Welcome to our updated version of the blog on the Dragon Spine Water-Lift project at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden! We have taken the time since the last blog to research and conceptualize several different design scenarios. This blog outlines these options and eventually settles on a preferred design with our current progress on this project detailed at the end.

Waterlift Functionality

    The water lift consists of four main parts: chain links, paddles, two gears and a channel. The chain links connects all the paddles which is turned by two gears. The paddles are placed into a well fitted channel which allows the paddles to push water up a desired elevation.

Proposed and Researched Designs

    We have looked at multiple designs, most of which are found in a Mandarin context since there is a limited resource regarding the water lift in english. This is one of the designs we looked at, it follows a similar design from our actual choice however the fact that the gears push on paddles instead of notches made it a weaker design. Constant forces applied on paddles will weaken the links significantly and will be much more susceptible to failure.

Figure 1: Model Waterlift #1

    We have based our design on the model displayed below. The basics of the model is similar to the one shown above, the one small detail that caused us to choose this model over the one above is that the gears push the chain with a small notch made into the links. This design makes the water lift links last substantially longer compared to the one above.

Figure 2: Ideal waterwheel design

    The figure below shows early concept art of the potential waterlift. Although the frame of the waterlift as well as the design of the wheel were what we desired, the specifics of this concept needed adjustments. This design is designed based off the ideas presented in figure 1, which suffers the same shortcoming of having the gear pushing the paddle instead of a notch.

Figure 3: Concept art of proposed design

Using the Decision Matrix

    The preferred idea was chosen based on a decision matrix evaluating various aspects of the project. The decision matrix criteria includes: cost, life cycle, aesthetics and functionality. Based on the matrix our chosen design is the most favorable. The cost is similar for all of the designs since the material is wood and the model scale is relatively small so adding a few parts does not increase the cost. Aesthetics are also similar for most designs as the same type of wood is used. The functionality of the design in figure 3 and our chosen design are similar in that they can both be operated by a crane, and push up water quite well. Other designs fall short in this category. The lift cycle really differentiated the two designs, the superior notch design increased the life cycle of the water lift significantly which greatly influenced our decision.

Preferred

    Below is a quick concept sketch of the preferred design. Complete design schematics, with detailed dimensions and descriptions of each integral part of the waterlift, have been completed. The designs are unfit for the nature of this blog post however, so they will be posted at a future date.

    This design makes use of notches in each of the chain links in which the wheels on either end of the waterlift may latch onto, effectively turning the chain. The sketch is not to scale and the chain links are enlarged to show detail. the waterlift would be propped up at angle to allow water to move to a higher elevation.

Figure 4: Preferred Design Concept

Progress and Future Schedule

    With the design of the waterlift fully completed, construction is expected to begin soon after the reading break (reading break span is Feb 16th – 24th). Modelling of the project is already underway as just earlier today our mentor, Malik Chariff, visited the Engineering Physics lab at UBC with a few members of our group. Once at the lab, we were able to utilize a 3D printer to create a perfect replica of an ideal chain link and paddle. Two chain links and one paddle were printed in order to see how well it would fit together; more importantly providing us with a template for when we are able to woodwork the final product. Photos of the 3D printed material will be posted in a future blog.

Use of modelling cardboard is also being considered. With this material we will be able to construct a cheap construct of the waterlift chain and wheels relatively quickly, in order to see how the system operates and behaves as a whole. This is expected to be constructed during the upcoming reading break.

Below is a video that illustrates how the water lift will operate. It is battery powered and constructed of plastic, but its overall design is ideal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=csd5M1iDKg8

Welcome back to our blog on the Dragon Spine Water-Lift project at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden! The following week has given us the opportunity have a meeting with the Garden’s education coordinator, Susan Ma. The following blog provides further information relating to the Garden, project specifications agreed upon during the meeting, and initial strategies to achieve the project goals.

The Organization: Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden
Vancouver’s Chinese Garden was built in 1985-1986 using the time honored principles and techniques of the original Ming dynasty garden. The Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Garden is very passionate about promoting traditional Chinese culture and aims to provide an authentic experience into a journey back in time to 15th Century China. The goal of the garden is to provide a “window to another world” to truly enhance the learning experience and strengthen the bridge of understanding between Chinese and Western cultures. Following the garden’s truism of how “life is not measured by the number of breaths we take but by the moments that take our breath away,” the project team is glad to be a contributing part of this wonderful organization.

The Big Three: Project Scope, Budget, and Schedule
The dragon spine water-lift was a milestone among ancient Chinese machinery and was invented around 200 C.E. during the Three Kingdoms Period. The high working performance of this agricultural irrigation device made it widely used throughout Asia, only being replaced by the introduction of mechanical pumps during the 20th century. This project is aimed to provide an active learning experience for children, with its main purpose being to demonstrate how the dragon spine water-lift operates and to captivate their interest for older Chinese inventions. The scale model of the water-lift will be fully functional and powered through the use of a hand crank. The scale of the project is set to be approximately ½ foot by 2½ feet so it may be easily showcased on a regular sized table. Another main objective is to make the model compact and easily storable due to space constraints at the garden.

Authenticity is key to this project, so the scale model will be constructed of materials that were originally used for the traditional water-lifts, using wood and bamboo to create an aesthetically pleasing replica. As we would like to make a long lasting asset for the garden, we are considering using teak or white oak as the main building material due to their aesthetic appeal and high resistance to water. The work location and methods used to construct the water-lift are left up to the project team due to the limited space at the garden.

The initial scheduling for the design and construction phases of the project has been planned out to ensure a successful and timely project completion. Design schematics and sketches have been started so they will be completed and showcased in the next blog update. Construction is set to take place during late February/early March after reviewing the final design with Susan Ma. The construction process is estimated to take 2 weeks, and we aim to have it fully constructed by mid March.

In terms of project costing, the budget for the project agreed upon is $200. Reimbursement for construction materials will be accompanied with their respective receipts. A cost analysis of the design will be conducted to provide estimates and make sure the project is well within the outlined budget. At present, the project team sees no issues keeping the project under budget.

Initial Strategy: A Running Start
After the brief meeting with Susan Ma, our group parted to individually research and conduct a design analysis of the water-lift. Later in the week, the group will meet as a whole to decide which aspects of each design is most suitable and synthesize ideas to create a workable design. The designs will be assessed based on functionality, ease of storage, economic feasibility, and aesthetics. After finishing the design process, we will have a detailed breakdown for each part of the water-lift, and access how much time needed to construct each part. A time schedule for construction will then be created to keep the group on track with the intention of finishing the project two weeks before the due date. This will provide sufficient time to conduct a trials of the water-lift and manage any problems that may require us to make adjustments to the design. We will also be updating the progress of our project with Susan Ma often to make sure the project is progressing as intended.

Dragon Spine Water-Lift

Source: http://www.chinasanitarywares.net/Museum/Dragon-Bone-Water-Lift.htm