"Wisdom begins in wonder" – Socrates
Tag: Mechanical Engineering
Surface Temperature Probes
09/26/18
“How can we measure an object’s surface temperature?”
Engineers and Scientists love to measure things. And one of the most important things to measure is often the surface temperature of objects. So how can we accomplish this? Well, we can use a thermistor with a specialized shape for surface monitoring called a Surface Temperature Probe to accomplish this.
Vibration Isolation
09/25/18
“How can we isolate vital components from isolation?”
Vibrations happen all the time in mechanical systems. But sometimes we may want to protect vital components from them. We can do this using a technique called Vibration Isolation which shields the desired piece of equipment from vibration.
Image credit Wikipedia
Albedometers
09/24/18
“How can we measure the albedo of a surface?”
Knowing the Albedo of a surface is very useful, whether it be for deploying solar energy or making scientific measurements on the moon. But how can we accomplish this? Well, by placing one pyranometer towards the sky and another one facing the surface, we can find how heavy the albedo is. These instruments are known as albedometers and are great for many purposes.
Image credit geneq
How IoT can help Wind Turbine Maintenance
09/21/18
“How can IoT help make sure that wind turbines are operational?”
The Internet of Things is on the rise. From building automation systems to fleet platooning, it can be found everywhere. But did you know that IoT can help Wind Turbine Maintenance? Well, it turns out that by placing sensors which can monitor the performance of internal components, we can predict when systems are going faulty. This will have monumentous implications with the ever-increasing supply of wind energy.
How Adding Fins can Achieve Better Thermal Management
09/17/18
“How can adding fins help thermal management?”
In engineering, objects can overheat from a variety of operations. As a result, they will need some form of thermal dissipation. But how can we do this? Well, let’s use our engineering mindsets to find out. We know that if we add more surface area to an object, then it will be more exposed to the surrounding atmosphere. And if it is more exposed, then more heat transfer will take place. So what if we were to make our system more conductive by adding fins? This is the fundamental idea of How Adding Fins can Achieve Better Thermal Management.
Containment Structures for Phase Changing Materials
09/10/18
“How can we make contain phase-changing materials in building integrated solar PV?”
While building integrated PV holds so much promise for distributed energy generation, inefficiency from overheating can be a terrible bottleneck. This is commonly solved by integrating the structure with some phase-changing materials. But how can we actually mount it onto the system? Well, what if we were to build a containment structure with adiabatic materials at the top and bottom to ensure temperature stability? This is an example of Containment Structures for Phase Changing Materials. An air gap is usually provided at the back to ensure proper cooling. The extra thermal energy from the PCM can also be used to heat vital building components such as water.
Photo credit ClimateTechWiki
Diesel-Electric Transmission
09/09/18
“How do trains and ships convert diesel fuel into electricity?”
Trains and ships are able to move great loads across greater distances through their own internal processes. But how exactly do they accomplish this? Well, it’s quite simple actually. They just hook up a diesel engine to an electric generator to spurn massive amounts of electrical power. This is known as Diesel-electric transmission and can be found everywhere on the planet. If the generator produces enough electricity, then the extra can be stored in a rechargeable battery, making a quasi-hybrid system!
Image credit Wikipedia
Residential Batteries as a part of a Virtual Power Plant
09/01/18
“How can homeowners be apart of a virtual power plant?”
With the advent of the distributed energy future, residential batteries and virtual power plants are on the rise. However, can they interact with each other in any way? It turns out that through smart coordination, Residential Batteries can be apart of a Virtual Power Plant! This gives high hopes for homeowners who want to do their part to spread renewable energy.
Photo credit blog.csiro.au
Thermal Mass
08/29/18
“How do buildings react to temperature changes?”
We have a conundrum. Temperatures change throughout the day, but inside a building it’s supposed to stay constant. And since some buildings are better about it than others, how can we quantify this phenomenon? Well, since this concept is a lot like inertia, Architectural Engineers have decided to call this Thermal Mass.
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