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ES 101


ES 101 - Introduction to Engineering - in this introduction to engineering class I worked with three other people to create an emergency generator for a plane that looses power in flight. A number of techniques from the four major engineering fields were applied in the process of this project. Each of the four fields - Electrical, Civil and Environmental, Chemical, and Mechanical - was involved in some critical aspect of the project. Below are images of the final prototype.

In the Electrical engineering block we applied analytical techniques to the construction of the circuit board for the generator. The effect of every component in the circuit (diodes, relays, resistors and so on) was considered to create a device that would deploy when normal power was interrupted and transmit the generated electricity effectively.
Here is a photo of the circuit board.
Likewise, the Mechanical engineering block provided us with tools necessary to analyze the structure of the generator arm aiding us in the selection of a spring that would prevent buffeting of the arm on deployment in a 50 mph wind. We also machined the parts necessary for our project.
Here is a picture of the spring in place.
Here is an image of the parts we machined for our project.
Structural analysis techniques and tools used in Civil engineering were helpful in giving further details on how to select the best cross bracing design to minimize any sideways motion of the arm. These techniques worked well for us to produce a stable platform.
Here is an image of the analysis for the cross bracing. This design proved to be best for our project.

Chemical engineering's focus on processes allowed us to make calculations critical to the spring selection and to our final data analysis. These aspects intertwined with graphical design techniques yielded the final product that worked within the required limits. A production scenario was also evaluated for this generator as economic factors had to be considered alongside the engineering aspects in the analysis. Our final project was considered a success and was able to power the required loads at various wind speeds.