Science Blog

In class we spent more time with robots. We experimented with generators this week, and found ways to generate electricity using flashlights. Each flashlight had a magnet inside it that could be moved up and down with a simple shake of the wrist. The simple movement caused a change in the magnetic field. The bigger the change, the bigger the increase in energy.

We connected the flashlight with a voltage probe and NXT adapter. After that we shook the flashlight in 30 second intervals. The first time we shook it at slow pace, and then increased the speed each time for a total of five sessions. The computer collected the data.

The rise in energy from changed in magnetic field

Through excel, we were able to organize this data from each interval.

From this you can see that we started with 0 shakes, then moved to 14, then 21, then 45 and finally 70 shakes on the final session. By highlighting our number and pressing sumq we were given the total voltage generated.

What is interested is that there was not a constant increase when it was plotted onto the graph. Each of our sessions produced a higher voltage than the previous session, so which matched the law. However, the line that was graphed shows a rise in electricity generated.

With the threat of global warming, there is now a constant search for efficient and natural forms of fossil fuels. Thanks to hydraulic fracturing (hydrofracking), there may be obtainable energy in the form of fossil fuels found in rocks. Hydrofracking is when pressurized fluid causes fractures in rock layers. Energy companies are now looking to accelerate this process in search of petroleum and natural gases.

In the hydrofracking process, a mixture of water, sand and chemicals are pumped thousands of feet below surface into drilled wells. The highly pressurized water penetrates the layers, and form stress fractures in the rocks.

The sand helps open up these cracks, and allows the natural gasses to flow out. After the drilling, the water is separated into tanks, and the gas collected is delivered to energy pipelines.

I find this process incredibly interested, because these drills are going down around 10,000 feet…imagine the amount of water pressure they would need for this to be effective. However, the process can be incredibly dangerous if not done correctly. According to a January 11th article, toxic chemicals were found in community water supplies due to hydraulic fracturing. The chemicals used in the process can be harmful to the environment, and could release radioactive wastes. Ultimately, it is a threat to the air, land and sea. Many anti-drilling groups have been organized to put an end to this procedure.

"The dirty truth about hydrfracking"

Sources:

Wikipedia

New York Times

environmentalgraffiti.com

I like science…but I never knew how much fun I could have in a science class until this semester. I mean common, we get to play with robots in class! Last week we explored the use of energy. The technology behind this experiment was truly amazing, but also a bit confusing. Here is a picture of exactly what the computer/robot did to make this experiment possible:

By connecting the robots to our computers, we will able to study the amount of energy used with a pulley system. Weights were attached to the pulley, and we studied how much energy was needed to pull different weights. Our energy source was a fully charged battery. Of course, the more weight we attached, the more energy was needed to lift the pulley. We were able to adjust the power level and on this screen shot:

Our experiment was to play around with different weights, as well as different power levels. Lower weights and higher power levels made the pulley go faster, and vice versa. Once we tried different power levels and different masses, we set it up so that the data was immediately imputed into an excel format. Here is a picture of the excel format, notice that the first four have the same amount of weight and different power levels, and the last four have different weight and the same power level:

We then set up equations so that the computer calculated even more data:

I hope you all found this as fascinating as I did…I am excited to see what our next hand-on activity will be!

Right now, the average car goes 27 miles per gallon of gas. Gas prices are rising every week, and American’s wallets are certainly suffering because of it. Gas prices have shot up for a number of reasons. One being overpopulation. With higher populations, more cars are on the road, which means the demand for fuel is high.

I am a student living in the city, so thankfully, I do not have to suffer from paying ridiculous fuel prices on a weekly basis. There is a reason you are starting to see more and more people using public transportation or buying smaller, eco-friendly cars rather than the sweet sports car or V8 trucks. The difference you’ll save fueling a hybrid over other cars can be astronomical.

Ultimately, car dealerships have suffered too with the rise in gas prices because less people are buying vehicles. That’s why companies are now producing hybrid vehicles with better gas mileage…because people are desperate for ways to save money in this tough economy. Hybrid vehicles burn through way less fuel because it runs on electricity. Because of this, the average is expected to go up to 54 over the next 15 years.

President Obama, and Department of Transportation and the Environmental Protection Agency are currently designing a program to better the average miles per gallon, as well as pollute the air with more greenhouse gases. The program would save 1.8 billion barrels of oil, and increase mileage by 30%. According to Obama, “over the lifetime of the vehicles sold in the next five years. And at a time of historic crisis in our auto industry, this rule provides the clear certainty that will allow these companies to plan for a future in which they are building the cars of the 21st century.” The specifics of the program are still being worked on, and then the plan will be released to the public.

Check out this video on gas mileage standards from the LA Times:

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2011/07/obama-announces-tough-new-gas-mileage-standards—-545-mpg/1

References:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30810514/ns/us_news-environment/t/obama-unveils-mpg-rule-gets-broad-support/#.TzhMfdR5mK0

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/29/business/carmakers-back-strict-new-rules-for-gas-mileage.html?pagewanted=all

http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/hybrid_news.shtml

This was my first week working with the robots. Since I was absent for the first class meeting, I missed building the robots and therefore could not contribute with the first blog about the experience. However, I learned a lot in this class about studying the velocity we could make the robot go, as well as determining the distance it traveled based on the diameter of the wheel. By knowing the diameter of the wheel, you can use that, as well as the amount of times the wheel went around and ultimately learn the distance the robot traveled.

My group and I did the calculations ourselves and then compared it to the computer’s answers. We got that the wheel turned 1.5 times, so the robot traveled 27cm, at a velocity of .27m per second (remember, velocity= distance divided by time).

The computer’s results were almost exactly the same. Here’s the exact results according to the computer: Wheel turned- 1.6 times ; Distance-26 cm. ; Velocity- .26m per second. Now, we can determine the fractional error by taking the distance we got and subtract the distance the computer got. Then, divide that number by the total of these two numbers divided by two. Our fractional error was one twenty-sixth.

The funnest part of the class for me was making the robot go in a perfect circle. Our goal was to get the robot to travel in a circle with a 2 foot diameter. Basically all we had to do was have one wheel (the outer wheel) turning faster than the other wheel (the inner wheel). After a couple of tries, we got it. By plugging the number 70 into the A motor, and 38 into the C motor, the robot traveled in a perfect 2 foot circle.

Electricity levels are at an all-time high, and the levels are getting higher and higher every year. Energy Information Administration estimates the electricity levels will go up 30% by 2030. You probably don’t realize just how much electricity you use on a day to day basis- I know I don’t. However, after doing a little research on demand response, I began to think about it.

Every time you flip on a light switch, turn out the television, or put something in the microwave you get instant results. You don’t flip a switch and wait for the light to turn on, it just happens immediately. Electricity is generated at a power plant and transmitted to local substations where transformers turn it into a usable voltage.

Electricity demand levels are at its peak in the evening and afternoon. This makes sense, because a lot of people are away at work during the day, and there is also natural sunlight so the need for lights to be on is lower. High electricity demands can result in equipment malfunctions at power plants.

One way to conserve electricity during peak hours in through a concept called demand response. Basically, what this does is allow people to voluntarily cut their electricity levels during certain times of the day (such as peak hours). Through demand response, we are saving money because we won’t have to replace machinery, and it’s also environmentally friendly.

To get a better idea of this concept, check out this video:

http://www.ecsgrid.com/demand-response-programs

References:

www.ecsgrid.com ; Wikipedia.com/demandresponse ; science.howstuffworks.com/demandresponse

A little less than a year ago, the world witnessed the largest nuclear disaster in twenty-six years. The earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan had a devastating effect on the communities and families that were involved. However, I was completely unaware of the effect this had on Fukushima Daiichi, and the series of equipment failures and release of radioactive materials that followed. There are six General Electric boiling water reactors in the plant. The quake de-fueled one of the reactors, and one by one the reactors began to fail. The plant was running on generators for a while until the tsunami struck.

This has been raised to a seven on the International Nuclear Event Scale, which is the maximum value. What I find to be the most devastating is how cancer rates will go up in years to come due to radiation exposure. Proper evacuations were exercised, however the Japanese government and TEPCO have their work cut out for them to find the best way to continue moving forward. It is absolutely vital that they continue to monitor radiation. Gamma habe reportedly been monitoring ranges within thirty km, and radiation levels have decreased sinced the incident. It is also important to monitor food restrictions. The Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare has been sampling thousands of food products from surrounding areas. Lastly, TEPCO has been monitoring sea levels for active radiation. The levels dropped initially, but rose back to 5kBq/L.

References: Wikipedia, iaea.com, cryptome.com

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