Design a make a product which is a warning device, which would be attached to my bag so that drivers of vehicles would be aware of my presence. The device should be safe to use and manufacture.

Glenn Taylor Technology Folder My Name is Glenn Taylor and for 60% of my overall Technology GCSE final mark I have to identify a problem and design a solution. The solution will be designed and built by me. This will include researching, using different techniques of manufacturing and generating ideas. Problem 1 Shed Alarm We have a shed in my garden and it is not protected very well. It contains my computer and various other items of importance and value. Although my family has thought of buying an alarm because of some recent neighbourhood break-ins, they have not found one to satisfaction. Problem analysis * Safety is of the importance so it should be safe to manufacture and safe to use * It should not harm the criminal in any way, only scare them away * It should be easy to use * Overall the main aim for the alarm is to secure the shed Problem 2 Door Bell My father works from home and as the shed acts like his office he cannot hear if people knock on the front door. This causes a problem when it is any member of my family trying to get in or when anybody needs either my father or me. Problem Analysis Problem 2 * It should be safe to manufacture and safe for the user * The bell should do as required and alert whoever is in the shed * It should be user friendly and not look an eyesore on the door. * It should be relatively easy to manufacture Problem 3

  • Word count: 1745
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Design & Technology
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Building and testing a sensor to determine number of degrees to which a window is open.

Alex Furber 12HW Sensing Project 20-02-02 Building and testing a sensor to determine number of degrees to which a window is open INTRODUCTION When making use of a greenhouse to grow plants out of season or on a large scale for commercial reasons, the temperature within the green house must be carefully regulated, in order to ensure that the plants are under the optimum growing conditions. With the windows shut permanently, the temperature may become too high, and the windows need therefore to be opened. This will allow the temperature to drop back to the correct level. Different numbers of degrees to which the window is open have different cooling effects. For example, if the window is open by 50 degrees, then there is probably a more rapid cooling effect upon the greenhouse than if the window was 10 degrees open. Thus, it is important to know how many degrees the window on a greenhouse is open. It could however be very time consuming for people to check the greenhouse(s) manually, or particularly problematic if the temperature should become a problem during unsociable hours. It would be extremely useful, then, if a sensor could be attached to the windows of a greenhouse, and a reading sent back to a control room as to how open the windows are. Someone could then either use a motor attached to the window to alter the setting, or adjust the window manually. My sensor

  • Word count: 4085
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Design & Technology
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Solar Power

Since the U.S. is at war in the Middle East to protect its foreign oil interests, we have seen a rapid fluctuation in oil prices, first 35$, and 70$, and in recent days 115$` (Matthew Knight, CNN). As China, India and other nations rapidly increase their demand for fossil fuels; future fighting over energy looms large. In the meantime, power plants that burn coal, oil and natural gas, as well as vehicles everywhere, continue to pour millions of tons of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere annually, threatening the planet. Scientists, engineers, economists and politicians have proposed various steps that could slightly reduce fossil-fuel use and emissions. These steps are not enough. The U.S. needs a system to free itself from fossil fuels. My analysis is that a massive switch to solar power is the logical answer. Solar energy's potential is off the chart. The energy in sunlight striking the earth for 40 minutes is equivalent to global energy consumption for a year. (Solar Southwest), and this shows the practicality of solar energy, but there are many other steps needed to successfully achieve this goal. If we are to convert the country to solar power, massive amounts of land would have to be covered with photovoltaic panels and solar heating troughs. A direct-current transmission backbone would also have to be constructed to send that energy efficiently across the nation. The

  • Word count: 1248
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Design & Technology
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The aim of this investigation is to design, build and test a sensor.

The aim of this investigation is to design, build and test a sensor The purpose of this experiment is to involve one of the following activities:- > building and testing a sensor; > exploring the characteristics of a given sensor; > designing and putting together a system to make a measurement. When you have decided which of the following activities to partake in, you need to investigate at least three of the following qualities:- > Resolution > Response Time > Systematic Bias > Systematic Drift > Sensitivity > Random Variation Background Research An LDR (Light Dependant Resistor) is a resistor which changes its resistance based on the light falling on the resistor track, visible though the window on the top of the component (see above). They are available in different sizes, the resistances being based in catalogues on a specified measurement of light intensity called candels. They are commonly manufactured from Cadium Sulphide or Silicon. They exhibit a negative light coefficient (NLC) in that they become lower resistors when more light falls on them. This is the opposite to what would be expected of a similar component made of metal. The reason for this is that silicon is a member of group 4 in the periodic table, a semi-conductor. Symbol Credit to: http://www.snazzysigns.co.uk/frenchyelectronics/parts/ldr.html Everything has an electrical resistance, some

  • Word count: 2740
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Design & Technology
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Finding the Spring Constant of a Copper Spring Using a Potential Divider

Finding the Spring Constant of a Copper Spring Using a Potential Divider .0 Aim To undertake an experiment to assess the behaviour of a potential divider as a sensor. 2.0 Objectives * Build and test a sensor. * Explore the characteristics of the sensor. * Calibrate the sensor. 3.0 Introduction The system, which I am using to find the constant of a spring, could be used for quality control in industries where springs are made. Potential dividers are used in strain gauges in buildings to calibrate subsides. The potential divider in the circuit is going to be used as a position sensor. A potential divider is simply two resistors, across which a voltage is applied, with the output being taken from the junction of the resistors. If a single variable resistor is used for R1 and R2, then the output voltage can be varied, and this is the basis of the volume control. 4.0 Method A potential divider will be placed in the middle of a 25cm long ruler at 12.5cm. A hole needs to be drilled through the centre on the ruler at 12.5cm to attach and hold the potential divider. To the left-hand side of the ruler a small hole will be used to thread some wire through to produce a pivot. At the opposite end of the ruler two holes will be drilled. The hole at the top right will be drilled to hook the spring onto, then at the bottom right to attach the weights to. Two clamp stands will hold

  • Word count: 1087
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Design & Technology
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Developing a Fridge Add-On

Research To help me with my design I need to find out information about - 555 timer- what does it do? What is it made from? What do the pins do? How will it go in my circuit? LDR What does it do? How does it work? How is it powered? "Anyone who uses a refrigerator will be able to use this product. This product is something useful which anybody can benefit from it is a product that can be of assistance to you in everyday life." It will be used in the kitchen inside a refrigerator so the circuitry will have to be concealed within a casing. This is because the refrigerator operates below room temperature and therefore the circuitry must be able to operate under these conditions. The casing is a vital part of the product because in a refrigerator many things can easily damage the circuitry. To operate this product there must be a power supply and the only thing, which could be used and concealed completely, is a battery. The battery though must be easily accessible for maintenance purposes. The best material to construct the casing from would definitely be some type of plastic and this has to be waterproof and easy to clean. The plastic would have to blend in with the interior, not making its presence too obvious. I would say that this specific product should not be too expensive to produce and easily applied. The product is odourless and silent when not in use

  • Word count: 1169
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Design & Technology
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Buying a PC

Contents No table of contents entries found. Buying a PC XPS 630 Desktop is not portable; it's a desktop which you could use at home or office. There are many advantages in buying this PC for example if you buy this PC online you could get it at a price of $2299, which I think is a much better price than the actual price which would be offered at a showroom. A desktop is actually a metaphor used to describe file systems. A desktop can be a place where you could make file, folders, icons, pictures and various types of documents. This is an example of a desktop, where you can see many icons, or shortcuts to applications, documents etc. XPS 630 would provide you with Windows Vista Home Premium, which would actually look like the picture shown on the left. Windows Vista is the next progression of the Microsoft operating system. Vista is can also be called as an upgrade of Windows XP. Vista offers progression on reliability, security, performance and management. XPS 630 has Intel Core 2 Quad Processor. This might be a very big word but it actually means it's a Quad- Core processor which is a type of multi-core technology that includes two separate dual cores; in this case core 1 and 2 would share a memory cache. Intel is a well known world's largest manufacturer of computer chips. Another advantage of XPS 630 includes 4GB 662 MHz DDR2 SDRAM memory. GB is an abbreviation

  • Word count: 637
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Design & Technology
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Moisture detector

Electronics Coursework Aim: For my project I plan to build a moisture detector which can be used too see if the ground on the cricket crease is too moist or dry. It will measure the level of water in the ground and show the moisture level by lighting a different LED. So if it was a hot day with less water in the ground the moisture detector will only light up a green LED, then as the water in the ground increased another LED will light. Yellow for when the moisture level is in the middle of the scale and red for when the ground is too moist and so unsuitable to play any cricket. The first sub-system to consider is the input. I will put two contacts in my circuit so the processor can compare the resistance of the water. The second is an Op-Amp so as the resistance of the water increases the Op-Amp will change its output. The third sub-system is the output; I will use a chip that will turn on a specific LED depending on the voltage going into it. But this chip only allows one LED to be on at one time; this will reduce the amps used and make the circuit last longer on a single battery supply. The circuit can be split into separate blocks, like the Op-Amp. I have done preliminary investigations on these other blocks. Firstly I have done an experiment with LED's. Through this I learnt that an LED requires 1.8volts too work, but in most circuits 2V are used too ensure that the

  • Word count: 747
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Design & Technology
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Experiments with Digital Systems.

Abstract: The Lab, Experiments with Digital Systems, gave us a chance to get some hands on experience with simple logic circuits, and see them work. This lab also introduced us to the Laws of Boolean Algebra. We also saw how a computer can interact with a circuit outside of the computer. Introduction: A digital system is a combination of circuits connected in some specific way to perform a specified function where all variables involved are allowed only a finite number of discrete states or values. The values that the circuit understands are in a form called binary. Binary signals consist of two numbers 0 and 1. A one represents the presence of voltage, a zero, on the other hand, represents the absence of voltage. Zeros and ones can also represent on/off, true/false, etc. The combinations of these 0's and 1's are used to represent numbers, characters, and other information. There are certain rules and theorems that make up the fundamental concepts of a binary system. These fundamental concepts are known as Boolean algebra. Boolean algebra is vital because its applications directly lead to techniques that are essential in designing efficient digital systems. An x-bit binary system is capable of 2x combinations/values. For example, an eight-bit system is capable of 28 or 256 combinations/values. However, since you begin with the number 0 we can only represent up

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  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Design & Technology
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Sensors Project Coursework

Sensors Project Coursework Plan Aim The aim of this project was to design and build a sensor that would detect changes in different shades of grey. I used an Light Dependant Resistor to measure the different intensities of light reflected from the shades of grey. I set up the LDR in a potential divider circuit with a 30k??resistor and the power source at 5V. Scientific Theory We can see objects in colour because our eyes detect coloured light reflected from or produced by the objects around us. White light is a mixture of colours. A black object absorbs all of the frequencies of light and does not reflect any of them back to our eyes that is why on a hot day black object will feel much warmer than a white object will. If you have different shades of grey they must reflect different amounts of light into your eyes. To test this I have designed a sensor to see that this is true. The sensor uses an LDR or light dependent resistor to see the intensity of light reflected. An LDR changes resistance depending on the amount of light on it. The circuit that I will be using is a potential divider circuit. A potential divider circuit is where two or more resistors in series split the voltage between them in a ratio of that to the resistance. If they both have the same resistance then the voltage will be the same across both of them (half of the total potential difference), but if

  • Word count: 859
  • Level: GCSE
  • Subject: Design & Technology
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