Log 4/5/11

Today I worked on my Self & Design Evaluation in class. I was also down in the lab helping my team put our projects together.

Formal Progress Update Presentation (MP3)

Introduction

Bertha Robles-Giron

Grade 12

Marine Academy of Science and Technology

Systems Engineering II 

Oil Response 

Background
      Oil is a major source of energy in today's society. Unfortunately, it is distributed unevenly throughout the world. Because of this, oil must be transported to other areas around the world by land (as seen in Figure 1 below) and sea (as seen in Figure 2 below). The major transportation of oil occurs on the seas, ports, and rivers by use of oil tankers and barges.

Figure 1: Iran-Iraq Oil Pipeline (Source: Iraq-businessnews.com)

Figure 2: Venezuela-Cuba Oil Tanker (Source: JuventudRebelde.co.cu)

       Accidents have been known to occur whenever oil is drilled, handled, transported, stored, refined or transferred. Some of the biggest spills in history have involved the oil tankers Amoco Cadiz, Exxon Valdez, and the Sea Empress. In March of 1989, the Exxon Valdez oil tanker (shown in Figure 3 below) ran aground in the Prince William Sound in Alaska. This damaged the tankers hull, releasing about 10.9 million gallons of crude oil into the ocean. (Figure 4 below is of an oil sheen from the Exxon Valdez spill.) This spill was relatively small, compared to other spills in history, but it had major impacts on the environment and the industry.

Figure 3: Exxon Valdez (Source: Wikipedia)

Figure 4: Oil Sheen from the Exxon Valdez (Source: Wikipedia)

  
      Today, several improvements have been implemented in tanker safety and operations to prevent spills. All personnel working aboard tanker vessels must now be licensed and must routinely engage n safety drills. They are subjected to random drug tests and can only work a prescribed number of hours per day. The tankers are also equipped with GPS that sounds an alarm if the tankers deviate off course. By 2015, all tankers operating in U.S. waters will be required to have double-hulls because of the Oil Pollution Act. Double-hull tankers (Shown in Figure 5 and 6 below) have been shown to be better in terms of environmental protection.

Figure 5: Double-Hull Tanker Being Built (Source: schleswig-holstein.de)

Figure 6: Inside of a Double-Hull Tanker (Source: eng.nus.edu.sg)

 
Design Brief
Team
To design and construct a demonstration teaching model of open oil gushers and how they are contained, along with a multimedia display of the groups' efforts and solutions. The multimedia display will include different aspects and a storyboard for any filming done.

Individual 
To design and construct a model of a device capable of transferring an oil-like substance to a retrieval storage device. 

 British Pioneer Oil Tanker (Source: arabianoilandgas.com)

 
Specifications

• Must fit inside of the tank --> YES!
• Must be buoyant --> YES!
• Must be free of any leaks --> YES!
• Must be able to carry the weight of the oil-like substance --> YES!
• Must attach well to the other parts of the project--> YES!
• Must be able to shut off the flow of oil --> NOT YET
• Must have aesthetic appeal --> NOT YET

Limitations

• Cannot exceed the size of the tank --> YES!
• Cannot take too long to build (must be done before we start the actual testing) --> NO
• Total cost cannot exceed $100 --> YES!
• Power will be limited to what is available for the entire model --> YES!

Testing Procedures
Model:

Balsa Wood Model

Final Product:

Labeled Final Product

Testing Stages:

• Stage One:

• Location: My bath tub
• Date: January 19, 2011
• What is being tested: Final tanker body made out of plywood and balsa wood tanks. Testing for buoyancy of the body.
• Result: It was buoyant.

Stage One of Testing

• Stage Two:

• Location: Systems Lab
  
• Date: March 21, 2011
• What is being tested: Final tanker body and tanks both made out of plywood. Testing for buoyancy and flow inside the tanks.
• Result: It was buoyant. Tanks filled up slowly, but it was good.

Final Tanker Body and Tanks (missing switch)

 

• Stage Three:

• Location: Systems Lab
  
• Date: March 28, 2011
  
• What is being tested: Final tanker body and tanks both made out of plywood. Testing for movement of the shut off switch with the flow of water.
  
• Result: Switch barely moved, which is not good.

 

 

• Stage Four:

• Location: Systems Lab
  
• Date: March 30, 2011
  
• What is being tested: Final tanker body and tanks both made out of plywood. Testing for movement of the shut off switch with the flow of water.
  
• Result: Switch moved! This means that it will break the connection, causing the oil flow to stop.

 

• Stage Five:

• Location: Systems Lab
  
• Date: TBD
  
• What is being tested: Final tanker body and tanks both made out of plywood. Testing for movement of the shut off switch with the flow of the oil-like substance. Also testing for how well it works with the other parts of the project.

Design Brief *New*

Team
Design and construct a demonstration teaching model of open oil gushers and how they are contained, along with a multimedia display of the groups' efforts and solutions. The multimedia display will include different aspects and a storyboard for any filming done.

Individual
To design and construct a model of a device capable of transferring an oil-like substance to a retrieval storage device.

Log 3/29/11

Today I will be working on the switch for the oil tanker. I will also be preparing for the FPU that will take place on Friday.

MP3 FPU Outline

• Introduction

• Background
• Oil Tankers

• Design Brief
• Group: Design and create an educational system to model the capture and transport of oil from undersea gushers.
• Individual: To design and construct a model of a device capable of transferring an oil-like substance to a retrieval storage device  

•  Specifications
• Must fit inside of the tank 
• Must be buoyant
• Must be free of any leaks
• Must attach well to other parts of the project
• Must be able to shut off the flow of oil
  

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• Limitations 
• Cannot exceed the size of the tank
• Cannot take too long to build
• Total cost cannot exceed $100
• Power will be limited to what is available for the entire model

•  Testing Procedures
• Discuss model
• Discuss final solution (drawings and final product)
• Show how final product works
• Discuss testing stages
• Discuss results of testing

• Summary
• Talk about final design
• Talk about testing
• Talk about the results of testing

• Conclusion

Log 3/23/11

This week I have been finishing up my final tanker model. The only thing I have left to do is finish the switch and attach the tanker to the other parts of the project. I am hoping to be done by this class because the final product is due tomorrow (DA extended the due date).

Log 3/18/11

Today I will be working on the shut off switch for the tanks. I will also be working with my team to put our projects together.

Log 3/16/11

Today, I will be starting to paint the tanker. Since I have to let this dry I can't work on anything else today.

Log 3/14/11

This week I am planning on finishing the waterproofing, painting, and sealing of the model tanker. I think the caulking will be finished by today. Tomorrow I am planning on sealing the tanker. I plan on starting the painting of the tanker on Wednesday. On Thursday I am planning on finishing the painting. On Friday I am hoping to be working on the switch. This is my schedule as of today, however, things do go wrong so I am not completely sure.

Log 3/9/11

Since the last time I logged, I have finished the construction of the tanks and I have attached the screw eyes for the mooring to my tanker. CML has attached the screw eyes to his false-bottom that will attach to my tanker. Today I plan to attache the tanks to the tanker and I will start the waterproofing.

Log 3/7/11

This weekend I successfully finished the construction of the tanks for the model oil tanker. I now need to put the tanks and the tanker together. After I put the two together I will have to add more caulk and sealer. I will also have to paint the tanker, create the mooring lines, and attach the tanker to CML's piece.

Log 3/1/11

Last week I did not finish the construction of the tanks for the tanker. I encountered a few problems after I cut the pieces of wood for the tanks, and so I had to re-cut the pieces. Today I will try to finish the construction of the tanks. I will also be talking to my team mates about the script for the final video.

Log 2/24/11

Since the last time I logged, I have glued some of the tank parts together. I found that some of the pieces were smaller than I needed and so I started measuring out and cutting the new pieces. Today, I plan to continue the gluing and cutting of the tank pieces.

Log 2/22/11 (Catching DA Up)

     As of right now my model oil tanker has been built and I have started waterproofing it. This past week I filled all of the cracks of my model with wood filler and I filled all of the edges with water-resistant/waterproof wood glue. I have also been working on the tanks of my tanker. So far I have measured and cut the wood for the tanker and I attempted gluing them together. The problem I encountered while trying to put the pieces together was that the 1/4 inch wood was to thin to nail together like the rest of the tanker and it was really hard to try and clamp the pieces together at a 90 degree angle long enough to let the glue dry.
     By Friday I am hoping to be done building the tanks and caulking the interior of the tanks and the tanker. Today, I will be sanding the entire tanker to make it easier to handle and so that it is easier to caulk. Tomorrow,  will be gluing the tank pieces together. Thursday, I will be putting the tanks and the tanker together and I will fill the edges of the tanks with glue. Friday, I will be adding the caulk to the tanks and the tanker.

Log 2/17/10

Today I will continue working on the waterproofing of my tanker. I will also be working on my script for the final video of the Oil Response Project.

Log 2/16/10

This week I have been working on waterproofing my tanker. I filled the edges with wood glue. Now that the glue is dry, I will be sanding the entire tanker out. After that I will be working on adding caulk to the tanker.

Log 2/10/11

This week I have been working on the construction of my final product at home. In school I have been researching parts that I could use on my boat. I have been taking pictures of my project and of my teammates projects so that we could use in our final presentation. Today, I will be working on my boat.

Log 2/8/10

Since the last time I logged, I have been working on my tanker and on the systems that stop the flow of oil into the oil tanker. I have been working on the construction of the tanker at home because the piece of wood from which I am cutting out some of the pieces is to long for me to carry in school. As of right now I still haven't figured out the systems that will stop the flow of oil into the oil tanker. I have been looking up different sensors, switches, and connectors online.

So far this is what I've found:

•  Low Water Conductive Sensor
•  Pump Switch

Log 2/4/11

Yesterday, I worked on the CAD drawings of my final tanker model. The first drawings I had did not reflect the accurate thickness of the wood that I am currently using on the final tanker. I feel that the new CAD drawing of my final tanker is an accurate representation of what has currently been done. I still have to figure out the mooring system and I have to figure out the system that will stop the flow of oil.

Log 2/2/11

Last week  we had midterms. No systems work was really done then, other than the systems midterm. Monday of this week was the last day of midterms and I was not in school. Tuesday, regular classes resumed, but I had to make up my Monday midterms so I was not in systems class. Today, I forgot my model so I will be helping my peers with their projects.