Week 9: What's Next

As we move on through Gate Review 3, our next step is to develop and complete a business plan, approaching the Design Expo. We have complete material research and component research, as well as a final design, so our next task involves figuring out manufacturing costs and production costs for the product. In order to develop a coherent business plan, we are also looking into different production methods so that we are pursuing the most efficient and cost-friendly method of production. We have to consider the other aesthetics involved in the design that are geared more towards production, such as color. These have been resolved using the Kansei method of selection, and will be taken into consideration as part of the business model.

Week 9 - Exciting Findings

While deciding ways to transfer the power generated from the DC motor to the actual Iphone, we were continually bouncing back and forth between using a battery or a set of capacitors. We ended up finding that we could actually use two super capacitors instead of two heavy batteries, to collect and dissipate charge between the DC-motor and the Iphone. We also found that this saved space and weight, which was extremely important as continue to determine the best way to manufacture a housing that will also serve as a case for the Iphone. We also found that due to the size of the one direction ball bearing we will be using with our DC motor, on its  shaft, we may not need to have a gear train to increase the gear ratio. This again, saves space, weight, and more importantly, reduces chances for losses in efficiency!

Week 9: Challanges

As we are preparing for gateway review 3, we are finding that our next biggest challenge will be fitting all of our components needed for completing our circuit and generator, all inside our iPhone case. We are also a little concerned with how we will make the plastic component of our iPhone case that will also hold all of the components. If we decide to use injection molding, manufacturing the mold case will be be both difficult and expensive. we will have to make the mold out of a single piece of aluminum and this could also result in insufficient tolerances and precision. Our other option is to 3-D print the part. However, this could result in an unreliable and imprecise case. Nonetheless, manufacturing our housing, and ensuring that all of our components fit inside of it, will be a big challenge, but critical to the success of our project. 

Week 8 - Our Project Status

In the last week we have looked further into our design specifications. We calculated the power that the motor must be rated for and did an extensive search for motors that fit this requirement and were small enough to fit into our design. We then found the specific parameters of the motor by looking up information on the data sheet of each potential motor. This allowed us to start modeling the system and to figure out the optimal motor for use in our application. We then looked into potential gearing as well as a clutch system that would work with these motors. The information gathered will be related to what must be done for the gate review. Other aspects of the gate review were also considered when choosing the design. However, more work must be done in the following week to complete the necessary tasks for the design and review.

Week 8 - Exciting Findings

This week we are excited to solidify the design for our product. Gate review 3 is just around the corner, and we need to select a motor and transmission so that we can move forward. This is the part of the design process that everyone has been looking forward to as engineers, and hopefully we will be able put this enthusiasm to good use.
Last week, we got some good input from Dr Luntz about modeling our power system, and our preliminary findings show we will definitely be able to find a motor that fits our needs. While we are still looking to reduce size and weight, there is a motor available that is only 10mm in thickness and can handle twice the power that we need. We are still looking for other smaller versions, but this first one would be suitable and can make our design possible.

Week 8: Challenges

Our biggest challenge right now is finding a motor that will be able to take our input torque and convert it to the necessary output voltage, while maintaining the smallest size possible. Using our known input and needed output combined with dc motor performance calculations, we plan to test different motors and their motor constants to determine which mote will be the best for our application. We also are working on the best way to position a clutch mechanism with the dc motor to ensure the transfer of a continuously inputted force is converted to electrical energy in the most efficient manner possible. In addition, we are determining what kind of materials to use in our case, as it has to be able to hold all of our components under the high torque inputed by the potential user.

Week 8 - Whats next

Our next step is to determine what kind of motor to use as well as what qualities the motor needs to have. While we know what our input torque will be and what our output voltage needs to be, we need to find a motor that can take the input toque and convert it into the needed output voltage, while still being small enough to fit within our desired dimensions. We also need to begin constructing a 3-d CAD model of our design, and considering what materials we will use in our design.