Small Engine Hydrogen Retrofit

• • I think there is a fairly standard form factor for these small general purpose engines (basically the ones we took apart in first year) and so the idea is to create a replacement module for the carburetor that will allow it to run on hydrogen instead of gasoline

  • This one would probably be quite a bit of work, research, and expert opinions but might be doable, would have to look further into the feasibility

Switched Reluctance Motor (SRM) Combo Motor

• • Basically there is a type of motor called an SRM that are simple in mechanical construction but has only recently become more popular because the power electronics technology required to control them didn't exist until recently

  • With the right controls they can have comparable efficiency to other motor types, but they apparently suffer from torque ripple but has certain other advantages

  • I have seen some papers about trying to fix the torque ripple, but this idea is to basically construct a motor that could be a combination of an SRM and another motor type so we might be able to get the best of both types

  • This one will require a fair amount of research and expert opinions, but the work is going to be mostly mechanical, controls, and a bit of electrical

Small Scale Wind Energy for Your Home

• • We would have to research existing products and see if we can either improve on the power output or price with our own solution

  • Some options for potentially improving on existing solutions:

    • Using a Switched Reluctance Generator (SRG). See: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2090447921000356

    • Using a vertical axis wind turbine design

    • Modifying an existing solution to target a market that doesn't have an products targeting it currently

Modular Micro Hydroponics

• • A fairly straightforward one: there are currently products for growing plants hydroponically at home for if you live in an apartment or something but this idea would be to create a highly modular system

  • I don't really know anything about hydroponics but I think this one would not be too difficult (would also have to check to make sure there are not existing products like this already)

Malaria or Lyme Disease

• • This one I don't have a solution for, just a problem that I saw in the news recently

  • Due to climate change Malaria is going to be coming to North America real soon and the vector will start moving north as the climate gets warmer

  • For the same reason, the Lyme Disease tick vector is moving northwards through Ontario at like 50 km/year or something like that. I don't remember the number. So Lyme disease cases are rapidly rising in southern Ontario year over year

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

• • Another issue I don't have a solution for but is pretty important and relevant

  • My brother has told be about multiple calls that he has done recently with carbon monoxide poisoning on construction sites and this just seems like a simple thing that we should be so preventable but is unfortunately common

  • Ex: https://toronto.citynews.ca/2023/07/04/carbon-monoxide-poisoning-construction-site-north-york/

Forest fire aid

• • How to help reduce forest fires frequency, improve detection or more

  • Potential ideas and a method to contact a expert: https://natural-resources.canada.ca/our-natural-resources/forests/wildland-fires-insects-disturbances/blueprint-for-wildland-fire-science-canada-2019-2029/21614

  • Company to reach out to?: https://www.mastreforest.com/

  • Delivering Innovative Fire Management

    • Improvements to operational response:Assist in decision making, work on a new innovative fire management solution

    • Improvements to planning: Make preparation, mitigation, response activities easier

Eye Aid

• • A way to help people who are blind gain independence around their house by via “simultaneous localization and mapping”

PCM

• • Phase changing materials

  • Rural communities rely on diesel engines for heating overnight during the winter in their barns as they are too far from the power grid

  • If we could take solar/wind energy, and direct it into the PCMs, it could provide passive heating for the barns/lower the amount of heat they need to provide via diesel

Hydrogen Drone? -> increase the range of UAV