Detailed Design Report

Power Generating Hydro Turbine

Josh Kukorlo Erin Farrell

Johnson Dong

April 22, 2014

Executive Summary

The task was to design a miniature hydro-turbine generator that can be used with a faucet or showerhead to provide electric power to LED lights. This report is a detailed account of the design and manufacturing processes needed to create and mass produce the product.

  

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Table of Contents Introduction ...................................................................................................................................2

1.1 Problem Statement ......................................................................................................2 1.2 Background Information .............................................................................................2 1.3 Project Planning ..........................................................................................................2 Customer Needs and Specifications ..............................................................................................2 2.1 Identification of Customer Needs ...............................................................................2 2.2 Design Specifications..................................................................................................2 Concept Development ...................................................................................................................3 3.1 External Search ...........................................................................................................3 3.2 Problem Decomposition..............................................................................................3 3.3 Concept Generation ....................................................................................................4 3.4 Concept Selection .......................................................................................................4 Detailed Design .............................................................................................................................4 4.1 Modifications to Proposal ...........................................................................................4 4.2 Overall Description .....................................................................................................5 4.3 Detailed Drawings ......................................................................................................6 4.4 Final Theoretical Analysis ..........................................................................................8 4.5 Component and material Selection Process for Mass Production ..............................8 4.6 Fabrication Processes for Mass Production ................................................................8 4.7 Industrial Design .........................................................................................................9 4.8 Safety ..........................................................................................................................9 Testing.........................................................................................................................................10 5.1 Test Procedure and Plan............................................................................................10 Conclusion ..................................................................................................................................10 Appendix A: Project Management ..............................................................................................11 Appendix B: Customer Survey and Results ................................................................................13 Appendix C: Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) Charts .........................................................15 Appendix D: Theoretical Analysis ..............................................................................................16 Appendix E: Detailed Drawings .................................................................................................17 Appendix F: Bill of Materials .....................................................................................................24 Appendix G: Safety Standards ....................................................................................................25 Appendix H: References .............................................................................................................26 Appendix I: Attestation of Work ................................................................................................27

  

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Introduction 1.1 Problem Statement

We will develop a device which can be placed in line with a home faucet or shower head to generate power from the water flow without disruption. The product will be designed around household constraints such as average water flow and energy requirements for small appliances. There is a potential market for 100,000 units per year over the next four years.

1.2 Background Information

Pennsylvania adheres to the International Plumbing Code 1993 which states a max water temperature of 120°F [1]. The average flow rate and pressure from a faucet is approximately 1.5 gallons/minute and 60 pounds per square inch [1].

1.3 Project Planning

The Gantt chart shows the timeline for completion of each stage of the project. The Gantt chart and a table of team members, their qualifications, roles, and responsibilities can be found in Appendix A.

Customer Needs and Specifications

2.1 Identification of Customer Needs

Ten homeowners and farmers over the age of 30 in York, Pa were surveyed. They were also chosen because they expressed interest in the product and were available to be surveyed via email. Larger sample sizes are ideal, however, a smaller sample size was chosen due to time restrictions.

According to the survey, the customers are most concerned with the usefulness and low cost of the product. The customer was asked to rank seven things that they wish they had in their shower. Their top choices were music, clock, and decorative lights. The survey and detailed survey results can be found in Appendix B.

Six design criteria were used to rate each system. The design criteria were weighted by how highly they were ranked in the survey. The results can be found in Appendix B.

The analytical hierarchy process (AHP) was used to determine the weights of the design specifications from the company’s product requirements. These results can be found in Appendix C. The design criteria weights are based on the customer needs and the company’s product requirements. The combined results are shown in Figure 1.

Combined Weighting Results

Cost 0.22

Ease of use 0.08

Waterproof/No Leaks 0.19

Aesthetics 0.08

Ease of Manufacturing 0.20

Usefulness 0.23

Figure 1-Weighting

  

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2.2 Design Specifications The customer needs an inexpensive product that does not require lot of space in the sink or shower. It should be easy to install and able to power a small appliance. These are accounted for in the cost, size and weight, time to install, power, load, and attachments specifications. It also must dispel water vertically which is accounted for in the water discharge specifications. See Appendix C for design criteria selection.

Concept Development 3.1 External Search

Several products have been developed which are similar to our design. A list of patents can be found in Appendix B. Figure 4 shows a turbine which is powered by running water [3]. When the turbine spins, it stores electricity for later use and displays how much energy is stored. The difference between this product and our product is that our product will be using the generated power while the water is running instead of storing energy for later.

LED shower heads which change color are on the market. Some shower heads change colors randomly and others change color with water temperature.

Cost Less than $50 Attachments 3/8-18 NPS pipe threadWeight Less than 1 lb Water Discharge DownSize Less than 4" length Housing WaterproofLoad 10 Ohms Generator Jameco DC MotorVoltage At least 1.5 V Time to Install Less than 5 Minutes

Product SpecificationsAvailable DC Motors

Jameco Parts238465

2120461174693238473206949

Figure 2 – Product Specifications Figure 3 – Motors

Figure 4: Hydro Turbine

  

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3.2 Project Decomposition Figure 5 is the decomposition of the project into three major categories.

3.3 Concept Generation

The turbine design for the Beta prototype and the mass production unit is shown in Figure 7. This is a complete redesign from the Alpha prototype shown in Figure 6. The Alpha prototype changed the direction of the flow twice which caused energy loss. The new design does not change the direction of flow. It will take advantage of water pressure and gravity to create a more efficient product.  

  The Beta prototpe has an all around smaller size than the Alpha prototype. The housing will eventually fill with water, but as long as the water keeps moving around the turbine, the turbine will continue to rotate. Stagnant water filled the housing in the Alpha prototype which kept the turbine from spinning.

There are also less parts required to manufacture the Beta prototype. Less parts usually leads to a less expensive, more durable product.

Goal: Design Product which generates power from running water.

Generating Power

Max power

Generator Choice (need calculations)

Turbine

Type/ Orientation

Size/ Limitations (4 inch 

maximum lenth)

Housing

Must keep generator 

dry (waterproof housing)

Seperate housings for turbine 

and generator

Power Use

Speakers/ Ipod

Use power to run 

speakers, Ipod should 

already be charged

Speakers and Ipod away from water

Battery Charger

Will flow provide enough power to charge

Does a batter need 

to be charged 

continuously

Timer/ Clock

Clock would be always 

running or have to be 

reset

Attachments

Generator to turbine

Product to faucet

Housing to components

Figure 6: Alpha Prototype

Figure 7: Beta Prototype/ Mass Production Unit

Figure 5: Hydro Turbine

  

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3.4 Concept Selection

The design criteria were used to evaluate the product on a scale of 1 to 5. The lowest score is 1 and the highest score is 5. The cheapest design received the highest cost score. Ease of use was determined by how many tools are required to attach the product quickly. The final design is waterproof and received a 5. The Alpha prototype, which is not waterproof, received a 0. The aesthetics score was based on the design specifications for size and weight. Ease of manufacturing was based on manufacturing time, required machines, tools, and materials. Usefulness was determined by the product specifications for load, power, and water discharge.

Detailed Design 4.1 Modifications to Proposal

The overall change to the proposal was a change in focus on the Alpha prototype to a focus on the mass production unit. The Concept Generation and Concept Selection sections were focused on the different types of housing and turbines. Now they contain information about the designs for the Alpha prototypes and Beta prototype/mass production unit.

Changes were also made to the AHP charts and the way the design criteria were weighted. The ease of manufacturing of the design does not matter to the customer, and the ease of use does not matter to the manufacturer. The design criteria were weighted fifty percent on each group, which skewed the actual importance of criteria. These two design criteria were given a more realistic weight. The other criteria remained approximately the same.

Prototype Weight Alpha Beta

Cost 0.22 2 3

Ease of Use 0.08 5 5

Waterproof/No Leaks 0.19 5 0

Aesthetics 0.08 3 1

Ease of Manufacturing 0.2 3 2

Usefulness 0.23 3 2

Total 3.32 2

Figure 8: Concept Selection Results

  

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4.2 Overall Description

The faucet powered generator is a simple design that incorporates a Pelton wheel and a one stage gear reduction to generate power through a motor. Falling water at the inlet causes a turbine to rotate a shaft attached to a gear. The gear drives the pinion and shaft of the motor. The housing for the turbine, gear, and motor are all made by plastic injection molding while the

Figure 9: Exploded View, Mass Production Unit

Figure 10: Exploded View, Motor Assembly

  

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other parts are comprised of aluminum, steel, and acrylic. See the Bill of Materials in Appendix F for identification of all parts in the exploded view.

4.3 Detailed Drawings

Detailed drawings to be used for manufacturing and fabrication can be found in Appendix E. These include specifications for the injection molded parts, turbine, gear, and pinion. Off-the-shelf parts are referenced in the Bill of Materials in Appendix E. These parts include the ball bearings, motor, end adapters, and epoxy. Specifications for these components can be found through their respective company. The shaft, cover, and circuit board have basic geometries that are specified in the Bill of Materials.

Figure 12: Isometric Motor Assembly View

Figure 11: Isometric Assembled View

  

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Figure 13: Isometric Assembled View

Figure 14: Isometric View of Gear Assembly

  

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4.4 Final Theoretical Analysis

,

,

:

∗

∗3620

∗ 1.8

The motor produces the most power at one half of the no load speed. The angular speed of the turbine will not achieve the optimal motor speed, so the design incorporates gears to increase the rotation speed of the motor from the turbine. Due to design constraints and geometry we were limited in selection of a gear ratio. The calculation above shows that the motor angular velocity will be 1.8 times the angular velocity of the turbine.

The Alpha prototype was unable to produce power, so data was not available for analysis. The Beta prototype was designed and fabricated. Testing of the prototype will provide data that will be used to calculate the actual rotational velocity of the motor shaft. Once this data is collected the design may be changed to accommodate a different gearing ratio to optimize the performance of the motor.

4.5 Component and Material Selection Process for Mass Production

A majority of the components in the design need to be manufactured using plastic injection molding since their geometry is vital. The housings, turbine, and gears are to be injection molded with ABS Plastic. This type of plastic is commonly used for similar purposes and has a strength and resistance to deformation that makes it a good work piece.

The components of this design will not be under high loads and therefore failure is unlikely. There is minimal need for a high strength material such as steel. The shaft, ball bearings, motor, cover, and end adapters are all ‘off-the-shelf’ items. These components were selected primarily to fit the design. The motor was selected because it was predicted to provide the most power with respect to the capabilities of the input. Manufacturing these materials requires extensive resources that would require too large of an investment.

4.6 Fabrication Processes for Mass Production

The fabrication process begins by plastic injection molding the four housings, gear and pinion along with acquiring the parts from vendors. The following steps illustrate how the parts are used to manufacture the final product.

Step 1: Turbine Housing

Begin by inserting one ball bearing into the bore of the Injection Molding # 1. Secure the bearing using a small amount of epoxy. Then secure the shaft within the inner rings in the same

  

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way. Then slide the turbine onto the shaft and correctly position it while securing it with epoxy. Place Injection Molding #2 and fit the bearing within the hole and around the shaft. Epoxy the end adapters onto the top and bottom surfaces of the Injection Molding #1.

Step 2: Motor Housing

Insert the cover and circuit board into the appropriate slots of the Injection Molding #3 and secure with epoxy. Secure the correct electronic connections between the circuit board and motor. Slide the motor into the housing and secure it with epoxy. Finally, fix the motor assembly onto the front side of the turbine assembly using epoxy.

Step 3: Gear Housing

Epoxy the gear onto the turbine shaft and the pinion onto the motor shaft making sure they mesh appropriately. Complete the full assembly by epoxying the Injection Mold #4 onto the turbine and motor housing.

4.7 Industrial Design

The faucet-powered generator is easy to use and can attach in line to the 3/8” NPT thread specification. The size and geometry allows for it to be twisted into place with small risk of being inhibited by a structure. The PSU design on the front makes it an interesting product that is visually pleasing to a consumer. The product requires less than four inches from the inlet to outlet making the design usable in tight areas. The cover and motor housing creates a waterproof seal that keeps the electrical area dry and makes the product safe. The lightweight design also reduces the likelihood of component failure or a falling object injuring a consumer.

The premise of a faucet-powered generator is environmentally conscious because it provides electrical power without the direct impact of burning fossil fuels. This clean form of energy utilizes injection molding. The process of plastic injected molding is efficient in that there is low amount of waste product after manufacturing.

Environmental downfalls of the design are found in the end life of the product. Since the product is made of different materials, it cannot be easily recycled and will most likely be disposed of in a landfill. Also, the ABS plastic requires raw materials and fabrication processes that are harmful to the environment.

4.8 Safety

Having a product evaluated by UL for safety can provide product integrity. The UL mark is known around the world as the standard of approved safety products [8].

The generator design will be submitted online using the Request for Quote form found at http://www.ul.com/global/eng/pages/corporate/contactus/rfq/. The next step is to accept the quote and discuss the product and the steps to being approved with an UL engineer. Samples will be sent to UL and evaluated to determine if the safety standards are met. The engineer will inform us if the product passes inspection and a formal report will follow. If it does not pass inspection, we will receive a letter and work to redesign the product to ensure safety standards are met. [8]

Typically, a new product is evaluated against UL standards which have already been created. UL does not have any standards for water powered generators; however, there are several standards which could be applicable. A list of these can be found in Appendix G.

  

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Because none of these stands are specific to water powered generators for the home, UL may take this opportunity to create a new standard. [8]

Testing 5.1 Test Procedure and Plan

Testing was done with the Alpha prototype on April 8th. The prototype failed to produce power and called for a complete redesign. The redesigned product is the Beta prototype and will be tested April 29th. The Beta prototype and the mass production unit have the same general design. Testing will reveal how much power is generated in the mass production unit and determine how many LED lights can be incorporated into the circuit board.

Beta Prototype Testing

Purpose Test Beta prototype to confirm mass production design Confirm design is waterproof and produces sufficient power

Level of Approximation Correct material, motor, bearings, gears, and water flow

Experiment Plan

Build mass production unit without parts 6, 7, 10, and 11 (see BOM)

Attach part 12 to faucet

Attach motor to multimeter

Set multimeter to measure volts

Turn on Maximum water flow

Measure and record voltage

Schedule April 27 - Deadline for assembly of test Beta Prototype

April 29 - Testing completed

April 29 - Analysis Completed Conclusion The Beta prototype is a complete redesign of the Alpha prototype. The Beta prototype should experience less energy loss and therefore be more efficient. Testing will determine how many LED lights can be powered. This product is different from others on the market because it can be customized. The panel which reads “PSU” as well as the color of the translucent plastic behind the panel can be changed.

Testing Equipment

Beta Prototype

Hose

Bucket

10 Ohm Resistor

Multimeter

Figure 15: Testing Equipment

Figure 16: Testing Procedure

  

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Appendix A: Project Management

Role Qualifications Responsibilities

Johnson Dong Timekeeper

Microsoft Office Turbine Design

Microsoft Project Consumer Research

SolidWorks Testing

Josh Kukorlo Leader

Microsoft Office Solidworks models

SolidWorks Prototype Design and Manufacture

Erin Farrell Recorder

Microsoft Office Prototype Design and Manufacture

SolidWorks Report Writing

  

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Gan

tt c

har

t

  

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Appendix B: Customer Survey and Results

Survey Please rank the following from 1-6 with 1 being the most important: Cost Effective Ease of Use Aesthetics Usefulness Waterproof/No Leaks Ease of Manufacturing Please rank the following in order of “thing I most want to have in my bathroom”: Clock Timer (to keep track of how long your shower is) Decorative LED Lights Music Thermometer LED Lights which change according to temperature of water Battery charger (power would be used to recharge batteries for later use) Please feel free to write in any other things that you wish to have in your bathroom. Explanation of Customer Survey Results and Weighting The number of times that each specification was ranked a certain number (1-6) is recorded in the following charts. If two people ranked a specification as the most important, there will be a number 2 in the first column. If a part is has a number in the first column, that number it is multiplied by 9. The idea is that the specification gets nine points towards its importance for every time a person decided it was the most important specification. This applies to each of the rankings. The weights for the rankings can be found in the bottom row. The total is determined for each of the specification. The total number of points is determines (250). The number of points for the specification is divided by the total points. This determines the customer weight.

Customer Survey Results and Weighting 1 2 3 4 5 6 Total Customer Weight

Cost Effective 2 3 1 2 2 52 0.21

Ease of Use 8 2 46 0.19

Aesthetics 1 1 1 2 3 2 30 0.12

Usefulness 6 3 1 76 0.31

Waterproof/No Leaks 1 3 4 2 44 0.18

Weight of ranking 9 7 5 3 1 0 248

  

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Explanation of Customer Survey of Concepts This chart is the same as the previous chart except that the total score is used to determine

which concepts will be used. The concepts with the highest scores will be considered. The clock will not be considered because a clock would use about 50% of the budget. The clock is too expensive.

Customer Survey of Concepts 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Total Score Clock 3 3 1 1 1 1 51Timer 1 2 3 1 1 1 28 (too expensive)Decorative LED Lights 1 1 3 3 3 24Music 5 2 1 2 64Thermometer 1 1 1 7 15LED Lights/Temperature 1 2 1 3 1 2 21Battery Charger 2 2 2 4 22

Weight 9 7 5 3 1 0 -1

  

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Appendix C: Patents and Analytical Hierarchy Process (AHP) Charts

Patents

Name Number Hydro turbine US 6309179 Miniature hydro-power generation system US 6885114 B2 Line flow electric power generator US 4276482

Miniature hydro-power generation system US 7233078

Score Meaning 1/5 Much Less Important 1/3 Moderately Less Important

1 Equally Important 3 Moderately More Important 5 Much More Important

Company AHP Cost Ease

of use Waterproof/

No leaks Aesthetics

Ease of manufacturing

Usefulness Total Weight

Cost 5 1 3 1 1 11.00 0.23

Ease of use 1/5 1/5 1/3 1/5 1/3 0.93 0.02

Waterproof/No Leaks

1 5 3 1 1 11.00 0.23

Aesthetics 1/3 3 1/3 1/3 1/3 4.33 0.09

Ease of Manufacturing

1 5 1 3 3 13.00 0.27

Usefulness 1 3 1 3 1/3 8.33 0.17

48.60

Concept Weight Timer 

LED Lights  Speaker

Cost 0.22 1 3 5

Ease of use 0.09 5 5 5Waterproof/No Leaks

0.21 1 1 1

Aesthetics 0.11 3 5 2Ease of Manufacturing

0.14 5 5 5

Usefulness 0.24 5 1 3

Total 1 3.11 2.81 3.4

  

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Appendix D: Theoretical Analysis

Preliminary Theoretical Analysis

Flow Rate

(gallons/min)

Max 1.5 Min 0.8 Average 1.15

P = Power, p = pressure, ΔV = volumetric flow rate, d = internal pipe diameter

P = ΔV * p

P = 1.5 *60 *241 * 1/60 * 1/12

P =30.38 ∗

= 41.2 W

Pressure

(psi)

Max 60 Min 20 Average 40

  

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Appendix E – Detailed Drawings

  

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Appendix F –Bill of Materials

Part ID

Quantity Description Material Company Part # Size Details

1 2 Ball Bearing Steel McMaster-Carr

6383K16 N/A

Plain Open for 3/8" Shaft Diameter, 7/8" OD, 1/4" Wide

2 1 Gear ABS Plastic Professional Plastics

N/A 1.19 in3

3 IZOD General Purpose Black ABS GP Resin

3 1 Pinion ABS Plastic Professional Plastics

N/A 0.35 in3

3 IZOD General Purpose Black ABS GP Resin

4 1 Injection Mold #1

ABS Plastic Professional Plastics

N/A 2.81 in3

3 IZOD General Purpose Black ABS GP Resin

5 1 Injection Mold #2

ABS Plastic Professional Plastics

N/A 0.65 in3

3 IZOD General Purpose Black ABS GP Resin

6 1 Injection Mold #3

ABS Plastic Professional Plastics

N/A 2.76 in3

3 IZOD General Purpose Black ABS GP Resin

7 1 Injection Mold #4

ABS Plastic Professional Plastics

N/A 2.79 in3

3 IZOD General Purpose Black ABS GP Resin

8 1 Shaft Multi-purpose 6061 Aluminum

McMaster-Carr

8974K24 1.625

in Aluminum Rod, 3/8" Diameter

9 1 Motor N/A Jameco 174693 N/A N/A

10 1 Cover Acrylic Delvies Plastics Inc.

060_Translucent_1212 2.75" x 1.625"

1/16" Translucent Cast Acrylic Sheet

11 1 Circuit Board

N/A N/A N/A 2.75" x 1.625"

N/A

12 2 End Adapters

Thick-Wall Black Polypropylene

McMaster-Carr

46825K11 N/A 3/8 Pipe Size, Hex Nipple, Schedule 80

13 1 Turbine ABS Plastic Professional Plastics

N/A 0.51 in3

3 IZOD General Purpose Black ABS GP Resin

14 1 Epoxy N/A Loctite N/A N/A Loctite® Epoxy Plastic Bonder

  

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Appendix G – Safety Standards

UL Standard Subject Number 

Standard Title Edition Number  

Edition Date 

1196  Standard for Floating Water lights  3  10/29/1998 

778 Standard for Motor‐Operated Water Pumps  5  2/22/2010 

1112 Standard for Marine Electric Motors and Generators  3  9/5/1997 

  

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Appendix H: References

[1] Guide to Scalding Hot Water Temperatures, Laws, Regulations, Anti-Scald Equipment.” InspectAPedia. n.p. n.d. Web. 6 March 2014.

[2] Google. Patents. Web. 6 Feb. 2014. https://www.google.com/?tbm=pts

[3] Ecofriend. Eco Gadgets: Mini Hydro Turbine. 17 March 2009. Web. 20 Feb. 2014 http://www.ecofriend.com/eco-gadgets-mini-hydro-turbine-a-long-shower-for-a-recharged-cellphone-battery.html

[4] McMaster-Carr. Single-Event Digital Timer. Web. 25 Feb. 2014 http://www.mcmaster.com/#alarm-timers/=qz9kyd

[5] Jameco. LEB Bi Color Green/Red 565nm/697nm 3-pin. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10001_10001_34673_-1

[6] Jameco. Single Pole Speaker Round Ferrite. Web. 25 Feb. 2014. http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10001_10001_2081254_-1

[7] McMaster-Carr. McMaster-Carr Fastening and Joining. Web 1 March 2014. http://www.mcmaster.com/#

[8] UL. Standards. Web. 2014. http://www.ul.com/global/eng/pages/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_term=ul%20laboratory&utm_campaign=UL+Corp+-+Brand+-+Broad+-+G&mkwid=sm7ilwG5U&pcrid=15225311913&kw=ul%20laboratory&placement=&pmt=b&gclid=CL-nr_S29L0CFaN9OgodT20AGQ

  

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Appendix I: Attestation of Work

Johnson Dong

In writing the DDR, my contributions were parts 4.4 to 4.8 of the detailed design report. What I had to do was research and write up the fabrication process for mass production, the industrial design, safety, and economic analysis. We were told that we did not have to worry about 4.8, economic analysis; so I did not include that in my work. For the fabrication processes for mass production, I researched how our team will manufacture our product and the ways we will be utilizing for the mass production. In industrial design, I explained the ease of use, safeness and the aesthetic pleasing of our shower head design. Briefly explaining our design, I believe that we meet customer needs and requirements.

Josh Kukorlo

My primary contribution to the detailed design report was technical drawings of the product. I focused on creating SolidWorks models while modifying the design to incorporate the appropriate manufacturing processes. I researched distributers and manufacturers to locate the materials we needed and which ‘off the shelf’ components could be incorporated. I provided the detailed drawings that are to be used for fabrication and production. I also spent time in the Learning Factory and in Reber in order to develop the Beta Prototype.

Erin Farrell

I worked with Josh and Johnson to develop a Beta prototype and mass production unit. I spent time in the Learning Factory and Reber to fabricate the Beta prototype. I wrote part of the design report and revised and edited the full document. I also revised the proposal sections which were used in the Detailed Design Report to focus on the Alpha and Beta prototypes instead of the different designs for the alpha prototype.

By signing this document we attest that it provides an accurate representation of our individual efforts in the completion of this work.

Date: 22 April 2014

Member Name Printed: Erin Farrell

Member Name Printed: Josh Kukorlo

Member Name Printed: Johnson Dong