Engineering competition

[piasabird]

Wireless Energy Consumption Monitor or a device to take the energy you use now and use it better. I have seen some generator systems that use a device like this. They claim it can help you use less energy overall. Think of it as a computerized box that monitors how you use energy and manages its use better.

A clean way to burn coal for energy to fight back the use of electric rate hikes. I have been thinking lately we really need to cut back on electricity usage. Something simple like a motion detector for the bathroom might be nice.

I was thinking the other day about whether we can really trust electricity meters on houses. How do you know the electric company isnt cheating us? What if the way they install the mains to the house are causing a phantom load or something like that. The power box in a house has all of these circuits with circuit breakers. They may not be that efficient and may be using too much electricity. Reengineering a wiring pattern could save the homeowner money. When electircity passes over wire it causes resistence. That resistence uses power. By reducing the resistence, or possible more centrally locating the Power box there may be a way to save maybe 10% or your elecricity. It may be better to to split up the circuit breakers and have more electricity traveling over larger gauge wires to mini-junction boxes.

I have often wondered if a 220 volt system would use less power. The theory behind High tension power lines is they waste less electricity.

You might try looking at www.homepower.com

Maybe using a battery system to load power at night and then use it during peak power time usage when they charge more can reduce the power bill. Think of it as a giant UPS for a house.

 

[Biosylum]

I'd like to hook up with someone with skills that could hack an optical mouse into a REM state/eye movement recognition system. There are expensive systems made for this, and inexpensive homebuilt systems that do the job too, but I think a mouse could be pared down to do this well, and perhaps some simple software do illicite lucid dreaming recognition. Anyone else care to rattle this idea around with me?

 

[PowerEngineer]

Originally posted by: piasabird
I was thinking the other day about whether we can really trust electricity meters on houses. How do you know the electric company isnt cheating us? What if the way they install the mains to the house are causing a phantom load or something like that. The power box in a house has all of these circuits with circuit breakers. They may not be that efficient and may be using too much electricity. Reengineering a wiring pattern could save the homeowner money. When electircity passes over wire it causes resistence. That resistence uses power. By reducing the resistence, or possible more centrally locating the Power box there may be a way to save maybe 10% or your elecricity. It may be better to to split up the circuit breakers and have more electricity traveling over larger gauge wires to mini-junction boxes.

I have often wondered if a 220 volt system would use less power. The theory behind High tension power lines is they waste less electricity.

You might try looking at www.homepower.com

Maybe using a battery system to load power at night and then use it during peak power time usage when they charge more can reduce the power bill. Think of it as a giant UPS for a house.

Yes, you can generally trust your electric meter (just as much as any of your other electronic devices). Local electric companies are more thoroughly regulated than most other industries; there's not much chance they are cheating you (much more likely that they are cheated by their customers who tamper with meters or bypass them).

Electric companies have nothing to do with the installation of wiring in houses or businesses; that is governed by local building regulations and national electric codes.

(Short of superconduction) resistance is an unavoidable characteristic of any electrical conductor. Current flowing through resistance causes some energy loss (a small fraction of a percent in home wiring). Resistance can be reduced by using materials with lower resistance, using thicker wire, and keeping the lengths of wire short. Current (to deliver a given amount of power) can be reduced by using higher voltage. These losses in the average house are already so small that no further reductions in losses could deliver anything within a couple of orders of magnitude of 10% of your energy consumption.

Finding ways to move energy consumption from "heavy load" to "light load" hours will only money out if your utility uses "time of day" metering. Otherwise, you'll see the same charges regardless of when you use the energy. You might want to consider something other than batteries for storage. A system that heated (or cooled) some mass at night so that it could then help maintain temperatures during the day might make sense.

And... Yes, I do work for an electric utility.

 

[CycloWizard]

Originally posted by: Biosylum
I'd like to hook up with someone with skills that could hack an optical mouse into a REM state/eye movement recognition system. There are expensive systems made for this, and inexpensive homebuilt systems that do the job too, but I think a mouse could be pared down to do this well, and perhaps some simple software do illicite lucid dreaming recognition. Anyone else care to rattle this idea around with me?

One of my old roommates is a programmer that writes the software for these things... I also work with a guy here who made an optical mouse that could be used in MRIs (i.e. he made the whole thing completely metal-free). And I work with eyeballs. We should be able to come up with something.

 

[Biosylum]

So not to hijack his thread -ygpm cyclowiz

 

[patentman]

How bout a paintbrush for painting window trim? Current brushes slop up the glass too much if you don't creep along.

 

[patentman]

Originally posted by: Gannon

Originally posted by: yh125d
I'm gonna be competing in an Engimeering competition in early May. Our objective is to invent a product or improve upon an existing design. The problem is, me and my team are having trouble thinking of viable ideas. Anyone have some suggestions? It could range from an improved spatula to a super-efficient vehicle. No idea is a dumb idea. TIA

Here's 1 : A kitchen stove with wireless connection to your PC or cellphone that rings you when your food is done... I got tonnes of ideas... lol, if you need some just PM me.

internet controlled stove already exists.

 

[Gannon]

Originally posted by: patentman

Originally posted by: Gannon

Originally posted by: yh125d
I'm gonna be competing in an Engimeering competition in early May. Our objective is to invent a product or improve upon an existing design. The problem is, me and my team are having trouble thinking of viable ideas. Anyone have some suggestions? It could range from an improved spatula to a super-efficient vehicle. No idea is a dumb idea. TIA

Here's 1 : A kitchen stove with wireless connection to your PC or cellphone that rings you when your food is done... I got tonnes of ideas... lol, if you need some just PM me.

internet controlled stove already exists.

oh does it, how usable is it for the common person? Is it a high end item only? Or is it insanely expensive?

Just because it exists does not mean:

1) It was designed well for the least common denominator
2) Cheap enough for people to afford and
3) Usability is so indispensable that people make it their first choice.

Good engineers add value to people's lives. Free up peoples time or make tools that are indispensable on the whole.

 

[colincsl]

This sounds like the full year project for Engineering Design and Development (the capstone course for Project Lead the Way). The class I am in is a bit of a joke. Me and two others have spent most of the year (minus two or three months) doing research and redesigning a chicken wing dip container (you can never get all of the dip out of current models!).

Think of something simple. You don't appear to have much time for this "competition." The paintbrush idea could work.

 

[gsellis]

Or a mousetrap Everyone focuses on the killing piece. Design one for using with peanut butter as the chief design feature.

 

[Pulsar]

Design a device that fits onto the top of a common pop-bottle. When you suck on it, you get the pop. When you don't, it seals so it can't decarbonate.

I'm thinking some type of modified ball-valve would do the job, eh?

 

[CycloWizard]

Originally posted by: Pulsar
Design a device that fits onto the top of a common pop-bottle. When you suck on it, you get the pop. When you don't, it seals so it can't decarbonate.

I'm thinking some type of modified ball-valve would do the job, eh?

A very good idea. It might be simplified with a slight modification: just have a gravity-driven valve. The valve could be shaped like a truncated cone with a ball in it. When the container is not vertical, the ball moves outward from the bottom (truncated point) of the cone, allowing the fluid to flow. Set the container down again and the ball falls back into place. *runs to the patent office*

 

[patentman]

Originally posted by: Pulsar
Design a device that fits onto the top of a common pop-bottle. When you suck on it, you get the pop. When you don't, it seals so it can't decarbonate.

I'm thinking some type of modified ball-valve would do the job, eh?

Not to nitpick, but if the bottle is PET it will still decarbonate even if the lid is sealed. A really impressive feat would be to develop a thermoplastic composition that is non-toxic, cheap, and not CO2 permeable when molded into a sheet at pop bottle thickness.

 

[patentman]

Originally posted by: Gannon
oh does it, how usable is it for the common person? Is it a high end item only? Or is it insanely expensive?

Just because it exists does not mean:

1) It was designed well for the least common denominator
2) Cheap enough for people to afford and
3) Usability is so indispensable that people make it their first choice.

Good engineers add value to people's lives. Free up peoples time or make tools that are indispensable on the whole.

THanks for the pep talk.

Here's an article about net controlled applicances. Seems pretyt simple to implement. Cost is just a matter of taking advantages of economies of scale by producing the applinces with the control panels. But right now there is little to no market for a stoce that you can turn on by clicking your mouse at work. I know I don;t want to eat a roast that has been sitting in my oven all day a room temperature.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/upgrade/1279916.html

 

[patentman]

Originally posted by: CycloWizard

Originally posted by: Pulsar
Design a device that fits onto the top of a common pop-bottle. When you suck on it, you get the pop. When you don't, it seals so it can't decarbonate.

I'm thinking some type of modified ball-valve would do the job, eh?

A very good idea. It might be simplified with a slight modification: just have a gravity-driven valve. The valve could be shaped like a truncated cone with a ball in it. When the container is not vertical, the ball moves outward from the bottom (truncated point) of the cone, allowing the fluid to flow. Set the container down again and the ball falls back into place. *runs to the patent office*

Honest question: will a small ball seal like that provide enough force to prevent the escape of CO2 gas?

EDIT: Note: you now have one year to file an application in the USPTO for your device to avoid the statutory bar to patentability under 35 usc 102(b)

 

[CycloWizard]

Originally posted by: patentman
Honest question: will a small ball seal like that provide enough force to prevent the escape of CO2 gas?

EDIT: Note: you now have one year to file an application in the USPTO for your device to avoid the statutory bar to patentability under 35 usc 102(b)

The answer, of course, is: it depends.

There are several variables one could play with. There are a few forces at play:
1. The vertical resultant force from the vapor pressure of CO2 at the prevailing temperature (i.e. the vertical pressure component over the exposed surface of the ball).
2. The gravity force on the ball, which depends on the ball volume and density.
3. Friction force between the ball and the valve material. This could be changed by changing the valve material, shape of the fitting, or even the finish on the ball. For example, one could have a cylindrical hole that the ball fell into when the container was upright to increase friction by increasing the surface area.
4. The vertical (downward) resultant from atmospheric pressure. This could be made advantageous if the available top surface area of the ball is larger than the bottom, since the internal pressure is greater than atmospheric pressure.

The bottom line is that it probably could be done, but #1 is problematic because people want to drink at a certain rate, which is limited by the size of the hole. Further, the material would have to be fairly dense, which generally means it's expensive (since most materials are sold by weight). Not practical to attach to every soda, but maybe something that one could buy once and re-attach before sticking an open soda bottle back in the fridge. Of course, then you could just put plastic wrap over it and call it a day.

 

[Stiganator]

More energy productive nuclear weapon. Tell them they only get one chance to grade its functionality...

 

[yh125d]

Originally posted by: Stiganator
More energy productive nuclear weapon. Tell them they only get one chance to grade its functionality...

Must be NON-hazardous. We've thought of some good ideas lately though....

 

[smack Down]

Originally posted by: PowerEngineer

Originally posted by: piasabird
I was thinking the other day about whether we can really trust electricity meters on houses. How do you know the electric company isnt cheating us? What if the way they install the mains to the house are causing a phantom load or something like that. The power box in a house has all of these circuits with circuit breakers. They may not be that efficient and may be using too much electricity. Reengineering a wiring pattern could save the homeowner money. When electircity passes over wire it causes resistence. That resistence uses power. By reducing the resistence, or possible more centrally locating the Power box there may be a way to save maybe 10% or your elecricity. It may be better to to split up the circuit breakers and have more electricity traveling over larger gauge wires to mini-junction boxes.

I have often wondered if a 220 volt system would use less power. The theory behind High tension power lines is they waste less electricity.

You might try looking at www.homepower.com

Maybe using a battery system to load power at night and then use it during peak power time usage when they charge more can reduce the power bill. Think of it as a giant UPS for a house.

Yes, you can generally trust your electric meter (just as much as any of your other electronic devices). Local electric companies are more thoroughly regulated than most other industries; there's not much chance they are cheating you (much more likely that they are cheated by their customers who tamper with meters or bypass them).

I would like a system that ensure the gas pumps are really giving the amount of gas they claim they are, but measure the volume of a fluid isn't an easy task. Sure the pumps are regulated by the state but they only check once a year and it is easy for the there to be a switch to that the attendants uses to rip you off.

 

[CycloWizard]

Originally posted by: smack Down
I would like a system that ensure the gas pumps are really giving the amount of gas they claim they are, but measure the volume of a fluid isn't an easy task. Sure the pumps are regulated by the state but they only check once a year and it is easy for the there to be a switch to that the attendants uses to rip you off.

I don't think it would be very easy to rip people off this way, at least not significantly. I'm not exactly sure how gas pumps work, but I would assume that the tanks below ground are maintained at a constant pressure. The handle on the pump simply opens the hose and the pressure gradient drives the flow. The volumetric flowrate of a liquid of known viscosity through a tube of known dimension subject to a constant pressure gradient is very well known by anyone who has taken an introductory fluid mechanics class. Expensive pumps with variable speeds would be needed to alter the pressure gradient, and such pumps are probably illegal for this very reason.

I can always tell how much gas my car needs within 0.2 gallons just from my gas gauge (I've been driving it for a looooong time ), so any discrepancy from this and I would question it. I did put 13.5 gallons into my 13.2 gallon tank once and talked to the manager of the station, then the county auditor who certified the pump. I didn't pay for gas that day and I hope not too many people got taken, but a little bit of paying attention is all that is really needed to prevent yourself from getting ripped off.

 

[Metron]

Originally posted by: yh125d
I don't think the judges would appreciate the fixing of a search function on a computer forum as a step ahead in engineering. Good idea though. I'd really like our subject to be related with computers somehow. Maybe a PC version of a Mac. Basically, a monitor duct-taped to a case with a fold down keyboard, but more refined.

Something like this?

Text

 

[chusteczka]

Originally posted by: yh125d
I'm gonna be competing in an Engimeering competition in early May. Our objective is to invent a product or improve upon an existing design. The problem is, me and my team are having trouble thinking of viable ideas. Anyone have some suggestions? It could range from an improved spatula to a super-efficient vehicle. No idea is a dumb idea. TIA

While you are all thinking of ideas for this guy, maybe you can go and write up the patent application for him too.

 

[patentman]

Originally posted by: chusteczka

Originally posted by: yh125d
I'm gonna be competing in an Engimeering competition in early May. Our objective is to invent a product or improve upon an existing design. The problem is, me and my team are having trouble thinking of viable ideas. Anyone have some suggestions? It could range from an improved spatula to a super-efficient vehicle. No idea is a dumb idea. TIA

While you are all thinking of ideas for this guy, maybe you can go and write up the patent application for him too.

I could write him an application, and prosecute it as well.