User:Jstapko/Igloo

Write problem/project Goal
To create precise plans from which a team could build an igloo on short notice and tutorials to teach the team how to read those plans and how to use the tools to shape blocks. Ideally, we would also build some of those tools to leave for the construction team.

My First Task
Read the work of the other team

Summary of actual work over first weekend
I spent all of Friday and Saturday wrapping up project Knock Knock. I started Sunday by reading the team page of the first project team, lmra. Then I read the individual work pages of its members and built a page with links to the other team's pages, and to their tutorials and other information so that I could access most of the major prior work quickly from a single starting web page, which I bookmarked. To further improve navigability, I put return to team page links from each of my pages to our team's page. Based on a tip from Renkenberger's page, I tried to find this book. Finding it to cost upwards of $1.00, I tried to find a copy available for free from a local library. This led me to the Enoch Pratt Free Library, where I found a 16mm film (it might be this one, I haven't watched it yet, so not sure). After a short detour to the Baltimore Streetcar Museum to borrow a projector, I came home and updated the wiki page to reflect the day's activities.

Overview:

 * I read the team website of team lmra and found several promising leads:


 * individual work pages to read
 * an igloo math tutorial to review
 * links to igloo tutorial videos to watch
 * a suggestion of using Ti-Nspire software to generate/evaluate formulas
 * a tutorial to read on building an igloo with playdough


 * I read the individual work pages of team lmra’s members and, based on them, some ideas to work with/improve upon, such as:
 * Proving the quality of a design by using it to build a sugar cube igloo that stands up, on its own, without glue, as in mortarless stone structures. Sugar cubes were one of the most challenging materials that team lmra worked with; if we can build a self supporting igloo with them, it would be evidence of very good design, block geometry, and construction.
 * trying to find the book Renkenberger recommended (see link above) for free
 * repairing the styrofoam cutting hot knife that stopped working while Murray was trying to use it
 * designing and building a new, improved hot knife
 * building a mould for all the blocks in an igloo, intended for making sugar cube blocks, to demonstrate the concept of a mould for all the blocks of a full sized igloo


 * While trying to find the book Renkenberger suggested, I found a 16mm film, "How to Build an Igloo" available at the Pratt Library. With a phone call I determined that I could check it out the same day, so I drove to the Central Branch in Baltimore to check it out.
 * After checking out the film, I drove a bit north of the library to the Baltimore Streetcar Museum to borrow a projector with which to play the film in case none were available at school.
 * once back home, I updated the Wikiversity page to reflect the day's work. While doing so, I found this video, which may be exactly the same as the film I spent several hours checking out and borrowing playback equipment for (at this writing, I haven't watched the film, so I don't know yet)
 * While looking for suitable sites to link to in the Wikiversity page, I found [several tutorials], many linked directly from the Wikipedia entry on igloos.
 * I briefly scanned several of the Wikipedia external links, and many are promising, including the US Army Field Manual on building igloos and the perhaps more relevant UIUC students' igloo project

Story in Pictures






Next Steps

 * If I had more time I would have:


 * posted links or at least information on all leads on the wiki page
 * watched the videos linked to from team lmra's page
 * studied Renkenberger's igloo math tutorial until I understood it
 * tried to download and learn Ti-Nspire
 * read the igloo building tutorials I've found so far until I understood them or needed help
 * documented and posted an idea I had for calculating the side miter angle
 * tried to build an igloo with wood blocks, then later sugar cubes
 * searched the internet and books for information on mortarless structures (such as certain classes of stone architecture)
 * worked with the projector until I either got it working or found an alternate projector
 * watched the film
 * tried to repair the noisy projector
 * searched for spare projector bulbs
 * checked Montgomery County library catalog for a copy of "How to Build an Igloo" (catalog server was down the first three times I tried)
 * searched the internet for tutorials other teams may have missed
 * used library research tools to find igloo design/construction information
 * read and taken notes on the information yielded by the internet and library research tools
 * when finished with websites, pursue hardcopy options such as encyclopedias, book stores (used and new) and magazines

My Second Task
My second task is to document and post ideas I have for the mathematics of igloo construction, and help Harris source parts for the snow machine.

Summary of actual work over second weekend
I searched several stores and online for a device to splice the pressure washer hose, returned the projector and film from week 1's work, and drew some diagrams illustrating the derivation of a formula for the side miter angle of the igloo's base blocks.

Overview

 * On Friday, I checked several stores for a "braided hose fitting" with which to repair the pressure washer hose, including:
 * NAPA Laurel Main Street
 * Poist Gas (across street from NAPA
 * Home Depot
 * Lowes
 * Auto Zone
 * I found the proper device to use online here, though am not sure it is the correct size
 * during the search, I got lots of helpful advice, such as:
 * from the clerk at Autozone who said he did not believe that hose clamps and barb splicers would hold 1800 psi, but that I should try a truck parts store because trucks use hydraulic systems,
 * from a friend who I thought might have parts or a crimper, who said to be vary cautious about pinhole leaks in the hose, because they can be a source of high velocity leaks, which can inject water deep into flesh and cause infections or other serious injuries
 * On Saturday, I made diagrams illustrating the derivation of a formula for the miter angle of the base blocks of an igloo.
 * On Sunday, I went to the Pratt Library to return the igloo film and the Baltimore Streetcar Museum to return the projector.
 * When at the Baltimore Streetcar Museum to return a projector, I was planning to ask whether they had some spare pipe fittings that might be suitable for the snow machine, but the shop staff were not available at the time.
 * On Sunday, after returning the film and projector, I began to upload the miter angle diagrams to wiki commons. Unfortunately, I had started with an image from the web and modified it, and a close reading of the Wikicommons terms and the license of the original drawing showed that I did not have the authority to license the resulting drawing under CC-SA 3.0, so I had to draw new ones that didn't start from a downloaded image.
 * On Monday, I drew new, compliant miter angle diagrams and uploaded them.

Story in Pictures














Next Steps

 * I can follow the truck parts store lead for hydraulic hose fittings
 * I can look for a tutorial on high pressure hydraulic system safety to learn of any other risks I should be aware of


 * I can look for other solutions to the pressure washer hose problem, such as a new hose or trying to build a hose mender from stock
 * I can look for ways to more precisely model the miter angle of the igloo blocks, including compensation for the change of miter angle as the vertical angle is changed
 * I can check the Kubota dealership for hose fittings/crimper
 * (called wednesday, 11/21, they did not answer. need to call back later)
 * I am a member of two clubs whose members might have parts or tools useful for the hose splicing/replacement effort, the Blacksmith's Guild of the Potomac and the Chesapeake Area Metalworking Society; I could send messages to them asking whether anyone has fittings or hoses they could donate, or if they have a crimper we could borrow.

My Third task
My third task is to continue the quest for a solution to the pressure washer hose problem.

Summary of actual work over third weekend
I had substantially less time to work on this project over the weekend, partly because of family/holiday related activities (lots of driving, etc.) and I was asked to work on Sunday due to high, holiday season related shipping volume. However, On Monday, I visited three stores and a few websites, and found three possible solutions to the hose problem. On Tuesday, an hour before class, based on feedback from professor Foerster, I had new fittings pressed onto the hose to splice it.

Overview

 * I went to Precision Small Engines of Beltsville, MD, which had a set of fittings which, though not an exact match for the hose, the clerk believed would work. The cost for the fittings and the labor to crimp them on was about $51, not including tax.


 * On the way home from Precision, I stopped ad NAPA auto parts of Beltsville because they advertised having truck parts. They said they did not have anything that would work for the hose, but were very helpful by not only recommending Colliflower, Inc, but also showing me on the computer where it was.


 * On the recommendation of the clerk at Beltsville NAPA, I went to Colliflower Inc's Jessup store. They had a fitting which appeared to be a much better match for the hose than the one at Precision Small Engines, which they were prepared to sell to me and crimp on the hose for $24.51, after tax.  However, they said that because it was not their hose, there was no warranty, if it worked, it worked, if not, it didn't, no refunds.  They also recommended purchasing a new hose from the factory instead of crimping/repairing.


 * The 24.51 cost of the Colliflower fitting exceeded the $20.00 limit imposed by the syllabus, so I stepped outside to telephone for approval. My cell phone turned out to be out of minutes, so I went home to email for approval.


 * Upon returning home from Colliflower, I continued searching the internet for a factory replacement hose. I found a section of the manufacturer's website where they sell a variety of replacement hoses for this unit in the $10-$25 range, raising a question of whether it would be wise to spend nearly that much to repair on old one.


 * While searching the internet for replacement parts, I found a page of reviews that suggest that this model of pressure washer suffers from reliability problems, and that the company's customer service/product support is lacking. Though the reviews are only a tiny sample size, not by any means statistically significant, it does raise a question of whether we should continue to invest in the current pressure washer, or perhaps search for a different one of better quality or with better product support.


 * Early Tuesday morning, I had Colliflower press new fittings onto the old hose after obtaining approval to exceed the $20 cost limit.

Story In Pictures








My Fourth task
I am going to develop safety and operating procedures and a test set up for testing the newly spliced pressure hose, and search for information relating to risks of operating pressure washers and air compressors in extremely cold weather, based on concerns raised by HCC's plant operations staff.

Summary of actual work over fourth weekend
I spent most of my time reading literature that Ahmed linked to in an effort to understand safety hazards and possible ways to prevent them. Based on the reading, I started a safety page to present to HCC plant engineering. I took down some notes concerning a remote control console, and based on tips in Ahmed's links, I developed a hydraulic schematic depicting a preliminary set of test apparatus. To draw the hydraulic schematic, I had to look up symbols and learn their meaning and how to include them in a drawing.

Safety Information Search and Results

 * I started with Ahmed's page, where he included link to several websites relating to hydraulic system safety, care, operation, and maintenance. I read most of the links thoroughly, and skimmed the few that I didn't.  Additionally, I read pages linked to by the MSHA document Dangers of a Failed Hydraulic Hose.  The literature identified several types of risk, some of which do not not apply to us.  A detailed discussion of these risks and what we can do about them can be found in the safety page, which I created based on the literature.  I also read the pressure washer manual, linked by Ahmed.  It included valuable advice, such as pointing the pressure washer output away from people and animals at all times, and wearing eye protection when operating it.  It also included detailed aspects of the pressure washer features, such as the intake filter screen (which we need to check for), the built in GFCI, and the Total Stop System (which seems to be a pressure activated cutoff switch).

Hydraulic System Schematic

 * Based on the literature, I developed a hydraulic schematic. Here is a brief discussion of why each part was included:


 * 1: solenoid valve for water intake - this is to assure that no pressure is available to input side of the system prior to approaching the setup. This could probably be omitted with little increased risk, as the manual says to turn the water on before installing the spray tip, and to turn it off only when putting the washer away. (manual 8)


 * 2: intake water flow meter - this is because the manual says that at least 2 GPM flow rate should be available to the water inlet (manual 6)


 * 3: inlet water pressure indicator - this is to assure that water is supplied to the washer at a pressure between 40 and 80 PSI, as called for by the manual (manual 8)


 * 4: high pressure pump - this is the schematic representation of the pressure washer's pump (Pytel 4:32)


 * 5: electric motor - this is the electric motor built into the pressure washer (Pytel 4:12 )


 * 6: output pressure gauge - this is included because epowerwash.com's article, How To Extend The Lifetime Of Your Pressure Washer Hose says "damaging pressure buildup could occur if the spray gun is shut off while the pump is still running," and we are planning to pressurize the hose with the drain valve closed, equivalent to the spray gun being shut off. (epowerwash.com) A pressure gauge will allow us to see the pressure applied to the hose, and cut motor power and open the drain valve in the event of an overpressure condition. While the total stop system built into the pressure washer should prevent an overpressure condition, it should not be relied on at least until its correct operation and calibration have been established.


 * 7: High pressure solenoid valve (normally open) - This is to depressurize and drain the system from a distance so that it is safe to approach and work on.


 * When I started the hydraulic schematic component of the project, I knew nothing of them except that they existed, because I had seen them in St. Elizabeth's Hospital and in some books. I had to search the internet for the terminology to describe the drawings, the symbols used, and the symbol's meanings.  Some of the most useful links were:


 * article by user Suvo at brighthubengineering.com


 * hydraulic schematic symbols tutorial at solenoidvalvesuk.com (especially the graphic at the bottom explaining the solenoid valve symbol elements)


 * Jim Pytel's video tutorial on hydraulic system components and symbols


 * Once I had a basic understanding of them, I was able to create reasonably close approximations of them in Microsoft Paint. Ordinarily, I would simply start with screenshots of the symbols from websites, but doing so makes the resulting diagram a derivative work, creating complications with licensing when uploading to Wikicommons.  Drawing them from scratch solves the licensing problem.

Next Steps

 * check into acceptability of using Citebite for citation purposes (discussed this with professor, he said this was acceptable, but to look at the wikipedia citation format and use that instead)
 * append a properly formatted bibliography to the safety page (professor said to use wikipedia citation standards in discussion of 12/4) (did this over weekend of 12/8)
 * look for more information specific to operating air compressors/pressure washers in cold weather
 * search for parts for both the test setup and remote control device
 * obtain a video camera, monitor, and cable for remote monitoring
 * (talked this over with professor, he says we would need to either make a really long usb cable with adapters or buy/find a really long cable, he added relevant parts to the overall lab wish list)
 * continue to refine safety procedures page
 * (professor said in discussion of 12/4 that this should ultimately take the form of a step by step checklist and operating procedure)
 * design circuit for remote control device (here is a preliminary schematic, exact part numbers/resistor values still need to be chosen)
 * make detailed description of operating procedure
 * modify hydraulic test setup as parts availability and budget require

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