17

“How is hydrogen transported?”

 

Hydrogen is one of the most fundamental resources for modern day infrastructure. However, since hydrogen is a raw resource produced far away from the areas that it is used in, it must be transported in some fashion. So how exactly is this accomplished? Well, let’s use our engineering mindset to find out. Well, we know that fluids can be easily moved through piping systems. And we also know that raw hydrogen often takes the form of a fluid. So wouldn’t it be logical to use specialized hydrogen pipelines to transport hydrogen to its specified location? Well, it turns out that engineers all over the world have implemented this technology, ranging from the Netherlands to Lousiana.

Nuclear fuel rods

Nuclear fuel rods

Nuclear fuel rods

04/11/17

“What holds nuclear fuel during fission?”

 

It is a well-known fact that nuclear reactors obtain their energy from fissionable materials. However, how exactly is this material fed to create nuclear energy? Well, let’s take use our engineering mindsets to find out. Upon inspection, we can observe that nuclear fuel takes the shape of cylindrical objects known as pellets, which are encased in solid nuclear fuel rods. These nuclear fuel rods are then grouped together in assemblies, and in turn form the bulk of nuclear power generation

Compact fluorescent lights

Compact fluorescent lights

Compact fluorescent lights

03/09/17

“How do the lights in our households and workplaces work?”
With the advent of energy efficiency standards, most light bulbs in our homes, schools, and workplaces are now based upon fluorescent lighting technology. However, how exactly do these compact fluorescent lights? Well, let’s use our engineering mindset to find out. Let’s start by taking apart a fluorescent light bulb. If we do so, we will notice that there are three components: A screw base, an electronic ballast, and a spiral lamp. The base is the “bottom” portion used to fit the lamp into a lamp holder. Next, in the interior, the electronic ballast consists of a complex circuit. The electronic ballast will take in AC electricity from the grid at one phase and convert it into AC electricity at a much higher phase. This “stepped up” AC electricity will allow for a frequently changing current, which will be useful in exciting the surrounding gas to produce light. CFLs are up to 4 times more efficient than traditional incandescent lights and last ten times as long, while also being far more efficient (in fact, a CFL bulb can reduced carbon emissions by over a half a ton over the course of its lifetime!).

Fluorescent light bulbs

Fluorescent light bulbs

Fluorescent light bulbs

04/08/17

“How do fluorescent light bulbs work?”
All around the world, conventional filament-based light bulbs are being phased out in favor of this technology called fluorescent light bulbs. However, what exactly are these devices and how do they work? Well, let’s use our engineering mindset to find out. All electrical devices start with two components, an anode and a cathode. Now, electrical lights work by passing a current through the anode and cathode to generate current. Fluorescent light bulbs use a most ingenious way to accomplish this, instead of using a current to heat up a wire, the ends of the electrodes are separated by a mercury-containing gas. When electrons are passed through this material, they will collide with the mercury atoms which will become “excited” and release ultraviolet rays. The tube that connects both electrodes will be coated in a special coat that absorbs the dangerous UV rays and releases safe white light, therefore providing safe and efficient lighting. Fluorescent bulbs can produce between 50 and 100 lumens per watt., making them four to six times more efficient than incandescent bulbs

Supergrids

Supergrids

Supergrids

04/07/17

“Could we make a grid that could cross continents?”
Imagine this. What if at some point in the future there could be an electrical grid system so advanced that it would be able to span entire continents, such that solar energy from sun-kissed areas such as Sub-Saharan Africa or Israel would be able to power dreary countries such as the Netherlands or Poland, or wind power from Brazil traversing its way through the amazons to light up the Peruvian capital of Lima before sundown. Well, believe or not, this technology is in development as we speak. Researchers from around the world are working on creating a technology known as a supergrid. Supergrids are HVDC-based grids that can surpass the past roadblocks of more primitive DC networks by using circuit breakers to cut malfunctioning power lines from contaminating the rest of the grid.  

Wide area synchronous grids

Wide area synchronous grids

Wide area synchronous grids

05/06/17

“How do electrical grids operate at large scale?”

 

Electrical grids are one of the life beds of modern infrastructure. However, since the power demands of humanity are too large for a single system to handle, the grid must be grouped into different synchronous “zones” to ensure smooth operation. Because of this, engineers have designed a framework that uses multiple distinct areas called wide area synchronous grids (WASGs) to operate at a synchronized frequency. WASGs in North America typically operate at 60Hz, while ones in Europe work at 50Hz. Interconnections between grids can be made by using HVDC lines. WASGs allow for energy generation pooling, which allows for lower generation costs.