Compare and contrast troubleshooting strategies for decorative lighting.
Discuss the pros and cons of each configuration.
There are typically two kinds of circuits use in decorative lighting systems. The first, being series circuits which just conducts power to each light sequentially down the strand. The second, parallel circuits, is wired alternatingly so that if a few bulbs go out, it won’t shut off power to the rest.
Honestly, I’ve always had very simple lighting systems on and in my house. Typically, for the tree we just have it on a flash setting with a timer. For outside, usually, we just have constant lights that get turned off during the day and come on when it is dark, for me 6-7p.m. Eventually, I want to have a lightshow, I think that would be cool especially, taking inspiration from some of the videos I’ve seen with drones.
References
Davis, J. (2011, March 9). Types of Circuits in Christmas Lights. EHow.com; eHow.com. https://www.ehow.com/info_8041123_types-circuits-christmas-lights.html
Category: Electrical Engineering homework help
Compare and contrast troubleshooting strategies for decorative lighting.
Discuss the pros and cons of each configuration.
When lights are connected in series, electricity flows from the power source to the first light and then from light to light until it returns to the power source. The wiring becomes apparent when one of the lights’ filaments burns out in this configuration. Since no energy can pass through any of the cables, malfunctioning or open circuits cause all the lights to go out, as was previously mentioned. Each morning connected in series with the others has its own trajectory that connects to the power supply. Although all the lights are still connected to the power source in a closed circuit if one filament burns out, the other lights are unaffected.
When my bulbs blew out, I would unplug the lights and twist the bulb around until it came on and if that didn’t work, I would simply bring it back to the store and swap it out for a new one.
References:
Wood, D., (2015, December 16). How do Holiday Lights Work? Retrieved, November 23, 2022. How Do Holiday Lights Work? | Department of Energy
Identify parts of the E-Cig that constitute voltage, current, and resistance. Discuss the role each plays in the E-Cig and typical values for each including units.
In this section of our discussion, the components of the E-Cig and their functions in relation to Ohm’s Law factor (i.e., current, voltage, and resistance) will be summarized. The rechargeable battery is the voltage source (sometimes called the electromotive force (EMF) that causes electrons to flow (current) through the light and heater. The example E-cig in figure 1 shows the two resistors (i.e., the heater and light (LED) represented by
and Since the current divided equally by each resistor
, the voltage (4.2v) is the same across each resistor (parallel resistors). The current leaving (1.909A) the battery is equal to the current returning to the battery. The heater applies energy (vaporization to the nicotine/liquid cartridge when the user inhales or pulls on the E-cig. The integrate circuit (I.C. or microprocessor) controls the heater and light. The microprocessor has an applied voltage and current (although relatively small when compared to the other components). The operation of the microprocessor is beyond the scope of our present course/discussion
*Discuss the electrical dangers of an E-Cig. Give specific examples.
E-cig accidents are most often caused by the rechargeable batteries. Explosions can be caused by overcharging, incompatible chargers, and the improper handling of carrying spares in the pocket with the terminals exposed to other metal objects like car keys and coins. In 1991, the relative new lithium-ion battery replaced the older lithium metal battery which was very explosive.
The user should never use the E-cig while it is being charged. There is a chance of too much current draw and overheating which could result in damage to the E-cig circuit components and an electric shock to the user. The subject of electric shock by such a small device might seem unusual. To briefly explain the phenomena of electric shock, there is a relatively small current necessary to cause electric shock in a human. Here is a brief representation of values of current and their possible effects on a human.
*.001A or 1ma (Threshold of Sensation)
*.01A or 10ma (Mild Sensation)
*.01A to 0.1A or 10ma to 100ma (Painful to Breathing difficulties)
*0.1A to 0.2A or 100ma to 200ma (Death)
*0.2A to 1A or 200ma to 1000ma (Breathing Stops, Severe Burns)
*There are many electrical safety rules. Pick one, and discuss its application on a small system, such as the E-Cig.
One safety measure on a small system such as an E-cigarette would be to always keep the terminals separated and therefore prevent electrical shortages. One example of how ignoring this preventative measure could be even more dangerous when applied to an automotive system would be to allow a tool such as a long screwdriver to come into contact with the positive and negative terminals of the large battery (12-V) in an automobile. This “dead short” can produce a high level of current (i.e., 600A, 400A, 300A, etc.) Even though this 12 V has relatively low voltage the cranking amps of the battery can be as high as 800A. Consider the Power Formula (P=IV) P= (800A) (12V) = 9,600watts or 9.6kw
References
Schultz, M.E. 2016. Grob’s Basic Electronics 12th edition Pg 95-96.
Velvet Cloud. (2018, June 19). OHM’S LAW 101 AND E-CIG TECH: Understanding Vape Electrical Lingo. Retrieved from Velvetcloud: https://velvetcloud.com/blogs/news/ohms-law-101-and-e-cig-tech-understanding-vape-electrical-lingo
Identify parts of the E-Cig that constitute voltage, current, and resistance. Discuss the role each plays in the E-Cig and typical values for each including units.
E-Cigs (or vapes) consist of a battery, typically lithium-ion, that connects to a single or dual heating coil into the reservoir of vape liquid. I’m going to use the specs for a vape that I’m currently using, called the Elf Bar BC5000. It consists of a 650mAh (nominal voltage is 3.7 V) rechargeable lithium-ion battery, a dual coil, and a cotton reservoir filled with 13ml of juice (nicotine salts). As a user hits or pulls air from the mouthpiece, the airflow activates a sensor switch to the battery and sends current through the circuit to the atomizer which houses a coil(s). The coils offer resistance. The only resistance information I could find for Elf Bar mesh coils is around 1.2 ????. The lower the resistance, the more heat and vapor are produced, and the stronger the hit. The higher the resistance, the less vapor and heat are produced and smoother the hit. The coil(s) heats the “wick” which is typically cotton inside of a reservoir filled with juice creating vapor which expels through the mouthpiece. Using Ohm’s Law and assuming the resistance is 1.2 ????, we can determine the current for this disposable vape is 3.7V/1.2 ????=3.08333333A.
Discuss the electrical dangers of an E-Cig. Give specific examples.
One of the primary electrical dangers associated with E-Cigs or vapes are the batteries. The type of batteries used in these devices has been unregulated. Lithium-ion batteries can be dangerous if they become damaged or over-heated. The chemical within the battery reacts to oxygen and can combust. If this happens while in use or carried by and individual, serious injury can occur.
There are many electrical safety rules. Pick one, and discuss its application on a small system, such as the E-Cig.
It is important to know the requirements for each specific device. Due to the sensitive nature of lithium-ion batteries, it is important to handle them with care. Use the correct charger that comes with the device or charger specified. Be sure to charge away from flammable materials and do not leave the device charging overnight or for extended periods of time.
References:
Center for Tobacco Products. (2022, February 16). Tips to Help Avoid Vape Battery or Fire Explosions. U.S. Food And Drug Administration. https://www.fda.gov/tobacco-products/products-ingredients-components/tips-help-avoid-vape-battery-or-fire-explosions
Links to an external site.
Cozens, N. (2022, July 6). Elf Bar ELFA Prefilled Pod Kit Review – The Sustainable Idea Of No Wasted Battery. Ecigclick. https://www.ecigclick.co.uk/elf-bar-elfa-prefilled-pod-kit-review/
Links to an external site.
Electric Tobacconist. (n.d.). What is coil resistance? The Electric Tobacconist Ltd. https://help.electrictobacconist.co.uk/support/solutions/articles/5000758291-what-is-coil-resistance-
Links to an external site.
Rubery, H. (2022, August 30). Why Do Disposable Vapes Taste Better? https://www.podsalt.com/blog/post/why-do-disposable-vapes-taste-better
Links to an external site.
Velvet Cloud. (2018, June 19). Ohm’s Law 101 and E-Cig Tech: Understanding Vape Electrical Lingo. https://velvetcloud.com/blogs/news/ohms-law-101-and-e-cig-tech-understanding-vape-electrical-lingo
Most people think of electrocution from overhead wires or dangerous power lines. However, there are also small circuits, such as the ones you learn to design in this course, that are very dangerous. One such example is the electronic cigarette, or E-Cig for short (See Figure 1 below). This is actually a small systems engineering device designed to be carried on your person. It consists of a small dc circuit with voltage, current, and resistance (See Figure 2 below). We know that all current, large and small, can have a dangerous impact on the human body.
In your original post, answer the following:
Identify parts of the E-Cig that constitute voltage, current, and resistance. Discuss the role each plays in the E-Cig and typical values for each including units.
Discuss the electrical dangers of an E-Cig. Give specific examples.
There are many electrical safety rules. Pick one, and discuss its application on a small system, such as the E-Cig.
In your responses to your classmates discuss how you would translate the safety rule your classmate chose to a larger system (e.g. car, home, power plant, robot on factory floor…).
Americans have increasingly recognized the importance of the President as the leader of the nation over the course of the 20th Century. Identify those factors that you think are most important for a strong President and identify which President between 1877 and 2020 best exemplifies these traits. Be sure to use specific examples of actions demonstrated by your chosen President that demonstrate his effectiveness.
How and why did transportation developments spark economic growth during the period from 1865 to 1900 in the United States?
You should answer this question as a complete 5 paragraph with an introduction and conclusion. Make sure you have a thesis statement that answers all parts of the question and evidence to support your answer. If you are struggling, don’t forget to check the rubric.
For this week’s discussion, I have decided to discuss how the SUMIF function is used for calculating individual hours contributed to a project. The SUMIF function is used often for financial work, such as budgeting or manpower allocation. It is a math function based on operators such as less than <, greater than >, less than or greater than < >, and equal to = just for a few examples but also considers other functions such as * and ?.
As with all functions within Excel it requires a formula that must meet certain criteria. In the case of SUMIF the formula must contain the following:
Range
These are the cells we will apply the criteria to.
Criteria
The provided criteria can be:
An expression
“<5”, “=20”, “= or < 32” A numeric value Integer, decimal, logic value for example or optionally you can include a Sum range which is a group of cells that are to be added together if the range entry meets a supplied criterion. One example of how the SUMIF function works would be if you want to calculate how many hours individual employees contributed to a project you can use SUMIF to select a particular name, word, or phrase from a given range of cells and then add the given number in another range of cells and place the “SUM” in a separate cell. As seen in the examples below. So, in this case, we are instructing it to SUM the inputs from L3 thru L8 if K3 thru K8 contains the phrase “POWER CABLE” and place the SUM in O11 or if it the phrase says “CAN CABLE” place the SUM in M11. It is important to make sure that the text criteria or criteria that include math symbols be contained with quotations “ “. I have learned that excel can be a great tool to make our jobs simpler and more productive and I have also found it to be very user friendly, in fact, what I have learned about excel up to this point has been through the use of Google where there is a bunch of great how To’s and this is a tool I use almost daily from the simplest of tasks, counting the characters in a part name as we are restricted to forty where I work, to organizing wide branching projects I am working on. That being said, I look forward to learning more about the tool in this class. REFERENCES: CFI Team, (2022) SUMIF Function - Formula, Examples, How to Use SumIf in Excel (corporatefinanceinstitute.com)
For this week’s discussion, I chose to cover the COUNTIF function in excel. COUNTIF allows a user to automatically count particular criteria in the desired range of cells (Microsoft, 2022). For example, I made a worksheet with customer IDs and how much the customer has paid. So, if I wanted to see how many customers paid over $200 for instance, COUNTIF would allow me to do so without having to go through and count each cell myself.
the function for this example would look like this =COUNTIF(B2:B200,”>199″). B1:B200 is the range of cells I’d like to investigate, and “>199” is the “values 200 and over” criteria I selected.
Additionally, If I wanted to make it a bit easier to identify the customers that paid over $200, I could set a New Rule under Conditional Formatting. For this new rule, I would select the A column and it highlights any ID that has a paid value over 200 using the COUNTIF function (Spahic, 2021).
So, the COUNTIF function has helped me identify how many customers paid over a certain value, as well as helped me highlight the customer ID.
REFERENCES
Microsoft. (2022, April 19). COUNTIF function. Retrieved from support.microsoft.com: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/countif-function-e0de10c6-f885-4e71-abb4-1f464816df34
Spahic, H. (2021, September 13). How to Use Countif with Conditional Formatting in Excel. Retrieved from excel.officetuts.net: https://excel.officetuts.net/examples/countif-in-conditional-formatting/
The CONCATENATE function is a text function allows you to merge text from multiple cells into a single cell. This function is not limited to only joining cell texts/values you can also add an additional text or string as well. There are several ways you can perform this function:
You can select the function icon and select CONCATENATE and the function arguments box opens up. Then in Text1 you select your first cell and in Text2 you can select your second cell. If you’d like to have a space between the texts, you’d just add a space in Text2 and add your second cell information in Text3. Finally, click OK and excel will combined the text in your new cell.
A shorter way is in the cell you want the text to be combined type in an equal sign, 1st cell name, &, and then your second cell name. Hit tab and it’s done. Example: =A1&B1
Excel examples:
This function can be useful for teachers that managed their gradebooks in excel. Making it easier for them to combine texts in multiple cells.
References:
Gupta, Aryan (2023, July 19). How to use Concatenate in Excel (with Syntax and Examples). Retrieved from https://www.simplilearn.com/tutorials/excel-tutorial/concatenate-in-excel