Nicholas Flood

16 posts

Surreal Stirling Engine: Timeline

May 2, 2016

Nicholas Flood

Student Work

engine, stirling, surreal, whale

March 3 – Ordered parts (Glass syringes, alcohol lamp) March 11 – Parts arrived March 23 – First parts printed March 28 – Begin assembly April 4 – Initial testing April 8 – Whale sculpted April 15 – Helicopter rotor printed April 18 – Final tweaks and details added to the whale April 23 – Expo Here…

Surreal Stirling Engine Final Report (Part 2)

April 28, 2016

Nicholas Flood

Final Report Main Project 2016

engine, stirling, surreal, surrealism, whale

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Looking back on the project, there are a few things that I’ve learned. It turns out that I really enjoy working with clay. It is soothing and relaxing, and being able to see something take shape in 3D is exciting. I also gained a lot more experience with 3D printing, especially with trouble-shooting. I really…

Surreal Stirling Engine Final Report (Part 1)

April 21, 2016

Nicholas Flood

Update Weds April 20 2016

I wanted to build a table top stirling engine for my project. I’ve been wanting to make one for a long time, but never got around to making it happen. There is a lot of documentation online on how people have made their own using a variety of designs and materials. My goal was to make…

Stirling Engine Update

April 18, 2016

Nicholas Flood

Update Weds April 13 2016

After having some troubles with the 3D printer, I’ve finally gotten some critical parts tweaked and finished. I had to make some updates to the fly wheels so account for the screws that I had. The connecting rods attach much more nicely now with less play. The fly wheels now have a set screw…

Stirling Engine Update (4/6/16)

April 7, 2016

Nicholas Flood

Student Work, Update Weds April 6 2016

engine, stirling, surrealism, whale

I have finally made my flywheels for my stirling engine. I left holes around the edges so I can press nuts into them if the flywheels need more mass. The flywheels spin surprisingly freely on the rod that I plan on using. This means that I should be able to get away with not using…

Surreal Stirling Engine Update

March 31, 2016

Nicholas Flood

Impact of 20th Century design movements plus update Weds March 30 2016

For my surreal stirling engine, the main parts that I got made are the displacer and power piston connecting rods, and the pin connectors that link the connecting rods to their respective pistons (the glass syringe plungers). Designing these connectors was difficult because the plungers need to press-fit into the units in order to avoid using harsh adhesives.…

3/28/2016 Aesthetics Game: Arts & Crafts Scissors

March 28, 2016

Nicholas Flood

Student Work

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Nick’s Timeline Update

March 17, 2016

Nicholas Flood

Update Weds March 16, 2016

I am currently finishing up designing all of the individual mechanical components that will go into my surreal stirling engine. That should be done by this Friday, so I can 3D print and test the parts over break. Also over break, I will plan out how I will make the whale. The dimensions obviously rely on the…

Flood’s Top 5 Constraints

March 9, 2016

Nicholas Flood

Student Work, Top 5 Constraints 2016, ZZ 2016

stirling engine, surreal, whale

For my flying whale/surreal stirling engine project, I have some things to keep in mind… 1. Time is going to be a big constraint. Since I am taking 12 credits as a grad student (which is quite a lot), I have a lot of other projects to work on. 2. Money is my other huge…

PDR: Nick’s Surreal Stirling Engine

March 3, 2016

Nicholas Flood

Main Project Design Review 2016

engine, stirling, surrealism, whale

For my main project, I have decided to make a stirling engine. I’ve wanted to make my own for a while now, but never got around to doing it. Stirling Engine Example I’m a fan of surrealism (especially Dali), and I might try to incorporate that aesthetic to my engine. There are a lot of…

Nick’s Main Project Inspirations

February 24, 2016

Nicholas Flood

Main Project Inspirations 2016

stirling engine, surrealism

For my main project, I have decided to make a stirling engine. I’ve wanted to make my own for a while now, but never got around to doing it. I’m not sure if I want to try a single cylinder version or to just do a low-temperature difference one like in Greg Potts office. …

Nick Flood’s Aspirations

February 17, 2016

Nicholas Flood

Aspirations 2016

The main reason why I am taking this class is to get more exposure to the aesthetics side of product design. I’d like to improve my sketching skills to be able to more comfortably and quickly draw a concept or idea. Eventually, I want to be able to do sketches like this: By graduation, I would…

Nick Flood’s Skills and Stuff

February 10, 2016

Nicholas Flood

Skill Sets 2016

I’m a mechanical engineering grad student with an emphasis on design. Here are a few skills that I have: Solidworks (modeling parts, assemblies, drawings, renders, etc.) Design for manufacturability and assembly (DFMA) Finite element analysis (Abaqus, Solidworks) Machining (mill, lathe, bandsaw, tube bending) Woodworking (saws, drills, etc. I’ve made my own skate/longboards, so I know…

Origami Nightstand

February 3, 2016

Nicholas Flood

Student Work, Upcycle Project Report 2016, ZZ 2016

cardboard, nightstand, origami, paper, Upcycle

I wanted to design and create something useful for my upcycle project. I have wanted a nightstand for a while, so I decided to make my own. The desk in my bedroom is covered with stacks of homework assignments and exams from last semester, and I wondered if there was some way to incorporate old…

Upcycle Progress: Origami Nightstand

January 27, 2016

Nicholas Flood

Upcycle Progress 2016

box, nightstand, origami, paper, Upcycle

I still have a pile of old homework assignments from last year, so I thought about what I could do with all of that paper (besides throw it away). I also happen to need a nightstand, so I began thinking of ways to use paper. I used to dabble in origami as a kid, so what if…

Wine Bottles

January 20, 2016

Nicholas Flood

Aesthetic Explorations 2016, Student Work, ZZ 2016

bottles, glass, history, storage, wine

http://www.storageltd.com/blog/how-to-store-wine-bottle-of-different-sizes Most people can recognize a wine bottle when they see one. Despite the wide variety of bottle shapes and sizes, there are three styles that are the most common: the Bordeaux, the Burgundy, and the Mosel/Alsace. These bottle styles appeared due to significant advances in glass making in the early 1800s, which allowed for thicker…