Collaboration and Construction!

May 24th, 2011, 9:24 pm

Today the group started off by meeting with Rod Strickland to gain some more insight into the simple methods by which Earthships function. He discussed thermal mass and geothermal heating and ventilation. This was incredibly helpful to understanding the natural technology behind how Earthships work and therefore making it easier for the group to affirm our design strategies and material needs.

Our group managed to pool together a substantial amount of materials to begin the experimental build: tires, shovels, recycled bottles, cans and a whole lot of dirt.

We had another visitor from the architecture department, Thom Provost, to help the group finalize the ideal and practical design for our prototype. Today’s collaborations will benefit the group considerably, we thank all of our visitors!

Our team and a volunteer from another team unloading some of the earth we'll be using in our prototype.

Our architect Jon and visiting architect Thom going over design ideas.

The Earthship Launch!

May 17th, 2011, 10:14 pm

Our project aims to lay the ground work for the construction of an EarthShip. An Earthship, as described on Earthship.com, is the most versatile and economical building design in the world. Earthships can be built in any part of the world, in any climate and still provide the conditions needed to sustain life. The building method is called Biotecture. There is possibility of a greenhouse as a static structure becoming a living structure; a conceptually reciprocal relationship between structure and occupant. We have an eclectic mix of skills pertaining to group objectives; knowledge of: architecture, environmental studies, computer sciences, community activists, art and communications studies. We’ve consulted the previous team’s legacy report and drew up a list of contacts of local greenhouses and suppliers pertaining to our project; our members are working on contacting these for Thursday. Each member of our group has elected to sketch design concepts for the structure we are proposing. One of our group members has volunteered to speak with the head of the architecture department and get a head start on the site analysis.

Earthship YouTube Channel

The Earthship architecture group has a brainstorming session!

The Earthship group discusses design concepts for legacy project!

Constructive Contributions!

June 16th, 2010, 2:43 pm

The Tug Collective’s work is never done, but we’re certainly much closer to being done with the help of PCR Contractors, the company contracted to build the new Centre for Engineering Innovation on campus.

It turns out the build site was rich with things like clay, dirt, rubble, and even a bale of straw! A phone call to Darryl Rocheleau, a representitive of PCR, in response to a kijiji ad led us to a visit to the job site, which got us everything we needed to create the daub that formed the bulk of our sound wall experimentation process.

The CEI is, in its own right, an interesting green initiative. It represents the largest Gold LEED building in the region, and utilizes many green building techniques–such as a green roof, low-energy heating, and water recycling to name a few. Designed by B+H Architects, the CEI represents a commitment to excellence in environmental engineering by the University.

Mounting of Wind Turbine and company contacts

February 28th, 2010, 1:43 pm

We asked Mr. Matthew St. Louis for his input on what way we should go in building the stand for the turbine. He is an engineer here at the University of Windsor and has seen the turbine so we thought he would be of some help in this or would know someone who could help us. He suggested to us the best design we should go with in our situation and also the materials we should look for. He met with us at the site which we plan to mount the turbine and agreed that it is a good location but may need fencing to go around it as a safety precaution. He referred us to Al, an engineer that works for a company here in Windsor. We contacted him and he said that he would be able to build the stand for us, but the problem was that he required payment for this which we do not have. Finally we spoke with a peer of ours in this class, who is in the engineering program. He volunteered to draw up the design for the stand of the turbine. As soon as we have the design we will know what materials we will need and meet with local companies and convince them to supply the materials for free. With help from engineering students in the class we will use the materials obtained and have the turbine mounted in no time.
Also, our task for March 1 is to attend two conference calls – one with CleanField, and another with Lorenzen Engineering.

Graphic Model of Wind turbine (Click here)

On Track

February 8th, 2010, 11:53 pm

We, the E-Motorcycle team, are taking the next steps required to have an operating machine by the end of the semester. We are currently heavily involved in the procurement phase. We have been in contact with Windsor Starter’s Powerhouse in regards to possible solutions to get electric power to the ground. We visited the location on Thursday and received valuable information about all the electrical components of the system. Currently, team member Albion, shown below, is creating the Catia drawing of the motorcycle. This model will be a useful tool to virtually position the batteries and electric motor and other components inside the chassis. This will also help to design for an even weight distribution for the bike. The rest of the team is costing out required parts for all possible solutions. We are definitely on track for success.

Albion drawing the motorcycle chassis with Catia

Rolling Along

February 2nd, 2010, 12:02 am

We, the E-Motorcycle team, are continuing to make progress in the construction of an electric motorcycle. With the old gas engine out of the chassis, we are moving forward towards the procurement of an electric motor, batteries and voltage controller. Simultaneously, we are drafting a rough drawing of the final product using Catia. A CAD model should be out in the coming weeks. Calculations have been performed to estimate horsepower required of the motor to achieve a given desired top speed. In the picture below we are weighing the rolling chassis of the bike in order to better estimate the final weight and the voltage characteristics required for a comfortable ride. Our team is definitely rolling along nicely!

WIND TURBINES: A solution to a greener environment!

January 29th, 2010, 3:10 pm

Green Corridor is an innovative idea for a greener Windsor and thus a greener environment. It is a unique project of its own kind, introduced by a group of artists in the University of Windsor in collaboration with its students. It is an environmental friendly idea from the founders of green corridor, to help remind people and businesses that have forgotten their social responsibility towards the environment.

The winter 2010 green corridor class has brought back the wind turbine project which has been halted for various reasons. As a group we are planning to discover and solve those reasons. Our main goal is to carry on and contribute to the legacy of the wind turbine project. The team is planning to professionally approach different local manufacturers and other officials in order to help us achieve our project goals through funding and sponsorships.

Our group members consist of five members from different educational backgrounds, namely Belal Akkawi(Accounting),Faheem Muhammad(Finance), Ibrahim Khalifa(General Science), Junaid Iftikhar(Economics) & Sachin Malhotra(Accounting).

“Dream it, plan it, do it…”

A Composter For Your Scraps?

January 26th, 2010, 6:25 pm

Over the past week, we were able to determine three locations we plan to place the composter. One of these locations can be seen in our display picture. We designed concept of the future location of the composter. With this concept we are able to visualize where we would place it and also be able to describe to other groups involved what we plan to do.

We have researched several styles of composting and have narrowed them down to three main styles conventional urban compost bin, horizontal compost tumbler, and compost tumbler. At this point our preference in terms of which composting style is the Horizontal composter. With this style we are able to produce compost in a shorter amount of time compared to the conventional style, also the horizontal style requires less manual labour.

We are currently in contact with organizations that could potential be able to donate skids to the project as well we are currently in talks with University of Windsor Food services and the Essex Windsor Solid Waste Authority.

The Road Ahead

January 25th, 2010, 10:44 pm

Our E-Motorcycle team has been busy planning and organizing to complete our goals. We have begun extensive research into the different methods that a shaft drive motorcycle, such as ours, can be converted from a gasoline engine to an electric motor drive. One possibility we have found, example shown below, uses the electric motor shaft (top left) as a countershaft and provides torque to the driveshaft (bottom right) via a belt. Another possible solution is to mount the electric motor in line with the driveshaft. We are currently working on removing the original engine from the chassis and should have this completed tomorrow. It is our intention to sell this engine to help fund the purchase of an electric motor, batteries and other required materials to complete this project. Our team is excited to tackle the challenges that lie in the road ahead.

Power is supplied to the driveshaft from a belt; Picture Courtesy of http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-build-a-96-Volt-Electric-Motorcycle/step3/Connecting-the-Motor-to-the-Drive-shaft/

Composting: A Greener Today, for a Greener Tomorrow.

January 19th, 2010, 9:20 pm

The Team

To create a greener Windsor, we have to reduce, reuse, and recycle. This semester in the Green Corridor, our team is planning to create a composting system in which organic waste can be turned into nutritious compost that can be used for planting, and to encourage growth of healthy, organic vegetables. We will be collecting the organic waste from across the campus, thereby making a cleaner, greener University of Windsor. In co-ordination with other groups such as the Greenhouse team and urban agriculture team, we will help clean up the environment, inform the community and make a difference.

Our group consists of an enthusiastic group of students from different academic backgrounds which provide a broad perspective on the project. From Business, Aaron, Josh, and Shreya. From Engineering, Lie and Tim. From  Sociology, Cole. From Enviromental Studies, Dan. Together, with our hard work we plan to spruce up the environment around the campus and ultimately, Windsor. With a Greener today, we can make a Greener tomorrow.