Strategies
Overview
Students will begin the process of examining how energy is not only generated but transmitted through systems. As their knowledge advances, each team will be responsible for deciding what type of power is best for the local area and the best way to create efficiency within the system. By examining current technologies as well as gear systems, we will be focusing on physical production of electricity through mechanical means. The only less ideal option for this solution would be solar energy production as the absence of moving parts would require outside of the box thinking for students to come up with a mechanical advantage, they could implement with the only real option being a mechanical tracking system to move the solar panels.
Gallery Walks
Energy production
Energy production is a vital part of our daily lives, providing us with the power we need in our homes, businesses, and transportation. There are several types of energy production, each requiring different inputs and producing different outputs. In this gallery walk, students will explore some of the most common types of energy production in poster format that each group has created and discuss in their groups’ required inputs, outputs and the system that brings them together.
One of the most common types of energy production is fossil fuel energy production. Fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, and natural gas, are burned to produce heat that creates steam to turn a turbine which is then used to generate electricity. The input for fossil fuel energy production is the fossil fuels themselves, which must be mined and extracted from the earth. The output of this process is electricity, which can be used to power everything from light bulbs to computers.
Nuclear power plants use nuclear reactions to generate heat that creates steam to turn a turbine which is then used to generate electricity. The input for nuclear energy production is uranium, a radioactive element that is mined from the earth. The output of this process is also electricity, which can be distributed to homes and businesses through power lines. Discharging waters from nuclear reactors can be detrimental to local environments as they have higher than normal temperatures. Nuclear reactors also have spent nuclear rods and other components which will remain nuclear radioactive for decades and need treatment.
Hydropower has been utilized for a long time in many different ways from water wheels to modern hydropower dams. By utilizing the potential energy of water running downhill mechanical energy is harvested through water wheels and turbines that are used to generate electricity. Though the byproduct of large dam construction can also be detrimental to the local environment and ecosystems.
Geothermal power plants are regionally specific requiring access to geothermal heating created from the earth itself. These plants pass water underground to have it heated and return to the surface as steam where it turns a turbine which is then used to generate electricity.
Solar energy collected through photovoltaic cells can collect photons and convert them directly into electricity for use. Solar farms can generate electricity immediately but not always when the electricity is needed therefore like many environmentally based electricity production methods it requires a storage system to be effective.
Wind technology is another ancient technology that has grown as society has grown. From primitive windmills used to turn mechanical devices into two modern wind turbines designed to convert wind power to electrical energy, they use mechanical devices to turn the end product which is a generator to produce electricity. Like solar wind has tremendous potential if an adequate storage system can be created to store the electricity for when it is needed as opposed to trying to use it when it is generated.
Biomass energy is generated from organic materials, such as wood chips, crop residues, and animal waste. These materials can be burned to produce heat that creates steam to turn a turbine which is then used to generate electricity. The input for biomass energy production is the organic materials themselves, while the output is heat and or electricity. As building a fire is one of the most primitive forms of energy production, we can see how far we've come.
Water splitting is a chemical reaction that uses an external energy source to break down water into hydrogen and oxygen. This has the advantage of creating a storable energy source that can be truly carbon neutral depending on its input energy. If solar energy is used in the water splitting, then there is a zero-carbon footprint. The current negative of this technology is not the process but the high-cost materials required to build the apparatus.
In conclusion, energy production is a complex process that involves a variety of inputs and outputs. Fossil fuel energy production requires mining and extracting fossil fuels, while nuclear energy production requires uranium. Renewable energy production relies on sources such as wind, solar, and hydro power, while biomass energy production uses organic materials. Emerging technologies like geothermal and water splitting are also being explored as alternatives to traditional energy sources. By understanding the inputs and outputs of different types of energy production, students will be able to identify where physical force is being exerted and where we could have possible improvements to the physical design.
Types of Gearing
During a gallery walk, students will examine replicas of various gears and have the opportunity to manipulate the models to observe how they work. Students will be able to observe not only how the various gearing systems work and create a free body diagram of how force is transferred through them, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of each system, through hands-on investigation. The groups will next decide which gearing scheme will maximize the overall efficiency of the energy production they have chosen.
Parallel shafts are used by spur gears to transfer power. The shaft axis and the spur gears' teeth are parallel. Because spur gears only have one line of contact between teeth, they are typically noisier than helical gears.
In contrast to spur gears, which are aligned parallel to the shaft, helical gears contain teeth that are arranged at an angle. As a result, during operation, several teeth come into contact, and helical gears can support a higher weight than spur gears.
A gap separates the two helical sides of a herringbone gear, which makes them extremely similar to double helical gears. Herringbone gears are perfect for heavy shock and vibration applications since they are usually smaller than equivalent double helical gears.
The most typical application for bevel gears is power transmission between shafts that cross at a 90-degree angle. They are employed in situations when a gear drive with a correct angle is necessary. In general, bevel gears are more expensive and have a lower torque transmission capacity per size than parallel shaft arrangements.
Worm gears transfer power via non-intersecting shafts at right angles. Worm gears are excellent for applications requiring strong shock loads and produce thrust force, but their efficiency is significantly lower than that of other gears.
When combined with external gears, internal gears feature teeth carved into the inside of cylinders or cones. Planetary gear drives and gear-type shaft couplings are the principal applications for internal gears.
One kind of linear actuator is a rack and pinion, which consists of a linear gear (the rack) engaging a circular gear (the pinion). When combined, they create linear motion from circular motion. The rack is driven in a line when the pinion is rotated.
Screw gears consist of two helical gears on the same hand that have a 45° twist angle and are mounted on non-intersecting, non-parallel shafts. Their load-carrying capacity is minimal, and they are not appropriate for large power transmission since the tooth contact is a point.
Comments: