Program info

I have several bits of information related to topics brought up at our last meeting.

Solar Power Project

Aaron has pushed this one step further with an idea to design, install, and test the use of solar electric assist for one of the golf carts used for maintenance or hospitality transport around campus. Part of the project would document the existing energy use of a cart, so the energy demands would be understood and so we would have a reference point to measure the benefit of the solar assist. In addition to being as visible around campus as a kinetic sculpture installed at the SM building, it could even be used in the Springtime Tallahassee parade. A group met on Friday, 7 September, to work on the details.

Rocket Engines

Terry Zimmerman (on the faculty at North Florida CC, and sponsor of their Sentinel Rocket Club) is hosting a workshop by Jimmy Yawn on reloading used Estes-brand rocket motors. The reload propellant is made from simple chemicals, but this will be a "work at your own risk" workshop, not a club activity. In principle, we should be able to reload some used motors and test launch them the same day using the club's launch site in Madison County.

The workshop is scheduled for the morning of Saturday, 6 October, on the NFCC campus. Interested parties can get the details at our next meeting on 21 September. I will not post any other details on the blog because Terry does not want this open to the general public.

Walking on Water

I was able to track down a detailed article about it in a science writer's blog, which included links to a YouTube video of it being done by "El Hormiguero" in Barcelona, Spain. Based on what I found on the TV show's web site, the guy in the white jacket is Flipy, who plays a mad scientist on this TV show. IMDB says the TV program is not available on DVD.



The tank is over waist deep (3.5 ft) and I'd estimate at least 4 ft wide and 10 ft long. That is more than 5 cubic yards, which explains the concrete mixer in the background. A typical concrete truck carries around 5 yards, so they were able to prepare the "oobleck" in that truck and then pour it into the tank. The water alone weighs more than 5 tons, so the tank would require some careful engineering. I don't even want to think about cleanup, but the TV show's promoters likely took care of that.

Possible Future Competition Project

Terry Zimmerman contacted me about possible participation in the Annual CanSat Competition sponsored by the American Astronautical Society and the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. If you read the Mission requirements, you will see that the idea is to build a small version of a space probe. Bonus points are awarded if the probe can carry out some activities, such as collecting a soil sample, typical of a Mars lander. Terry's group over at North Florida CC has some rockets that could carry the payload, but not the expertise to build the electronics needed for the project. Google shows that one hobbyist company sells a package that does some of what is needed (probably from last year's competition) for $220. However, like other engineering design competitions, buying is not the objective and just building it is only part of the task. If some of our first-year students are interested, this might make a good 2-year project, using this year to do some experimental work to get ready for next year's competition.

Civil Engineering for K thru 1st grade:

My dad sent me a copy of the ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) newsletter from last month. Along with info about their efforts on improving infrastructure while the Minnesota I-35W bridge collapse still has the public's attention, there was a link to an educational project targeted at really young children. Check out Curious George: Let's Build!