Sustainable Design

Mechanical Engineering is a vast field of study, however I am focusing more on design and mechatronics (yes I used Wikipedia).  The Journal of Mechanical Design is were I got my article for the blog entry.  The September issue that I got the article from was dedicated to sustainable design.   There has been such an awareness to the environment and how waste can be reduced over the past several years.  In mechanical systems there are numerous ways that energy is lost, so as an engineer it would be wise to reduce that lost or even redirect it to another system. 

The issue that got the article from dealt with these issues.  The title of the article is "A Device for Harvesting Energy From Rotational Vibrations".  I found it to be an interesting article.  It was very technical with many equations and figures.

As I metioned, there are many ways that energy can be lost in mechanical systems, but specifically in dealing with components that rotate like gears and cams.  There is energy lost through the vibrations of these components.  The article states that through the use of electromagnetic induction the potential energy of the vibrations can be harvested.

The approach that the authors took in their research was to first develop an analytical model of the harvester and present that first.  Second, they designed the prototype based on their theories and test details for each element.  Finally, they tested the prototype and compared the data they obtained to the models they developed.  The outputs were not very large, but enough to possibly energize other components in surrounding systems.

I have tried to be clear and concise in presenting this article.  Any feedback would be appreciated so that it could help me with the ones to follow.

 

Genre??? Take 2

So much has transpired since I made my last post.  After much thought and conversations with others, I felt it best to amend my last post.  I did not explain myself thoroughly.  I was trying to make a  quick post so that I could make a check mark next to that task on my list of things to do. 

I understand the reason that Miller "jumped around throwing out different names and quotes".  She was making comparisons and pointing out ideas that she agreed and diagreed with.  I feel as though my statement was too blunt and not well explained.  It was not fair of me to through that statement out and not explain myself as to why I was feeling confused by that.

I try to make posts that are positive and thought provoking since we all experience so much negative junk from day-to-day.  My intensions were not to be negative on the post, however after reading it later on, I feel the overall tone was not what I felt it should be.

It was a tough essay to read and packed with so much information.  I must say that after reading it a second time, I was starting to understand it more.  I am sure that the discussion in class would have brought out some interesting points.

Genre???

I don't know about anyone else but I am having trouble with the Miller selection that was assigned for Tuesday.  I consider myself to be fairly intelligent, but am having a hard time understanding this piece. 

She does alot of comparisons of how other authors define genre and I think that is where the main difficulty comes.  She jumps around throwing out different names and quotes.  I just find that confusing.

I am going to give it one more try before class tomorrow to gain some understanding of the material so that I can contribute to the in-class discussion.

Just curious to hear what others think of this piece.

Smart mobs

The discussion on smart mobs on Tuesday was quite interesting to me.  Technology has a great impact on our society these days.  There is so much information available to us through the access of the Internet.  It is amazing to me that all that information is accessible through cell phones now.  We can have to world at our fingertips 24/7.  Through a variety of outlets like society networks, blogs, chats, instant messaging, etc,  large groups of people can make an impact.  This is a powerful tool.

However, I am having a hard time believing that smart mobs are self-formed.  I gathered in class that several people were of the same mind set.  An idea has to have an origin.  I am not convinced that a smart mob is self-formed.  Once the "mob" gets underway, then it can be self-sustaining, but the idea, I feel, had to have an origin.

By the way, I am interested to get some feedback regarding thoughts on Facebook.  What value do you put on Facebook?  Is it something that you can't live without or just something to do for fun?