Pharos University in Alexandria
Faculty of Engineering
Engineering Perspectives Laboratory
HU121 History of Engineering and Technology
Design Projects
Fall 2012/13
Steps of Engineering Design
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Identify the need
Define the criteria (from the instructor)
Explore/ Research/ Investigate
Generate alternative solutions
Choose a solution (based on pros and cons)
Create a detailed design
7.
8.
Modeling/ Development/ Production
Testing and Evaluation
9.
Redesign and Improvement.
Freshman Design Progects
Reporting
and
Grading
Weekly
2
Freshman Design Projects
1. Rooftop Windmill Turbine
Eng. Shaimaa
2. Solar Mobile Phone
Battery Charger
Eng. M. A. Razzaq
3. Crack Propagation Sensor
Eng. M. A. Razzaq
4. Ping ball Projectile Launcher
Eng. Amr
5. Balloon-driven Vehicle
Eng. Manar
6. Measurement of
Pressure-induced Stresses
Eng. M. Hassan
Freshman Design Progects
3
Faculty*
• Prof. Dr. Alaa Hamdi
E222
• Prof. Dr. Abdelsamie Moet
E230
* All Faculty and Teaching Staff are
consulting resources
Freshman Design Progects
4
1. Rooftop Wind Turbine
•
•
•
Like all renewable energy technologies, wind systems
rely on two main parts: a collector to harness the
energy and a generator with electronics to convert the
collected wind energy into power we can use.
In wind systems, the collector is the rotor, which is
made up of a number of blades that rotate to power a
generator that produces electricity.
The student team is required to review ideas of wind
turbine, design, build and test their own prototype.
They are also required to propose suggestions for
improving the performance of their prototype and for
simplifying the manufacturing and assembly.
Freshman Design Progects
5
2. Solar Mobile Phone Battery
Charger
•
•
•
•
Photovoltaic (PV) Solar Panels generate electricity by
the Photovoltaic Effect. Discovered in 1839 by 19 year
old Edmund Becquerel.
The photovoltaic effect is the phenomenon that certain
materials produce electric current when they are
exposed to light.
Using commercially available PV panels, this project
aims at designing, building and testing of a solar
mobile phone battery charger.
The student team will compare the performance of
their charger to commercial devices and comment on
the variance.
Freshman Design Progects
6
3. Crack Propagation Sensor
• The process of implementing a damage identification
strategy for aerospace, civil and mechanical engineering
infrastructure is referred to as structural health
monitoring (SHM).
• Appropriate sensors on critical structural components
could help to reduce costs by avoiding unnecessary
inspections and will increase the safety of the monitored
structures.
• In this project, the team shall conceive, design, build and
test a sensor to detect a propagating crack from a stress
concentration site.
• The sensor should be equipped with an alarm
mechanism upon a specified crack extension is
detected by the sensor.
Freshman Design Progects
7
4. Ping-Pong Ball Launcher
• This project involves designing, analyzing, constructing,
and reporting on a launcher that will propel a Ping-Pong
ball, in flight, for any arbitrary distance between one and
5 meters.
• The Ping-Pong ball must impact the target point with the
highest degree of accuracy.
• Students may consider spring-loaded launchers,
compressed gas launchers, catapults, pendulums, and
other similar mechanisms as the foundation for their
design concept.
Freshman Design Progects
8
5. Balloon-Powered Vehicle
• The goal is to apply what is known about mechanical
interactions by building a rocket car that minimizes
friction and drag.
• Materials are available in the lab and in the workshop
and outsourced are used to build the balloon powered
car..
• During performance testing one car will race at a time.
One team member prepares the car at the starting line.
• Cars take off at "Go!" Timers start.
• Time will be taken twice at preset distances and at car
stop (total run time).
Freshman Design Progects
9
6. Measurement of Pressureinduced Stresses
• This projects is intended to guide freshman engineering
students to discover the relationship between the internal
pressure to stresses acting on the containing wall.
• An empty 64 oz soft drink bottle is used to model a
cylindrical vessel. Students are required to devise
mechanisms to introduce and measure a gas (air)
pressure measure the stresses on the wall
• Measurements are plotted and compared to relevant
theoretical values.
• This is to be carried out on the upswing (pressurizing)
and downswing (depressurizing) of the device.
Freshman Design Progects
10