Nihal Nazeem

Mrs. Vogl
STEM Chemistry 3°
March 12​th​, 2019

Proof of Efficacy of a Thermochemical Machine

Project Description and Constraints:
The goal of this project is to create a device that transfers Chemical Energy to another
form of energy.

3-Dimensional Representation:
 Design and Energy Transfers:
The initial design was a three-stage concept. First the lemon batteries would
trigger the flaming gel.The heat from the flaming gel increases the temperature of the
bottom of our piston, a soup can, raised on a ring stand. The hot air pushes the styrofoam
displacer inside the piston, causing the attached rod to push the crankshaft. During this
motion, the volume of the piston increases, causing cooling, while the opening from
diaphragm, made of a balloon, allows some air to escape and the air pressure from
outside to push the displacer down. This repeated motion turns the crankshaft, centered
on two blocks of wood, which attaches to the third stage, the electronics. Here the
crankshaft spins a DC motor backwards to generate electricity, lighting an LED. The
original objective was to use heat from a lemon battery to spark a flaming gel, providing
a heat source for our gamma stirling engine, turning a crankshaft to reverse the direction
of a DC motor to light an LED. This initial concept transfers energy into five energy
types: Chemical Potential Energy, from the lemon battery and the unsparked flaming gel;
Exothermic Thermal Energy from the combustion reactions from the lemon battery and
the ignited flaming gel; Conversion to Mechanical Energy from the change in
temperature in the piston, spinning a crankshaft, which is the transfer of Mechanical
Potential Energy to Mechanical Kinetic Energy; The crankshaft then spins the DC motor
backwards converting the Kinetic Energy to Electric Energy, and then Light Energy, into
the LED. The revised design runs on the direct combustion of the flaming gel.

In essence, the Gamma stirling engine converts linear motion to circular motion.
Given a heat source, near the bottom of a piston, the gas expands due to induced external
energy from the heat source. This causes gas to expand, and move faster, which increases
kinetic energy, pushing the displacer, connected to a rod that pushes a crankshaft to the
“top” position. From here the volume of the piston increases, due to the flexibility of the
diaphragm, reducing the temperature, the average kinetic energy, cooling the piston and
completing a linear oscillation for the displacer, which completes a rotation in the
crankshaft.

A brushed Direct Current motor is a motor where electrons flow in one direction.
When powered, this electricity, or electric field, runs perpendicularly to a magnetic field,
multiple magnets are turned on and off in pairs. This causes a magnetic force to act on the
armature, producing a torque. Reversing this process, by providing a torque, will cause to
DC motor to become a generator.
 Modifications:
For the stirling engine, two features were modified: the displacer, and the
crankshaft.

1. Displacer:
Several iterations of the displacer were made for optimal weight
and resistance to the heat. First rubber stoppers were used, but were
unfavored due to their weight. Attempting to circumvent this issue, holes
were drilled to reduce the mass. Still being too heavy, we opted for
styrofoam for its lightness, its ability to be shaped, and its rigidity.
Creating a lighter displacer allows less force from the hot air to move the
displacer, making it more energy efficient.

2. Crankshaft:
The initial crankshaft had to be shaped. Given only pliers, the
results were not functional. Once a vice was available, shaping was easier,
but measurement was lacking. Once the ⅞” radius on the crankshaft was
7
reduced to 16 ” the rotation translated to better linear motion of the
displacer, allowing the displacer to move more up and down, reducing
friction against the piston, converting more hot air into kinetic energy.

The flaming gel procedures were altered to increase the concentration of calcium
acetate, yielding better results.

1. Initial Procedure (​Anne Marie Helmenstine, Ph. D.)​ :

a. Materials
i. Antacid tablets, with at least 1000 mg of calcium carbonate
per tablet
ii. Weak acetic acid (vinegar)
iii. Isopropyl alcohol, 90% or higher
1. If 70% is used, allow the mixture from step 3 to
evaporate, for the extra water in the alcohol for a
higher concentration
b. Process
i. Crush five antacid tablets into powder
ii. Stir 50 ml (~ 10 tsp) of vinegar into the powder (10 ml per
tablet)
iii. Allow the mixture to evaporate to half its original volume
1. Could take half a day
 2. If all of the water is evaporated, water can be added
iv. Fill a container with twice the volume of the antacid
mixture
v. While stirring, slowly add the mixture to the alcohol to
form a gel
1. Do it slowly, if there is tto much mixture, the gel
will liquify
vi. Ignite gel

This procedure yielded failed solutions, causing our team to look for alternatives.

2. Final Procedure (​Flinn Scientific​):

a. Materials
i. Calcium Acetate, monohydrate, Ca(C​2​H​3​O​2​) · 2H​2​O, 3g
ii. Ethyl alcohol, 95%, CH​3​CH​2​OH, 75 mL
iii. Soldium chloride, NaCL, a pinch
iv. Balance
v. Beaker, 250 mL
vi. Ceramic plate or tile, nonflammable
vii. Evaporating dish or small beaker, Pyrex ®
viii. Fire Extinguisher, ANC class
ix. Graduated cylinder, 100 mL
x. Matches (fireplace matches work best)
xi. Spatula
xii. Stirring rod or wood stick
b. Process
i. Weigh out 3g of calcium acetate in 250 mL beaker
ii. Measure out 10 mL of water (tap is fine), and add it to the
calcium acetate. Stir to dissolve most of the solid
(saturation will occur)
iii. Add a pinch of sodium chloride to the calcium acetate
solution and stir
iv. Measure 75 mL of ethyl alcohol using a graduated cylinder
and transfer it to the beaker containing the calcium acetate
solution. The gel will form as soon as the alcohol is added.
Do not stir the mixture.
v. Using s spatula, transfer the gel into an evaporating dish
vi. Place the evaporating dish in a nonflammable ceramic fiber
square or tile away from all combustible materials
 vii. Use a match to carefully light the gel. Turning of the lights
will make the flame more noticeable. Notice the formation
of calcium carbonate on the inside of the evaporating dish
viii. The evaporating dish will get extremely hot, so use caution
and do not handle until it has cooled completely
ix. Wash hands, work area, and equipment thoroughly when
finished
Although 95% alcohol was not available, 91% alcohol was substituted. Another
modification we made to reduce the amount of gel made by using half of the
recommended measurements. This yielded in more fruitful results, as the specification of
the measurements allowed us to clarify the qualitative “volume” measurement from the
initial procedure. This procedure was more clear about separating the water - calcium
acetate solution from the alcohol.

Specifications:
1. Energy Definitions
a. Chemical Potential Energy: Energy stored in the chemical bonds of a
substance.
b. Thermal Energy: The internal energy of an object due to the kinetic energy
of the molecules, related to the Ideal Gas Law
i. Ideal Gas Law (PV = nRT): temperature is directly proportional
to: the amount of molecules in a defined space, or volume with a
defined amount of molecules,
ii. Exothermic: A reaction that releases heat.
c. Mechanical Energy: The total kinetic and potential energy of an object
moving a distance with force (work)
i. Potential Energy: The energy an object holds ue to position from a
gravitational source, compression or expansion, charge, and other
factors.
ii. Kinetic Energy: The energy an object has from movement.
d. Electric Energy: Energy of an electric charge, that flows from the valance
electrons of one atom to another.
e. Light Energy: Energy from the change of state of an electron’s orbital
from a higher excited state, when energy is added. This can be from
photons exciting electrons to higher orbital levels with more energy from
the photons or outside factors. From here the natural tendency toward
more entropy changes the electron’s excited state to a ground state,
emitting photons.
2. Measurement of Energy
a. S’mores:
i. Q = mc (T​f​-T​i​)
kJ
= (7.54g)(2.02 gºC
)(44°C - 18.9°C)
= 382.29 kJ

b. Chemical Reactions
i. Flaming Snowball Double Displacement

1. Ca(CH​3​COO)​2​ + 2 CH​3​CH​2​OH →

2CH​3​COOCH​2​CH​3 ​ + Ca(OH)​2

a. Calcium acetate and ethanol yields ethyl ethanoate

and Calcium hydroxide

ii. Combustion

1. CH​3​CH​2​OH + 3 O​2​ → 2 CO​2​ + 3 H​2​O

a. Ethanol + Oxygen → Carbon Dioxide + Water
i. Mass of of Ethanol: 37.5g; density of
acetone
ii. Molar mass of 46.07 g/mol
iii. 0.638 moles
iv. H​total -​ 1368 kJ/mol
v. 872.284 kJ of heat
2. C​3​H​6​O + 4 O​2​ → 3 CO​2​ + 3 H​2​O
a. Acetone and oxygen yields carbon dioxide and
water
i. Mass of Calcium acetate: 1.5g
ii. 158.18 g/mol
iii. 0.00948 mol (calcium acetate)
iv. 58.08 g/mol (acetone)
1. 36.72%
v. 0.00348 mol (acetone)
vi. H​total (acetone)​ - 1821 kJ/mol
vii. 6.339 kJ from acetone
iii. Thermal Decomposition
iv. (Thermolysis)

1. Ca(CH​3​COO)​2 (​ with heat) ​ → ​CaCO​3​ + C​3​H​6​O

 a. Calcium acetate decomposes into calcium carbonate

and acetone, when exposed to heat.

Molecular Blueprints

4. Selling Points:
Our heat source may be mistaken for a hard snowball, but once ignited, it
generates enough heat to power 60 Watt light bulb for 14 seconds. With this power, food
can be heated and cooked, such as s’mores, and can function as a heat source.