Video: On Energy

Video on Energy:
http://webstreamer3.doit.wisc.edu/lego/Video_1.swf

Field Trip: Substation

Back in September the Tucson Technics went on a field trip. We searched/followed a power line to a Substation. Once there we looked at the components of a Substation and we discussed some of the safety issues involved when near a power substation.

Field Trip: Hydro-Turbine

This past weekend the Tucson Technics team went out to see a water wheel and thought about how something like it could be used to generate electricity:

JFLL Tournament in Tucson

Coach Fredi of Arizona First Lego League provided the following information:

Waiver form for JFLL Tournament to be held in Tucson on December 8, 2007.
Download Waiver Here

Date: December 8, 2007 (Saturday)
Place:
Sonoran Science Academy
2325 W Sunset Rd
Tucson AZ 85741

Registration opens at 7:30 Judging Starts at 8:30


JFLL Participants are advised to bring their own table.

Building complete!

We are all excited about the upcoming FLL tournament coming to Tucson on December 8, 2007.

We have completed all of our research and have begun assembling our Show-Me board.

The big news though, is that we have completed construction of our Lego Project. We'd love to show it but have decided to wait until after the tournament.

Motor & Toasty Wires

Tonight I experimented with something akin to a Beakman motor.

I connected the whole thing up, brought my ceramic magnets within close proximity to the coil.

Before I brought the magnet into vecinity I watched with horror as the 22 AWG wire's insulation melted back and I saw the solid wire red-hot...actually orange. Smoke followed this.

At any rate it worked!



How did I make it?

Materials:

• Magnet wire - it's copper with a transparent coating


• Magnets - I used 3 ceramic magnets stacked together


• Battery - 12 v - probably more than I needed, but hey, it's what I had available


• 2 Paper Clips


• Sharp knife (used to scrape some of the transparent coating from the magnet wire

Steps:

• Take ~3 ft of magnet wire and wrap it around something like a D-battery...I used a wooden cylinder-shaped block from the toy-box. Leave about 1.5 inches on each end.


• Scrape the transparent coating off one half of the tails of the magnet wire.


• Make a stand out of the paper clips. One for the left side and one for the right side. They should NOT be touching.
  
• Place the loop (the armature on the stand


• Place the magnets near the wire loop


• Connect power to both paper clip stands - negative on one side, positive on the other
• 
  
• If the motor (armature) does not start to rotate then tap it a bit so the scraped sections of the armature can briefly touch the energized paper clip stands

Generator

How does a generator work?


Java support required to view animation.

Project 8: The Windmill-Pulley 2000

Project 14: The Car Crash Car of Motors Assistant

Tucson Technics Project 14
Start: 7:35 AM, November 18, 2007

Name: The Car Crash Car of Motors Assistant
Half-way through we realized that the power-supply (battery holder) was upside down. So we had to disassemble the unit and reorient the power-supply (battery holder).
End: 8:11 AM

Project 13: The Car Crash Car of Motors

Fun! This was the team's first project that uses a motor.

We skipped a lot of projects as we are getting closer to the upcoming JFLL Tournament in December.

JFLL Expo - December 8, 2007

Chris from LegoFlyers has made it possible for Southern Arizona JFLL teams to participate at the 2008 FLL at Sonoran Academy of Tucson.

Set your calendars, December 8, 2007

Android Clock

Coal Mine Site

Wyoming Coal Mine, great site about coal mining sent to Tucson Technics from our JFLL friends in Sierra Vista (thanks Chris and team!)

Thank you T.E.P.

Tucson Technics would like to thank Tucson Electric Power (T.E.P.) for helping us in our understanding of the Power Cycle.

Special thanks to Betsy Bolding (Director, Consumer Affairs) and Irma Robles (Library & Resource Center)



They sent us an educational video called "San Juan Generating Station".

Project 6: The Wheeler 3000

Yesterday the team assembled Project 6 of the 9632 Kit. Team coined it the name: "The Wheeler 3000".

Project 5: The Wheeler 2000

Yesterday the team assembled Project 5 of the 9632 Kit. Team coined it the name: "The Wheeler 3000".