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Problems that can be solved by engineering. GIVE THEM TO ME!

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popNfresh44
Posts: 3757 - Karma: 44
I am brainstorming ideas for my 3rd year engineering project, and I need some help coming up with ideas. My program is multidisciplinary, so ideally it would require knowledge from multiple fields.

Here's what I would love to get from NS: Problems. Tell me about some physical problems in the world that you notice. Things that bother you. Places where you see an opportunity to capitalize on a resource, such as wasted energy or material. It would be great to get input from different people, since I know that people are exposed to different problems day-to-day depending on where you live, what you do for a living, etc.

Once I have a list of problems, it's a lot easier to think of solutions in the form of a physical project!

The problem can be specific or more general, doesn't matter!

Helpful posts shall be doused in precious KARMA!!!


Sep 14 2011 12:50AM
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Cufe.
Posts: 1950 - Karma: 262
Bumblebees.

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Sep 14 2011 12:59AM
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cool_name
Posts: 4295 - Karma: 3,131
switch kangaroo flip
Sep 14 2011 12:59AM
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remove
Posts: 2566 - Karma: 1,026
I'm a studying civil engineer and have something for you. most of the major road structures like bridges and such were built during the 50's and 60's and now deteriorating due to the fact they're aging. maybe plans for new expansion bridges or roads and such
Sep 14 2011 1:02AM
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Jennings
Posts: 2190 - Karma: 90
there you go
Sep 14 2011 1:02AM
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cobra_commander
Posts: 16909 - Karma: 4,686
What sort of engineering program is interdisciplinary?

I am looking to minimize y condition vortex drag off of the wing tips of a delta wing aircraft so as to maximize low altitude cruising speed, with out dropping below the safety threshold on lift to be able to enable low altitude cruising.
Sep 14 2011 1:03AM
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B4NE1
Posts: 876 - Karma: 16
The ketchup left over inside the bottle when its "EMPTY" even though there is still a few spoon fulls left. Think about how many millions of litres of ketchup go to waste like this!
Sep 14 2011 1:05AM
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navierSTOKED
Posts: 858 - Karma: 33
Aerospace for the win. I'm developing tke models to more accurately calculate jet intake temperatures.
Sep 14 2011 1:06AM
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Spic-N-SpaN
Posts: 2002 - Karma: 1,465
what if there were wind turbines on smoke stacks and exhaust pipes?

Probably a reason that this wont work, I just thought it up as I was reading the OP
Sep 14 2011 1:09AM
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cobra_commander
Posts: 16909 - Karma: 4,686
you just googled delta wing.
Sep 14 2011 1:10AM
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ButteredToast.
Posts: 6459 - Karma: 2,570
this made me laugh so hard. no idea why
Sep 14 2011 1:17AM
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TACO-DOG.exe
Posts: 11988 - Karma: 12,261
Nice sig
Sep 14 2011 1:25AM
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feihlination
Posts: 8356 - Karma: 1,084
yeah some kind of wind or sun thingy. idk if some guy can develop some breakthrough by himself, but when you experience a windy day you know how much energy is going to waste.

and when a flood hit our town back in 05 i wondered if there are affordable mud pumps out there. "we" only had pumps that worked for a mud/water mix that was more on the water side and all the mud that was a little more solid (although definitely still a liquid) needed to get shoveled out or carried out of the houses with buckets.

i wont say that this doesnt exist, but our town (fire brigade is normally well equipped) didnt have one and a cheap solution could maybe be a legit invention.


like another guy said on top, prevention of (natural) disasters or limiting their consequences is a HUGE field.



Sep 14 2011 5:59AM
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cobra_commander
Posts: 16909 - Karma: 4,686
Why? The only thing out of your country to be notice by the international community?
Sep 14 2011 10:02AM
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gordie.
Posts: 2014 - Karma: 84
Now, I'm not SURE on this... but I think a few people outside of Canada MAY have heard of this one...

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but again. I'm not sure. We don't get out much and we're pretty easily excited, so I guess we don't know much of what happens in the rest of the world. ^ that stuff probably doesn't even get used anywhere.
Sep 14 2011 10:12AM
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Talacious[Tally]
Posts: 1686 - Karma: 189

My cousin just graduated in mechanical engineering, for his senior design project his team designed and built a seed crusher that takes some sort or seed through a proccess that turns it into usable fuel. His team got first place for the project. I don't know how big your project needs to be but if you want to go all out I can get you some more information on his project (not going to give you super detailed stuff but I can send you pictures of it or some other basic info on his project).

Sep 14 2011 11:13AM
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Huck_Norris
Posts: 11487 - Karma: 18,627
I have a hard time transporting dead hookers once they've stiffened up.  Maybe you could come up with a dead hooker carrying method so I can get them out of the chest freezer and into the trunk then in the hole without throwing out my back?    It would be a huge help, thanks for the thread. 
Sep 14 2011 11:24AM
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DrZoidberg
Posts: 5675 - Karma: 4,268
Cork 180s?
Sep 14 2011 11:26AM
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TechnoPotamus
Posts: 11626 - Karma: 3,522
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jk.

what about generating energy through turbine like equipment using ocean waves and currents? maybe it's been done already, just trying to help the creative process for you
Sep 14 2011 11:31AM
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Panchuk
Posts: 1610 - Karma: 355
What about something that generates energy for a car (I know cars already do it with tires)but maybe a turbine of some sort that catches the wind when you start drive. Maybe could generate more energy.

IDUNNO
Sep 14 2011 11:34AM
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H8CH
Posts: 2709 - Karma: 218

couldn't be retrofitted - require huge strength and foundations to resist the moments induced by the rotating mass of the blades. Not to mention the power generation equipment. So unfortunately unviable.

Being an engineer - i won;t disclose my ideas on here for a project - i'll just go and do them myself and commercialize them for $ ... ;-)

mine are all oil & gas related anyway...and im paid to do it for someone else....

Sep 14 2011 12:45PM
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uosdwiSrjewoH
Posts: 4220 - Karma: 122
i can tell you one thing that engineering can't even touch.

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Sep 14 2011 1:00PM
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caucasian_chad
Posts: 4078 - Karma: 3,625
What kind of engineering?
Sep 14 2011 11:49PM
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a_pla5tic_bag
Posts: 9215 - Karma: 5,398
can it be genetic engineering? cause in that case http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Ray_Brown#Research_directions
Sep 14 2011 11:58PM
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General_Ripper
Posts: 3327 - Karma: 189
best thing in this thread and the first. Think of a way to help people in natural disasters. Some kids in my one design class thought of a portable radio tower or some bullshit and got to put their idea to work in Haiti. Paid for in full = Winning
Sep 14 2011 11:59PM
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MatRich
Posts: 4789 - Karma: 1,813
YOUR CLOTHES, GIVE THEM TO ME!

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Sep 15 2011 12:11AM
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