Engineered Composites - Report Example

Name: Date: Institution: 1. Introduction and background (50 marks) Engineering composite is specialized in the distribution of a high quality, corrosion-resistance, and maintenance-free glass reinforced plastics (GRP) products. These products are known to meet the high standards and quality performance. The GRP products are more durable and strong (Qu, & Cherkaoui, 2006 p.226-229). In relation to metallic material, GRP has been outperforming metallic materials and for that reason, their usage has been preferred in a number of industries including; marine, rail, road transport, pharmaceutical, telecommunication among other sectors. These GRP reduce the long-term spending due to their strength and their corrosion-resistance nature. Composites are preferred for natural materials since they are stronger, lighter, and cheaper in relation to the traditional materials. The following are characteristic composites; mortars, reinforced plastics, metal composites, and ceramic composites. Such composites are generally used in the following areas, building of; swimming pools panels, bridges, boat hulls, bathtubs, race car bodies, shower stalls (Callister, & Rethwisch, 2011 p.100). It is also used in aircraft and airspace due to their strength, light weight, and durability. Composites in business are applied in the office and household appliances. These include; power tools, and business equipment. In transport sector composites are used as parts of the rail, trucks, and other automobiles. They are also used in civil infrastructure in the replacement and repair of roads, pilings, buildings and bridges. In marine composites is used in the construction of boats and ships. They are also used in the construction of ports. In the electrical application, the composites are useful in most electrical appliances such as the substation equipment, microwave antennas, and also used in the printing wiring board. Due to their resistance to corrosion, they are used in water tanks, pumps, grating, and ducts (Kainer, 2006 p.65). They are used in the chemical processing, oil and gas, paper and pulp, and treatment of water. The following are the advantages of using composite materials; i. They have excellent strength to their weight ration ii. They are water resistant iii. It is possible to add a wide range of color pigments to the resin. iv. They are resistant to corrosion, v. They have an ideal external shell structure vi. It is to repair vii. They are carbon fiber viii. They have no tendency to split ix. They are less expensive compared to natural material. x. Found in different thicknesses. The composites, however, have the following disadvantages a. They cannot be recycled b. They require a high specialized process of manufacturing c. When water logged they swell and break d. They are only available in black color 2. Concept and innovation (50 marks) To solve the challenges facing the consumers, it’s good to come up with innovative measures in the development of consumer solution based fiber composites. This will enable companies to produce high quality products ranging from industrial manufacturing processes to Prototype component construction. The composite solutions will help the companies to meet the expectations and the demands of the consumers, also help the consumers to improve their industries and their plants due to their effectiveness (Kalia, Kaith, & Kaur, 2009 p. 1253-1256). Technological application of composites in the following fields would be economical to the consumers; in windmills, in vehicles and also in compressed gas storage. To start with, windmills: the use of wind to supply electricity can be a solution to the reduction of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere which is among the greenhouse gasses. The material needed need to be stiff, resistance to fatigue, and light material need in the construction of the blades. The lighter blades will make it easy for the wind to rotate the mills. This will not only help ease the ability of the turbine to rotate but also reducing the load on the support structure. Therefore the use of composite in the wind turbine will help reduce the weight of the common turbines. It will enhance the use of clean energy thus saving the cost of electricity as well as environmental conservation. Secondly, compressed gas storage; vehicle using hydrogen are in a position to save fuel consumption in relation to vehicles using the common gasoline internal consumption engines (Habraken, Wolke, & Jansen, 2007 p.234). By the encouraging use of light weight, cheaper and compact hydrogen storage would ensure that the fuel system is competitive in the automobile. The compacted fuel system will also ensure efficiency in the fuel consumption by increasing the surface are for burning of the hydrogen gas. Lastly, in vehicles; heavy vehicles will consume a lot of fuels. Therefore by reducing the weight of the vehicles will, therefore, reduce the rate at which the vehicles will consume fuels. This would help reduce the cost of transportation as well as reducing the rate at which carbon dioxide is emitted in the air. Using of light material would ensure less fuel consumption and therefore, saving fuel consumed. 3. Strength and durability requirements (125 marks) In the designation of the wind turbine, it is very important to consider the strength and durability of the material. The weight of the blades is also an important consideration when designing the wind turbines. Light blades are advocated for since it is easy for the wind to rotate. The blades being free from fatigue, they are free from corrosions will ensure their efficiency and durability. Their light weight will also be advantageous to the support of the entire structure. The best material for the wind turbine is the fiber-reinforced plastics. They are preferable due to their weights and the weights. Using composites in the construction of the turbines would reduce the cost, increase the reliability of the wind energy since the turbines are durable, it will also reduce the mold cycle time, it will augment robustness of fabric placement, and also enable the integration of thermoplastic matrices. Wind turbine blades are affected by the following; ultraviolet radiations, extreme temperatures, strikes from the lightning, hailstones and sands can also affect the turbines and the blades. Composite blades failure and breakages are likely to occur in case there is an occurrence in the delamination of the subsurface. Therefore caution is taken while handling the windmills in the generation of wind energy. A waveguide sensor is recommended in order to detect any change in the composite composition using the electromagnetic waves. In the construction of the wind turbines, the following are the necessary components; a rotator blade, gearbox, rotator hub, tower, electrical system, a generator, and a firm foundation. The blades will be driven in case there is enough wind (Cheung et al. 2009 p.655). This will ensure that the blades will rotate and as a result, the motors will generate electricity. The new design in relation to the traditional designs is more efficient. To start with, it is cost friendly; the cost of the composites blades is relatively low compared to the cost of the original traditional material used in the construction of the blades. There is reliability on the wind energy by the use of the composite turbines compared to the traditional turbines. The composite wind turbines are in a position to generate more energy that is reliable. The wind can easily drive the blades allowing the motor to generate electricity. This form of energy is environmentally friendly as it helps in the reduction of carbon dioxide emission in the air hence reducing the greenhouse effect (Wang, & Li, 2005). Due to the low cost of operation, it is easy to start a number of turbines. The presence of a number of turbines will increase the level of energy produced per day. However, there are some limitations of using the windmills as a reliable source of energy; first, wind fluctuation may lead to variation in the amount of energy generated per day (Bentur, & Mindess, 2006). The fact that the wind will only generate electricity only on windy days may not rely heavily especially on calm days or even in regions that do not experience strong winds. The turbines as they rotate may cause be noise pollution. This is because as the turbines rotate they are loud particularly when they are many in number. The turbines are mostly located away from the residential areas as a result of their noises. The turbines may last for a number of years if well taken care of. The windmills are affected by the following factors, mechanical factors such as fatigues and static, environmental factors like extreme temperatures and humidity, and finally, they are affected by manufacture defects. They can last for up to 20 years. 4. Design and evaluation (150 marks) Designing a turbine refers to the process of indicating all the specifications and the form of a turbine in order to generate energy. In the designation of the windmill, it is better to consider the shaft orientation as well as the axis of rotation. There two types of shafts, i.e. the horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) - this is a turbine whose shaft is mounted horizontally to the ground. The other type of shaft is the vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT). HAWT is better compared to VAWT since the latter has a low tip speed compared to HAWT. It is also known to experience a major difficulty in the control of the speed of the motor. A. VAWT B. HAWT Key: wind direction Direction of shaft rotation The maximum efficiency of the wind turbine can be described as follows: P=1/2 ρAV3 where: a) ρ = the density of the air b) A =swept area c) V =velocity of the air However, it should be noted that the amount of energy obtained has a limit which does not depend on the nature of the design. Since it is not easy to reduce the velocity of the wind by the turbines is would, therefore, mean that not all the wind flow will be utilized to generate energy. Therefore the approximate wind turbine efficiency is estimated to be less than 59.3% since all the kinetic energy of the wind cannot be fully utilized. For that reason, a power coefficient parameter Cp is given as 0.593. The reason for preferring HAWT is due to their sensitivity to any slight change in the profiles of the blades. The table below highlights some of the historical and recent designs of the rotor. Ref. no designs orientation use propulsion Peak efficiency 1 cup VAWT anemometer Drag 8% 2 Savonius rotor VAWT Modern ventilation Drag 16% 3 Dutch windmill HAWT Wheat grinding in the 16th century Lift 27% 4 American farm windmill HAWT Pumping water, generating energy, and grinding wheat in the 18th century Lift 31% 5 Darries rotor VAWT Generating electricity in the 20th century Lift 40% 6 Modern turbines HAWT Generating electricity in the 20th century Lift 47% 5. Application, maintenance and other issues (100 marks) If the blades, however, are not given the right service the level of electrical productivity goes on declining. The following maintenance measures should be carried out; visual blade inspection, this should be carried out regularly accompanied by surface cleaning, it will also help in the detection of the crack on the blades thus repair is done with immediate effect. This will help the turbines to maintain its maximum level of performance (Kalia, Kaith, & Kaur, 2009). A regular internal inspection should be taken in order to ensure that the reinforcement- shell bonding is complete. It is important to repair the damage parts especially if it is not severely damaged. But in the case of an extreme damage replacement of the blades should be done with immediate effect in order to retain the normal efficient performance. In prevention of the wind turbines from the lightning strikes, the tips of the blades should be covered with a copper coating which is then attached to a heavy wire. The copper plate will act as a good conductor of electricity, in the case of lighting, it attracts the lightning and then conducts it to the heavy wires which will finally direct it to the ground. Installation built-in lightning protector may not be effective; this is because, during a lightning strike, it is able to produce a very high temperature that will produce up to 27700 degrees Celsius. The high temperature will, in turn, convert the water on the blades into steam which delaminates, cracks, de-bonds and separates the blades. With the increased cost of fuel, the increase in the greenhouse effects it is important to think several ways that these effects can be eliminated or reduced. Uses of fuel in the generation of energy have been contributing to carbon dioxide emission into the surroundings. For this reason, global warming has been increasing and impacting negatively to the surroundings and to the living things. It is, therefore, important to think about how renewable sources of energy can be put in place. Wind energy is one form of the renewable sources of energy. Wind energy is cheap and environmentally friendly. It is, therefore, recommendable to advocate for this form of energy particularly in areas where strong winds are common. Though it is not reliable, when there are wind fluctuations it is important also to have other sources of energy to be used only when there are no winds (Rezwan, Chen, Blaker, & Boccaccini, 2006 p. 3413). It is also important to ensure that the turbines are well maintained in order to ensure optimum operation of the windmills and to ensure efficiency. The composite blades should be protected from environmental factors and mechanical factors since they may hinder the efficiency of the turbines. An example of the environmental factors includes; lighting, UV lights, temperatures, and humidity. These factors may result in delamination of the blades, cracking and other negative impacts. Mechanical impacts include fatigue, which leads to poor performance and negatively impacts on the level of energy generated. Use of engineering composites would save on the cost of production, increased durability of the products, increase the efficiency, it would also reduce the effects of greenhouse effects. The reduction of greenhouse effects particularly associated with carbon dioxide emission may be reduced by use of light automobiles, such as light vehicles which will reduce the level of fuel consumption. The use of synthetic materials also will help in the maintenance of the natural resources ensuring substance development within a given country. The composite materials are flexible enough enabling the designers to model them into different forms. They also improve in the level of productivity, and consolidation of different parts and functions. The composites are also resistant to heat; they are flame retardants among other properties. References Bentur, A. and Mindess, S., 2006. Fibre reinforced cementitious composites. CRC Press. Callister, W.D. and Rethwisch, D.G., 2011. Materials science and engineering (Vol. 5). NY: John Wiley & Sons. Cheung, H.Y., Ho, M.P., Lau, K.T., Cardona, F. and Hui, D., 2009. Natural fibre-reinforced composites for bioengineering and environmental engineering applications. Composites Part B: Engineering, 40(7), pp.655-663. Habraken, W.J.E.M., Wolke, J.G.C. and Jansen, J.A., 2007. Ceramic composites as matrices and scaffolds for drug delivery in tissue engineering. Advanced drug delivery reviews, 59(4), pp.234-248. Kainer, K.U. ed., 2006. Metal matrix composites: custom-made materials for automotive and aerospace engineering. John Wiley & Sons.. Kalia, S., Kaith, B.S. and Kaur, I., 2009. Pretreatments of natural fibers and their application as reinforcing material in polymer composites—a review. Polymer Engineering & Science, 49(7), pp.1253-1272. Qu, J. and Cherkaoui, M., 2006. Fundamentals of micromechanics of solids (pp. 226-240). Hoboken: Wiley. Rezwan, K., Chen, Q.Z., Blaker, J.J. and Boccaccini, A.R., 2006. Biodegradable and bioactive porous polymer/inorganic composite scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. Biomaterials, 27(18), pp.3413-3431. Wang, S. and Li, V.C., 2005, May. Polyvinyl alcohol fiber reinforced engineered cementitious composites: material design and performances. In Proc., Int’l Workshop on HPFRCC Structural Applications, Hawaii. Read More

The lighter blades will make it easy for the wind to rotate the mills. This will not only help ease the ability of the turbine to rotate but also reducing the load on the support structure. Therefore the use of composite in the wind turbine will help reduce the weight of the common turbines. It will enhance the use of clean energy thus saving the cost of electricity as well as environmental conservation. Secondly, compressed gas storage; vehicle using hydrogen are in a position to save fuel consumption in relation to vehicles using the common gasoline internal consumption engines (Habraken, Wolke, & Jansen, 2007 p.234). By the encouraging use of light weight, cheaper and compact hydrogen storage would ensure that the fuel system is competitive in the automobile.

The compacted fuel system will also ensure efficiency in the fuel consumption by increasing the surface are for burning of the hydrogen gas. Lastly, in vehicles; heavy vehicles will consume a lot of fuels. Therefore by reducing the weight of the vehicles will, therefore, reduce the rate at which the vehicles will consume fuels. This would help reduce the cost of transportation as well as reducing the rate at which carbon dioxide is emitted in the air. Using of light material would ensure less fuel consumption and therefore, saving fuel consumed. 3. Strength and durability requirements (125 marks) In the designation of the wind turbine, it is very important to consider the strength and durability of the material.

The weight of the blades is also an important consideration when designing the wind turbines. Light blades are advocated for since it is easy for the wind to rotate. The blades being free from fatigue, they are free from corrosions will ensure their efficiency and durability. Their light weight will also be advantageous to the support of the entire structure. The best material for the wind turbine is the fiber-reinforced plastics. They are preferable due to their weights and the weights. Using composites in the construction of the turbines would reduce the cost, increase the reliability of the wind energy since the turbines are durable, it will also reduce the mold cycle time, it will augment robustness of fabric placement, and also enable the integration of thermoplastic matrices.

Wind turbine blades are affected by the following; ultraviolet radiations, extreme temperatures, strikes from the lightning, hailstones and sands can also affect the turbines and the blades. Composite blades failure and breakages are likely to occur in case there is an occurrence in the delamination of the subsurface. Therefore caution is taken while handling the windmills in the generation of wind energy. A waveguide sensor is recommended in order to detect any change in the composite composition using the electromagnetic waves.

In the construction of the wind turbines, the following are the necessary components; a rotator blade, gearbox, rotator hub, tower, electrical system, a generator, and a firm foundation. The blades will be driven in case there is enough wind (Cheung et al. 2009 p.655). This will ensure that the blades will rotate and as a result, the motors will generate electricity. The new design in relation to the traditional designs is more efficient. To start with, it is cost friendly; the cost of the composites blades is relatively low compared to the cost of the original traditional material used in the construction of the blades.

There is reliability on the wind energy by the use of the composite turbines compared to the traditional turbines. The composite wind turbines are in a position to generate more energy that is reliable. The wind can easily drive the blades allowing the motor to generate electricity. This form of energy is environmentally friendly as it helps in the reduction of carbon dioxide emission in the air hence reducing the greenhouse effect (Wang, & Li, 2005). Due to the low cost of operation, it is easy to start a number of turbines.

The presence of a number of turbines will increase the level of energy produced per day.

Read More