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 We designed the Research Club, directed by Dr. Paul McElligott, to allow students creativity while researching an original project. Club members work hard and have earned some well-deserved recognition. Check out what they are doing! Einstein Building Observatory CompleteThe Einstein Building Observatory is now complete as a structure. The motors and electrical system are next to be installed.
Research Club to Receive Solar Panel DonationDr. Govindasamy Tamizhman, the president of TUV Rheinland PTL in Tempe, has announced today that the company will donate six 180- watt solar panels to the research club. The panels will increase solar collection to run the observatory on Einstein Building at the high school. Six panels are presently on the building, and six additional panels will more than supply both the solar lighting project on campus and the observatory. The club is grateful for the donation and looks forward to installing the additional solar power. Research Club Continues Work on Formula One CarOn Saturday, December 31, 2011, the club positioned motors and pumps. We also started on the steering.
Observatory Dome Under ConstructionThe solar observatory project of the research club is starting to come together. The placing and securing of the motor and dome on the walls of the observatory has begun. Solar energy will power the green observatory, and it will be fully robotic and remote controlled.
Solar Observatory at FHHSThe Research Club Solar Observatory arrived on campus at Fountain Hills High School on Tuesday, December 20. The photos show the base and turret in a secure location. The structure, while only seven feet high and six feet in diameter, will sit on a platform on the roof of the Einstein Science Building on the high school campus.
The assembly of the observatory was started on December 27. Those helping were Adam Sizemore and Andrew Graham of Section Eight Engineering and Mr. Nico Radda, a freshman at ASU and a Research Club member emeritus. The base and wheel sections were erected. The dome will be finalized on Friday, December 30.
Research Club Receives Practical Robotics GrantThe KISS Institute of Oklahoma announced during a December 5, 2011, press release that our Research Club of Fountain Hills will be funded for the 2012 Botball competition season! We received a grant of $1,000, partially funded by NASA, which will be applied to the total cost of the robotics equipment. FHHS Invited to Governor's Press ConferenceFountain Hills representatives were invited to the Governor’s Press Conference on October 20th at the Science Center in Phoenix. The governor announced that this coming year’s Science Festival will open in February 2012 during the state’s centennial celebration with events around the state. The height of the celebration will be during February. The festival's goal is the positioning of the state as an emerging high-tech leader by 2020.
We are excited about being invited to participate with the Governor’s office and the Arizona SciTech Festival. The Research Club will be working with the SciTech Festival coordinator for several presentations this spring. Fountain Hills Students Build Front End Suspension to Race CarThis past Saturday, September 10, 2011, students helped build the front end suspension to the race car. The 100 mpg car is mentored by Adam Sizemore, Rick Hanson, and Dr. Paul McElligott.
Students Continue to Build the Formula One Car 8/6/11Josh Brockson, Nicco Radda, Nick DePorzio and Gary all have fun building the supports for the front suspension.
Engineer Expert Contracted to Help Complete 100 MPG CarDr. Paul McElligott is the sponsor for the Fountain Hills High School Research Club in Fountain Hills, Arizona. Dr. McElligott has signed contracts with Mr. Adam Sizemore of Section Eight Engineering located in Glendale, Arizona. Mr. Sizemore is a well-known engineer in racing circuits and has extensive experience the fabrication of Formula One racing cars from the ground up. He has agreed to work Rick Hanson, our fiberglass expert, and our students in completing the car. He anticipates most of the work will be completed in two to three months. The car will use all the 100 MPG equipment purchased for our test car. Currently the engine is modified to run both natural gas and propane. The energy efficiency calculations we have on this Formula One car body indicate the possibility of obtaining in excess of 100 MPG for this style car. The proof will come this fall. Students interested in this unique experience should contact Dr. McElligott at Fountain Hills High school. His number is 480-664-5573. Freeport McMoran Awards GrantCongratulations to Dr. Paul McElligott for being awarded a $5,000 grant from Freeport McMoran Copper and Gold Foundation. This grant will outfit one of the science labs with equipment to produce Nano particles as part of the STEM research for the Research Club. Students Complete the Body of the Race CarThe body of the car being built to test the 100 mile per gallon equipment was completed! The car is very light weight fiberglass composite and aerodynamic. Students working on the car were Nico Radda and Gary Krainz. Former student, Josh Brockson, is also helping in the project. Rick Hanson is the club consultant.
Research Club Featured on WebsiteThe Fountain Hills High School Research Club was once again featured in the statewide website "Arizona Schools Make a Difference" for its solar car project. Read the article. Research Club Builds Race Car to Test EquipmentWhile the 100 MPG car construction goes forward, the team decided to do a short term test of the equipment in a car that Rick Hanson or a consultant made several times previously. The molds were made available to us, and we determined the equipment would fit. The short-term project will help us prove the system.
FHHS Robotics Team Comes in Third at TournamentThe Fountain Hills High School Robotics team came in third place out of 36 teams at the annual Southern California Regional Tournament in San Diego in March. The team, led by senior Nico Radda, had been working since January in preparation for the Botball competition, an event that involves two robots per team that are all pre-programmed for doing several complicated tasks over a two-minute period. Read the full story on our news page. Research Club Tests Solar Panels on E4 Golf CartThe research club has been working on a solar car as its yearly project. The car recharges at a rate of about 2% VOF, its power per minute. They have determined that the cart could operate with just two 200-watt panels. The videos show the students testing the recharging and riding the cart while testing energy usage. The cart has been off the grid and fully recharged for almost seven weeks. Vex Robotics Corporation Announces GrantThe Vex Robotics Corporation of North Carolina announced that they will be contributing just under $1000 of equipment in support of the Vex Robotic Competition, which will take place in the high school gym on March 26. Twenty-two teams are scheduled to compete on the Fountain Hills High School campus. Valley Forward EarthFest Grant AnnouncedCongratulations to Dr. Paul McElligott of Fountain Hills High School for being awarded the EarthFest Education Grant! The grant covers $1,500 toward the solar car construction and testing project. This project is also supported by the Golden Eagle Foundation. The project, which is an active research project of the club, is targeted for the Arizona Science and Engineering Fair (AZSEF) sponsored by Arizona State University. The club is grateful to the Valley Forward group for their contribution. Cruizin' at Phill'sThe association of Cruizin' at Phill's and the Fountain Hills High School Research Club teamed up recently to sponsor a car show on the main campus of Fountain Hills High School. The car show featured about 50 cars throughout the school's campus and a video on the history of the automobile. The show was targeted to youth interested in the automotive industry and to attract them to build their own vehicles. This Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) initiative is done to further inspire youth into technology.
Dr. McElligott Presents at ASU STEMnet ConferenceFountain Hills HS Science Department Chairperson, Dr. Paul McElligott, is one of the featured presenters at the first ever Arizona State University Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics Network (STEMnet). The conference is on January 25, providing a professional development network for MS and HS STEM educators. The first meeting is titled "The Sustainable P Initiative: Phosphorus, Food & Our Future." You can find more details on their website. Students Attempt to Create a Solar VehicleThe research club received a donation of two golf carts so students could create solar rechargeable carts. Both four seat carts are in the process of being examined and worked on to demonstrate the feasibility of placing high efficiency solar panels on carts to make them independent of the dirty grid energy we get from the power plants. Students Katlyn Coveney, Nick Deporzio, Sean McDonough, and Mathew Lee are installing the first solar panel. ASU donated the 400-watt solar panel, and it has shown so far in trials to save between 15% and 20% of the normal energy consumed on a test track. All students hope to present various aspects of their research to the ASU Engineering and Science Fair in the spring.
The 100 MPG Car is on YouTubeSee the car view on YouTube! World Record Attempt is on YouTubeKyle Links' world record attempt is on YouTube! This attempt occurred on May 14, 2010 on the Fountain Hills High School football field. Kyle made an attempt with 14 potatoes shot at the target in 3 minutes. Slow motion video is available of Part One and Part Two. Guinness is still assessing the films to access the record. Dr. McElligott Reaches 2nd Stage for Lemelson-MIT Grant
His project now has tentative approval with funds received to further work on the project this summer. He is currently seeking facilities to involve FHHS students. In October, they will award 25 people with as $10,000 grant for their research ideas. World Record Attempt Made by FHHS StudentsOn May 14th, FHHS was the competition site for the Guinness World Record challenge for most potatoes fired from a potato gun. Dr. Bunhead of England holds the current record in December 2004. Eighteen members competed in seven teams, beating the previous record of eight. The top three participants were Colin Blaney, Eric Moser, and Kyle Link. In the final event, Kyle Link, assisted by S. Fortner and C. Figurski, received a 14 potato score - six potatoes above the record. We have contacted the Guinness organization who will determine if the record is official based on the video and still photos of the event. SRP Gives Sixth Grant for Engineering Program
ASU's Engineering school co-enrolls students, for the course entitled "Engineering Analysis Tools and Techniques," for three university credits. The course covers a wide variety of engineering topics. The school has submitted grants to several sources in order to fund much of the curriculum needs. FHHS has submitted over ten grants that potentially cover the expenses. The total that the course needs to operate is $50,000. SRP has been a consistent grantor toward Fountain Hills Research Club since 2005. Fountain Hills High Receives Photo Panel Donations from ASU Joint Venture
The PTL labs at ASU were at one time the only UL approved photo panel testing labs in the US. ASU spun them off a year ago to be a joint venture. Dr. Tamizmani, who heads the operation, still teaches part-time at ASU. Fountain Hills High will receive photo panels as they become available to expand its solar lighting project, which has been a successful installation at the Einstein building on the high school campus. Our school has taken possession of two match panels, and we look forward to receiving more in the future. The group responsible for the maintenance and operation of the high school system is the Research Club led by Dr. Paul McElligott. Physics Day at Castles and Coasters
The competitions they competed in included Vroom Broom, Egg Drop, and the Tallest Tower. In tallest tower, they needed to create the tallest freestanding structure from two pieces of paper and 3 feet of tape. In Vroom Broom, they had to beat the best time to push a bowling ball through an obstacle course with a broom. Finally, sponsors give the students two sheets of paper and some tape and asked to create a device that will keep an egg safe from the "tallest drop position." The students had a great time doing the tasks and enjoying park rides. The event sponsor is the Scottsdale Physics Club. Fountain Hills was in 1st through 3rd place in paper tower competition. Ms. Behnke, who recently won the gold medal in Decathlon, led her team to win with a 92 cm freestanding tower. Fountain Hills also placed in the top ten in both Vroom Broom and Egg Drop. FHHS Car ShowFHHS's Research Club hosted a car show on the FHHS campus to spotlight classic cars and promote engineering courses on campus. About 30 vintage cars were on display on the high school's upper campus viewed by students as they walked between class breaks and school lunch periods. Most of the owners were local Fountain Hills residents with some connected to the FHHS Research Club's Hydrogen Car Project.
Phase One of Off Grid Solar Demonstration at Fountain Hills High SchoolOn January 13th, 2010, Fountain Hills High School held an Off Grid Solar demonstration on campus at Einstein Hall. The Arizona Education Association “Lift Grant”, The Toyota Motor Corporation through the NSTA Tapestry Grant, and donations from SRP provided the combined funds for this project. This research system involves state of the art high Intensity lights provided by Neutek Lighting in Mesa, Arizona. Dependable Solar, also of Mesa, Arizona, provided Engineering.
Four 130-watt solar panels mounted on the roof of Einstein Hall support and recharge the system each day. These panels recharge the batteries in Dr. McElligott’s lab class each day and then the batteries provide the power at night. There is a 24/7 computer monitoring system also in the lab staffed by Mr. Jeffery Lau and Mr. John Hottenstein, seniors who plan to use their data in the Intel research competition later this spring. Among those attending the first phase demonstration were Mayor Jay Schlum, Council member Ginny Dickey, Raymond Rees the environmental planner for the town, Richard Davis the town manager, members of the School board, School Superintendent Dr, Bill Myhr, Lea Bushman from Dependable Solar and A.J. Saperstein from Dependable Solar.
Phase two is scheduled in the next thirty days to include first of a kind IR LEDs from Japan that will improve the security and camera quality as well as additional anti-tamper devices newly developed by Neutek. The system has been running in part since November last year but only recently reached full capacity. The Research Club of Fountain Hills High School, sponsored by Dr. Paul McElligott, monitors this project. Green Efforts RecognizedA group of retired engineers from Fountain Hills is taking an active approach to retirement. Rather than focusing on recreation, the group of Bob Leach, Phil Graziano, Bob Hoge, Hugh Henry and Tony Pistilli are rolling up their sleeves and sharing their knowledge as mentors for students from the FHHS Research Club. Together, the engineers and students are currently modifying a four-piston small MG gasoline engine. Please read the press release from the January 19 edition of AZ Public Schools Make a Difference. FHHS Research Club Uses Local Mentors
These mentors are Bob Leach, Phil Graziano, Bob Hoge, Hugh Henry, and Toni Pistilli. We are starting with the design and modification of the carburetor. Phil Graziano, a local realtor with MCO, was the force behind the drive to bring these men together. We Made the News!Fountain Hills Research Club was featured on Fox 10 News. Watch them talk about social media.
Research Club Installs State of the Art Off-Grid LightsThe Research Club is installing a $10,000 high tech (one of a kind) solar test system in stages at the Fountain Hills High School Einstein Building. The off grid system involves specialty white LED lights, IR lights, and a remote motion sensor system that will light up as students approach their lockers at night. The goal of the project is to minimize the use of high wattage halogen lights that burn all night on campus and replace them with sensor lights that will come on when people approach buildings. Our lights are solar fed and stored with a bank of batteries for usage at night. The novelty is that we are one of the first in the nation to use LED IR lights and remote sensors in this fashion. The funding comes from Toyota Motor Corporation, the Arizona Education Association (AEA) Lift Grant, and others.
Research Club to Present at NSTA ConferenceThe National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), in conjunction with the Toyota Corporation, has asked the Fountain Hills Research Club to give a presentation at the regional NSTA conference on December 4 between 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. The presentation will be an update on the 100-mile per gallon car sponsored by the Toyota Tapestry Grant last year as well as the LED green light experiment that Toyota is sponsoring this year. The session allows present and past grant winners a chance to discuss their experiences and results of their projects. Robotics and Research Clubs are in High Gear at FHHS
The clubs have drawn over 15 students each and are continuing to draw interest from other students in their activities. The students want to enter innovative competitions such as the Progressive Insurance Automotive X Prize, and the KISS Institute robotics competition. The robotics club is dividing students into three groups: game strategy, programming, and robot construction. The first semester will involve training students in the various skills sets needed to compete. In the new research room, students will build robots and work on programming. In the project room, the students will set their robots against each other under simulated competition conditions. The Research clubs students are already back to work on the car having spent part of their summer working on it. The group has a research room to do on line research of new LED lighting that the school will soon install on to the Einstein Building as well as perform studies on an alternative fuel engine donated by SCC Chemistry Department. A new grant involving turbine engines will be available for review in the spring involving more efficient alternative fuel engines other than the traditional piston car engines. The research room is located in the Einstein Building and the project room is located in Poets Corner building. All the students are excited about their new facilities and are eager to start. Energy Calculations of Falcon Future CompletedEngineering evaluation and performance predictions for the Falcon Future, a car being built by the research students of Fountain Hills High School, are extremely promising. A registered contender in the multimillion-dollar Progressive Automotive X Prize competition, the Falcon Future is an alternative class three-wheeled vehicle that will weigh less than 1,800 pounds, seat two to three people, and use compressed natural gas (CNG) fuel. Based on the specifications of the purchased hydraulic equipment and the car engineering schematics, the Falcon Future is predicted to be capable of achieving 100 miles per equivalent gallon at 60 MPH (highway conditions) and an amazing 170+ miles per equivalent gallon at 25 MPH. The car will be able to reach 120 MPH at top speed. Pat Conway of Trinity Hydraulics and Scott Meyers of Advanced Propulsion completed the engineering evaluation. Falcon Future team members are very pleased by the initial predictions and look forward to completing the prototype car and start road testing by October 2009. For more information about the Progressive X Prize competition, visit the Progressive Web site or e-mail Progressive. The Research Club Starts Installing Aerospace FlooringStudents cut and installed hexagon-strengthened flooring at $2,000 per sheet, as flooring in the car body, as we start to close the body up. Evergreen Maintenance Center of Marana Arizona provided the flooring. |
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FHHS Science Department Chairperson, Dr. Paul McElligott, has reached the second stage in the Lemelson-MIT grant process for developing safety devices for handicap and Alzheimer patients. Dr. McElligott was one of 40 researchers recently sent to Boston for research training and resource materials. In addition, Dr. McElligott now has an MIT e-mail to help facilitate his project. Out of almost 800 applicants, the committee chooses only 40 of them are chosen for the Boston trip for the second stage of approvals.
Salt River Project (SRP) has given Fountain Hills High School its sixth grant for a new Engineering course. SRP announced on April 22, 2010 that they had selected our proposal on the funding of the FHHS engineering course. This funding will partially pay for robotics and software for the new engineering course starting in August 2010. The $5,000 grant will help pay for an assortment of Vex and Mind Storm robots as well as software for designing.
A joint venture of Arizona State University (ASU) has agreed to supply high efficiency photo panels to Fountain Hills High School to expand our green lighting project around the campus. Dr. Tamizmani, who heads the joint venture TUV Rheinland PTL, has previously supplied the school with four panels now on the high school campus.
Over 117 FHHS students, mainly the freshmen physics classes, attended a Physics Day at Castles and Coasters. Sponsors give the students a lab sheet to perform experiments on various rides as well as compete in three competitions.
A single strip of high intensity lights extends 108 feet above the lockers of Einstein Hall on the Fountain hills campus. These lights provide a combined total of 350 watts while using only 3.5 watts of energy. The lights provide (picture enclosed) bright well-defined lighting to the locker section. So that the lights do not drain the batteries each night, the students divide the lights into nine sections of 12 feet each. Sophisticated sensors control the lights, shutting off the lighting in day light and activating them at twilight. The sensors are also equipped with IR motion detectors that turn the lights on when a warm object like a person approaches and will turn off 15 seconds after the person leaves.
The local community mentors for the FHHS Research Club have brought a new dimension to training local students. Retired engineers living in Fountain Hills are helping to support the research students modify a four stroke MG gasoline engine into an alternative fuel engine. Scottsdale Community College donated this engine to the research Club.
Research Club and Robotics club at Fountain Hills High School expanded into their own testing lab as well as an additional project room. The both clubs are growing clubs, gaining more students, interested in the areas of robotic building and programming, LED Green lighting projects, the 100 mile per gallon car build and alternative fuel engine testing. Dr. Paul McElligott runs these clubs.
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