faucet powered generator ddr

Faucet Fiends April 27, 2014 Katherine Kennedy Morgan Stear Tyler Nelson

Detailed Design Report Water Faucet Generator Scale Model

ME 340.5 – Faucet Fiends

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Table of Contents I. Introduction 3

A. Executive Summary 3 B. Background Information 3 C. Project Planning 3

II. Needs and Specifications 4 A. Identification of Needs 4 B. Design Specifications 4 C. Target Values 4 D. Design Selection Criteria 5

III. Concept Development 6 A. External Search 6 B. Problem Dissection 6 C. Design Concepts 6 D. Concept Selection 8

IV. Detailed Design A. Modifications to Proposal Sections 8 B. Overall Description 9 C. Detailed Drawings 10 D. Final Theoretical Analysis 11 E. Component and Material Selection Process for Mass Production 11 F. Fabrication Processes for Mass Production 12 G. Industrial Design 12 H. Safety 12 I. Economic Analysis 12

1. Unit Production Costs 2. Business Case Justification

J. Testing 13

V. Conclusion 14 VI. References 15 VII. Appendices

A. Appendix A: Customer Documentation 16 B. Appendix B: Team Documentation 19 C. Appendix C: Project Documentation 21 D. Appendix D: Material and Environmental Impacts 23 E. Appendix E: Fabrication and Manufacturing 25 F. Appendix F: Industrial Design and Analysis 28 G. Appendix G: Safety Concerns 31 H. Appendix H:Detailed Testing Report 33 I. Appendix I: Detailed Drawings 34 J. Appendix J: Prototype Iterations 39 K. Appendix K: Bill of Materials 40 L. Appendix L: NPV Analysis 40


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I. Introduction A.) Executive Summary Millions of homes are affected by power outages and flooding every year. Traditional sump pumps are designed with the purpose of pumping out as much water as feasible to help reduce damage due to flooding, or prevent it all together. Faucet Fiends’ energy storing faucet attachment is designed to charge a backup battery to power a sump pump. Team Faucet Fiends wants to apply the prototype developed in this project on a larger scale in order to satisfy the needs of a standard sump pump and battery backup. The scope of the prototype is to design a faucet-powered generator that is intended for mass production that is inexpensive, attractive and efficient. This product must adhere to all design specifications implemented in the project description and requirements [1]. The generator must be from one of the Jameco Part numbers provided in the project description. The device must generate a minimum voltage of 1.5V with a load of 10 Ohms. Existing product components may not be used in the final product, unless the parts can be readily purchased “off-the-shelf”. The budget for this project is $100.00. It is estimated to cost Faucet Fiends company $120K per year to employ an engineer or marketing professional (includes salary, fringe benefits, pension, medical, overhead, etc). The labor cost for manufacturing and assembly is $60/hour. The estimated sales volume is 100,000 units per year for 4 years. These factors must be taken into consideration for the final project [1]. B.) Background Information Team Faucet Fiends has been given the tasks of designing a product intended for mass production, developing a project management plan and economic justification, and producing a demonstration prototype. Team Faucet Fiends is required to design and analyze an accessory for this product that will make creative use of the electrical power produced. While satisfying the constraints of the actual design, Faucet Fiends will also have to consider several other areas. Additional constraints include team allocated 3 person-months for the design and prototyping phase. In order to be able to scale up this water turbine prototype and provide the accurate amount of power to be supplied to a battery and proper battery charger, additional constraints are required. A marine battery powers a standard sump pump for up to 7-12 hours [2]. Team Faucet Fiends is using this instead of an acid battery in order to satisfy the constraints of the turbine’s application with the faucet system. In order to run this type of battery, the voltage needed to properly scale up the device is 8-16 volts [3]. C.) Project Planning In order to begin the project’s process and keep an organized scheduled of dates, the team created a collection of important tasks and deadlines in a Gantt Chart (Appendix B, Team


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Documentation). This Gantt Chart represents the project dates and helps keep the project on track. Some tasks tend to be very large tasks that will not only take a lot of time but also allow for changes throughout the process. Changes are key to this development process since throughout the prototyping/concept development phases, issues may be found which need to be addressed.

The Gantt Chart delegates tasks among the group members within each project assignment. Katherine K., Tyler N., and Morgan S. meet at least once a week and base each meeting’s tasks and goals accordingly with the Gantt Chart. As outlined in the contract, the team both has its strengths and its weaknesses. It is the team’s goal to to utilize the strength of its group members to efficiently complete the project. Weaknesses are seen as opportunities of improvement. Whenever the chance is presented with opportunity of grow, Faucet Fiend team members support one another.

II. Customer Needs and Specifications A.) Identification of Customer Needs The team was tasked with not only designing a faucet powered water turbine, but also with finding an application for use. The team brainstormed several applications for the generator including faucet lights, radio, rechargeable battery pack, backup sump pump power source, etc. The team interviewed several potential customers including family members and friends to probe questions asking what customers want in this product and what it would best be used for. From the interviews, the team determined a backup sump pump generator is the best application for the water-powered turbine. Every year in America millions of homes suffer from flooding causing billions of dollars in damage and insurance claims. To try to reduce this dilemma, a majority of homeowners purchase sump pumps to help drainage in lower areas of the home. A major constraint on the traditional sump pump is that during heavy rainfall and storms typical external power sources are rendered useless due to power outages, so the sump pump cannot operate and the homeowner is helpless in the amount of flood that can result. The proposed backup sump pump generator is expected to greatly reduce the incidence of flooding within the United States. From the interviews, along with team input, there were several needs identified for the final product. The requirements are as follows: the device cannot leak; it must be lightweight and appeasing to look at; it has to be easy to install and easy to maintain; it must be affordable, durable, and adaptable to various water outputs; and it must not contaminate the water. These various requirements were considered during concept selection. B.) Design Specifications Based on the criteria determined to be important in Section 2.1, the team created design specifications that would be applied to each customer need. These customer needs as well as design specifications can be seen in more detail in the QFD diagram shown in Appendix C. The design specifications include: mass of the device, manufacturing cost, tools required for


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installation, time to disassemble and reassemble the entire device, product material, number of cycles until failure, effects of varying water flow rate on power productions, and amount of contaminate in output water flow. Other constraints were based on the design constraints provided [1].

C.) Target Values Calculations were made to numerically represent the engineering specifications needed for the prototype being developed. Also listed are the numerical estimations of the prototype scaled up to satisfy the needs of a standard sump pump battery and battery charger (Appendix B, Equations).

Table 1: Engineering Specifications of the Target Values

Resistance (Ohms)

10

Voltage (V) ** 1.5

Power (W)** 0.225 Watts

(**)- Minimum value requirement

Table 2: Application of Target Values Scaled up

Resistance (Ohms)

10

Voltage (V) 11.47

Power (W) 13.15 Watts

D.) Design Selection Criteria Each of the design specifications listed in Section 2.2 will be used in the concept selection phase of the design process. To determine which features are most important to have in the final product, a weight was calculated for each design specification. To decide which water-powered faucet turbine concept would be best from the Concept Development phase, an AHP chart and weighted scoring were used to score each concept on certain criteria.

Table 3: Abbreviated AHP of Weighted Elements Size 17.1%

Complexity 5.5%

Ease of Assembly 8.4%

Manufacturing Cost 8.2%


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III. Concept Development A.) External Search All of the patents the team found have to deal with the idea of taking fluid flow and converting it to electrical energy. These patents differ in how they use the electrical power. One example of this is for a product that actually uses the conversion of kinetic energy to electrical energy to power an emergency light [4]. This is a very simple design in theory but it could be vital for someone who has lost power in his home and needs to find the kitchen or the bathroom. One product on the market is used to charge a battery and then used to power the motion sensor for touch-less faucets [5]. The last of the patents is a simple water generator that screws into a faucet [6]. All of these patents make use of turbines being spun by the fluid flow, which then in turn spin a generator. This is a very basic idea but each patent uses slightly different turbine designs with similar generators. (Appendix A: Customer Documentation.) B.) Problem Decomposition This problem consisted of a few subsets of the main problem. The main problem is to produce a generator powered by a flow of water from a faucet. The first sub category the team needs look at is what type of turbine they might want to use for max efficiency. The second sub category is how to connect the generator to the turbine effectively without opening opportunity for leaks. The last problem is connecting the generator to the switch to produce an output of at least 1.5 volts. The Black Box diagram shown in figure 1 demonstrates the dissection elements the team needs to consider when brainstorming concept ideas.

Figure 1: Problem Decomposition

Manufacturing Ease 7.1%

Efficiency 13.9%

Maintenance 19.0%

Durability 20.8%


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C.) Concept Generation Concept #1: This is a clamshell design with an O-ring placed into a groove between the two shells to prevent water leakage. Inside the shell the team will use a fan turbine with flat blades that are easy to manufacture but produce mediocre efficiency. This design will also incorporate the use of sealed roller bearings, which provide good overall efficiency and good durability. The generator will be connected via a shaft but with the use of a rubber grommet and Vaseline, the team believes this will allow for easy rolling resistance but still provide a relatively water tight seal. The generator will be held in a cradle formed on the case.

Concept #2: This is an Archimedes Screw type generator design in which water flowing down through an outer tube pushes axial on a screw causing a revolution. The concept is made up of an outer tube which holds the screw attached to an inner cylinder. The cylinder is then supported on both sides by tapered roller bearings that can support the shaft. The generator will be attached to the top generator to reduce any chance of water penetration. This concept idea is very easy to manufacture and therefore is inexpensive. It is slightly bulky though due to its total length. Concept #3: This design is the most complicated the team came up with. This design is comprised of a design borrowed from the internal combustion engine. By the use of a twin cylinder design the team believed it could achieve rotation of a crankshaft by means of alternating flow through each cylinder. 1 twin cylinder housing, 2 pistons, 2 connecting rods, and 1 crankshaft are the materials that must be fabricated. Therefore, this concept is projected to be very expensive and also not very durable as with a normal internal combustion engine.

Concept #4: This is a clamshell design with an O-ring placed into a groove between the two shells to prevent water leakage. Inside the shell the team will use a fan turbine with curved blades that are slightly difficult to manufacture but produce good efficiency. This design is different from the first concept by use of sleeve bearing instead of roller bearings. This will decrease cost of manufacturing including price of overall product,

Figure 2: Concept #1





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although it will decrease the efficiency. The generator will be connected via a shaft but with the use of rubber grommet and Vaseline, the team believes this will allow for easy rolling resistance but still provide a relatively water tight seal. The generator will be held in a cradle formed on the case. D.) Concept Selection The team came to the conclusion that concept one satisfies the production requirements. The team outlined customer needs and compared the designs. By adding sealed roller bearings to increase efficiency while using easy to manufacture, straight fan blades, this demonstrates that the design would be cost effective while maintaining optimum efficiency. Shown below in table 4 is an abbreviated version of the scoring table with the concept scored against one another. The concepts were scored on how well they performed in regards to each criteria defined in the QFD chart. By multiplying the rating of each concept for each individual criteria by the weight of that criteria, a rated scored was assigned to each concept. The AHP Table compares the final number that represents the rated score for each concept and shows the best method (Appendix C, all charts from the AHP Method).

Table 4: Abbreviated Weighted Scoring Criteria #1 #2 #3 #4

Rating Weights Rating Weights Rating Weights Rating Weights

Size 4 0.1714 1 0.1714 3 0.1714 4 0.1714 Durability 2 0.2082 3 0.2082 5 0.2082 2 0.2082

Rated Score 3.73 3.38 2.50 3.59

IV. Detailed Design A.) Modifications to Proposal Section

Several factors have become edited since the proposal submission. Instead of having the fan wheel’s shaft directly attached to the motor, the team created a separate housing to allow water to drip off the shaft before ever coming into contact with the motor. Several iterations were completed since the original proposal. Pictures of these iterations can be found in Appendix (J). Through these iterations flooding, sealing, pressure, aesthetics were tested on the alpha prototype to fully conceptualize the improved beta prototype. The first alpha prototype enabled the team to understand the problems with flooding issues in the design. To compensate for this problem Faucet Fiends decided to funnel the water off from the faucet and from the shaft before it is able to come in contact with the motor. This new concept developed by the team does not limit a normal spigot stream. The new separate housing attachment has an open bottom. Essentially the water drips off into a channel that is connected to a funnel to allow the excess water to drain. The team is still deciding whether or not to connect this stream of water to the funnel. The team is also in the process of discussing additional drainage for the excess water from the faucet head. Tubing is being considered for the final design. Design details have


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not been finalized for this concept. However, the team wants to see if simply increasing the nozzle diameter without the tubing can control pressure. The concern is if the tubing is added that the pressure needed to spin the wheel will dramatically decrease inhibiting the voltage requirements of the course. Magnets are also going to used in the final design to eliminate the need for putting holes through the outside acrylic pieces.

B.) Overall Description

Figure (7): Overall Layout of the Faucet Fiend Design

Numbered Part Part Name Quantity of parts 1 steel shaft 1 2 acrylic tube covers 2 3 2" PVC sch. 40 pipe 1 4 acrylic fan 1 5 4" 1/4-20 steel cap screw 5 6 3/8 metal pipe 1 7 3/8" NPT Brass Hex Nipple 2 8 acrylic spacer plates/segment divider 2 9 3/8" NPT Brass Socket head Plug drilled into nozzle 1

10 1/4"-20 steel nut 5 11 acrylic magnet cover 4 12 acrylic magnet holder 2 13 1/4" acrylic spacer 5 14 generator 1


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15 3M-0.5 cap screw 2

16 acrylic generator mount 1

Note: Magnet covers and magnet holders are slightly different in dimension when looking at the set that attaches to the shaft and the set that attaches to the generator. This is due to the slightly different shaft sizes between the drive shaft connected to the fan and the generator driveshaft.

The Faucet Fiend Product has quality assembly that assures ease of use and manufacturing of the product. After testing the team decided that the final product would have a magnet design as a part of the enclosure to minimize leakage issues. The housing also holds the fan blade and allows for any excess of water to easily drip away out of the outlet.

C.) Detailed Design Drawings

To illustrate the Faucet Fiend product, several components to the overall design are provided below. Quantity of each item were provided in Section 4.B with the Overall Description. Refer to Appendix (I) for detailed drawings and other references.

Figure (8): Detailed drawing of entire water faucet generator assembly

Figure (9): Detailed drawing of generator assembly


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D.) Final Theoretical Analysis The team was successful in creating about 82% efficiency from our product. This is crucial for successfully charging the rechargeable battery for the sump pump. Referencing Appendix (A), from the measurements and calculations of the beta prototype, the team was able to calculate the efficiency of the device.

E.) Material Selection and DFE PVC piping and acrylic are two major components of team Faucet Fiends product. The reasons that the team chose these materials was that they are inexpensive, highly accessible to consumers, and allow for easy repair for both the manufacturers and for the consumer. See Appendix (D) the common life cycles of both of these material. Faucet Fiends included some important information of environmental impacts with the design and material selection of the faucet product. The goal is to instill an effort in the team to create a sustainable product for a more sustainable society. The life cycle of the material must be considered in order to identify the proper drivers of the product’s design. Faucet Fiend’s goal is employ zero water waste for the product’s application. To minimize water waste, the new generator faucet application converts running water into voltage to power a back up battery for a sump pump generator. Another goal is that all of product’s components and the material are recycled after use. Instead of throwing the product away when the generator does not work anymore, the user is asked to either contact Faucet Fiend productions or take the product to a recycling facility. To promote shipment back to headquarters, again allowing the production team to reuse and fix parts for newer generators, Faucet Fiends provides free shipping and a complimentary discount on the next purchase of a new generator faucet attachment. It is a closed loop system containing both the natural and product life cycle. For PVC piping, the disposal and recycling process for PVC is hazardous to various degrees due to the material's inherent chlorine content, as well as the range of chemical additives used for increasing material stability and variety in usage properties. Acrylic is derived from petroleum and fossil fuel products that are largely considered to not be environmentally friendly products. Some forms of acrylic can be reused or re-purposed at the end of their life cycles, but the combination of the chemicals and additives in other products sometimes prevent this. In normal usage conditions, acrylic does not off-gas and functions environmentally similar to glass. Acrylic can be cleaned with a solution of mild soap or detergent and lukewarm water [7]. Several methods of removal and recycling are described in-depth in Appendix (D) along with the Environmental Impact Chart.


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F.) Fabrication and Manufacturing, DFM/A

The goal of the team is establish a credible product known for its ease of use, quality, and low manufacturing costs. First the team estimated the overall costs of these components. This included the inputs of raw materials, equipment used, and the energy put in by the team to create the product. This Table can be referenced in Appendix (E). Further in-depth evaluation of the product and the cost manufacturing methods chosen are included in Appendix (K, L respectively) BOM and Economic Analysis . Appendix (E) is also referred to for several Faucet Fiends flowcharts of the Design Manufacturing Method, Input-Output Model, and Elements of Manufacturing Cost of Product.

G.) Industrial Design There is two major categories that team Faucet Fiends must consider for a successful design: ergonomic needs and aesthetic needs. Appendix (F) includes detailed break down of each of these categories and a table of the Needs, Level of Importance, and Explanation for Rating of the faucet generator product.

H.) Safety Faucet Fiends’ goal is to present the market with a product that is safe and easy to use that allows for easy access to generator and other parts. To enforce the safety of the product, all moving and electrical parts were covered up by with plastic PVC piping or acrylic. Other major areas of concern were the plastic being involved in the design and the electrical set up. Referring to Appendix (G), the reader will find a summarization of the major areas of concern along with the associated this product along with the correlating standards and regulations for safety.

I.) Economic Analysis

1. Unit Production Cost

See Appendix K for Bill of Materials

Labor for the assembly of this generator will take a person approximately 1 hour to assemble with all parts in from of them. This estimate includes set time for some simple water-proofing caulk that will be used around the pipe ends. (Price: $7.50/hr)

Tooling for the assembly is comprised of a milling machine or a CNC milling center. The CNC will be used to create the radii for the steel pipe in order to mate properly with the PVC radius as well as the thru holes in the PVC pipe. This milling center will save us a lot of time and money in the overall assembly but upfront cost for a 3 axis CNC. (Product: Haas VF-1 3-axis milling center | Price: $48,995.00)


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Development cost for the assembly consisted of two different alpha prototypes along with a beta prototype was approximately fifty dollars total although the hours of 3 engineers working 3 weeks will also have to be added in as well(Price: $2000.00 for one quarter) For our analysis we will assume that we will produce 100,000 units per years and we will run this product for 3 years unless product sales continue to show improvement. Milling machine price per unit to recoup cost after 300,000 units (Price/unit: $0.163 / unit)

Development cost per unit ($0.002) Cost per unit = parts + labor + development + tooling Cost per unit = $43.92 + $7.50 + 0.007 + 0.002 = Cost per unit = $51.43

2. Business Case Justification

An appropriate mark-up according to our reference for an electrical apparatus is approximately 1.40 times the production cost. This mark-up estimation was approximately from a case study perform on the difference in markets due to country [12]. According to this mark-up the team plans to market the product for sale at seventy-five dollars. We will also use a typically cost for a marketing campaign for our product to be introduced into stores and homes. Our website will cost approximately 5,000 dollars for a professional marketing agency to design and format it along with continuous maintenance of the site, maintenance will run us another 1,500 dollars per quarter. We will also market by means of 4 magazine slots per month which are 1,500 dollars apiece [13]. As mention above we estimated a development cost of approximately 2,000 dollars due to the parts and labor cost of 3 separate prototypes that led the team to the final design. The ramp-up cost the team estimated at approximately 1,000 dollars for the first two quarters, this is due to the need to train individuals and understand the tooling and efficiencies of the systems. We estimated a engineer would have to work with the assembly line people for approximately 15 hours per quarter at a pay rate of 40 dollars per hour and the assembly individuals being paid 7.50 dollars an hour working approximately 54 hours per quarter on the project. NPV analysis found in appendix L.

J.) Testing Tests were conducted to evaluate the voltage and water flow output of the device. The Alpha and Beta prototypes will be connected to a classroom faucet where these values will be assessed and recorded. As a result of Alpha prototype tests of April 9, 2014, it was determined that the turbine housing flooded and leaked. Changes to the design were made via the Beta prototype. From tests of the Beta prototype on April 23, 2014, the team recorded an output voltage of 1.2 Volts and an outlet flow rate of less than 50% of the inflow rate. Changes were made to the design to ensure the design meets the requirements of an output voltage of 1.5 Volts and an outflow rate


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at least 50% of the inflow rate. Refer to Appendix (H) for Detailed Testing Report documentation

V. Conclusion Team Faucet Fiends has successfully completed the beta prototype power check and power requirement this far in the project. The next steps are making the power generation more accurate and finalizing the beta prototype. The team plans on keeping a similar design to the beta prototype, however Team Faucet Fiends is prototyping a design with magnets to avoid a shaft sticking out of the product. This will minimize safety hazards and increase the aesthetic appeal of the design. There are several engaging factors of the Faucet Fiend design that have the consumer interested in the team’s product. The consumer is able to enjoy a user-friendly product that grants the consumer an opportunity of becoming environmentally concise on how much water is currently “wasted” from a typical faucet sink. In addition to this, the consumer benefits from the rechargeable sump pump batter that provides a form a safety and peace of mind when disasters such as power outages occur. Instead of being helpless to flooding damaging the home, consumers have a plan of action. The team believes a backup generator for a sump pump is invaluable in times of flooding and is fully dedicated to its success.


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VI. References [1] Brennan, Sean, Dr. Project_description_SP14. University Park: Mechcanical Engineering Deptarment - PSU, n.d. Word Document. [2] "Marine Batteries." Boat Batteries. Deka, n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2014. [3] "DC Source Chargers for Charging 12 Volt Lead Acid Batteries from a 12 Volt (8-16 Volt) Source." 12V Input Lead Acid Battery Charger. Power Stream, n.d. Web. 01 Mar. 2014. [4] Spiller, Andrew. "Water Faucet Generated Emergency Lighting System." Google Books - Patents. N.p., 14 Mar. 2000. Web. 01 Mar. 2014. [5] Zurn - Z6913-GEN. Sanford: Zurn Industries, 19 June 2013. PDF. [6] "EC-HYDROGEN Chekpoint Hydro Generator Accessory." Low Flow Spray Valves, Commercial Faucets & Plumbing. T & S Brass, n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2014.

[20] Terry, Robert L. "Water powered rotating shower brush." Google Patents. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.

[21] Yumita, Yukinobu. "Small power generating device and water faucet device." Google Patents. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.

[22] Baarman, David W. "Self-powered miniature liquid treatment system." Google Patents. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Apr. 2014.

[7] http://www.materialproject.org/wiki/Acrylic. [8] http://homeguides.sfgate.com/pvc-disposal-recycling-79234.html. [9] http://homeguides.sfgate.com/pvc-disposal-recycling-79234.html [10] http://www.sustainability-ed.org.uk/pages/pvc2-1.htm [11] http://www.styron.com/sustainability/operations/eco-profiles.htm [12] - http://www.oecd.org/regreform/reform/1863340.pdf [13] - http://yourbusiness.azcentral.com/average-cost-national-advertising-campaigns-26091.html Safety Concern References, Appendix G: [14] http://www.nsf.org/newsroom_pdf/nsf61-372_lead_insert_LWD-1350-0513.pdf [15] http://www.ul.com/global/eng/pages/search/?searchTerms=faucets&submit= [16] http://www.epa.gov/watersense/docs/faucet_suppstat508.pdf


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[17] http://www1.eere.energy.gov/buildings/appliance_standards/product.aspx/productid/64#standards [18] http://www.sspma.org/docs/Standards.pdf [19] http://certificates.iecq.org/IECQ/IECQweb.nsf/155b2685b7f05ce2c1256d4b0035a64e/11ec7049b38c8708c1257b6c000b2dd4?OpenDocument&Highlight=2,faucets

VII. Appendix A: Customer Documentation Market Research As specified in the section based on external searches, the team found three available options for purchase or reference. Figure 7 demonstrates patents or photos that may be used for reference during the concept generation process.

Figure 10: These illustrations are of either a patent or working device currently using technology

team Faucet Fiends is looking into. From left to right on the top row, the first picture is patent [4] of an emergency light patent, the next picture in the middle is patent [5] the

(12) United States Patent US006876100B2

(10) Patent N0.: US 6,876,100 B2 Yumita (45) Date of Patent: Apr. 5, 2005

(54) SMALL POWER GENERATING DEVICE 4,731,545 A * 3/1988 Lerner et a1. ............... .. 290/54 AND WATER EAUCET DEVICE 4,740,711 A * 4/1988 Sato et al. .............. .. 290/52

4,886,207 A 12/1989 Lee et a1. ....... .. 236/1212

(75) Inventor: Yukinobu Yumita, Nagano (JP) 4,963,780 A 10/1990 Hochstrasser .. ..... .. 310/104 5,349,985 A 9/1994 Fischer ........ .. .. 137/607

(73) Assignees: Kabushiki Kaisha Sankyo Seiki Seisakusho, Nagano (JP); Toto Ltd., Fukuoka (JP)

( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this patent is extended or adjusted under 35 USC 154(b) by 288 days.

(21) Appl. No.: 10/276,265 (22) PCT Filed: May 16, 2001

(86) PCT No.: PCT/JP01/0407 9

§ 371 (6X1), (2), (4) Date: Nov. 14, 2002

(87) PCT Pub. No.: WO01/89066

PCT Pub. Date: Nov. 22, 2001

(65) Prior Publication Data

US 2003/0164612 A1 Sep. 4, 2003

(30) Foreign Application Priority Data May 17, 2000 (JP) ..................................... .. 2000-144546

(51) Int. Cl.7 ................................................ .. H02P 9/04

(52) US. Cl. ................ .. .. 290/54; 290/52; 290/43 (58) Field of Search ............................. .. 290/43, 52, 54

(56) References Cited

U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

4,276,482 A 6/1981 Crockett .................... .. 290/52 4,511,806 A * 4/1985 May .......................... .. 290/43

12

5,659,205 A * 8/1997 Weisser 290/52 6,441,508 B1 * 8/2002 Hylton ........... .. 290/52 6,512,305 B1 * 1/2003 Pinkerton et a1. ........... .. 290/52

FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

DE 44 25 294 A1 2/1996 EP 0 384 006 A1 11/1989 EP 0 484 249 A2 5/1992 JP 3-98445 A 4/1991 JP 4-231 A 1/1992 JP 4-8869 A 1/1992 JP 6-165468 A 6/1994 JP 3003308 U 8/1994 JP 2513745 7/1996 JP 9-273646 A 10/1997 JP 10-26243 A 1/1998 JP 11-152772 A 6/1999

* cited by examiner

Primary Examiner—Nicholas Ponomarenko (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Sughrue Mion, PLLC

(57) ABSTRACT

Asmall generator includes a hydraulic turbine provided in a ?uid path rotating With a passage of a ?uid in a predeter mined ?oW and a rotator coupled to the hydraulic turbine rotating together With the hydraulic turbine Which acts as a rotor portion opposed to a stator portion having multiple layers in a stepping motor including the stator portion, Wherein the rotor portion relatively rotates With respect to the stator portion With the passage of the ?uid, thereby generating a poWer.

10 Claims, 7 Drawing Sheets

FLUID PATH-/7

(12) United States Patent US006927501B2

(10) Patent N0.: US 6,927,501 B2 Baarman et al. (45) Date of Patent: Aug. 9, 2005

(54) SELF-POWERED MINIATURE LIQUID 3,551,091 A 12/1970 VeloZ ........................ .. 21/102 TREATMENT SYSTEM 3,845,291 A 10/1974 Portyrata 240/26

3,913,399 A 10/1975 Sheeks .... .. 73/229

(75) Inventors: David W. Baarman, Fennville, MI 2 gveig ~~~~ ~~ (US); Thomas Leppien, Grand Haven, ’ ’ a. ens en ' MI (Us); Terry Lee Lautzenheiser, 4,101,777 A 7/1978 Reid ........................ .. 250/436

Nunica, MI (US); Christopher B. (Continued) Houghton, Chicago, IL (US); Stephen J- Mcph?liamy, Chicago, IL (Us) FOREIGN PATENT DOCUMENTS

DE 198 13 544 A1 10/1999 ........... .. C02F/1/32 (73) Assignee: Access Business Group International, DE 201 05 341 U1 9/2002 C02F/1/32

LLC, Ada, MI (US) JP 2001334179 12/2001 ........... .. B05B/1/18

( * ) Notice: Subject to any disclaimer, the term of this OTHER PUBLICATIONS patent is extended or adjusted under 35 Kim, B.R., et al., “Literature revieW—ef?cacy of various U.S.C. 154(b) by 0 days. disinfectants against Legionella in Water Systems,” Water

Research, Elsevier Science Publishers, Amsterdam, NL, vol. (21) App1_ No; 10/760,020 36, No. 18, Nov. 2002, pp. 4433—4444, XP004380727.

_ International Search Report of PCT/US2004/001484, (22) Flledl J an- 17, 2004 Mailed Jul. 02, 2004.

(65) Prior Publication Data Primary Examiner—Darren Schuberg Us 2005/0077732 A1 Apr 14 2005 Assistant Examiner—lraj A. Mohandesi

' ’ (74) Attorney, Agent, or Firm—Brinks Hofer Gilson Lione

Related US. Application Data (57) ABSTRACT

(63) Continuation-in-part of application No. 10/683,020, ?led on Aliquid treatment system that may be self-powered includes Oct- 9: 2003- a ?lter, an ultraviolet light source and a hydro-generator in

(51) Int. c1.7 ................................................ .. H02P 9/04 a ?rst ?OW Path- The ?rst ?OW path may provide treated (52) us CL 290/43. 290/54. 290/40, liquid at a ?rst outlet of the liquid treatment system. A

"""""""""""""" " ’ ’ 290/52’ second ?oW path included in the liquid treatment system

(58) Field of Search 290/40 43 54 may provide untreated liquid at a second outlet of the liquid """"""""""""""" " ’ 29’0/52’ treatment system. The ?rst and second ?oW paths may be

included in a housing, and may be selectable With a sWitch (56) References Cited ing mechanism by a user of the liquid treatment system. The

housing may be mounted at the end of a faucet. The US. PATENT DOCUMENTS hydro-generator may generate electric poWer for use by the

692 714 A 2/19O2 S 1 t 1 ultraviolet light source and a processor. The processor may 1 56O’535 A 11/1925 Biftoen a ' monitor the electric poWer and energize the ultraviolet light ZZ436Z683 A 2/1948 Wood’ JL __________________ __ 290/52 source With the electric poWer When the rotational speed of 2,663,541 A 12/1953 Geen et a1. 253/3 the hydro-generator enters a determined range 2,743,375 A 4/1956 Parker . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 290/52

3,233,164 A 2/1966 Tyler ......................... .. 322/28 45 Claims, 33 Drawing Sheets

10 Water /

Treatment System

221/14 42

45 15 'v\ \_/ 2,18 12 \ \, 48 A f

50/ i Ti ‘\44

54 52

\20


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motion sensor faucet, and lastly is patent [6] the simple faucet generator. The second row shows patent [20] of the water powered rotating shower brush, patent [21] of the small power-generating device, and patent [22] of the self-powered miniature liquid treatment system. These patents are listed below.

Patent Search [4] US Patent #6036333 – Water faucet generated emergency lighting system

[5] Zurn Z6913-GEN Lavatory Faucet with Hydroelectric Generator Price: $531.99

[6] T&S Brass Hydro-Generator Accessory Package Price: $185.70

[20] Patent #4841590 - Water Powered Rotating Shower Brush [21] Patents #6876100 – Small power generating device and water faucet device [22] Patent #6927501 – Self-powered miniature liquid treatment system Research Specifications [2] Marine Battery Typical marine battery will power a standard sump pump for up to 7-12 hours. [3] Battery Charger Need to get 8-16 volts to run the charger.

Standards 1. ADA - American Disabilities Act 2. ASME - American Society of Mechanical Engineers 3. NSF - National Science Foundation 4. Energy Policy Act of 1992 5. EPA - Environmental Protection Agency 6. NPS - Nominal Pipe Size

Comments on Standards Search: There are many standards and laws that must be considered when designing our water turbine. First, is the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, which sets hardware standards for pipes, fittings, etc. These hardware standards ensure a product will work with existing infrastructure without modification. Additionally, the National Science Foundation set the NSF/ANSI Standard 61. This is a set of national standards that ensure potable water is not contaminated through contact with equipment that leaches harmful chemicals. This set of standards will control the materials we use in our final design. In addition, the Energy Policy Act of 1992 and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) set standards about water consumption and allowable flow rates for residential water supplies. Finally, we must consider the ⅜ in. by 18 thread Nominal Pipe Size (NPS) which is a national standard for the size of pipes in homes and buildings. This diverse collection of standards and laws will control the design of our water turbine as well as the materials we use to build it.


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Equations and Calculations


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VIII. Appendix B: Team Documentation Individual Roles Individual roles were based off of each of the team member’s strength. There is overlap of tasks for both time and individual, in which individuals will have to use and improve team work skills to be able to meet time rescritions. Even though some tasks will be delegated to individuals with strong skill sets in that particular category, all team members are required to participate in all aspects of design, construction of prototype, and reporting. Morgan Stear

• Background: Certified Solidworks Associate • Major Role: Develop and improve Solidworks models and analysis

Katherine Kennedy • Background: Computer Systems (Word and Excel) and Organization • Major Role: Group dignitary, technical writer

Tyler Nelson • Background: Computer systems and manufacturing • Major Role: Prototyping and error analysis


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Gantt Chart


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IX. Appendix C: Project Documentation

QFD Chart (1)

QFD Chart (2)

Criteria #1 #2 #3 #4

Size + - 0 + Complexity + 0 - +

Ease of Assembly 0 - + 0

Water&Turbine&Generator METRICSWater&Input/&Output

Total&mass&of&the&Faucet

Unit&Manufacturing&Cost

NEEDSNo&leaks X

Lightweight XAppeasing&to&look&at

Screw&right&in/easy&to&installEasy&to&maintain X

Affordable/Budget X XDurabilityAdaptable

Does&not&contaminate&water&source

Single&Tool&Used&to&Install

Time&to&disassemble/assemble&for&maintenance

Product&material

Cycles&of&use/turning&the&faucet&on&and&off

Varying&Flowrate&of&Faucet&head&affects&on&power&generated

Percentages&of&filtration&and/residue&in&output&flow

XX

X XX X

X XX X

XX X


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Manufacturing Cost 0 + - 0

Manufacturing Ease 0 + - 0

Efficiency + 0 - 0 Maintenance + 0 - +

Durability - 0 + - Concept Selection Criteria Rating

AHP Weighting Matrix

Concept Scoring Matrix


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X. Appendix D: Material and Environmental Impacts

Life Cycle of PVC Piping [10]

Life Cycle of Acrylic [11]


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Environment Impacts Chart

Disposal in Incineration: The chemicals added to PVC create additional concerns when incinerated, but large amounts of PVC are handled by municipal and hospital waste incinerators each year. When burned, PVC releases the gas form of highly corrosive hydrochloric acid. Incineration regulations state that this and other resultant toxins must be contained and neutralized, but troubling amounts have been found to leak into the atmosphere. Ash from PVC incineration also contains toxic elements, most often cadmium and lead. The presence of these two heavy metals means that the ash must be sent to controlled landfills, where space and groundwater contamination are eventual concerns. If done properly, there are two main methods of recycling: Mechanical Recycling: Used PVC can become new source material through mechanical recycling -- a process that grinds plastic into a powder base for new products. This process does not remove any of the toxins from PVC, but adding new material can dilute the existing toxicity. The mechanical recycling process is a common part the PVC industry in the reuse of post-industrial scraps. Post-consumer PVC recycling rates lag behind due to material retrieval costs, and chemical composition issues. While mechanical recycling for other post-consumer plastics is common, the additives in PVC


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can contaminate mixed batches and hinder system efficiency. Similarly sourced PVC is easier to recycle mechanically, so many product manufacturers run collection or buy-back programs that accept and process specific post-consumer PVC products [8]. Chemical Recycling: Chemical recycling methods break down plastics at a molecular level. This process is potentially beneficial because chemical separation allows the removal and reclamation of chlorine content and other toxins. Chemical recycling requires elaborate, dedicated facilities and is more costly than mechanical recycling. For this reason, the process is less preferred for general PVC waste, but it stands as an option for many materials that are too impure or contaminated for mechanical recycling [9]. The difficulties in the disposal and recycling of PVC have lead policymakers to focus on reduced production and usage of the material. Research is exploring less harmful PVC additives and more environmentally responsible recycling processes. Cleaner co-incineration methods are also being attempted to test the feasibility of burning waste plastic as fuel for heat generation. The notable durability of the material inspires many individuals and small-scale ventures to reuse and "upcycle" PVC products -- prolonging the life of the material. Team Faucet Fiends would like to make it clear that even though these components are hazardous to the environment, establishing reuse of components in manufacturing, promotions such as discounts for returning a product back to the facility for recycling, and encouraging other proper recycling methods is something the team takes very seriously

XI. Appendix E: Fabrication and Manufacturing

After evaluating this initial list, the team looked for several areas where cost improvement was needed in the components and assembly. For example, the initial table of components, 3-D printing and water jetting were going to be the two main processes for manufacturing the components. However to malfunctions with the 3-D printer and the cost of printing and the water jet, the team switched to laser cutting where applicable. Some of the material still needed to be manufactured with the water jet though because the laser cutter will only cut acrylic items.

Overall, a majority of the materials remained unchanged from the original table. The materials that were kept allow for easy production and are highly accessible. They also allow for easy repair of the product for not only the manufacturer, but most importantly the consumer as well. The table included below lists the finalized components and


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manufacturing process of the product. Only a cost estimate of fabrication based on the quantity of the material or component is provided in this table. The following is a table that includes the fabrication and manufacturing on the team’s product. Quantity of detailed components list is included in Section 4.B of the report with the Overall Description. Note, the BOM and a more detailed overview of cost assessment can be found with the Economic Analysis (Section (4.I) of the report, Appendix (K, L) respectively)

Material, Fabrication Process, and Cost Per Unit for Mass Production

Component

Material

The Manufacturing

Process Generator Pre-fabricated

(composite) Pre-fabricated

Shaft Cut Fan housing PVC Piping Cut to reshape

and hot glued Generator Housing

Acrylic Drawn in Soliworks, laser cut, hot glued

Fan blade Polycarbonate Water Jet

Nozzle

Acrylic Drawn in

Soliworks, laser cut, hot glued

Flow Guide Housing

PVC and Acrylic

Drawn in Soliworks, laser cut, hot glued

Inlet and Outlet pieces

Brass and steel tubes

Prefabricated

Screws Prefabricated


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The following flow chart outlines the limitations on the manufacturing of the team’s design:


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This chart is an example of the inlets and the outlets that will go into completing this product:

XIII. Appendix F: Industrial Design Analysis Ergonomic Needs: Ease of Use: The faucet overall design makes it a well functioning assess to the kitchen. The consumer can easily hook up Faucet Fiends product to the faucet. The important aspect that the team needs to keep in mind in is for the larger scale purpose of our product. This is using this power generated for a rechargeable battery of a sump pump. The wires running from the generator on the product must be concealed or hidden to prevent electric hazards. Ease of Maintenance: The team’s most important goal was to make the design easy to maintain. The screws on acrylic covering of the fan blade allow for easy access of the user. This will allow them to clean out the fan blades and allow for easy replacement of the fan blade. The PVC piping and the acrylic material are two key components. The consumer is able to worry less about breaking the product. Fatigue and wear overtime are of little concern of the product as well. However, other components will have to maintained in such as the condition of the sealing, brass components, and magnets


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Number of User Interactions: User interaction is friendly with the team’s product. There are two main interactions with this product. The consumer twists in the product similar to any other water feature and lets it generate power when the faucet is turned on. The team’s product will stop generating power when the faucet is turned off. On a bigger scale application with the rechargeable battery feature attached for the sump pump, the consumer is able to the mount the battery pack on the counter beside the sink, or under the counter. This will connect to the generator. Novel Interaction Needs and Safety: Refer to Level of Importance Chart provided below Aesthetic Needs: Visual Differentiation: The team’s product is a sleek, gray tone. This makes it a product that is “one with the sink” or an extension of what the consumer is already familiar with. The product blends in, but stands out in the market place because of its natural appeal. Faucet Fiends emphasizes the importance of the technology behind the product while maintaining it functionality. Image and Fashion: The overall product has a rounded shape making it smooth and “futuristic.” Rounded designs are more appealing to the eye and give off a “clean cut” effect. Another great feature about the product is the ability to see the fan blade when it is in motion. This allows the customer to enjoy the product, but also alerts the customer if maintenance needs to be considered. The fan blade itself is also has a thin, sleek, and efficient look about contributing to the modern day construction and visual appeal. The only major issue of concern is concealing the wires that attach to the battery back up feature for the sump pump.


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Level of Importance for each need and rating:

Needs Level of Importance Explanation of Rating Ergonomics

Ease of Use

High

It is important that it has little interference with the original faucet and

that it is easy to take off and on

Ease of Manufacturing Medium

Quantity of User Interactions

Medium

Emphasis on simplicity for the consumer is it important. Minimal interaction with the

product is ideal and goes back the idea of keeping the product easy to use

Novelty of User

Interactions and Safety

High

Electricity and water are prone to possible

electrocution issues with the wiring. The sump pump set up is also

another important aspect on the safety of the

product Aesthetics

Product Differentiation

Medium

There are several designs this semester.

The key to our differentiation is the fact

that our product looks like a sleek extension to

the faucet consumer knows and loves

Image or Fashion

Medium

It is important for the product to have a round,

symmetric look. The acrylic will allow the consumer to view the

fan blade in motio n. The user is also able to see if cleaning needs to take place or if a part

needs to be fixed


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XIV. Appendix G: Safety Concerns Major areas of concern such as water’s interaction with the generator were accounted for in the design. By creating a separate dripping case for water to drip off into and out the system, water is not expected to reach the generator. To avoid pressure concerns when the water faucet is turned on, tubing was added to the original design to allow more run off into the bottom funnel. Similar to many other products on the market the water flow and volume is still controlled by the user through the faucet handles. To avoid other electrical hazards with the sump pump rechargeable battery and wires, the wires that are used have a plastic coating. Where the generator and the wires meet in the back of the generator, a casing will cover this to avoid instances of accidental water and electric interactions. The battery attachment is advised to be off to the side of the sink or in an easily accessible location near the sink. This will reduce wire entanglement and electrocution hazards dramatically. Lead leaching is a major concern with using plastic materials, such as PVC piping and acrylic. An important safety standard that Faucet Fiends must meet in order to be used as a regulated faucet is the NSF/ANSI Standard 61. This standard covers a majority of health effects criteria of all the components involved in the product design. Faucets approved with this certification ensures the product meets the regulatory requirements for the U.S , Canada and many other countries as well. It provides the customer with assurance that their drinking water is safe [14]. Another standard that team Faucet Fiends satisfies includes the NSF/ANSI Standard 461. The design that Faucet Fiends has chosen, has no filtration system. While this can be an area explored into in further product development, as of now the only water that the team uses comes from the faucet directly with no concern of extra chemicals or exchanges [14]. The team conducted thorough research on the governmental expectations and limitations of building a safe product. Several of these regulations are discussed here. The UL and IEC certifies and works with manufacturers to help them obtain the WaterSense label for plumbing products that demonstrate at least 20 percent greater efficiency in water utilization. The WaterSense high-efficiency lavatory faucet specification is designed to ensure both sustainable, efficient water use and a high level of user satisfaction [15]. The specification applies to lavatory faucets in private use, such as in residences, and private restrooms in hotels and hospitals. The concern is that while, newer faucets meet EPA


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regulations older generation faucets do not. With the team’s product this excess flow rate can be converted to usable energy for the sump pump rechargeable better [16].

The U.S Department of Energy regulates the water consumption level of faucets. The maximum pressure of a regulated faucet is 60 psi. The faucet where the testing will be conducted has a maximum pressure of 50 psi. It is important to note that Faucet Fiends design does meet this standard. For the team’s product, realistically the product will never reach this 50 psi due to friction losses and other factors such as head loss. The criteria for the flow rate is also well within the maximum flow rate of a standard kitchen faucet [17]. There are several types of back up sump pumps. Included in this sections are some of the regulations that must be met regarding the sump pump along with faucet specifications Analyzing the upscale application of the product the sump pump has several regulations that the team recognizes for emergency back up pumps [18]. These requirements can be found in the PDF reference [18].


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XV. Appendix H: Detailed Testing Report Alpha Prototype Purpose

• Test whether turbine housing floods • Determine whether leakage occurs

Level of Approximation • Correct outlet position and size, shaft, and turbine

Experimental Plan • Build encased motor with turbine, shaft, inlet and outlet • Attach turbine to water faucet • Test device using varying water inflow rates • Modify prototype as needed

Schedule • 31 March – Purchase materials • 7 April – Build and test prototype • 9 April – Test prototype in class • 11 April – Testing and analysis completed

Beta Prototype Purpose

• Test whether turbine housing floods • Determine whether leakage occurs • Ensure generator does not flood • Test voltage output • Determine water outflow rate from device

Level of Approximation • Correct turbine, nozzle, and turbine-generator shaft connection

Experimental Plan • Build Beta Prototype • Connect turbine and generator for electrical power production • Conduct tests with varying water inflow rates • Modify prototype as needed

Schedule • 14 April – Purchase parts • 21 April – Complete Beta Prototype assembly • 23 April – Test prototype in class


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XVI. Appendix I: Detailed Drawings

The following are the detailed dimensions of the components for assembly of the design. Note again that the overall assembly can be found in Section 4. C along with the quantity of each component used.

Figure (11): Shaft Dimensions

Figure (12): Acrylic Pipe End Cover


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Figure (13): 2” PVC sch. 40 pipe

Figure (14): Acrylic Fan


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Figure (15): Top 3/8” steel pipe fitting

Figure (16): Bottom 3/8” steel pipe fitting


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Figure (17): Acrylic spacer plate/ segment divider

Figure (18): Acrylic Magnet Cover


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Figure (19): Acrylic Magnet Holder Note: Dimensioned acrylic magnet cover and holder are for assembly on turbine shaft. The acrylic magnet cover and hold that will be placed on generator will have same dimensions except for the center through hole which will actually have a diameter of 0.08 inches.

Figure (20): Acrylic motor mount


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XVII. Appendix J: Prototype Iterations

Figure (21): Alpha Prototype I

Figure (22): Alpha Prototype II


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XVIII. Appendix K: Bill of Materials Bill of materials - All parts were taken from

McMaster Carr Catalog

Item Part Number Price/unit

($) Quantity Total

price High-Speed M2 Tool Steel - hardened rod (wire

gauge size 43, 2.25" long 3023A357 1.71 1 1.71

Optically Clear Cast Acrylic sheet (1/8" thick, size- 12"x24")

8560K257 15.76 1 15.76

PVC Unthreaded Pipe - 2" x 5' length (section we use is only 2.70")

48925K96 0.43 1 0.43

High-strength Steel Cap Screw - Grade 8 (1/4"-20 fully threaded x 4" long)

92620A555 2.05 5 10.25

3/8" stainless steel pipe (3" long) 1947K31 3.76 1 3.76 3/8" Brass Hex Nipple 5485K23 3.28 2 6.56

3/8" Brass threaded pipe fitting 50785K114 1.38 1 1.38 1/4"-20 threaded hex nut ($3.31 for a pack of

100) 94895A029 0.04 10 0.4

Metric Pan Head machine screw($8.64 for pack of 100)

90116A150 0.09 2 0.18

12V DC generator (part taken from Jameco catalog)

174693 3.49 1 3.49

Total parts cost of water faucet generator 43.92

XIX. Appendix L: NPV Analysis

faucet powered generator ddr

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