Engineering Speaker: From Mathematics to Medical Device Design

Sarah Reed came to speak to us last week about her experience in the design field. She studied Mathematics as an undergraduate, and later developed an interest in industrial design. Because her undergraduate experience had been more mathematically rather than artistically focused, Sarah attended graduate school for mechanical engineering. She was able to do many of the things that industrial designers do, but through a engineer's lense. I am particularly interested in industrial design because you are design something to be useful for others. It was amazing to see the different products that she had helped to produce. As an architecture major, I would love to be on the more artistic side of product design. However, as architects or designers there is sometimes a disconnect between practical use and esthetic. It was interesting to hear her talk us through the process of how they came up with their leg compression product, and the different ways in which they collect data for the project.  

(Draft 1) 

Testing: Final Model of Charcoal Stove

For the testing round of this project we used charcoal fuel, and placed 32 fl.oz. of water in a pan on top of the cookstove. We compared each stove based on its ability to heat/boil water over the course of time.

Structurally our stove was successful. It did not bend with the head of the charcoal, or collapse under the pressure of the water and pan. The chimney worked as we wanted it too, sucking the smoke up and away through the long spout. Although the chimney was perfect for people working on the ground, it was a little short for those who were standing. It release the smoke directly at eye level. Another one of the issues we had with our stove was the fact that it did not provide enough oxygen into the fuel chamber. Although we had cut out a large opening on the bottom of the stove, it was not enough. We began by taking the temperature of the water prior to heating, and then measured it at 6-10 minute intervals. The temperature began at 25.5 degrees celsius, and seemed to climb steadily; however once the kindling flame went out, the burning process slowed down, plateaued, and eventually just went back down. (See Graph Below)

It seems that because of the lack of oxygen the stove was not able to perform as strongly as we had wanted it to. We also took the fuel tray out of the stove while we were explaining our project, and that seems to have had an affect on the temperature of the water as well. 

(Part 2) Charcoal Stove: Final Sheet Metal Test Model

Chimney Construction Process Photos: 

Taping the tube of sheet metal together
in order to keep everything in place

The bracketed tube! 

Bracketing the chimney 

The Final Product :              

Pulling out the fuel 

Putting on the chimney

  

The side of the cookstove, after we
successfully bracketed it together!

The Final Model of of the Stove

*Because of formatting issues I needed to separate the two posts. 

Charcoal Stove: Final Sheet Metal Test Model

ASSEMBLING THE FINAL MODEL! 

(Figure 1- Measuring and cutting)

Our final model was in many ways similar to our initial cardboard sketch model. We were able to carry over almost all of the design concepts that we initially laid out, such as the interior door that divided the fuel compartment into two section, as well as the fuel drawer; however we did make some alterations to the construction and assembly of the stove. The material was far more difficult to work with than the cardboard. It was extremely sharp and difficult to cut, form and bend. (I was wounded during the process of building the stove- BATTLE SCARS! See Figure 2 and 3) Such changes in the material pushed us to make some alterations. We tried to simplify the construction as much as possible; limiting the number of pieces used, and creating single piece construction when we could. For the base rectangular frame of the cooktop, we used a single piece of sheet metal. From the single sheet we bent it into a four sided rectangular tube. We cut the doors and the feet from the single sheet of metal. We also cut an opening on the bottom of the rectangular tube- the opening was just under where the fuel would sit - thus allowing oxygen to enter the compartment directly. On the edges of the tube, we left room to create small flaps that would allow us to bracket the side pieces onto the tube. 

(Figure 2 - Battle Wounds!)

(Figure 3 - Battle Wounds Up Close) 

The process of bracketing the metal together was also far more difficult than we had initially thought. We had difficulty making the holes in the metal the right size. The drill would often cause the metal to pop back up with it, making the holes bigger. We ran into great difficulty bracketing the sides of the stove to the main body because 1.) the metal was very flexible and bend under the pressure of the drill, 2.) the overlap of material was really small, and difficult to control. We found that instead of using the fixed drill, the hand held drill was far easier to maneuver. The hand held drill allowed for far greater control and flexibility. Katie was thus able to drill the hole while I held up the metal by placing my hand on the inside of the stove through what would later become the air vents under the fuel drawer. 

Figure 4- The finished base of the stove-
With the fuel cutouts and legs.

(Figure 5- Cutting out
what will the feet on the stove) 

One of the most difficult tasks was the construction of the chimney. Luisa developed a multi-piece chimney; however we later decided to simplify the chimney into a single tube. Using a long sheet of metal, we rolled it, and bracketed it. We wanted to metal to far enough away from those using the cook stove which would be close to the ground. (When we rolled up the material into its tubular form, we found it rather difficult to control the size of the bracket holes, and needed to resort to using bolts and screws that would fit the larger holes.) After making the tubular form, we made an angular cut at the base of the chimney. We made a simple cut up the chimney about 4 inches, and then bent the material back. We cut a hole in the back of the stove, and place the chimney over the whole. The bent wings on the chimney were used to bracket the chimney to the back side of the stove. 

Below are more pictures: 

Drawer Construction: 

The fuel drawer is almost built! 

Katie with the single sheet cutout that would later
become the fuel drawer! 

The completed fuel drawer with Charcoal in it!
TESTING DAY! 

Chimney Construction Process Photos: 

Taping the tube of sheet metal together
in order to keep everything in place

The bracketed tube! 

Bracketing the chimney 

The Final Product :              

Pulling out the fuel 

Putting on the chimney

The side of the cookstove, after we
successfully bracketed it together!

The Final Model of of the Stove 

Charcoal Stove: Step 2- The Cardboard Sketch Model

We pulled together the different ideas from our rapid sketches. We wanted our stove to have the following features: 

• A chimney or a way of reducing or redirecting smoke 
• Bottom fueling would likely be easiest- and most efficient 
• A multi-temperature cooktop / the ability to cook with low/high heat 
• An extended cook top surface that would allow you to cook many things at once 
• A simple design- with the fewest pieces possible- avoid breakage 

Below is our first cardboard draft design: 

 
Image 1: Luisa attaching to the chimney to the rear of the box- we are still deciding where the chimney feature will go. 

Image 2: The drawer space with the grate on which the drawer will sit. The grate will allow oxygen into the compartment.  

Image 3: The drawer space with the door open. The heat controlling wall is located just to the left of the door. 

Image 4: The drawer space with the door open and the drawer extended out. The heat controlling wall is located just to the left of the door. 

We developed one of our simplest designs, a single rectangular box. There is a fuel on one of the longer rectangular surfaces. The door is slightly shifted to the right. Inside, there is a small drawer where you would place the fuel. The fuel sits over some grates which serve as air vents, providing the flame with the appropriate levels of oxygen. Just next to the door where you insert the fuel is a small wall partition insert that slides in and out. The wall's purpose is to control heat flow. When the wall is open the heat reaches the surface evenly, allowing you to cook at high heat on both sides of the stove, but if you need a lower heat cook surface, you can slide the wall in, making the other side cooler. We need to determine just how the closing over of the wall will affect the temperature of the cooktop. We have yet to test it to see. We also need to think about the materials that might work well to help vary the temperature of these surfaces. We are hoping to find a way to make the box out of the fewest pieces possible; perhaps even finding a ways to fabricate the exterior out of a single piece of metal instead of piecing six pieces together. Perhaps this way we can reduce the possibility that pieces become loose or breakdown with time. 

Charcoal Stove: Step 1 - The Design Process

For our final project we have been asked to design a better charcoal burning stove. Our first step in the design process was a speed round of sketching. We each drew multiple quick sketches, each of us introducing or highlighting features we thought might be important. 

Sketch 1: A bottom fueling, raised, square form with chimney. Single temperature.  

Sketch 2: A bottom fueling, raised, square form tapering top. Single temperature. Grates inside of tapering top. Handle attached- for easier transport.   

Sketch 3: A bottom fueling, rectangular form . Dual temperature- side sectioned heating.  

Sketch 4: A bottom fueling, raised, square form with a side chimney. Dual temperature created by layered heating concept. High heat on bottom with access through tray. Low heat on top with open cook top area. 

Sketch 5: A bottom fueling, raised, square or circular form. A metal base with a ceramic cooktop pot concept. Single temperature.  

Sketch 6: A bottom fueling, raised form with disconnected extractor. Grate over open flame. No chimney. Single temperature.  

Sketch 7:  A multi-layer/multi-fuel tray stove. Not cooking over open flame. An oven style stove.  

Sketch 8: Fuel in center of stove. Small trays on either side of the fuel creating a 'heating space' or small oven. Top layer cook stove. Fuel moves upward to heat the cooktop. 

Sketch 9: Simple rectangular form with high heat low heat variation. Fuel inserted into the central area or off to the side allowing for cooktop temperature variation 

Personal Energy Consumption Estimate

Over the course of the last three days I have recorded my personal daily energy consumption. As I mentioned in the earlier post, my record of consumption was based off of the objects I have control over. Below are my findings:

MONDAY:

Electronics	Wattage	Time	Consumption
iPhone	5 Watt	10 Hrs	50 Wh
MacBook	60 Watt	6 Hrs	360 Wh
Speakers/Radio	50 Watt	4 Hrs	200 Wh
Light 1	60 Watt	8 Hrs	480 Wh
Light 2	40 Watt	8 Hrs	320 Wh
TV	300 Watt	0 Hrs
Hair Dryer	1875 Watt	3 min	93.75 Wh
Fan	200 Watt	12 Hrs	2400 Wh
Printer	75 Watt	10 min	12.5 Wh

Electronics	Wattage	Time	Consumption
iPhone	5 Watt	8 Hrs	40 Wh
MacBook	60 Watt	4 Hrs	240 Wh
Speakers/Radio	50 Watt	0 Hrs
Light 1	60 Watt	3 Hrs	180 Wh
Light 2	40 Watt	3 Hrs	120 Wh
TV	300 Watt	30 min	9000 Wh
Hair Dryer	1875 Watt	3 min	93.75 Wh
Fan	200 Watt	10 Hrs	2000 Wh
Printer	75 Watt	0 Hrs

Electronics	Wattage	Time	Consumption
iPhone	5 Watt	14 Hrs	70 Wh
MacBook	60 Watt	7 Hrs	420 Wh
Speakers/Radio	50 Watt	3 Hrs	150 Wh
Light 1	60 Watt	6 Hrs	360 Wh
Light 2	40 Watt	6 Hrs	240 Wh
TV	300 Watt	0 Hrs
Hair Dryer	1875 Watt	3 min	93.75 Wh
Fan	200 Watt	12 Hrs	2400 Wh
Printer	75 Watt	0 Hrs

  

Over the course of the week, I recorded the different times I used the particular electronics. I realized that I do not use all the objects everyday. For those objects I do use everyday, their usage varied. The objects I used the least were the TV and Printer. Objects I used the most were my fan and my cell phone. Phone usage was marked by battery life; how long it lasted that day, not how long I was physically on my phone each day. The life of the battery varied greatly depending on use per day. On Tuesday afternoon I called home, and that drastically cut the life of my phone battery. Today I barely touched my phone. I really only looked at it to check the time or quickly answer text messages. Computer life and usage varied as well. Today, my computer usage is much higher, because this is one of the only courses for which I need to use the computer at the moment. My other courses are more reading based, and readings come from books or printed handouts. The energy consumption of the lights in my room, is dependent on my presence in the room. I turn the lights on when I wake up in the morning, and again when I get back to my room at night. The fan in my room is probably one of the most frequently used objects in my room. I turn it on when I arrive back in my room, and I leave it on while I sleep. This exercise made me more aware of the objects in my room that I use. It was also interesting to determine how much power each of these objects use. I was actually pretty surprised to learn just how much power a fan uses. I was also surprised to find (this is assuming this is correct) that my computer uses only about 60W/hour, while the color tv uses around 300W. I wonder how much power consumption varies depending on the different tasks each object must fulfill. For example, if you are watching a movie on your computer does the power consumption vary, and is this what causes the battery to die sooner? 

Estimation of Energy Usage:

We were asked to estimate the power required for the typical objects in our everyday lives. For this exercise I concentrated on the objects whose power usage I could control, say the lamp in my room or my computer etc. I did not take into account refrigerator in the dining hall, or other powered objects whose power consumption I could not control. As I tried to figure out where to start, I realized that all of the electronics I use in my day to day life, have the Watts level marked on them. To the right is an example of my Macbook charger with the 60W clearly marked. I then collected the wattage level on all of the objects in my room:

Electronics Wattage iPhone 5 Watt MacBook 60 Watt Speakers/Radio 50 Watt Light 1 60 Watt Light 2  40 Watt TV 300 Watt Hair Dryer  1875 Watt Fan 200 Watt Printer  75 Watt

I then estimated how much time I spend each day using these particular electronics:

Electronics	Estimated Time Used
iPhone	14 Hrs
MacBook	7 Hrs
Speakers/Radio	1 Hrs
Light 1	6 Hrs
Light 2	6 Hrs
TV	0 Hrs
Hair Dryer	3 min
Fan	8 Hrs
Printer	10 min

In order to determine Energy Consumption I multiplied the Wattage of each object by the number of hours per day I used the particular object: 

Energy Consumption = Watts * Hrs/Day

Based off of my rough estimate of how much I use each of these items per day - I determined the below estimate of consumption for each object:

Electronics	Wattage	Estimated Time Used	Estimated Consumption
iPhone	5 Watt	14 Hrs	70 Wh
MacBook	60 Watt	7 Hrs	420 Wh
Speakers/Radio	50 Watt	1 Hrs	50 Wh
Light 1	60 Watt	6 Hrs	360 Wh
Light 2	40 Watt	6 Hrs	240 Wh
TV	300 Watt	0 Hrs
Hair Dryer	1875 Watt	3 min	93.75 Wh
Fan	200 Watt	8 Hrs	1600 Wh
Printer	75 Watt	10 min	12.5 Wh

My total estimate of consumption is 2848.25 Wh * I am sorry I  did not realize I needed to post this on 9/30*

Sharps Container

The goal for this project was to design and build a sharps container for discarded cutting blades. The container will hold blades used in L024 and can be thrown away with the garbage. 

Kalyani and her partners from the initial class worked to develop the design concept for the sharps container. The container consists of two pieces: a styrofoam box with a top and a sheet of cardboard. She and her group opened a small slit in the top of the container, where the sharps could fall through to the bottom. They then wanted to solve the problem of how you keep the sharps from coming back out of the container through the small slit. They used a piece of cardboard, and bending it in half into a triangular shape, made a sharps guard. (See Diagram below) On either side of the guard there are small slits that allow for the sharps to slide through to the bottom. The guard makes it difficult for the sharps to come back up and out. The top of the triangular piece was also set into the box so that it was perpendicular with the slit through which the sharps were deposited. This helped to limit the possibility that the sharps would then fall back out the slit. The exterior decoration is red and orange. We wanted an exterior that would imply but not out rightly state that there were sharp objects within the container. We used triangular shapes to denote the presence of sharp objects within the container. We used arrows to denote where one should deposit the sharp objects. 

The Water Backpack

Initially, I really loved the design of the water pack. It worked to correct some of the larger issues that we pointed out in the hipporoller. However, like in all things, there are both positive and negative aspects to the Water Back Pack.

(+)

-It is looks to be more comfortable than carrying the water in hard buckets on your head.
-By carrying the pack on your back you are relieving much of the pressure that was previously placed on your neck. It seems to balance the weight more evenly.
-You can compact the pack and carry it easily when it is not being used.
-You could clean it relatively easily. (Easier to clean than a hipporoller)
-You know that no harsh chemicals have been used in it previously.
-It has a spout that you can use to pour water from, and the spout has a protective cap over it.
-Easier on rough terrain - you don't need to pull it, and you can balance yourself more easily.

(-) 

-The waterpack forces you to hunch over slightly, perhaps causing other kinds of back problems.
-Durability:

• Material: It looks like a material similar to that used on the IKEA shopping bags. Although that material is reasonable durable it could tear easily. I wonder too if with time weight of the water will eventually rip the material from the straps. 
• The Spout: The spout is used a lot. It can be pushed in and stored. (A quality similar to that of a inflatable object blow hole.) Perhaps because of continual use/movement it might tear from the material- I am not really sure how it function- let alone how it is attached to the bag in the first place.

-The materials are also not made locally, therefore causing a problem if you need pieces of it fixed or replaced.
-The pack is lined with plastic, which is not breathable. If you are carrying that on your back for miles at a time, the pack may actually contribute to you overheating.
-How do you fill it with water? Some people are getting water from waterholes where you need to physically dip and lift the container from the water. The waterpack looked really awkward to fill. It did not provide enough structure for people to hold and pull the pack up- perhaps the addition of handles along the top rim would work to solve this problem.

The Water Challenge:

Thursday September 19th marks the start of the one week water challenge. What is a "water challenge" you may ask? For this exercise, we have been asked to collect all water from outside the building we live in for one week. This means, that if I wish to shower, use the toilet, wash my hands, or drink water in my dorm during the next week, it must all come from outside. I must bring into my dorm a bucket of water to use for bucket baths or toilet flushing. The other option is to walk to, and use the facilities elsewhere, a.k.a, if I want to shower, I would walk over to the athletic center, and do so there. If I need to use the bathroom, I would do so before returning to my dorm. In the coming week, I need to 'plan accordingly.' 

The Plan: 
Because 1.) I do not know where to get a bucket and 2.) even find a place on campus to fill it, I am going to go for the 'plan accordingly' option. Instead of showering in my dorm, I will shower in the sports center (Hopefully I will make it over there every day!) Instead of drinking water in the tower dining hall, I will fill my water bottle up in Pendleton Hall on my way to class. Instead of using the bathroom in my dorm, which, unfortunately for the sake of this exercise, is just across the hall from my room, I will use the bathroom in the library before I leave at night. If I need to use the bathroom while I am in my dorm I will use one in severance hall. Severance, although connected during the daytime through the dining halls, is not actually connected to tower in the evening hours, and will require me to walk out and around to use the facilities there.  

The Results: 
So, it's been almost a week, and despite a few slip ups, I have made it. For the last week, with the exception of Saturday and Monday mornings, when I sleepily stepped into the shower, I have been using the showers in the sports center. The most difficult part of this experience has been finding the time; Incorporating into my day the time to walk over to the sport center, take a shower, and head on to the next activity. Some days I did not feel like walking over or did not have the time to walk over to the sport center for my shower, and simply decided to go one day without it. For many, the exercise of getting out and walking miles to the nearest source of water, is part of their every day. Not doing so could, in some situations, put you at great risk. For many, the act of getting water is a part of their everyday schedule. One of the things I noticed during the exercise was the lack of normalcy in my schedule. I could not always count on being at a certain place at a certain time, say making it out of one class in time to make it to pool open hours etc. The normalization of ones schedule would help enormously. Overall, I had a great time. Although I did not take it to the extreme, the exercise reminded me just how nice it is to have water so close at hand. It is a resource that here in the US we can count on. 

Gravity Light

What is a gravity light? A gravity is a light that is simply powered by gravity. It does not need electricity, solar power, or even a battery to store the energy. In order to power the light, one must attach a weight, which is in turn connected via a plastic strip. The weight attached to the strip is a form of potential energy. This form of potential energy is then converted into Kinetic Energy when the cog is turned by the downward force of the weight. This kinetic energy is then used to power the bulb. The attached mass can power the bulb for up to 30 minutes. However, how much weight is required to power the bulb? How many bulbs would the gravity light require? If it uses, let's say three, how much weight will be needed to power those bulbs. Below, I walked through just how the gravity light works, determining the weight needed to power the light, and whether or not the product seems viable. Ultimately, I concluded that the gravity light would probably not be the most viable option. In order to make it bright enough, one would probably need about 3 bulbs, and it would require about 35 kg to power those three bulbs. To put it in perspective, the average 11 year old weighs about 35 kg or (77lbs) The thought of picking up an 11 year old, 3 feet, every 30 minutes, seems like a pretty daunting task. 

UTEC - Potable Water Generator

I found this over the summer and thought it would be a really interesting project to share with the rest of the class

A billboard in Lima, Peru that generates water using atmospheric humidity.

Part of the BSA exhibition on urban renewal

UN Human Development Report

Living in the developed world, we often take for granted the ease with which we can access water. We can fill our water bottles from any sink or water fountain, or use the bathroom a few feet away from us. However, 1 billion people do not have access to drinking water, and 2.6 billion people live without sanitation. Issues of water and sanitation are just the most basic problems in the developing world; Extreme poverty and hunger, lack of access to primary education, gender equality, high child mortality, low maternal health, prevalence of disease: HIV/AIDS, Malaria, and ect, are all among the many other issues the people face in the developing world. Many of these issues are closely linked to poor water and sanitation access. Access is one of the greatest issues of the developing world. 1.3 billion people need access to sanitation. 900 million people need access to water. Humans need a bare minimum of 20 litres of water per day. The lack of such access not only affects one's health, but also affects school attendance, and ability to work. Dirty water has a cyclical effect. For many, they must walk a long distance to access water, at which point they are bringing back unclean water. They inevitably get sick, and are unable to attend school or work, which in turn harms their education, or inhibits their ability to work. Diarrhea is one of the most common side-effects of drinking dirty water. Diarrhea not only leads to further dehydration, but also eventually leads to death. Reducing diarrhea would result in the gain of 272 million school days, and 3.2 billion workdays. Reaching U.N. water and sanitation targets would cut the amount spent on treatment for waterborne illness by 1.7 billion US dollars. (Millenium Development Goals, 7) I was not only amazed to learn just how significant lack of access was, but also, just how easy it could be to drastically improve access to clean drinking water sanitation. Access could be drastically improved with 10 billion US dollars a year, and although that sounds like a lot, the US spends 10 billions US dollars on military hardware every 8 days. When put in this perspective, 10 billion dollars looks like nothing. However for many, military protection is far more important. In the developed world, security against an exterior threat is far more important. Terrorism can, and has directly affected life in the developed world. However, issues in the developing world are indirect problems; issues that many of us could not even fathom. The UN's plans and goals for 2015 are rather extensive, where do they stand today? How are they hoping to achieve these goals in the coming years?

Response: People's Experience of Energy

For class we read chapters 1-2 of People's Experience with Energy, an extensive report on energy usage around the world. The report provided statistical information such as percentage of the world without access to electricity (22%). Energy usage can mean a variety of things, from electricity and lighting, to heating and cooling. In the developed world, we rarely need to think about these things, we merely flip a switch and it works. One of the ideas that came up was that of heating food. The stove I use at home provides me with a relatively clean means of cooking the food that I eat. When I cook I am not actively (at least I hope not) releasing harmful material/particles into the air in my home. In the developing world, many cook using biomass (burning wood). However, the burning of biomass within a closed space, and prolonged exposure to the smoke can have significant effects on the health of individuals. In fact, among those with lower respiratory infections, smoke from solid fuels is the cause of approximately 21% of deaths. Another piece that came up too was the idea of how much energy is needed to cook the food one eats. For some, in order to cook some of the more nutritious foods, you need to use more fuel. Therefore, in an attempt to lower fuel costs many turn to the less nutritious, yet faster cooking option. The idea of food preservation, through cool was also an interesting concept that came up. Cooling of fruits and vegetables, especially in warm climates can help to preserve them for extended periods of time. However, in many developing countries, the technology needed to keep food cold is simply not available. The Zeer pots of Sudan are a simple solution to keeping food cool. For a Zeer pot, one uses earthenware pots, one within another with a layer of wet sand in between. Using natural materials, one is able to create a kind of natural "refrigerator,"helping people preserve their food for weeks longer. These basic ideas and questions around energy usage, and the statistics provided with in the article, should be extremely helpful for future projects.

Lantern Project: Built Lantern

Here is the final product. As planned, the bottom portion of the container holds the electrical materials. The light bulb is attached to the top of the bottom container, just below the water. The top portion is filled with water, and as seen in the image, works to diffuse the light beautifully. While constructing my lantern I ran into multiple issues. The first issue I had was creating the circuit. I wanted to extend it from the basic three pieces (the bulb, resistor, and battery). However, choosing the correct wire conductor to connect these pieces to was difficult. The first ‘wire’ I used, ended up burning my fingers, most likely because it was not made of the appropriate metal. The second, was too thick to manipulate, and being made of aluminum, and another undetermined material, it did not conduct the electricity well. Paper clips worked very well. I used the paper clips to make a simple circuit and switch. 

The switch is just a simple ‘L’ shaped piece of paper clip wire, which swivels over and hooks into a little notch. The second issue I ran into was being able to fit the circuit materials in the small compartment. It was difficult to maneuver the small space, however, with patience I did so successfully. I faced the third issue while constructing the water containing portion of the lantern. because on of the plexiglas walls was cracked, water was seeping out rapidly, and I needed to seal the leak quickly. I also needed to make sure that the top was tightly sealed over the water. Despite many challenges, I was able to produce to produce a functioning lantern. We will see how long it lasts!