My task in this engineering project is to create a design that utilizes energy transfer/energy conversion.
I had several ideas of how to approach this project, the first being a waterwheel-powered light. Normally, this shouldn’t be a very time-consuming project, as electrical generators and waterwheels had both been constructed by other students before and therefore should be doable. However, one of my goals for this project is to make the final product look nice, which is why I originally planned on making a diorama around the contraption, with a fake river that goes in a cycle to continuously power the waterwheel. After some planning and consideration, I had to scrap this idea due to the amount of time it would take to make said diorama, as well as the fact that I had never made a diorama before.
Since I couldn’t make a waterwheel-powered light, I decided to look for other sources of power. One idea that I landed on was wind-powered. Instead of connecting the light to a waterwheel, I could rig it up to a windmill instead. This way, I wouldn’t have to make a complicated water cycle system, but I would still get to make a cool diorama with a light in it. However, this idea was scrapped as well since making the electric generator in the first place would likely take up most if not all of the time that we are given to make this project – and because I’m not sure how much windpower is needed to power a light, but most likely it would take at least a hairdryer’s worth of wind power, which would likely cause some damage to the diorama. Even if the diorama becomes stable, it would be difficult for the light to be of much use due to the large amount of wind power required to power it.
Therefore, I moved on to other ideas. Going with the theme of wind, I thought that perhaps I could make a rubber-band airplane toy. It’s certainly an idea; it’s relatively simple, it’s fun, and it shouldn’t be too time-consuming to make. However, it still didn’t sit quite right with me. Then I came across a new idea: wind chimes.
I’ve always loved the aesthic of wind chimes, and since there isn’t any complicated machinery involved, making one should be within my current skill set. They are easily customizable, so I can take some creative liberties when making them. Long story short, I love the idea of making wind chimes, and my enthusiasm is only fueled by cool Pinterest images of potential designs. Similarly to my other ideas, I had never made a wind chime before, but I’m very willing to try. There are many pros to this idea, the first being that it matches some of my goals for this project: making the final product look good, as well as being something that I would like to own in real life. Most likely I will be bringing my project home after the unit is done, so I wanted to make sure that whatever I make will be something that I would like to have in my room, and not tossed into a random corner of the storage room. As I mentioned earlier, I love the aesthetic of wind chimes, and I personally think that it would be really epic to own one. The second pro is that it is easy to design, and will not surpass the time limit given on the project. I can take creative liberties, while still ensuring that the wind chime can serve its intended purpose. Some cons of this idea is that it would be hard to find a target audience. Wind chimes are not particularly educational, and are mostly there for decoration. Therefore, the target audience would be very vague and hard to define, because it is hard to find one specific trait that fuels people’s need for wind chimes. As of now, the most likely target audience is people who likes wind chimes, like myself.
Below are some images that I compiled about wind chimes, as well as some other pictures that I found when I was looking for design inspiration:
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