Mini-Project for Mechanical Engineering

I have been thinking about distilling ethanol with solar power. It should be rather easy but converting it to a comercial basis is the trick. This might be a project to try.

Waste to energy process project perhaps?

how can we do this project???????????

Please see previous threads on CR4 on the subject as well as the internet for more information.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waste-to-energy

A google search of waste to energy produced over 32 million links.

Look into using a Tesla Turbine to burn bio-mass fuel cheaply. The Tesla Turbine is the only turbine design that can function on 100% biomass combustion products without clogging...and with very few emissions! A Tesla Turbine mated to an alternator could make power from garbage directly, without having to polish and filter the combustion gasses like a normal turbine. Like these ones, only Tesla disc design instead: http://www.microturbine.com/prodsol/solutions/rrbiogas.asp The Tesla design is cheaper to build and is much quieter than a bladed turbine as well.

Is it your intention to build and test actual hardware (assuming you have resources to do that at your disposal) or to keep the project effort limited to design and analysis?

Also some indication of the nation or nations whose cultures you are familiar or have lived in would also help.

Ed Weldon

I am definately intending to build and test actual hardware, and resources is not an issue and its not at all limited to design and analysis.

Mansi.

Mansi -- I'm going to appear to get off topic here; but please stay with me. Your purpose stated is a diploma level project. Assuming the reason for your pursuit of a diploma is to get a good engineering job your project should demonstrate your abilities as an engineer to solve engineering problems and turn them into useful (and profitable) entities.

Look forward here. In a future job interview you will probably be asked to discuss your diploma project. While a highly creative project may produce interesting conversation that may not be what your interviewer is looking for. Too many engineering managers subconsciously want to reserve the creativity for themselves and look for their subordinates to be the ones to make their ideas into realities. You want to show off all your personal attributes for an engineering job. Creativity should be on the list but at a lower level of priority than important engineering skills.

I would suggest you explore the development of simple "engineering" tools that others can use to create energy conversion devices. Lets look at previously suggested wind turbines. Small wind turbines are usually vertical axis (or Savonius) types. Efficiencies can vary greatly. Engineering problems include controlling speed in high and gusty winds, design of supports and bearing systems, balancing the rotors, determining and then measuring power output to name a few. How might a builder properly balance a long rotor without access to an expensive 2 plane balancing machine? How would you test a control system based on some kind of brake or other device without actual wind conditions and the associated dangers? How to determine if there are torsional or lateral vibration problems in the design and then observe them on the test stand?

Let's leave wind turbines for now and take a look at possibilities for extracting water wave energy since you live in Mumbai, a seaport. Large scale power generation from this source is getting a lot of attention these days. I'd suggest you (and others watching this topic) take a look at David J.C. Mackay's book currently on line in HTML format as well as pdf downloads:

http://www.withouthotair.com/

Go to the contents section for individual pages with all his graphs and diagrams.

This large scale energy technology does not exactly lend itself to easy lab experiments although some investigation of the applicability of hydraulic physical scale modeling may provide areas for the student project to explore. But in a maritime operations environment there may be interest in simple devices that can de deployed from small boats and waterside structures to collect the mechanical energy of wave motion for conversion to electricity or even direct pumping applications without any electrical intermediary. The analysis and design of such devices could be an interesting project that would lend itself to the building and testing of actual hardware. Perhaps a solenoid style linear motor acting as a generator to charge a battery. I don't know how practical such things are but even if in common use the analysis and compilation of a design guide backed up by actual test data would make a good project.

Lastly, I'd like to briefly comment on an excellent project I saw presented in the Senior design competition for engineering students at a local USA university. It was inspired by a request from people in your country for a mechanical engineering solution to the problem of dust and dirt accumulation on silicon solar panels in rooftop installations during the dry season of the year. They presented hardware and performance data on a cleaning system that was largely mechanical in nature and built entirely from components and materials available in USA retail hardware stores. I won't tell you how they did it. If you choose such a project better you invent the details on your own.

Good luck on your project and please share the information and link to David J.C. Mackay's excellent and free book with your fellow students and teachers. It should be required reading for all engineering students. A university could build a wonderful engineering course around recalculating the author's approach to the energy problem analysis for the UK to fit your own nation's situation.

Ed Weldon

Ed

Thanks for the link to MacKay's book - looks like interesting reading (and it's in English too).

Hi...

You hav'nt specified your location. If my guess is correct it should be South India.

Being a luck guy, i'll can tell you some locations:

1. Chennai....wave power & ocean power. Here Lockheed Martin, which builds fighter planes and satellites, is seeking help from "The National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT)", a Chennai-based research organization under the earth sciences ministry in order to set up a 10MW power plant in Hawaii, US, for producing electricity by a method called ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC). This utilises the temptature difference between the ocean top layer & in the depths below to set up a thermo couple. Govt of India is building a 100MW OTEC power station.
2. Mysore...plan a visit to ShivaSamudram. This was theworlds largest hydro power station when first commissioned in the year 1902. Built by Escher Wyss my previous employer. They installed 11 turbines generating a massive 42MW at that time. Some of the m/c's were DC and some AC say 60HZ, 50hz, 25HZ etc. We refurbished the entire plants in 1998. Its very modern now. All AC 50HZ.
3. Similarly you may study the small hydo plants at Harangi, Hemavati and in Keral Kuthungal & Idduki. They are very instresting.
4. In Tamil Nudu there are also several wind farms viz Kayathoor, Katiyar, Muppandal etc. Some 600KW wind turbines from Tacke Windtechnik Gmbh & Co KG were installed by me in 1994/5. Similarly, visit Chitradurga near Bangalore for more wind farms.
5. At IIT / Chennai...there is a very good set-up from SIEMENS for Solar Power. You can get trained there free of cost. Just pay a visit.

Anil Tiwari / New Delhi

How about considering "micro wind turbines" using recycled parts from computers, printers (motor/generators), blades from fans as in cooling fans, automobile radiator fans, etc. Possible objective would be to charge battery for radio, led light, etc.

i am pranay from nagpur i would like to make your project please guide me

Check this out...

http://www.shec-labs.com/

Above article is useful. Also see the below link for online Mechanical Education.

http://mechanicalebook.com/

k.............

do u get plz inform me.......

hi i am nilesh borkar .i am in B.E. mech (jondhale coll. dombivili-thane ) sorry i don't have any idea about project .if you get any information then pls contact on this no. (phone number removed).i also searching about projest. if i get any idea give me your no. to inform you. thank you.