Tag: Sustainable Engineering

Parallel hybrid vehicle drivetrain

Parallel hybrid vehicle drivetrain

Parallel hybrid vehicle drivetrain

01/09/17

“How can both an electric motor and internal combustion engine be integrated into a hybrid vehicle?”

 

Hybrid cars are truly captivating machines, being able to combine the ingenuity of electric motors with the range of internal combustion engines. However, both of these components are designed to work independently of each other. So how can we use our engineering mindset to create a system that can integrate both types of power sources? Well, let’s think of it. If we think back to electronic circuits, we know that we can have multiple batteries supplying a common load by placing the batteries in parallel with one another. So why not do the same thing with our electric motor and ICE to simultaneously power the wheels? This setup is known as a parallel hybrid vehicle drivetrain and is used to power lower cost hybrid vehicles.

Hybrid cars

Hybrid cars

Hybrid cars

01/08/17

“How can we combine traditional internal combustion engine vehicles with electrical ones?”
Many consumers face a dilemma when purchasing a motorized vehicle. On one hand, they want to be energy efficient and environmentally friendly by purchasing an electric vehicle. On the other hand, they would like to have a large driving range with an internal combustion engine type vehicle. So how can we solve this problem? Well, why can’t have our cake and eat it two by combining them? This is the operating principle behind hybrid car technology, and it is becoming more prevalent in the automobile market every year.

Battery electric vehicles

Battery electric vehicles

Battery electric vehicles

01/07/16

“How can we minimize the impact that cars have on the environment?”

 

As of the time of writing, most cars use internal combustion engines (also knowns as ICEs) to power movement. This technology is highly pollutive and needs to be quelled soon to ensure the survival of humanity. But since cars and road infrastructure have become so intrinsic to the fabric of developed countries, it would consume too much energy to try to replace them all together. So how could we develop cars that are much less damaging to the environment? Well, let’s look at it like engineers would. Most cars use internal combustion engines to induce rotative movement to be transferred to the wheels via a drivetrain. However, this setup can be easily replaced with an electric motor powered by a rechargeable battery. When the car wants to move, the battery simply sends current to the motor to move the drivetrain to move the wheels. These Battery electric vehicles are becoming cheaper by the year, and may one day replace traditional vehicles all together!

Electric vehicle drivetrains

Electric vehicle drivetrains

Electric vehicle drivetrains

01/06/17

“What causes electric vehicles to move?”

 

Drivetrains are responsible for transferring the power from internal combustion engines to the wheels of a car. However, Electric vehicles often lack internal combustion engine technology in place of a motor powered by a battery. So how does the drivetrain for such automobiles differ? Well, let’s use our engineering mindset to solve this problem. We know that motors can be thought of as electrically charged wheels and that wheels connected with a shaft will move together. So how about we implement this type of system into an electric vehicle? If this sounds quite similar to a traditional powertrain, it’s because it actually is! However, electric vehicle powertrains do have a few differences, namely being much less energy intensive (consuming nearly 0% of available energy when compared to the 5-6% of ICE units) and having a more minuscule part count.

Spherical Sun Power Generators

Spherical Sun Power Generators

Spherical Sun Power Generators

“Is the only thing we need for the next solar power revolution  just a simple change of geometry?”
The current design of solar panels have a distinct bottleneck; their rectangular geometry leaves them inefficient for obtaining solar power from the sun since the sun’s rays will be in a sub-optimal direction for most of the time. Solar trackers can also be inefficient and are prone to damage in the rain, so how can we completely transform the way we collect solar power? Well, let’s use our engineering mindset to figure this out. Our goal is to make the design of our solar producing unit so that the sun can be in an optimal angle at all times. If we think back to our geometry class, then we will remember that a sphere is symmetric from all directions. With this knowledge, the German architect Andre Broessel created a Spherical Sun Power Generator. The setup works as follows: A supporting structure will house a spherical lens. This spherical lens will have a dual tracking system structure at the back of it. In this tracking system will be solar cells, which will receive ample sunlight as a result of the focusing effect from the spherical lens. These spherical sun power generators allow for twice the conventional yield in a much smaller surface area, allowing it to even absorb the reflected sun light from the moon!

Grid-tied inverters

Grid-tied inverters

Grid-tied inverters

01/03/17

“How do solar panels connect to the main electrical grid?”

 

Residential solar panels are one of the hottest technologies on the market right now, with a 119% growth rate in the United States alone! However, this most innovative work of machinery comes with one contention. Solar cells will produce DC electricity, while the national grid is structured by AC electricity. Not only that, but solar panels may not be able to power the entirety of your residential unit, especially during power fluctuations. So how can we integrate this technology to achieve technological feasibility? Well, instead of just giving up, let’s be proactive and use our engineering mindsets to solve this problem. Fundamentally, we need some sort of component that can take in DC electricity and convert it into AC electricity. Well, thanks to the hard work of many researchers, a device known as a grid-tied inverter has been produced for this need. Grid-tied inverters will take the direct current electricity generated and convert it into alternating current electricity in sync with the surrounding grid. This technology is not only environmentally but economically green since any excess electricity generated will be sent over the grid, in which the local electric company will be obligated to remunerate you for the electricity being generated. Furthermore, if your housing unit is in need of electricity, then it will be able to siphon energy from the larger grid to complete your needs. There is one drawback to grid-tied inverters however. Due to the connected nature of the technology, when there is a grid blackout, and no micro-grid is present, your solar cells will be shut down as well, impeding a true self-sustaining system.

Green rooftops

Green rooftops

Green rooftops

01/01/16

“How can we fix the problems of conventional rooftops while simultaneously making them friendlier for the environment?”
Traditional rooftops, while useful for insulating us against the hazardous external world, have many drawbacks associated with them. They can get hot in the summer, get moist during the rainy season, and can sometimes be unpleasant to look at. These grievances look like the perfect sort of job for an engineer to solve. To start, we should address the primal causes of the heating and water runoff. What sort of material would be capable of countering these effects? Well, if we look hard enough, then we would be able to discover that plant matter itself would be a perfect substitute. Think about it, they can absorb water, heat and are rather aesthetic. Now, let’s go a step further, and create a green rooftop by covering the surface of our roof with plant matter. Green rooftops can twice as long as traditional rooftops, absorb harmful UV radiation, and provide far superior cooling for hot summer days. There are two types of green rooftops: intensive and extensive. Intensive roofs contain far more developed vegetation, while extensive units are lighter and less complex. A most stalwart example of a green rooftop is the Chicago City Hall (pictured), which combines both types of roofing

Orbiting solar panels

Orbiting solar panels

Orbiting solar panels

12/31/16

“Could we increase the efficiency of solar panels by placing them in Earth’s orbit?”
Our sun is an undoubtedly powerful object, on any given day, the Earth will receive 1.74*10^17 watts every second from it! However, much of this energy will be dispersed through the atmosphere of the Earth, limiting the potential of solar panels. So how could we work around this impinging phenomena? Well, let’s use our engineering mindsets to think outside of the box. Since the power of the sun is only mitigated after it enters the Earth’s atmosphere, wouldn’t it be logical if we were to place solar panels outside of the Earth? This most creative idea is being pursued by the Japanese Space Agency JAXA, where they plan to be able to create wireless power transmission units for orbiting solar panels by the year 2030.

Microgrids

Microgrids

Microgrids

12/29/16

“Is it possible to have your own autonomous grid?”
Electrical grids usually have a leviathan-like size to them. This immense magnitude often comes with numerous drawbacks, such as lack of autonomy for local stations in case of a power outage. So what if were to develop our own grid that would connect and disconnect at will to the larger grid? This is the fundamental idea behind a technology that engineers term a microgrid. Microgrids are self-sustaining structures that can be separated from the larger grid through the use of a switch. Because of their autonomous nature, microgrids can be used to create stable islanding areas with renewable energies. These islanded microgrids are often used for high-security areas, such as the Alameda County Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, California.