"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Tag: Mechanical Engineering
How Levees Can Perpetuate Climate Inequality
09/28/19
“How can levees perpetuate climate inequality?”
Levees are used by civil engineers to prevent rivers from overflowing. However, this can cause the flood to become worse at the other end of the levee, and harm an area further down which does not have the capabilities to defend themselves. This is How Levees Can Perpetuate Climate Inequality.
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Biosafety Cabinets
09/25/19
“How do exhaust systems for biology labs work?”
Chemical fume hoods are vital for exhausting noxious fumes from scientific labs. However, biology labs have needs that are more sensitive. Since they are dealing with live organisms, fumes from their lab spaces cannot mix with others and exhaust air will need to be more filtered. For this reason, Specially designed Biosafety Cabinets will have to be used.
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How Climate Change Induced Droughts Will Impinge upon Conventional Power Generation
09/22/19
“How will the increasing frequency of droughts affect conventional power generation?”
Although usually thought of as being completely self-sufficient, conventional power generation relies a great deal on water for its operations. With the increasing frequency of droughts induced by climate change, water will become a more scarce resource in many parts of the globe, therefore reducing a vital feedstock for conventional power. This is How Climate Change Induced Droughts Will Impinge upon Conventional Power Generation.
Levees
09/21/19
“How can we prevent the overflow of rivers using built infrastructure?”
Rivers can be the lifeblood of a community, whether it be for transportation or a source of drinking water. However, when the river floods, it can cause great disaster to a community. So how can we artificially prevent such flooding? Well, what if we were to build barriers right next to the river flow running parallel? These Levees are a staple of river control around the world and have saved countless of lives.
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Ductless Fume Hoods
09/18/19
“How can we have a fume hood without ducts?”
Fume hoods are well known for their ducts. However, is it possible to have fume hoods without ducts? Well, with Ductless Fume Hoods, we can suck up chemical fumes from all over the workplace and filter it out into the atmosphere.
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VAV Fume Hoods
09/17/19
“How can we make fume hoods better performing?”
Fume hoods are a vital component for any scientific lab. Without them dangerous fumes would not be able to be ventilated away and people working in the lab could have their lives at stake. When common solution is to implement a CAV fume hood. However, the fact that the air volume exchange rate does not vary leaves it with performance and energy inefficiencies. This can be solved by implementing VAV Fume Hoods (Variable Air Volume) which can change its air intake when needed. Labs that implement this often see great strides in performance and energy effectiveness.
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CAV Fumehoods
09/16/19
“What are the simplest types of fume hoods?”
Fume hoods are used to take in fumes from chemical lab stations and ventilate them into the atmosphere. The simplest type is where the fume hood releases the same amount of air at a constant rate all the time, no matter what. These CAV Fume hoods (Constant Air Volume) are the simplest type of fume hoods available. The fact that they cannot change their air velocity in response to external stimuli means that they give sub-optimal performance.
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Ducted Fume Hoods
09/15/19
“What is the most common type of fume hood?”
Fume hoods are a vital part of scientific labs. The most common type is usually a Ducted Fume Hood design where conditioned air is drawn from the lab space and siphoned into the outside atmosphere. The simplicity of the design has made it a staple of labs across the world.
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Fume Hoods
09/14/19
“How do scientists ensure that they are safe from chemical fumes in the lab?”
Biology and Chemistry often involve a lot of messy lab work involving chemicals, which may give off dangerous vapors. To prevent these from damaging the air quality in the lab and the health of the denizens, the fumes must be cycled away. This is commonly done through fume hoods, which sucks in air from a workbench and ventilates it to the atmosphere. Fume hoods are a vital part of the safety of every lab and have become a staple of the wet-bench research environment.
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