Product Viability
1.
- Loads- There will be metal that need to be mined from the ground that will need to be refined. There will also be cotton that needs to be gathered and refined into canvas. Additionally, we will be needing items made of plastic which is refined from crude oil. Loads on our bench will be dynamic because we will have a part that you can fold and unfold. This will put pressure on its frame and off the bench’s legs. I can calculate this load by figuring out how much pressure is on the legs versus the support pole for the track. Our product will be made out of metal, so it should be able to hold up canvas and plastic.
- Materials- We are choosing materials that are durable for the outside life. They will be reinforced with sprays that will make it more durable as well. Since we are using metal, our design will have to be sturdy, but this is doable. The metal might be a little hard to work with because it has to be heated to work with, but our other materials should be very easy to utilize. The dynamic load should not be a problem because the metal is so strong. Metal will also operate in any temperature as long as it is not as hot as its melting point, which is extremely high. Since metal is a very good conductor, it will exaggerate whatever temperature it is outside. For example, if it is really cold outside, the bench will feel even colder. We hope to eliminate this problem with the use of our heating system.
- Mechanical Engineering- Our design requires the input of energy and we have figured out a way to use solar panels to make it work. There are moving parts in our design as well, but these will be manually operated. Our project utilizes a dial and a pulley machine. These machines will not interact with each other, so we don’t have to worry about building them around each other. The load from our moving cover should transfer efficiently with the use of a track. The speed at which the parts move is controlled manually.
- Energy- Our product requires a source of energy and we are going to use the sun. The solar panels will convert the sun’s rays into useable energy which we will store in a battery which will lead into the heating coils.
- Chemical/Bio Engineering- Our design requires the conversion of metal ores into pure metals and then into useable alloys. It also requires the use of cotton which will be gathered, strung, and refined to make canvas. We will also need plastic for some of the components which starts as crude oil that is extracted from the ground and chemically refined into plastic.
- Electrical Engineering- Our design will involve electricity to power the heating system. This is not a complicated system and the heat will be turned on by the use of a dial, so we will not be needing complex electronics.
4.
- The environment (including the use of nonrenewable natural resources): We are using metal and nichrome to create our benches, both of which are nonrenewable natural resources.
- The potential release of toxins, waste, or pollution: In our product there are no toxins that could be released into the atmosphere or any pollution our bench would produce. The metal that we are using can be reused and melted back down into new products.
- The creation of visually unappealing facilities or noise pollution: Our product would be visually appealing to the modern day cities. The use of our product in older cities would be less appealing because of the more modern design we have. This is also better for us because there are normally more people in modern cites so this means we could sell more benches .
- The effect on animal and plant species, etc. and society: The product that we created has no effects on animals or plants. It doesn't give off any harmful toxins to hurt the plants and nothing can hurt the animals.
Product Lifecycle
Summary
For this section we had to talk about how our product would impact the environment, its ethics, and its life cycle. during this time we also bought all of our materials and prepared to actually make the bench since we only have so much time to make it. We have also been meeting with our advisers about how to make the bench and what materials would work best. We've received a lot of help involving the heating component from Mr. Lewes, the HVAC teacher. The welding instructor, Mr. Stephens and Mr. Dave, have also been of much help.