cockerstar Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 For my engineering class at PLU I have a research and development project that is open to essentially anything I want, So I'm trying to come up with some ideas of what to make. It's department financed (pending approval of my proposal), but if I finance it whatever I make will me mine to keep. Some of the past projects my professor rattled off included solar-powered remote controlled cars, a giant trebuchet, and even a distillery, so I'm trying to think of something that will be fun to make and use. It would be a huge plus if the materials cost was low enough for me to finance it myself too. I know how to fabricate and weld, but I am not entirely sure of what tools I have open to me on campus (not that I would likely need much more than a welder, torch, and grinder). So guys, give me some ideas! I've got one brewing in my mind that I like, but it's clouding other great possibilities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19762802+2 Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 Solar/Electric Powered Z that can go more then 40+ miles per charge. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
h4nsm0l3m4n Posted September 24, 2009 Share Posted September 24, 2009 If you're not set on car-related projects, you could look at making your project for the ASME design competition (http://www.asme.org/Events/Contests/DesignContest/Student_Design_Competition.cfm). They provide the design challenge and also have a specific set of criteria that your project must follow. I found this gave our team direction for how to do our project while also allowing room for creativity. Also if yours actually works at the end, you could perhaps enter the competition... If you want a car related project but are in a smaller budget, building a custom RC car would be pretty neat. I always thought it would be cool to make RC car V8, or V6... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woldson Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Just for fun, build a h2 generator. Post results. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockerstar Posted September 25, 2009 Author Share Posted September 25, 2009 I'm not particularly set on anything automotive, but an EV would be cool. I doubt I cn get approved for that kid of funding from the department though. I'm guessing that any proposal above the ~$3-500 mark willl ge shot down due to cost. What's been going on in the back of my head is a hig pressure (~55 bar) air/potato cannon. There's lots of math involved in the process determining the effiency, and plenty of fluid dynamics as far as making an efficent design. Cost should reasonable, and it would be fun to mess with after it's done. Woldson, I'll do some research and see how feasable the idea is. I doubt it will be, but it would be prett awesome Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19762802+2 Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 a Potato cannon sounds cool haha, Not saying you should do this but I have heard from a friend that someone mounted one on there car. but good luck with whatever you choose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
(goldfish) Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 pumpkin chunkin? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikeatrpi Posted September 25, 2009 Share Posted September 25, 2009 Another vote for the spud gun / melon mortar! With a computerized trajectory system you could easily get rather sophisticated in a hurry... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAG58 Posted September 26, 2009 Share Posted September 26, 2009 All projectile projects usually can involve a substantial amount of math/engineering. If you never want to work again, design a bullet that can do a stable and accurate decel through the sound barrier to subsonic without losing trajectory in either the x or y axis. This is the only thing that is keeping rifles at a fixed range as once they enter transonic and then subsonic (roundabouts 1100fps and below) they tend to become very destabilized. I'm very sure the US govt would be more than willing to pay for your retirement. Then again, I made a pneumatic spud cannon that would put a 'tater out 400 yds on 120psi. All good fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turboHLS30 Posted September 26, 2009 Share Posted September 26, 2009 If you're not set on car-related projects, you could look at making your project for the ASME design competition (http://www.asme.org/Events/Contests/DesignContest/Student_Design_Competition.cfm). They provide the design challenge and also have a specific set of criteria that your project must follow. I found this gave our team direction for how to do our project while also allowing room for creativity. Also if yours actually works at the end, you could perhaps enter the competition... If you want a car related project but are in a smaller budget, building a custom RC car would be pretty neat. I always thought it would be cool to make RC car V8, or V6... I've been in one of those competions before for ASME but on a smaller scale they have a thing for high school students that they do here in florida i made a solar powered car(a little one) and i got first place for being the fastest learned a lot and its pretty cool Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh817 Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Oh god this thread makes me scared. I'm only a freshman and seeing how you have these huge projects, I wouldn't know what the hell to do. H2 generator >> gas into potato canon >> fire cannon. REALLY easy to make an h2 generator. I made one really fast out of materials susceptible to rust and oxidation so after an hour you would have a ton of gunk in the water. Rust for steal or iron and then this white stuff when I used aluminum turkey cooking sheets. You can make a good compact one out of exhaust pipe, looks like a giant (1-2ft tall) cylinder. Start with a 4" pipe and work your way down to like 1". The smaller the increments, the closer the pipes sit together (never touching), the closer the gap the more H2 you get, the more current you pass through the metal the more production too. Usually you ground the outside pipe so you don't zap yourself, I can't remember if - is a cathode or an anode. Then you alternate the -+-+-+-+ in the pipes. Put wedges of wood between the pipes so that they don't touch. The system won't build pressure, I don't think. Maybe like 3 psi. You can also drill holes in the pipes for more surface area which means more production. Alternate ideas with h2: 1. H2 torch, use your generator to get the h2, send it through a series of "bubblers" to keep it from back flaming into the central system and blowing you to kingdom come. Hook up a hose from the bubbler to a flame retardant to ensure safety, then send that to a torch tip. The crap cuts through/melts anything I do believe, even granite. :] 2. If you have fuel injection on any of your cars then you can hook the system up to it. Same flame cut out thing so you don't blow up and you send the H2 to the manifold or something like that. I think it increases the mpg, not sure. Seen some stuff on it but then its also intertwined with "thats not true!" so I don't know what to make of it. 3. Get a fuel injector, spray a mist of water, make a spark plug for a plasma ark, spray water into plasma, the heat separates the water into its components hydrogen and oxygen and then ignites it. I think people like to refer to is as cold fusion, even though technically I don't THINK it is. But I mean its still cool. Theres also some old 80's clip of a dude who drove a dune buggy across america on like 20 gallons of water. He died and everyone thinks the oil companies killed him off, however my point is that he used water for combustion, maybe through the same process as I mentioned. Videos to refer to for the idea: And finally my favorite ideas, make a turbo jet engine, find a way to make it efficient thrust wise or something. -old junkyard turbo -oil pump -propane or liquid fuel, liquid you have to pump in and its apparently a little more difficult to finagle -fabricate a combustion chamber -boost gauge and anything else you want to keep track of. I've seen dudes with shaft rpm and EGT's, etc. Video to refer to (it was diesel fueled I believe): OR you can do a pulse engine which is really easy because there aren't any moving parts, unless you use a valved pulse engine. However, the valves get burned and beat up after a couple of minutes of running. The valveless system depends on the low pressure behind the combustion I guess you could say, which it sucks air back in to be burned. Use a spark plug to get it started and once it glows red hot you can turn the plug off. The valved system works the same way however instead of using pressurized propane you use liquid fuel. Its one single pipe in a straight line instead of a pipe which doubles back around. The valve is the type that flaps around so when there is combustion occurring, its shut closed, the low pressure wave that forms sucks the flap open which sucks in air. This vacuum also sucks the fuel in through a jet too, so you don't have to pump the fuel in. Video: Check out the rest of that dudes videos. he has made both big and small, valveless and valved. What would be cool is to do what some guys do on here and find the high and low pressure zones or something and try to make it the most efficient. Literally, all it is, is piping, a spark plug, and some propane. That was long winded. I'm sorry. EDIT: Oh and not to mention, the pulse jet also studies the concept of the scavenging effect on exhaust systems. You know, with the high prssure wave followed by a low pressure wave used to help draw in more air and fuel. I don't think a pulse jet can even work without a flared end on its pipe or a megaphone setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turboHLS30 Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Well looks like I have my Chemistry project for my sophmore year in high school LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh817 Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 Don't mooch! This isn't for you! Meh I don't even care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
19762802+2 Posted September 28, 2009 Share Posted September 28, 2009 you could consider something in gasification also. you could run a car, or maybe small scale, pretty much you can do whatever you want to do like an H2 powered miniature RC car with a V8 holding a Spud gun haha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cockerstar Posted September 29, 2009 Author Share Posted September 29, 2009 Oh god this thread makes me scared. I'm only a freshman and seeing how you have these huge projects, I wouldn't know what the hell to do... I'm a freshman too This is for my intro to engineering class. The H2 generator sounds pretty awesome though! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh817 Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 Are you kidding me. Ours is like a water distributor. We have to fill 4 cups, two 6 ounce, two 4 ounce cups without any electronics and without any spillage. No, we didn't get to choose what we do but I'm glad they didn't just say "ok we want a project due at the end of the semester, go and do it, see yah later" psh Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Challenger Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 Make a pulse jet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh817 Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 A valved one! +1 win Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Challenger Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 Stirling engines are cool as well.. ill have to get a picture of mine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh817 Posted September 29, 2009 Share Posted September 29, 2009 Dude we're thinking on the same brain frequencies. Right after I responded I went to go look at one. what sort of research can be done on them though? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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