User:Raj.Patel/ENES-100/Poject 1

Week1 Narrative
I was assigned to the electromagnetic group. I worked on what material would be best suited to create electromagnets. I found that Copper was the most electro-conductive metal and therefore the best option to use as the coil for the electromagnet. I then searched for the best way to power the electromagnet with my idea being to use batteries in order to power it. I then thought of ways to regulate the power that goes to the electromagnet from the power source via use of capacitors and ardiunos. However, I found the best way to power the electromagnet would be the use of a power supply which would have various options for voltage, thereby, giving me the ability to control the power input. The CDIO page can be found here. The Conceive page can be found here.

Week2 Narrative
I acquired two electromagnets that were made from copper wiring wrapped around a toilet paper roll and then used those to begin initial testing. Electromagnet #1 (Yellow) was the larger one with a length of 5 inches and a radius of 1 inch, while electromagnet #2 (Blue) was the smaller one with a length of 4 inches and a radius of .75 inches. The object I used for testing was a half-inch steel ball bearing. It was too heavy to move with either electromagnet up to the maximum power of 12 volts. I then opted to use a smaller object which was a standard sized paper clip. Changing to a smaller object yielded more promising results with electromagnet # 1 and 2 moving the paper clip a small distance at a power of 12 volts.

Week3 Narrative
I created three electromagnets with 40 feet of 16 gauge, 18 gauge, and 20 gauge wire in order to better control the variables of the project. I tested these electromagnets at 3.5,5,9,and 12 volts. The object I used to be moved was a 3/8 inch stainless steel nail. The 16 gauge electromagnet was able to move the nail at a distance of 4.25in at 9 volts and 7.75in at 12 volts. The 18 gauge electromagnet was able to move the nail 1.75 in. at 9 volts and 3.50 in at 12 volts. The 20 gauge moved the nail .50in at 9 volts and 1.00in at 12 volts. However, the 20 gauge coil lit on fire right after testing at 12 volts, which shows that a wire of similar gauge or higher is not suitable for use at power over 9 volts. My results show that there is a correlation between the gauge of the wire and power of the electromagnet, which is the lower the gauge of wire the more powerful the electromagnet becomes.

Week4 Narrative
I tested both the 16 gauge electromagnet and the 18 gauge electromagnet together with the power supply, however, the 3/8 inch stainless steel nail did not move. This was due to the fact that the voltage being supplied was split between both electromagnets (ex. 12 volts was being split into 6 volts for each magnet). I then researched the relationship between voltage, amperage, and the efficiency of an electromagnet. The correlation I found between wire gauge and the efficiency of electromagnets is that the lower the gauge of wire the more amps are needed because there are less turns of the coil. The higher the gauge of wire more voltage is needed because there are more turns of the coil, assuming both wires of different gauges are the same length. I then researched how to configure batteries to increase the voltage and amperage. I found that configuring batteries in a series circuit will increase the voltage, while configuring batteries in a parallel circuit will increase the amperage.