Advisory

Lixin is our advisory for our project and will be supervising. Lixin helped use our brains to create an idea that is innovative for harnessing waste energy from the internal combustion engine. Now we have to write a contract with our outcomes and have it signed by our supervisor and then we can get started.

Project ideas

Today we were told to start figuring out want we want to pick as our topic. Lixin have a couple of presentations which he showed us on innovations that the modern automotive industry have come up with. I was prepared for today's class because I had been working on my own 3 problems and solutions for them (listed below). The only problem was my group member was sick today and could not come in which slows our final decision on the problem we are going to pick for the tech project. Problem 1) Majority of engine wear in an internal combustion engine happens during cold start and when driven cold. Solution: Design a smart engine analyzer that works in conjunction with the coolant temperature sensor, engine oil temperature sensor and Rpm limiter to ensure that if the car is driven without being warmed up properly it will prevent the engine from exceeding 2500 rpm unless overridden through the safety feature which works in conjunction with the TPS. This system will ensure that the engine will work at its optimal temperature aiding all emission control systems by running an ideal air/fuel ratio also known as the stoichiometric ratio. This will also allow the catalytic converter to work as efficiently as possible and ensures longevity of the engine. Problem 2) The depletion of fossil fuels and the rising demand for an alternative fuel source. Solution: A water powered engine. Using a catalyst to separate the hydrogen and oxygen atoms and through extensive research I believe that clean water can be used to power our vehicles. If the basic concept is considered, that water when in a sealed chamber is heated enough to build excessive pressure it will escape in some way whether it cracks the chamber or explodes a part of it. This happens when the liquid turns into a gas (because of the rise in temperature) as Charles’ law states “the volume of a given mass of an ideal gas increases or decreases by the same factor as its temperature on the absolute temperature scale”. If this energy can be harnessed in some way I believe it will be another method to use water to power diesel engines because of their high compression rate. Problem 3) The rising cost of petrol and congested city driving all spell a disastrous scenario for daily driven sports/performance cars. Solution: Design a system were a dead axle on a car is powered by a smart electric drive system, this way when the car is used daily the performance orientated petrol engine can be switched off and the car will only be driven by the electric motor/s. If this system is to be incorporated into any car then certain modifications will have to be achieved. The first one is the steering system has to become electric, the brakes will need a vacuum booster similar to diesel cars which are fitted on the back of the alternator and a safe way of engaging and disengaging the engine will also have to be designed. Also storage of the batteries (lithium-ion) will have to be considered and ensure a low unsprung mass. Additionally the electric motor/s should be able to assist the engine when more power is needed to boost the overall performance of the vehicle.