Work
This project had two parts, and it spanned over eight weeks. The first step of this project was completed with our groups from the design a new science building project. This task was to design the most efficient wind turbine possible under multiple conditions. We then experimented with motors and discovered that electrical currents create magnetic fields. Now that we had that information, we ran another experiment to see if the opposite could occur. We created our own simple electromagnets using a little over a meter of 32 gauge insulated copper wire, a galvanized 3 inch steel nail, and a 9v battery. When we coiled the wire around the nail and touched it to either end of the battery, the electrical current magnetized the steel nail and we picked up as many paper clips as we could with it. Finally, we experimented with electrical fields. One of our experiments was too put two pieces of clear scotch tape on our back counters. When we peeled them off, an electrical field was created and the tape pieces either attracted or repelled each other depending on how they were charged. We also did an online simulation called Electrical Field Hockey where we used an electron as a puck and had to create an electrical field using negatively and positively charged particles to propel the electron into the goal. The final stage of this part of the project was to design a microgrid that could power San Marin without help from the main grid. Using extra solar panels, a natural gas generator, and some massive batteries, San Marin could sustain itself year round. I felt that our plan was especially good because it put the already existing solar panels to use as well.
The Robot Art Show portion took place just before we designed the microgrid. During this period of the project, we used Arduino coding to combine lights, words, and sounds to make a short show. My partner and I coded the John Cena theme song to be played on a piezzo buzzer. In combination with this, we told a liquid crystal display to say "And his name his..." and then "JOHN CENA!!!" at a certain point in the song. We had to combine two different circuits to do this, but the final result was worth it. Our code is below.
This project had two parts, and it spanned over eight weeks. The first step of this project was completed with our groups from the design a new science building project. This task was to design the most efficient wind turbine possible under multiple conditions. We then experimented with motors and discovered that electrical currents create magnetic fields. Now that we had that information, we ran another experiment to see if the opposite could occur. We created our own simple electromagnets using a little over a meter of 32 gauge insulated copper wire, a galvanized 3 inch steel nail, and a 9v battery. When we coiled the wire around the nail and touched it to either end of the battery, the electrical current magnetized the steel nail and we picked up as many paper clips as we could with it. Finally, we experimented with electrical fields. One of our experiments was too put two pieces of clear scotch tape on our back counters. When we peeled them off, an electrical field was created and the tape pieces either attracted or repelled each other depending on how they were charged. We also did an online simulation called Electrical Field Hockey where we used an electron as a puck and had to create an electrical field using negatively and positively charged particles to propel the electron into the goal. The final stage of this part of the project was to design a microgrid that could power San Marin without help from the main grid. Using extra solar panels, a natural gas generator, and some massive batteries, San Marin could sustain itself year round. I felt that our plan was especially good because it put the already existing solar panels to use as well.
The Robot Art Show portion took place just before we designed the microgrid. During this period of the project, we used Arduino coding to combine lights, words, and sounds to make a short show. My partner and I coded the John Cena theme song to be played on a piezzo buzzer. In combination with this, we told a liquid crystal display to say "And his name his..." and then "JOHN CENA!!!" at a certain point in the song. We had to combine two different circuits to do this, but the final result was worth it. Our code is below.
John Cena fo REAL
By: Sean Burke and Chris Griggy
const int buzzerPin = 9; //Send infortmation for buzzer to digital pin 9
const int songLength = 33; //The song is 33 notes including pauses
char notes[] = "agfd gfed Gaf g Caf g gaf g Caf g"; //These notes are different frequencies, each space represents a rest
int beats[] = {16, 16, 16, 16, 3, 16, 16, 16, 16, 4, 4, 2, 2, 1, 8, 6, 4, 2, 2, 1, 8, 6, 4, 2, 2, 1, 8, 6, 4, 2, 2, 1, 8};
//These are how long each note lasts.
int tempo = 75; //How fast the song goes
#include <LiquidCrystal.h> //Include the LCD
LiquidCrystal lcd(12,11,5,4,3,2);
//Use these digital pins.
void setup() // Settings for the beginning of the show
{
pinMode(buzzerPin, OUTPUT);//send signal to buzzer
lcd.begin(16, 2);//
lcd.clear();//Clear the LCD
lcd.print("And his name is");//Self explanatory
}
void loop() //The things loop
{
int i, duration;// For the duration of the song, do the following
for (i = 0; i < songLength; i++) //The song goes up one beat at a time.
{
duration = beats[i] * tempo; // length of note/rest in ms
if (notes[i] == ' ') // is this a rest?
{
delay(duration); // then pause for a moment
}
if (notes[i] == 'G') // If this note shows up, then do the following
{
lcd.setCursor(0,1); // Where the text will start
lcd.print("John Cena!!!!!"); // Show the print on the LCD
tone(buzzerPin, frequency(notes[i]), duration);
delay(duration); // wait for tone to finish
delay(tempo/10); } // Brief pause between notes
else // otherwise, play the note
{
tone(buzzerPin, frequency(notes[i]), duration); // play a note
delay(duration); // wait for tone to finish
}
delay(tempo/10); // brief pause between notes
}
}
int frequency(char note)
{
//Associate a frequency with a note
int i;
const int numNotes = 9; // number of notes
//Each note is given a frequency for the buzzer.
char names[] = { 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g', 'a', 'b', 'C', 'G' };
int frequencies[] = {262, 294, 330, 349, 392, 440, 494, 523, 392};
for (i = 0; i < numNotes; i++) //go 1by1 through the notes.
{
if (names[i] == note) // If there is a note
{
return(frequencies[i]); // Return the frequency
}
}
return(0); // If there are no notes, just return 0
}
By: Sean Burke and Chris Griggy
const int buzzerPin = 9; //Send infortmation for buzzer to digital pin 9
const int songLength = 33; //The song is 33 notes including pauses
char notes[] = "agfd gfed Gaf g Caf g gaf g Caf g"; //These notes are different frequencies, each space represents a rest
int beats[] = {16, 16, 16, 16, 3, 16, 16, 16, 16, 4, 4, 2, 2, 1, 8, 6, 4, 2, 2, 1, 8, 6, 4, 2, 2, 1, 8, 6, 4, 2, 2, 1, 8};
//These are how long each note lasts.
int tempo = 75; //How fast the song goes
#include <LiquidCrystal.h> //Include the LCD
LiquidCrystal lcd(12,11,5,4,3,2);
//Use these digital pins.
void setup() // Settings for the beginning of the show
{
pinMode(buzzerPin, OUTPUT);//send signal to buzzer
lcd.begin(16, 2);//
lcd.clear();//Clear the LCD
lcd.print("And his name is");//Self explanatory
}
void loop() //The things loop
{
int i, duration;// For the duration of the song, do the following
for (i = 0; i < songLength; i++) //The song goes up one beat at a time.
{
duration = beats[i] * tempo; // length of note/rest in ms
if (notes[i] == ' ') // is this a rest?
{
delay(duration); // then pause for a moment
}
if (notes[i] == 'G') // If this note shows up, then do the following
{
lcd.setCursor(0,1); // Where the text will start
lcd.print("John Cena!!!!!"); // Show the print on the LCD
tone(buzzerPin, frequency(notes[i]), duration);
delay(duration); // wait for tone to finish
delay(tempo/10); } // Brief pause between notes
else // otherwise, play the note
{
tone(buzzerPin, frequency(notes[i]), duration); // play a note
delay(duration); // wait for tone to finish
}
delay(tempo/10); // brief pause between notes
}
}
int frequency(char note)
{
//Associate a frequency with a note
int i;
const int numNotes = 9; // number of notes
//Each note is given a frequency for the buzzer.
char names[] = { 'c', 'd', 'e', 'f', 'g', 'a', 'b', 'C', 'G' };
int frequencies[] = {262, 294, 330, 349, 392, 440, 494, 523, 392};
for (i = 0; i < numNotes; i++) //go 1by1 through the notes.
{
if (names[i] == note) // If there is a note
{
return(frequencies[i]); // Return the frequency
}
}
return(0); // If there are no notes, just return 0
}
Content
Circuit: A complete loop of conductive material from one side of a power source to another. (- to + / + to -). There are series circuits which are a strait flow with no splits and there are parallel circuits which split the current.
Voltage (v): Difference in potential energy from one side of a component to the other. Measured in volts. v = ir. Voltage must add up over a series circuit. The voltage we used for our Breadboard circuit was 5v.
Current (i): The "flow" of charge through a current. Measured in amperes. "amps." i = v/r. Current remains the same through a series circuit. In a parallel circuit, the current follows the path of least resistance.
Resistance (r): The amount the current is slowed or resisted through an obstacle. Measured in ohms (Ω). Series circuit: r1 + r2 + r3 = rtotal. Parallel circuit: 1/r1 + 1/r2 + 1/r3 = 1/rtotal. You need certain amounts of resistance to prevent a short circuit.
Power (p): The rate at which electrical energy is transferred by a circuit. Measured in watts (w). W = J/s. p = iv or p = i^2r. Power is usually measured in kilowatts (kW) which is 1000 watts. The more kilowatts you use, the higher your electrical bill.
Arduino: The coding program we used for our robot art show. It is a C language.
void setup(): A command in Arduino that will play whatever comes after it once.
void loop(): A command in Arduino that will play what you tell it to all the way through over and over.
Reflection
I was overall very happy with this project. I liked my results and how I got them. An area that I felt really good about this project was my work ethic. For the robot art show, my partner Chris and I had a great pace of work. We were relaxed and had fun with it, but we also got it all done. And as for designing a microgrid, I feel better if anything. We only had three days total for this section of the project, so we had to work hard and fast. My group got it done and I was happy with our plan. I personally researched new solar panels and underground wiring and calculated the costs. My second good area for this project would have to be attitude. I was in a good mood the whole time, and I think it was reflected in my work. Even when the circuits got really tough and we didn't know how to complete them, I tried to keep working and not worry about it.
There is always room for improvement, however, and I believe that I could have focused a bit more over the span of this project. Saying this may contradict my plus on the work ethic, but I felt like when I was working or needed to work, I did. What I mean is that I could have focused more and worked more over periods of time instead of working my absolute hardest for short bursts. Not focusing also affected my leadership. There were times when we were off task and I should have taken control and gotten us on track again, but I did not. I remember thinking, "I've done enough today, I'll just relax," when I should have righted myself and done as much as possible. In the end, everything got done, but maybe I could have done better if I had taken control. Next project, I will stay focused and recognize when I or my group is getting off task and make sure we get the work done.
Circuit: A complete loop of conductive material from one side of a power source to another. (- to + / + to -). There are series circuits which are a strait flow with no splits and there are parallel circuits which split the current.
Voltage (v): Difference in potential energy from one side of a component to the other. Measured in volts. v = ir. Voltage must add up over a series circuit. The voltage we used for our Breadboard circuit was 5v.
Current (i): The "flow" of charge through a current. Measured in amperes. "amps." i = v/r. Current remains the same through a series circuit. In a parallel circuit, the current follows the path of least resistance.
Resistance (r): The amount the current is slowed or resisted through an obstacle. Measured in ohms (Ω). Series circuit: r1 + r2 + r3 = rtotal. Parallel circuit: 1/r1 + 1/r2 + 1/r3 = 1/rtotal. You need certain amounts of resistance to prevent a short circuit.
Power (p): The rate at which electrical energy is transferred by a circuit. Measured in watts (w). W = J/s. p = iv or p = i^2r. Power is usually measured in kilowatts (kW) which is 1000 watts. The more kilowatts you use, the higher your electrical bill.
Arduino: The coding program we used for our robot art show. It is a C language.
void setup(): A command in Arduino that will play whatever comes after it once.
void loop(): A command in Arduino that will play what you tell it to all the way through over and over.
Reflection
I was overall very happy with this project. I liked my results and how I got them. An area that I felt really good about this project was my work ethic. For the robot art show, my partner Chris and I had a great pace of work. We were relaxed and had fun with it, but we also got it all done. And as for designing a microgrid, I feel better if anything. We only had three days total for this section of the project, so we had to work hard and fast. My group got it done and I was happy with our plan. I personally researched new solar panels and underground wiring and calculated the costs. My second good area for this project would have to be attitude. I was in a good mood the whole time, and I think it was reflected in my work. Even when the circuits got really tough and we didn't know how to complete them, I tried to keep working and not worry about it.
There is always room for improvement, however, and I believe that I could have focused a bit more over the span of this project. Saying this may contradict my plus on the work ethic, but I felt like when I was working or needed to work, I did. What I mean is that I could have focused more and worked more over periods of time instead of working my absolute hardest for short bursts. Not focusing also affected my leadership. There were times when we were off task and I should have taken control and gotten us on track again, but I did not. I remember thinking, "I've done enough today, I'll just relax," when I should have righted myself and done as much as possible. In the end, everything got done, but maybe I could have done better if I had taken control. Next project, I will stay focused and recognize when I or my group is getting off task and make sure we get the work done.