Category Archives: Grade 9

SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ENERGY TRANSFORMATION PROJECT REFLECT AND SHARE

Posted on by under Design, Engineering, Grade 9, Science

Introduction

This is the end of our science and engineering two-week project. After looking at others introducing their projects, I feel really impressed by how clever those designs are. The most impressive design was Jayden’s terrarium and Andrew’s roller. I have also learned a lot from my straw experiment.

Reflection

Even while everyone is aware that blowing through a straw can produce sound, real fascination arises when you realize that the mechanism of the straw’s mechanism can be used to build a thermoacoustic engine. Simple initiatives could also have a significant mechanism. I realized that instead of creating an overly complicated project, we should think about the time and resources that are still available.

Andrew’s roller is a good illustration. Elastic energy is converted into kinetic energy through his project. The rubber within the roller will tighten as you move it ahead. The roller is pushed in the opposite direction by the kinetic energy that results from the transformation of elastic energy into kinetic energy, returning the roller to your hands. In comparison to my design, this one only requires a plastic cup and a rubber band. I observed him finalize the design fairly early, giving himself plenty of time to solicit input. Each student in the science and engineering class was given an interview before being given the opportunity to sign the roller.

The project that stands out to me the most is Jayden’s terrarium. His design is the only one among the others that doesn’t need kinetic energy and is sustainable. His terrarium has been alive for 30 days since the project was finished, which is incredible. Throughout the course of the two weeks, I assisted him in building the terrarium, and I saw that he bought all the ingredients at the beginning of the second week, packaged them in a box, and even had leftovers. Because it was obvious how much work or resources he had left, he can stay on schedule thanks to this. He was acting very independently and effectively. A tweezer and a water bottle were among the materials he took into consideration. He created the light.

Conclusion

AlthoughI was unable to carry out my original intention to build a thermoacoustic engine, I was still able to understand its workings. My classmates have also taught me about their goals and crucial principles that are required for a lone project. As a result, I think this two-week project is quite worthwhile.

SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ENERGY TRANSFORMATION PROJECT CREATE AND IMPROVE

Posted on by under Design, Engineering, Grade 9, Science

Introduction

In this stage, students should be working on creating and improving their designs. However, I wasn’t able to fully concentrate on my thermoacoustic engine as I was sick and missed some classes. As a result, I created a very simple product, a straw, to simulate my thermoacoustic engine.

Design Ideas

Before finding a possible design, I first looked closely at the mechanism of my thermoacoustic engine. By deeply understanding the mechanism, I’m able to create an alternative that is as simple as possible. Since the thermoacoustic engine involves the use of sound waves and temperature, I want to create a product that is really basic but uses energy transformation.

I recognized that we can create a “whistle” sound when we blow the straws, so I speculate it might be related to the sound wave.

Experiment Analysis

Straw Experiment 0

Straw Experiment 1

Above are two recordings that I did at home about the very simple straw experiment. It shows how I created, and tested my design. The result turned out successful. When I blow into the straw, it is kinetic energy because air particles go into the straw. The kinetic energy is transformed into sound energy, as you can hear the “whistle” sound in the video.

The mechanism of the straw experiment is the same as the thermoacoustic engine, and you can refer to the poster “How Does a Thermoacoustic Engine Work” above.

 

SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ENERGY TRANSFORMATION PROJECT DEVELOP AND PLAN

Posted on by under Design, Engineering, Grade 9, Science

Introduction

After closely evaluating my potential three design ideas for the two-week project, I have decided to make a thermoacoustic engine. Its visual appearance and cool mechanics make it eye-catching and interesting to make. In this blog post, I will take about my plan and the materials required to create a thermoacoustic engine. The attached video below is the kind of thermoacoustic engine that I intend to make.

Plan

I have created a schedule from Feb.13th to Mar.5th for my two-week project, divided into four sections: Define and Inquire (D&I), Develop and Plan (D&P), Create and Improve (C&I), and Reflect and Share (R&S). Detailed information is included in the schedule. The schedule included deciding on the project, designing the project, ordering the materials, testing the materials, asking and receiving feedback, and reflecting on the feedback.

Design

Above is the design of my thermoacoustic engine. It is composed of three main sections: rod, piston, and wheel. I included a screenshot and a zoom-in for each section so that the design is clear and easy to follow.

Materials

According to the design, here are the materials required:

  • One 25*200mm Test Tube
  • One Wooden Cylinder with a diameter of 10mm and height of 30mm
  • One 10*100mm Wooden Stick (connected to the wooden wheel)
  • Two 10*10mm Wooden Pieces (glued onto the carbon rod)
  • One 150*150mm Wooden Wheel 
  • Two 30*50mm Wooden Pieces (hold the test tube and the wooden wheel)
  • One 60*400mm Wooden Piece (the base of the engine)
  • One Toothpick/Wooden Piece (connect the stick and the rod)
  • One 2*3.15*10=63mm Heat Resistance Tape
  • One 0.5*0*5*20 Carbon Rod
  • One Steel Wire Ball
  • One 50mm Screw 
  • One Nut

Apparatus

  • Hot Glue Gun
  • Wood Driller
  • One Candle

SCIENCE AND ENGINEERING ENERGY TRANSFORMATION PROJECT DEFINE AND INQUIRE

Posted on by under Analysis, Design, Engineering, Grade 9, Science

Introduction

In this unit of the Science and Engineering course, we are making a device that uses energy transformation to make a difference in society. This can be as simple as building an electric fan and converting chemical potential energy into kinetic energy. However, I do not believe it is cool enough. My goal is to create something more complex, amazing, and worthwhile. I currently have three designs: a sterling engine, an electric motor, and a thermoacoustic engine. I’ll describe my potential designs and evaluate them based on their visual appeal, challenge, and usefulness level.

Potential Designs

Sterling Engine ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Visual Appeal Level: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Challenge Level: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Usefulness: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Stirling engine converts thermal energy into mechanical/kinetic energy by establishing a cycle of a fixed mass of gas that is heated and expanded, then cooled and compressed, using the temperature difference between its hot and cold ends. In a Stirling engine, the coil of steel wool placed inside the soda can is referred to as a displacer, and the higher soda can is referred to as a piston that connects to the crank shift. The engine begins with a displacer at the top of the can and a piston halfway down the can. When the can is heated, the air pressure inside the can rises in comparison to the outside air pressure, penetrating the displacer and pushing the piston up. The piston propels the crankshaft and fan, causing them to spin. The flywheel momentum builds up as the fan spins, accelerating the rotation. The displacer is also connected to the crankshaft, but at a 90° angle with the piston connection. As a result, as the piston rises, the flywheel momentum lowers the displacer and vice versa. When the displacer is pushed downward, the gas inside the can rises to the top and cools, and the air pressure falls in comparison to the outside air pressure, causing the piston to fall to the bottom. The flywheel momentum then propels the piston to the halfway point and the displacer to the top of the cycle, and the cycle begins again. As long as the burner keeps heating the gas inside the soda can, the Stirling engine will run for a long time.

The Stirling engine is what I believed is the most challenging one out of my three potential designs. It requires a wide range of materials/apparatus such as steel wool, a plastic pipe, a crankshaft, an alcohol burner, a wooden setup, a hot glue gun, and a drilling machine. It requires high craftsmanship and investment (time & effort), which I believe is difficult to finish in two weeks. However, I really like the way the Stirling engine functions, and the process of energy transformation in terms of this design.

Electric Motor ⭐⭐⭐

Visual Appeal Level: ⭐⭐⭐

Challenge Level: ⭐⭐⭐

Usefulness: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

An electric motor is a piece of machinery that converts electrical energy into mechanical energy. Magnetism is important in this energy transformation process. When an electrical current flows through the coil on the bottom, it can act like a magnet, which is known as an electromagnet. Torque is a rotational force torque that can be generated by using the forces of electricity and magnetism—the attraction and repulsion exhibited by magnets, as seen in the video. With the help of a battery, the wire coil was transformed into an electromagnet, which repelled the magnets attached to the bottle, resulting in a torque that spun the bottle and the fan. The rotation will last until the battery runs out.

The electric motor is what I believed is the smartest and easiest one out of my three potential designs. It requires fewer materials and is less dangerous since it doesn’t include the use of fire. The main focus is on the circuits and the magnets, which I’m quite interested in. However, I think the design is too simple and tiny and is not that attractive to audiences.

Thermoacoustic Engine ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Visual Appeal Level:  ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Challenge Level: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Usefulness: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

This thermo-acoustic Stirling engine has a single piston instead of the two found in more traditional Stirling engines. Stirling engines use a power piston and a second piston to move air between the hot and cold parts of the engine (known as a displacer piston). Instead of a displacer piston, this thermo-acoustic engine uses a traveling sound wave to do the work of a displacement piston. A small alcohol burner included with the engine provides heat.

The thermoacoustic engine is what I believed is the best one out of the three potential designs. It uses the mechanism of the Stirling engine and is easier because it contains only one piston instead of two. Therefore, I decided to create a thermoacoustic engine for my two-week project.

 

 

 

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