GENE 101

DESIGN PROJECT

Report 3
 REPORT 2 FEEDBACK

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Report 2 Feedback: Boat Design and Build
 Remember:
 the fuel cell must be returned to us in the same condition that you received it.

 the fuel cell and boat must be safe to operate

 The motor(s) that move the boat must be powered by the fuel cell.

 Your requests:
 Machine shop access – Machine shop orientation has to have been completed

 Chemicals, salt, etc. -> Only distilled water

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Report 2 Feedback: Unacceptable Fuel Cell
Modifications
 Do NOT use different batteries with higher current to generate gases

 Do NOT put any salts, acids, etc. into the fuel cell

 You MUST use the gas storage cylinders provided to store the hydrogen and
oxygen gases

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Report 2 Feedback: Report Writing – Design Process
 Design Process
 It wasn’t always clear as to the problem you are solving

 There was a tendency to include a solution in the problem formulation –

stay solution neutral
 A few reports were written like they were a lesson on the design process. No
need for this. Stay focused on applying the design process of the boat and
the chem questions.

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Report 2 Feedback: Report Writing – Design Process
 You want to present your ideas and then build on them.

Objectives
Needs Problem
Assessment Definition
Constraints

Design Solutions come after based on

the problem you have defined.
Design Problem
 Needs Assessment/Analysis
 Verbal description (no solutions)

 Problem Formulation
 Verbal description (no solutions)
 Objectives
 Constraints

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Report 2 Feedback: Chemistry
Why hydrate…
 Enable transfer of protons through the membrane.

 Water in the fuel cell is required to produce H2 and O2 used to power the fuel
cell

…but not with tap water

 Minerals in tap water can lead to unwanted reactions.

 Accumulation of minerals can inhibit transfer of protons.

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Report 2 Feedback: Chemistry

US Dept of Energy, http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/fcv_pem.shtml

Report 2 Feedback: Chemistry
 Elements (hydrogen, oxygen) are not proper names and shouldn’t be capitalized.

 Should leave space between number and units

 Explain calculations and assumptions!

 Be careful with units.

 Use a reasonable number of significant figures.

 Amount of hydrogen and oxygen:

6.8 x10-4 mol H2 and 3.4 x10-4 mol O2

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 REPORT 3 GUIDELINES

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Report 3 Guidelines
 Cover Letter
 Title Page
 Executive Summary
 Table of Contents
 Main Body
 Introduction
 Buoyancy calculation
 Voltage and Current Measurements
 Fuel Cell Specific Questions
 Conclusions
 References
 Appendices (if necessary)

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Report Writing – “Introduction”

This
What? Why?
Report

Are Fuel Cells

Environment Friendly
Friendly
Energy
Alternative Che 102
Fuel Cell Boats Theory

Competition Design Process

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Report Writing – “Conclusions”
 Similar to the executive summary, provide details.

 What was in the introduction? Close the loop in the conclusions.

 What were the take-aways that got you excited?

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Report 3 – Individual Research Report (1-2 pages) -
Part 1
 Related (somehow) to fuel cells

 Narrow in scope, dealing with one very specific issue

 1-2 pages per topic.

 Suggested topics are:

 environmental impact of fuel cells, are fuel cells really green, different types of
fuel cells, alternate ways of producing H2 and O2, cost effectiveness of using fuel
cells, life cycle assessment, fuel cell design, etc.
 Include references

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Report 3 – Group Report - Part 2
Answer the following questions (in words, numbers, and/or images):
 How much O2 and H2 is lost by storing the gas in contact with water? Express your
answers as a percentage.
 What could your group do to improve the efficiency of your fuel cell? What operating
conditions can you change? Add these to your list of desired modifications from Report
2.
 Report the voltage and current of your fuel cell that you obtain from Thursday’s lab.
Make a figure (and label it properly) showing how the current and voltage change with
respect to time.
 Provide an engineering calculation to prove that your boat is buoyant

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Report Writing - Buoyancy
 Buoyant Force
 The force exerted on a body by a static fluid in which it is
submerged or floating
 It is a vertical force

 Equal to the weight that is displaced by the submerged body.

𝐹 𝐵 =𝑉 𝛾
– Where FB is the buoyant force, V is the submerged volume, and
is the specific weight of the fluid.
– Specific weight is the weight per unit volume [N/m3].
– Specific weight = density x gravity
– Specific weight of water is 9.807 kN/m3
Report Writing - Buoyancy
 Free body diagram

 Force balance

 Explain your steps

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Report 3 – Group Report part 2 continued
References can go here (before Appendices)
Calculations go in the Appendix.
 If you use MS Excel or another spreadsheet program, make sure that your
formulas & data are well labelled/explained.
 Proper formatting for the Appendices.

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Report 3 Guidelines - what you need to submit!
Cover Letter
Title Page
Executive Summary
Table of Contents
Main Body
Introduction
Buoyancy calculation
Voltage and Current Measurements
Fuel Cell Specific Questions
Conclusions
References
Appendices (if necessary)
Individual Research paper! (1-2 pages) submit your own to CrowdMark

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