Regenerative Automatic Door Opener

1

• POSTER TEMPLATE
• This is a suggested poster format to highlight
  key information relevant to our conference
  audience
• Poster template dimensions are set for 3 ft.
  high x 5 ft. wide
• Poster display boards and set up materials will
  be provided at the conference

Regenerative Automatic Door Opener For Improved
Workplace Safety Mark Bernacki, Ben Fagan, Mike
MacLeod, Matt Van Wieringen
Research Question / Workplace Problem




To develop a means for
harnessing and subsequently storing the
mechanical energy generated by a person opening
and closing a door so that the energy can later
used by a person wishing to open the door
automatically. The goal is to eliminate the
electrical connection between a standard
automatic door opening device and the electrical
distribution system in order to conserve energy
and improve safety in the event of a power outage
or fire, which would otherwise render the power
assisted opening of the door unuseable, trapping
people relying on this technology inside.

• Audience
• Elderly, handicapped, landlords/building owners

Key Messages There is an inherent need to improve
the safety and energy consumption of private and
public buildings. To do so new methods for
conserving and storing otherwise wasted energy
must be developed. Be capturing some of the
energy required to open and close a door manually
in the form of a compressed gas we can
effectively cut all ties to the existing
electrical system and simplify the automatic door
opener by removing costly electrical components.
In doing so we can provide safe, reliable access
into and out of buildings even in the event of a
power failure or fire, which cuts the electrical
power to the building. The device is also useful
in spark-less and other hazardous environments
that cannot run the risk of using potentially
dangerous electrical components.

• Methods / Approach
• To develop a solution to the workplace problem
  presented above we have followed a standard
  engineering design process.
• 1. Define the problem
• 2. Brainstorm Potential Solutions
• 3. Evaluate Selected Solutions
• 4. Refine best concept through mathematical
  modelling/analysis
• 5. Develop Prototype
• 6. Testing/Refinement
• By way of this method we were able to develop a
  fully functional prototype that produced results
  in support of our initial analysis.

Diagram / Graphs / Pictures

• Conclusions
• In conclusion we have created a device that
  offers the same features and functions as a
  standard electrical automatic door opener such
  as
• Timed Automatic Opening
• Dampened Closing
• 2-Remote Opening Buttons
• Our device then goes beyond the capabilities of a
  standard electrical automatic door opener by
  offering
• Quiet Regenerative Pneumatic Technology
• 41 Recharge Ratio
• 100 Green Energy
• No electrical components
• Improved safety in power outage/fire

• Findings / Evaluation
• Through extensive testing of our prototype we
  found that our device was capable of storing
  enough energy to prove reliable and safe in a
  variety of settings such as shopping malls,
  hotels, other large buildings. It was efficient
  in its ability to convert store and reuse the
  mechanical energy from manual door openings and
  requires no electrical components or connections.
• We also were able to determine a series of
  improvements for the device which are in the
  process of being implemented in a second
  prototype with the hopes of it being ready for
  market in the near future.

Funded By Dr. Remon Pop-Iliev, NSERC GMCL Chair