Past Projects:
Utilizing the exhaust stage of an automotive turbocharger as the turbine in a working model of a hydroelectric plant. Looking to the future, larger turbo cores (e.g. from tractor trailer and heavy equipment engines) coupled with higher driving head of water could provide useful energy from rainwater runoff. They may have too much bearing run-out for use in automotive applications (e.g. at > 10000 rpm) but still be usable with water (e.g. at 1000 - 6000 rpm). This may reduce waste while providing relatively inexpensive, small scale, turbines for hydroelectric energy generation. The carbon deposits from the exhaust gasses of the engine will help protect the inside of the turbo housing from oxidation (rust).
In high school I built various go-carts out of miscellaneous parts from garden tractors and just about anything else I could find. Pictures and more detailed descriptions may be posted later. I particularly liked to use something for a purpose for which it was not intended, typically to save time, money, or both (e.g. the hockey stick that became the main support for the steering assembly in one of my go-carts).
I built a prototype battery cell using a magnesium fire starter, a copper rod, Epsom salts from the grocery store, and water. The open circuit cell voltage after charging, measured by a multimeter, was 1.4 volts. I do not remember the short circuit current, but is was at least in the tens of Milli-amperes. With some additional prototyping and experiments, I am hoping for a 9-cell (12.6 volt) drop-in replacement for the lead acid battery. The advantages of this design are in a lack of hazardous materials (as the magnesium would remain in metallic bulk form, its flammability would not be a major concern), ease of obtaining supplies to make the cells, and lack of acid (no highly flammable hydrogen gas to explode during charging or discharging). The tests needed to prove feasibility are not yet within my available time and resources due to the necessity of degassing the water and protecting the magnesium and copper from exposure to oxygen, as I expect the oxide layer (especially for the magnesium) to be a major inhibitor to the rate of the reaction. As a slight side benefit, the fluid would change color depending on the amount of charge in the battery (transparent light blue - fully charged to clear - fully discharged). The reaction works by replacement of the metal ions in the sulfate (SO4) solution.
I collect electric motors and various electromechanical parts with the intent of re-purposing them in the future for a project of interest. I generally do not have a time frame for these projects, and I am happy to let others take most of my collections if they find a use for the items before I do.
I know that this page is kind of dull and boring right now, but I will be slowly adding to it. When I have digital pictures available of some of my projects and make the time, I will post them on this page.
If you would like to contact me, my email address is mtkivisa@mtu.edu, and my name is Michael Kivisalu. I am a resident of Hancock, Michigan, and a Ph.D. candidate in Mechanical Engineering at Michigan Technological University. I have developed various custom electromechanical and electrothermal devices in the process of my research in shear/pressure driven internal condensing flow of FC-72 (perfluorohexane) for space based applications (funded by NASA and NSF through Prof. Amitabh Narain). I will try to publish their design information here after obtaining appropriate permissions.