Week 5 Outside Meeting

On April 29th, We met up to further discuss the design of the mechanical and electrical systems. The main decision to  be made was whether we were going to use belts or gears for the system. 

First we had to research the basics of gears and belts, putting together a simple pros-and-cons chart:

Most of the research comprised simple Google searches, including more in-depth looks at the following links:

http://wiki.answers.com/Q/State_the_advantages_and_disadvantages_of_gears_system_and_belt system?#slide=1

This site provided us with a quick slide show that detailed several advantages and disadvantages of both gears and belts used within mechanical system. 

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Belt_(mechanical)

This site, from a scholarly source, described the different types of belts, their usefulness, and their common shortcomings. Most of the pros and cons for belts came from this site.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belt_(mechanical)#Flat_belts

Once we decided we wanted to use a flat belt, we wanted to research more about flat belts in particular. This site was helpful in determining the specific shortcomings and advantages of these types of belts.

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_1?url=node%3D16412081&field-keywords=gears+plastic&rh=n%3A16310091%2Cn%3A16310181%2Cn%3A16412081%2Ck%3Agears+plastic

For a feasible comparison, we went on amazon to find some listings for gears to see what the price range would be.

http://www.flatdrivebelts-anysize.com/Belt-Pricing.html

For the same reason as the gears, we looked up some price ranges for flat belts (we also looked on amazon).

After a lot of deliberation and a vote, we decided to proceed with our design using flat belts. On amazon we found a feasible option for our purchase that works with our budget.

This is another video that is also very helpful in visualizing the parts we're going to need to put together. 

Week 4 Recap

Research:
We received a series of leading questions from Professor Scoles in order to help further the research portion of our project. To address these questions, we decided to create a new tab titled "Background".

Design:
Today in class we looked at the pictures and videos of the water wheel in the museum and wanted to decide on a design for the project. First we drew the wheel on the board from several different angles. 

   

Then we discussed where we could put the generator, lights, and rotation device as seen in the following image. 

Next we had a discussion on gears and belts. Gears would be easier to maintain, but belts would be more feasible in the time we have left this term. Our team plans to research both options and have a decision by next week's class as to which system we would use in our design. The below is a rough sketch of the gear system on the left an the belt system on the right. The gears would have a large gear with many teeth that turns the smaller gear to turn faster. 

Here's a video of a homemade water wheel! It is definitely pretty far from what we are going to be able to make, but the general idea of hooking it up to a generator and then to a light is the same. Now we have to figure out how to make the axle rotate along with the rest of the wheel! 

Week 3 Recap

Week three was really when we started picking up speed in terms of the project. We decided to really focus on the waterwheel idea since the Rain Forest exhibit already had a working waterwheel that we could build off of. The Rain Forest exhibit has a earthy theme to it: there are clouds, a glowing sun, light-up rainbows, and tons of water-related activities for the children. 
The water wheel can  actually be controlled by the kids. While the wheel always turns due to the perpetual flow of water coming from one of the tubes, the kids can push down on a button connected to the waterwheel to make more water come out the other tube and makes the wheel go faster. While at the museum, we had to think about how we would make our idea worth while for the kids. We need to consider repetitive action, manual control, and an exciting end result. We are planning to place some LED lights above the wheel that will have their energy generated by the rotation of the wheel (a demonstration of hydraulic energy). Repetitive action will be encouraged because the lights will turn off and the kids will have to do the activity again to keep the lights running. The more the children push the button, the more water will be poured onto the wheel, and thus the more energy will be generated to light up more lights, an exciting end result. The kids will control the amount of water that comes out through the pushing of the button, an example of manual control. As seen in the picture, the water wheel is a good size, but the kids can't reach the wheel from the sides which will work as a safety precaution. We have many creative ideas regarding the lights that will hang near the wheel. For example, the lights can be like lightening bolts, rain drops, or even just normal bulbs, but the project needs to fit in with the theme of the room. Below is a video of the  Please Touch Museum's waterwheel spinning with the perpetual stream of water (without pushing the button).

This is a photo of the Please Touch Museum! The group went with our advisor, and we explored all of the exhibits and got to know the ins and outs of the museum as we were assisted by Claudia, an employee of the museum. There were many great opportunities, but one that stuck out the most was the river in the middle of the Rainforest Rhythm exhibit. We want to try working with that, somehow modifying the existing water wheel into a source of power for a generator and then to light bulbs (possibly shaped like raindrops!). There is a lot to learn and research, but at least it is a start!

There seemed to be many outside opportunities, and we discussed the sustainable playhouse as well as the solar powered figurines, but we might be better off just focusing on the wheel for now. The museum would need a hefty grant for the playhouse, but maybe if time permits we can start a draft for an idea. But first, we have to figure out how to hook up a generator to the water wheel! 

Weeks 1 - 2 Recap

Weeks 1 and 2 have been productive in the brainstorming area, but we're still really waiting to visit the Please Touch Museum to make any final calls. Thankfully, that will happen tomorrow, so there will be more to discuss then! So far, we know that the museum wants us to revamp their old exhibits and give them a unique STEAM (science technology engineering arts and mathematics) approach. We are currently not exactly sure what we have to work with, but we know we must appeal to younger kids as well as teach with clarity, excitement, and simplicity. 

For now, here are some ideas we have come up with: 

1. Solar Energy - solar powered dancing figurines, solar powered race track - kids can find inspiration to dance along with the toys, or they can pretend to be a race car driver as they watch the cars move down the track 
2. Wind Energy - pinwheels powering lights, a large model wind turbine - kids can blow on the pinwheels creating energy to shine beautiful lights 
3. Water Energy* - waterwheel powering a model town, music, or light - kids can run water through the waterwheel to watch a town light up or dance to music being powered 
4. Sustainable Playhouse - there are a lot of ideas to go with here, but many seem pretty unattainable. We could have a green roof, bio wall, solar panels, or even decorative but relevant items like sun catchers or wind chimes - kids could play house and get a glimpse of what it would be like to have a home that is fully sustainable 
5. Mechanical Energy - cranking a wheel or running on a belt to power something - kids getting active and transforming their own kinetic energy into electricity 

*The water energy idea seems most relevant now after hearing what the museum has to offer. They already have a waterwheel, so maybe we could do something with that, or build around it. 

All of these ideas seem to have a lot of potential, but it all rides on how the museum feels about their attainability, relevance, and safety. We will have plenty of more ideas come tomorrow, quite possibly having nothing to do with what we have come up with currently, but at least it's a start to something that is going to be great and original!