This project intends to
• create a structure that has the flexibility to clean the oil spill in different situations
• the size varies according to the different situations
• absorb the spill not only in large open areas but also in small streams that are hard to get through
With the heat engine made of Nitinol wire, the structure can navigate itself through space and do not need any motor as the impetus.
So...what is Nitinol Wire?
Nitinol is a nickel-titanium alloy with superplasticity and shape memory properties.
Here are some studies:
The nitinol spring
• contracts when enough heat is applied to it
• can be stretched out again after it cools down
Based on the heat engine that Dr. Edwin MacMillan invented in the 1980s, this project explored its application as a self-moving engine without any motor.
Process:
Various experimental attempts
The Working Model:
Final Design
Oleo Sponge:
• oil sorbent invented by an Argonne National Laboratory.
• absorbs the oil effectively
• can drain out the oil from it afterward
• reuse the oil instead of wasting it
The oil sorbent
• hooked onto the floating boom
• the net can be replaced easily when the sorbent has absorbed enough oil
When the oil sorbent is filled with oil, the structure will eventually become too heavy for the heat engine to move forward. Therefore, when people see that the structure is not moving anymore on the GPS tracker, they know that it is time to pick up and switch the oil sorbent.
