Why Don't Engineers Design Products to Last Longer?

Рет қаралды 7,444

3 жыл бұрын

The engineering concept of design lifetime.
Do engineers design products with a limited lifetime just so they will need to be replaced? In this video I describe the engineering principle of design lifetime. I have worked in engineering design in the wind industry for the past 8 years, and I will explain some of the reasons why engineers use a design lifetime in this industry and others.
Topics covered include:
- how long does a wind turbine last?
- how wind turbine subsystems are interrelated
- what are the critical components that prevent wind turbines from lasting longer
- how making some components stronger can actually cause a shorter overall lifetime
- what is fatigue loading and how does it affect how long a wind turbine lasts
- how the fast pace of technology evolution affects design of long lifetime products like wind turbines
I published a written version of this topic on Medium:
uxdesign.cc/are-wind-turbines...
These two KZfaqrs kindly gave permission for me to use their footage:
Elezher / @elezher_
Replacing the chassis of Nissan Frontier 07 (Timelapse)
• Video
Kym Chapman / @kymchapman1110
Wind Turbine - Blade Bearing Exchange
• Wind Turbine - Blade B...
Image/ footage credits:
Yallourn power plant (modern photo)
Stephen Edmonds from Melbourne, Australia / CC BY-SA (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Microwave oven
Free Stock Footage by www.videezy.com

Пікірлер: 77

@Ikbeneengeit 3 жыл бұрын

This kind of trade-offs thinking is the core of what engineering is. I'm an electrical engineer but this is just as true for us.

@miked6592 2 жыл бұрын

Pretty much, you nailed "life" in a nutshell.

@davidmccook4198 3 жыл бұрын

Wow Rosie, you're bloody good at this. Really entertaining and informative. ;-)

@UpsetNerd 3 жыл бұрын

The time value of money is also a big factor for why it doesn't always make sense to engineer things for very long lifetimes. Even assuming a real rate of return of just 3%, $1 today would be worth $2.43 in 30 years. That means that $1 invested today in better longevity must save at least $2.43 in 30 years to make financial sense.

@tristanwegner 3 жыл бұрын

This is such a core principle in Design. Most people who complain about a certain decisions don't know about a hidden trade off, that was intentionally made.

@ians3328

Love you take on things and the graphics are brilliant. Great information

@AshesWindTurbineSimulation 3 жыл бұрын

Pretty cool, great video! I wonder how the environmental conditions of a given site influence what the critical component is, like maybe since offshore turbines experience a more constant wind (if that's true?) but cycling loading from waves, the pitch bearings could last longer but the tower would be subjected to more fatigue? But then as you said, it's "easy" to design towers for a longer lifetime, so do you know if offshore turbines are designed for a longer lifetime than onshore?

@bobwallace9753 3 жыл бұрын

Really good presentation. Thanks.

@rickperalta1921

Excellent presentation!

@TheBlibo Жыл бұрын

@thewheelieguy

Great video, the sort of thing engineers and ordinary folk likewise ought to see.

@Jeemus. 3 жыл бұрын

Great video as always Rosie! Loving the animations which I'm sure aren't quick to make! I hadn't ever considered that it may be better to replace old turbines with newer ones as they are on the best sites. It seems so obvious now you've said it! It does make me wonder how the issue of recycling turbines is still, well, an issue, considering how inevitable it is that they will need to be replaced. I wonder if this will continue to be the trend or whether new designs will come along that make it cheaper to install new turbines in the currently less than ideal locations and still make power? Keep up the excellent work!

@thermitebanana Жыл бұрын

Great video Rosie

@garrykwan8086 3 жыл бұрын

Great Video! I was just wondering what the current state is for lifetime extensions of wind farms that are about to reach the end of their design lifetime, if any, and if not, what happens to the turbines?

@pipertripp 3 жыл бұрын

Really interesting look at all of the trade-offs. Spot on about the evolution of turbines and how much better (and so much more massive) than they were just a while ago. When my alma mater installed a Vestas V82 turbine back in 2005, it was one of the larger models on the market (1.65 MW IIRC). These days, that model is small potatoes. As always, thanks for taking the time to put these programmes together.

@danielstapler4315 3 жыл бұрын

I heard once that they designed blades to last 20 years but then 7 years later they had improved the performance of the blades so they replaced them anyway.

@realvanman1 3 жыл бұрын

I don't want low cost. I want LONG life! I want quality equipment that is designed to last, to be repaired, and to be rebuilt. That's CHEAPER in the long run! And results in equipment that is SO MUCH nicer to use. And I'm willing to PAY for it!! Still a good video though. ;)

@ElmarLecher 3 жыл бұрын

Good video. Greetings from the Netherlands...

@peterboy209 3 жыл бұрын

I like the visual illustrations to make the topic more entertaining, 😁

@lazergurka-smerlin6561 3 жыл бұрын

I mean it certainly have been a sort of conspiracy at times. With the lightbulb cartel and such. But there's probably numerous factors that go into things getting broken faster. Like increased complexity