Eco battery exchange system

Rochester Institute of Technology

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8-1-1992

Eco battery exchange system

Rit Kasetsuwan

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ROCHESTER INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

AThesisSubmitted to the

Faculty

TheCollege of

Imaging

in

Candidacy

MASTEROF FINE ARTS

ECO BATTERY EXCHANGE SYSTEM

By

RIT KASETSUWAN

Advisor: Jim Sias

Date:

26

¥11!2..

Associate Advisor: Toby Thompson

Dote:20~

rr

~

Associate Advisor: Douglas Cleminshaw

Date:

'It..A~-z.L

~J;l~stant

to the Dean for Graduate

Affairs:~1

IX".,M

lA'-Date:

't

I

t6

/1

'L.

Dean, College of Imaging Arts and Sciences:

Margaret O. Lucas, Ph.D.

Dote:

_..::::..8"_'

=,C;-I---+-_

8

I,

RIT KASETSUWAN ,

prefer to be contacted each time a request for

reproduction is made. I can be reached at the following address:

335 Fairwood Circle

TABLE

OF

CONTENTS

O

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

O

PREFACE

INTRODUCTION

O

THE NEED FOR A BATTERY EXCHANGE SYSTEM

-Thecurrentstateofrechargeables

-Preliminary

-O

ECO BATTERY EXCHANGE SYSTEM CONCEPT

- Construction

-Feasibility

-ECO BATTERY EXCHANGING UNIT

- Design

outline

-Primary

-- Design development

-Study

- Form

refinement

-- Graphic design

-Final model

-CONCLUSION

O

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

4

Four Popular Sizes ofBatteries

5

Consumer

Battery

6

Rechargeablevs. Non-rechargeable

7

DischargeCharacteristics

7

Millennium Rechargeables

11

Characteristic ofVoltage, Pressureand

TemperatureVs. State ofChargeofa Sealed

Cell at0.3C Charge Rate

13a

Eco

Battery

17

Loss in

Capacity

Rechargeable

Battery

19

Conventional Rechargeable Vs. Eco Rechargeable

Battery

20

Design Outlineofthe Exchange Unit

21

Designwith an Internal

Battery

22

Operation Chartofthe Exchange Unit

23

Designswitha TouchScreenControl 24

Design with

Fancy

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

24

DesignswithSimple Forms

24a

Primary

26

Designwith

Stacking

Interiorofthe

Battery

D-size

Battery

28 Self-discharge Rates 29 System Scenario 30 Unit

Stability

Study

34a,

35

Trademark Designs

35

Graphic Design Sketches 35a

1:5Scale Model 36a

Final Design witha 50th Percentile Man 38a

Step-by-step

Final Model

40a

Project Presentation

40a

Final Model ina Poor

Lighting

PREFACE

Twoyearsagowhen Istarted _mystudentlife in the UnitedStates, I encountered _many

things which were _{different from my}home

country,Thailand. The most

interesting thing

formewasthe concept of recycling.

InThailand,people do not knowmuch about

recycling, butrather,theconcept of re-use is

theirstrategy. Although thathabitcan slow

down the solid waste accumulation in some

areas, itis not enoughfora

big

Bangkok. After I kept myeyes onthe

thoughtful campaign of_Americans, I realized

thegreat benefit of recycling. Specifically, that it is not _onlya partial solutionforthesolid

waste problem, but itcanalso save _energy

and _{money from the}production of new materials.

Before

beginning

a consumerdevicewhich would make

recycling easierand more effectivethan

everbefore. The question was what object I

should consider, andhow broad itshould be.

Finally,

disposing dry

was an

interesting

In this modernage, electrical products are

a factof_everyday life. Children love to play

withtheirautomatictoys. Teenagersusually

go with aWalkman. And,modern business

men note appointmentson digital memos.

Sincethese productscannot reach hard

wired electricalsystems, portable,

pocket-size,or wireless devicesneedto use _energy from an electrochemical power source or

dry

cell batteries.

All kinds ofbatteries producesdirect

current from electrochemical reaction. Someelements in the

dry

toxic waste. The majorityof

heavy

(lead,arsenic,zinc,cadmium, copper,

and mercury) in the householdwaste stream

comefrom batteries.

Heavy

toxic and _{have recently been} associated

with neurological illness and cancer (Gasbarro 1991,42).

By

dry

cannot be recycled. Allconsumer

dry

batteries are

tightly

from chemical

leaking

orexplosion. _{Therefore, only} asmall part of

a used cell is ableto be reclaimed

by

re-grinding. As theresult, reclaiming isnot

commercially practical.

The initial idea for this thesis project wasto:

1) respondto the

increasing

using batteriesinthefuture, and 2)stop the

spreadof chemical wastefrom

dry

Onepossiblesolution to theseproblems

would bean efficient

battery

collectorsystem.

AAA 42.9x9.9 mm.

INTRODUCTION

Perhaps the best known of allbatteries are

dry

batteries,

]

] aa 47.8x 13.5mm. varietyof portableequipment. The majority

ofthisclass ofbatteries,which are_easily

found in supermarketsand generalstores,

arethestandard sized cylindrical single cells

shown in fig.1-1 . Toexplain myconcept

moreeasily,these fourstandard batterieswill

be theprinciple objectsofthis project. 57.2x31.8mm.

Fig. 1-1 FourPopular SizesofBatteries

Therearetwo typesof

dry

primarybatteriesand_{secondary batteries.}

Primary

The chemical reactionthatsupplies current

inthis kind of

battery

Conversely, secondary batteriesare

rechargeable, because the chemical

reaction which produceselectrical _energy

can be reversed

by

a

battery

Those twocategories of batteries have

differentadvantages and disadvantagesin

Currently,

popularthan rechargeables. Userscan

easily find disposable batteries in any super

marketor conveniencestore, but

they

get rechargeable _{batteries only} from

specialtystores. The problem with the

rechargeable

battery

rechargeablesarehigherpricedand poorly

promoted and marketed.

Battery sizes

rec

Two-batterypack prices($)

GE [

haraeable c

>URACELL isoosable

D 6.93 1.88

C 6.93 1.88

AA 5.00 1.22

AAA 5.83 1.68

Table 1 Consumer Prices from WAL-MART, Rochester, NY, 92

The initial purchaseprices aretheeasiest

numberstocomparebetweenthetwo

products. From table 1, a rechargeable

maycostabout3.5 times the price ofthe

same size

throw-away

fora

battery

this situationwould be completelyreversed

ifa buyerconsideredthe prices in term of a

whole life.

According

on the back ofa GE

rechargeables'

package,a pair oftheir batteriescan

replace _upto 150 pairsof

throw-away

batteries. This means it is farmore

economical toreplace disposable batteries

with rechargeables (seefig.1-2).

RECHARGEABLE $5.00 DISPOSABLE S 1.22 =E3 RECHARGER $10.00

X

150

Fig. 1-2 Rechargeablevs.

Non-rechargeable

Promotion,

can create a goodimage forproducts, and

educate itsconsumers. Since I have been in

the

U.S.A.,

rechargeable batterieseither on televisions

orin magazines. Incontrast, Ialwayssee

manygood _advertising campaignsforthe two majordisposablealkaline

battery

Evereadyand Duracell,through different

mediums. _{Consequently,}people are much

morefamiliarwith disposable alkaline

batteries than rechargeable batteries.

Besides a good

Marketing

a successful product must_{satisfy its} user

by

its dependablequality. _{Although secondary}

batteries can be recharged over and over,

their

discharging

as good as primary, alkaline batteries.

The best known rechargeable,

nickel-cadmium (NiCd) battery,smoothly releases its energyuntil it is almostgone, andthen it

suddenly stops. On the other_hand, alkaline

batteries losetheir_{energy gradually} (Vincent,

Scrosati,

1984, 79,

Time_(h)

Disposable_battery

Rechargeable_battery

Fig. 1-3 Discharge Characteristics

In myown experiment,two AAalkaline

batteries litaflashlight threeto four times

longerthan NiCd rechargeablesdid under

the same conditions (see fig. 1-3).

The importantfact, however, is that the NiCd

battery

battery

presently onthemarket. Lastyear,Gates

Energy

rechargeable,

"Millennium"

(fig. 1-4).

Itsadvertisementfrom a_{catalog declared}

that users could get_{up to 33%} more use

betweenrechargesthan with other

rechargeable

battery

brands."

Kim Edwards,

VP of _marketing ofthe same company,also,

pointed outthat "Weare

developing

replacementforNiCd called nickel hydride

thatwehope to introduce in five to ten

years"

(Gasbarro 1991, 43).

Fig. 1-4 Millennium Rechargeables

Moreover, Mr. Aoki,a

Sony

director mentionedthat "Everyoneknows the

ultimate rechargeable

battery

lithium metal, but it'sstill

unstable"

(Thurber 1992).

Since there isatrend that thefuture

rechargeable

battery

needs more than thedisposable

battery,this thesiswill be based on_only

rechargeable batteries. The designwill be

concerned with

Marketing

need,and Environmental care. Thesample

situation refers to today's NiCd batteries,

but the final solution _{may be} able _{to apply}

tootherfuturerechargeables.

THE CURRENT STATE OF RECHARGEABLES

THE

CURRENT

STATE OF

RECHARGEABLES

Distribution

Different from the disposablebattery, it is

moredifficult to find the rechargeable

battery

drug

store. Rechargeable batteriesare available

insome specific stores,such as electronic

suppliers and

toy

that the rechargeablebattery's price is

more expensivethan the disposable battery.

Additionally, everynew rechargeable needs

the firstcharge. That means_every user

should have a

battery

According

two kindsoftherechargeable in themarket:

the quick charged

battery

overnight charged

battery

They

battery

chargers. Theovernight charged

battery

more electric _capacity percharge,which

meansthe power willlast longer than the

quick charged battery.

(Catottiand others. 1975).

THE CURRENT STATE OF RECHARGEABLES

Use

Users donot have muchfreedomto usetheir

rechargeable _{batteries away}from a charger.

Forexample, itwould notbe a good idea to

use rechargeablebatterieswith aWalkman

during

long traveling

bringsa charger_alongsothat the batteries

can berecharged whenever

they

drained and an electric socketisavailable.

Moreover,_{waiting time}forafull _{recharging is}

considerable. It takesabout14-16 hours to

fully

and 3-5 hours for the quickcharge

battery

(Catotti and others. 1975).

Recharging

Auser need nothave towatchrecharging,

but there isa certain procedure.

According

manual ofa Panasonic charger, "Batteries

can _{be left in charging} unit without_harm,

but formaximum

battery

batteriesafter

fully

charging."

Ifa

battery

"overcharged"

atthe0.3 C rate(quick

charging),the cell temperatureand pressure

THE CURRENT STATE OF RECHARGEABLES

CELL VOLTAGE

CELL TEMPERATURE

CELLPRESSURE 50 100

STATE OFCHARGEfU)

downas an

interrelationship

fig.2-1.

Frequently

and pressurewill shorten thecell life.

And,continuous _chargingafter

being fully

charged will

drop

others.1975).

Fig.2-1 CharacteristicsofVoltage,

PressureandTemperature

Vs.StateofChargeof aSealed Cellat0.3C Charge Rate

Conclusion

The rechargeable

battery

and discharged hundreds oftimes.

Correctmaintenanceand use _may

keep

rechargeable

battery

to 1000 charge/discharge cycles.

The only signthat identifies_{the poorly}

conditioned cell is the lowerpeak voltage

that thecell can reach. The power will drain

from the full charge quickerthan before.

PRELIMINARY SOLUTION

PRELIMINARY

SOLUTION

The "tool"

that I usedtocreatethe

beginning

solutionfor thisproject wasthe imagination

of myself as a rechargeable

battery

Iattempted to freemyselfofall current

constraints and perceptions and visualize

a scenariothatwould:

allow userstopurchase, affordably,

rechargeablebatteries from automatic

dispensers that areavailable in _many

convenient locations,

havean efficient recharge service after

purchase so it is not_{neccessary for the} user

tohave a

battery

take careof used _{batteries; thus,}users feel

betteraboutenvironmental care.

After_{analyzing the}abovecriteria,the

problemseemed tosuggestthatan ideal

solution mighttakethe form ofa large

service "system". Thiscould besimilarto those

systems provided

by

Banking

Gasstations, orFood and beverage_vending

operations. The biggerthe service system is,

the moreconveniencetheuser gets.

CONSTRUCTION

It makes more sensetoset_up asystem for

distributing

distributing

The "Eco

Battery

system" will

circulateEco rechargeablebatteries

between users (see fig. 3-1). Userswould not

permanently own these batteries.

Ready-to-be-used rechargeable batteries

are_{distributed through "Eco exchanging}

units"

without packaging. Oncecustomers

purchase batteries from an _exchanging unit,

they

battery

Userscan get_{the exchanging} service

through any available_exchanging unit.

To exchange,

they

Eco batteries and _paya service charge ata

small fractionofthe originalcost. Then,

they

receive otherEco batteries

freshly

Furthermore, exchangingwith different

battery

Users do nothave to use thesame size of

Distributor

Eco exchanging unit

User

batteries

they

Also,

they

battery

needs.

By

batteries will come back to thesystem.

Deposited batteriesare picked _up

by

a distributor. Distributorswill sort _batteries,

recharge_them, check and removefailed

batteries,

units. This process includesre-labeling,

reclaiming,and _adding new productsinto

thesystem,which I will explainin the later

sections.

Asa result,this is an ideal concept forpublic

spaces and convenient locations. Itallows

usersto userechargeable batterieswithout

a personal charger.

They

take responsibilityfor

throwing

away, if

they keep

Additionally,

by

doing

they

unlimited service. Figuratively, forthe users

Eco rechargeable batteries havean

unlimited lifetime.

FEASIBILITY

According

projectincreases not_only

battery

users'

convenience,but alsobusiness potential.

Let meexplain how both distributors and

users in the Eco

Battery

would benefit.

Rechargeable batteriesare expensive

long-lifeproducts. The users who purchase

them may not come back_{for many}years

untiltheir old rechargeables have

permanently failed. That is notgoodfor

business. On the other_hand, Eco

battery

distributers could earn more profit_{than using}

conventional rechargeabledistribution.

The Eco

Battery

affordably charged batteries to the

users forlessthan

they

powerlessrechargeables. The users are

eligible touse the exchangingservice from

the system. Thisconvenientsystem will

increasethe number of users. As a result,the

distributor's profit comes _{primarily from selling}

batteriesand _rechargingservice.

To

keep

battery

flowing

following

important:

Circulation

In the earlyconcept, Eco batterieswere

circulatedwithin each _exchanging unit.

Returned batterieswould be automatically

recharged and re-distributed

by

machine itself. Since Eco

battery

ableto exchangebatteries through different

exchangingmachines,_{the early idea} could

have problems. Thesystem needs_servicing

to balance the number ofbatteries ineach

exchanging unit. Circulators

bring

Eco batteries back to a central _recharging

area. _{After the recharging} process,

they

proportionally distribute the batteries to every

exchangingmachine _{according to the}

battery

Each exchangingunitcan beconnected to

telephone lines and can signal particular

messagesto the centerfor moreefficient

circulation. Moreover,the machines can

monitor not_only

battery

cashstatus and maintenance needs.

Sortand Recharge

At the centers, Eco batteriesare sorted

accordingto size; so,it is easierfor

recharging and distributing.

Sorting

chargingwould be done

by

machine. _Differentsizes of batterieswillfall

into

corresponding

battery

themaximum life ofthe batteries,

they

becharged overa period of 16 hours

(overnight). Slow_charging helps maintain

the life ofthe

battery

1975). Afterthat,the qualityof each

battery

is tested.

250 500 750 1000

Electrolyte loss_(Cycles)

Fig.3-2 Loss in_Capacityas Electrolyte in

aRechargeable

Battery

Test

Rechargeable batteries can be tested

by

measuring the open circuit voltage after

charging. The cellsremain in good condition

for a

long

They

capacity degradationwith moderate

electrolyte loss,but almost complete loss of

capacitywhen a largeamountofelectrolyte

is lost. Theeffect ofelectrolyte loss on cell

capacity is portrayed in figure 3-2 (Catotti

and others. 1975). This diagram showsthat

a nickel cadmium

battery

and _{discharged for}about600-700cycles

without

disappointing

Re-label

Each Eco

battery

The labelswill _{be constantly}changed: ₁₎to

encourage usersto exchange batteries,and

2)

keep

Besidesstandard information,there is a

bar-codeand _exchanging

date-warning

identifies Eco

battery

issue date to thescanners _{in Eco exchanging}

machines. The exchanging

date-warning

tells the usersthat

they

relatively higherpricesfor exchanging if

they

keep

exchange dateshown.

Reclaim and Replenish

Ifan Eco

battery

battery

testing

Battery

System. It isthe distributers' responsibilityto

Distributors Users Landfill Conventional Rechargeable . . Distributors Reclaim EcoRechargeable Batterylife

Fig. 3-3 Conventional Rechargeable vs. Eco Rechargeable

BatteryLives

send all failed batteries toa separate

reclaiming

Meanwhile,

replenishedwith newrechargeables.

After

being

fully

batteries are re-distributed at random.

Eco

battery

in _exchanging machines,

bulky battery

chargers,and _re-labelingsystems.

The investmentfor innovative machines is

always the

beginning

dispenser business. The differences that

makethe investment for thisprojectmore

interesting

1)

but higher invalue thanotherproducts

sold

by

2)

Battery

producing or_packaging newproducts.

3)

Battery

people.

4)Thesystem issafefor the environment.

DESIGN

OUTLINE

(drawingsand 1:5model)

NlX

FinalModel

(full-scale mock-up)

Fig.4-1 DesignOutlineof TheExchange Unit

Inthe

battery

key

componentis the

battery

This is the _connecting pointbetween the

operators andtheircustomers.

Therefore,

needs a well

functioning

harmony

between esthetic ofthe product and

graphics morethan _anyothercomponentin the system.

The Eco

battery

forpublic-use. Consequently,

designing

untrained users is the majorconcern.

An easy-to-operate system and easy-to-read

graphics_{for ordinary} peoplefrom 1 1 to 65

year-old arethe aim ofthedesign

development. Infigure 4-1 is a scenariothat

showstheoverall design forthe Eco

battery

exchange unit. And,the

following

details of each category.

RY CONCEPTS

PRIMARY CONCEPTS

Fig.4-2 Designwith anInternal BatteryCharger

According

(fig.

3-1),

battery

exchangingunit isa machinethat distributes

Ecobatteries, offers _exchangingservice,and

collects Eco batteries from users.

Thisdefinition led the

beginning

the combination of similarproducts,such as

foodand _{beverage vending} machines and

cash machines. Then,thiscombination was

unified andsimplified.

From the firstconceptto the final concept,

therewere _manychanges in thesystem

layout, userinterface,and installation ofthe

product. The

following

changes:

From Internal Chargers

to The Human Intervention

Inthe first concept,the

battery

machine included an internal

battery

charger(fig. 4-2)which can charge returned

batteries and re-distributethem

by

Thiswas an

interesting

RY CONCEPTS

Besidesthe circulation problem thathas been

explainedin chapter2,the internal charger

complicatedthe designof_{the exchanging}

unit. _Also,itwould causeexpensive

production and difficultmaintenance.

Without the internalcharger,theappearance

ofthe later designs could bemore compact

and less complicated.

From The Multi-button Control

to The Touchscreen Control

User interface isan important issueforthe

battery

theservices

-which arepurchase, exchange,

and refund

-needs continuous operation

(figure4-3) like theonein the bank'scash

machine. Purchase

I

I

i

1

4J

si Payment

I

--^deceive batteries

Refund

i

Depositbatteries

I

Getrefund

Fig. 4-3 OperationChartofthe EcoExchang Unit

PRIMARY CONCEPTS

Fig.4-4 Designswith aTouchScreen Control

For

instance,

identify

and_{the quantity} ofbatteriesthat

they

after_{selecting "Purchase". Then the machine}

calculatesthe amount of payment.

Finally,

they

completethe payment.

In thiscase, multi-exposed-button control

tends toconfuse the userin term ofthe

operation order. Asolution forthis problem

thatwas applied to later design was _using

step-by-step-instructions on a monitor with

a set ofmulti-functionalbuttons.

Finally,

by

integrating

4-4). This representsthe touch screen control.

The chiefadvantages ofthis input deviceare

easeof

learning

training

ease of use.

Flexibility

Forexample,the touch-sensitiveareas can

be redefined via software(Cushman and

Rosenberg. 1991). However,the frontscreen

has to be non-glare glass (fine texturesurface

glass) so it reducestheglare problemsthat

alwayshappens on a_glossy surface.

PRIM CONCEPTS

From

Fancy

to Simple Forms

The image of

batteries

something

had

fancy

sketchesforthis project were _{purely drawn}

from that

imagination

those "blue sky"

designswere notappropriate

for the product environment. Since the Eco

battery

besideother_{vending machines,}supermarket

shelves, or

building

simple (fig.4-6).

Fig.4-5 Designwith _FancySculptures WithSimple tall towerform,this machine

would be easier_{for installation in limited}

spacethan ones in theshort, wideform with

a

big

machine looksmore elegant and arousing.

Both leftand rightsidesofthemachine

should bestraight. Thissaves spacewhen

themachine stands nexttootherflatwalls.

Also,itwould notcollect dirtand litterwhere

it is difficult toreach formaintenance people.

Fig.4-6 DesignswithSimple Forms

POWERCYCLEDESIGNCONCEPTSBY RITKASETSUWAN

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

Thefrontofthe unit should notbe

deeply

recessed sothat itwould be difficult to

recognize when_standing betweentwoother

vending machines. But, itmust not stick out

too muchto be a "bully" ofthe narrow way.

DESIGN

DEVELOPMENT

The primary concept_only refinedthe original

idea ofthe design. To

develop

conceptto be a strongerdesign, the Eco

battery

and interior details based on Humanfactors

and design sense.

Exterior

Theconclusion_{from the primary} concept

doesnot meanthat the design must be too

simple. The Eco machine should retainthe

electrifying imageofthe battery. A

big

cylindrical form wasa designelementthat

best representedthe characteristic ofthe Eco

batteries. Meanwhile,the questionwas

-how

to effectively apply it into the design?

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

Fig.4-8 Designwith _StackingForms

Through manysketches,the most

interesting

designwasthe onethat looked like a set of

stacking

The upper andthe loweredgesof each

component of_{this design} are

big

corners. The repetition ofthis horizontal

roundnessrepresents cylindrical

dry

Yet,it helpsemphasize each functional part

ofthe unit: the _{charged-battery}storage,

the control _panel, the

battery

the

discharged-battery

In term ofexpressiveappearance,

thecurvilinearfrontofthe unitalways reflects

and creates highlight beamswhen itisunder

a lightsource. Thisphenomenon also

representsthe energyproducts inside.

Itcan even bean attractivespotin a

poor-lighting

Interior

Whole parts ofthe frontofthe Eco

battery

exchange machinecan be openedlike

a single, swinging door. Most maintenance

worksforthe machine are behind this door.

The posibledetail ofthe interior is illustrated in

figure 4-9.

CPU

TOUCHSCREEN

HOUSING

BARCODE >

SCANNER

IN-OUT

BATTERIES PASSAGE

POWERFULBATTERS

STORAGE

cold supply air

REFRIGERATORSECTION

CASH STORAGE

DISCHARGE?5ATTERV

STORAGE

WEIGHT

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

On the back ofthe door, there is a CPUthat

controlthe wholesystem in this machine,

including

control. _{The distributorcan reprogram the}

application softwarethrough this CPU like

other personal computers.

D SIZEV.TTERiSSTOfytQt

CAFPCITY 234 wtCHT 35 lb

Fig. 4-10 D-size_BatteryMagazine

The recharged

battery

the top-left corner ofthe trunk. Thestorage

consists offour different magazines for four

sizes ofbatteries (AAA, AA, C, D).

These magazines arethe same overall design,

but different in battery-lines'

dimensions.

The example detail shown in figure 4-10 is

a D-size

battery

magazinesforsmallerbatteries have

relatively greater capacity. The range ofthe

weight of each full-loaded magazine would

be about 30-40 _lb,which isstill underthe

reasonable weightlimits foroccasional

lifting

for 18-35year-old males (max. 55 lb)

(Woodson. 1981).

Adjacentto the storage on the right-hand

side wasa refrigerator section. The cold air

from the refrigeratorwould flowaround the

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

Storage Temperature

(C)

Fig. 4-11 Self-discharge Rates

temperature lower than 20 C. The lowerthe

storagetemperature,thelongerthe

battery

retains itsstoredenergy. Figure4-11 shows

typical self-discharge ratesfrom 0C to 50C

fora representative nickel-cadmium cell

(Catotti. 1975).

Thecharged

battery

40 a

battery

battery

Batteries in the magazineare _smoothly

dropped down fromthe

top

to the connection

by

connection,thereare fourcounter valves

and agate controlled

by

in figure 4-12. In the picture,valve2 is in the

positionthatcutstwo bottom batteries from

the upper stack. Thereafter, thegate Ais

opened and _{only the two} batteriesfall down

to thegatewaywithout a

battery

The Eco

battery

onlyone

battery

usershaveto deposit andreceive Eco

batteries throughthisgateway. Deposited

batteries have to be faced up in the

gateway, sothe bar codescannercan read

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

C MM

b^-^BQ

DP

v?

Fig. 4-12 System Scenario

them. If

they

continuethe _exchangingprocess. Afterthe

userpaysthe charge, gate B isopenedto

removethe old batteries to the returned

batteriesstorage. Then, newbatteries fall

down from the upperstoragetoreplace the

old _{batteries in the} gateway.

The

big

right-handside. The

battery

dealswith high priced batteries,so it needs

a _{high capacity}cash system. Although an

Eco

battery

rechargeable battery, it is still more expensive

than any other product sold

by

The Ecocash machine would accept not

only coinsand one-dollar bills likeother

vending machines,but include5$ and 10$

banknotes. This ismore convenient for

customers who first purchase _{many Eco}

batteries but do not haveenough change.

The lastvisible partin figure 4-9 isa massof

weight atthe bottom ofthetrunk. It is an

option preparedforstabilizingthe unitin case

theunit_{is standing} unaccompanied.

DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

The most unstabledirection ofthe narrow,

deep,

sides.

Especially,

top

andthe bottomstorage isempty,theCG

(Centerofthe

Gravity)

easilyfall over. _{(fig. 4-13). The bottom}weight wouldlower the CG and

keep

stable.

Fig.4-13 UnitStability

STUDY

MODEL

The front partofthe selected design from

Design Developmentwas built in

full-scale-studymodel. The purposeof_creatingthis

model was_{to study the}

following

The User Reaction

During

in the Industrial Designstudio at _R.I.T., it

interested _manystudentswho were_working

nearby.

Many

commented onthe overall form ofthe

model. Someofthem had

interesting

opinionsaboutthe details. Someother

friends demonstrated theirreactionto the

model.

Every

tion was recordedfor later improvement.

Forexample,figure 4-14suggested that the

controlscreen wastoo lowevenfor a 10 th

percentile man.

The

Lighting

The studymodel showsits details

by

reflection,theshadows, and the darksidesof

different levelsand angles. Differentpositions

oflightsource create a _variety of

lighting

effects,which explains the

beauty

better thanthat in the drawing. Therefore,

the model _{is very}useful for the laterform and

graphic refinement.

Material and Process

The lastadvantageof _{making this}model was

to survey materials and_{techniques that may}

besuitableto_applyto the final model

making. This reducedtherisk of potential

mistakes. 5-millimeter-thick foam core board

with melted glue stickswerethe only

materials used forthismodel. Foam core

panelsare rigid enough for theflatsurfacesin

this design. Italso handled round corners

very smoothlywith V tracksonthe innerside

ofthe corners.

Techniquesfor_{making this}model were_very

simpleand quick.

Heavy

never required. In contrast,thework was

donewithin 2 dayswith _{only basic}tools, such

asa_sharp knife, a metal ruler, and a _cutting

mat. The output work wasthe light-weight

model which can be lifted up

by

finger.

J < 2

1-2 u

O 0"

ii.

ill

to

j F z

o

a:

FORM

REFINEMENT

The proper-scale drawingsinfigure4-15, 4-16,

4-17. and 4-18are_{the summary}ofthe Human

Factors

test,

interface. The details included materials,

textures, colors, _{parting lines,}and _primary

graphics. _Detailed

drawing

techniqueswere employedto expressthe

effectofthe materials as closeto the real

thing

those drawingswas

dry

strokesof

felt-tip

Figure 4-15

Thematblack finish unifies andemphasizes

the monitorand the

battery

arethe

key

There isa rotation _lock, at aboutthe middle

rightside,forthe door'ssecurity. This kind of lock doesnot need a key. And,it isin

harmony

However,the overall appearanceis too

delicate andnot appropriateforthe image

ofitscontent.

Figure 4-16

The contrastofthe materialsandthe colors

makethis design simple andstrong. The dark

gray area is a durableplastic bumper

intended forscratch protection.

Moreover,

highly

metallic surface ofthe upper part oftheuser

interface. Although blackand gold colors

are a good match,the

big

figure 4-15 may make peopleuncomfortable

because it is awarm color.

Figure 4-17

Aftergradual

development,

a revolution inthe user-interface design.

Many

series ofdrawings. In figure4-17, forexample,

purple and blackwith split components

causethe design lookfashionable; but it

might soon becomeout of date.

Figure 4-18

This design was developed from the one in

figure 4-16,which met most ofthe design

criteria. Thispicture shows the detailsand

explanation ofthe userinterface.

AWODIZED-5357ALUMINUM

SHEETS COVER PLASTIC FRAMES.

13xy cmTOUCHSCREEN

IS AN ACTIVEAD SPOT

WHICH CAN BE UPDATED.

THESCREEN DISPLAYS ACTIVE _BUTTONS,

ADVISORY GRAPHICS, AND NECESSARY INFO.

IN/OUT BATTERIES PASSAGE IS AUTOMATICALLY

LOCKED/UNLOCKED

BY COMPUTER CONTROL.

WHEN A USER PUSHTHE

UPPER PART IN , THE

LOWER PART IS AUTOMATICLY

DRIVEN OUT BY A

MECHANISM.

THE FIRSTfiCMSOM

GRAPHICISAT ABOUT THEEYELEVEL

PRICES,LWITEDCHANGE

AND REFUNDARE WSPLAYEP ONTHETOUCHSCREEN

UNLOCK"THEDOORHANDLE

BY A KEY

PULL-OUT DOOR HANDLE

WITH AFINGER RECESS ISEASY 10 CRAB

7x10cm _CHANGEOUTLET

DURABLEPLAST\C BUMPER TO_{PROTECT SCR&CHING}

BY USERS'

BELONGINGS,

SUCHAS _BRIEFCASES

BICYCLES, OR SHOPPING CARTS

GRAPHIC

DESIGN

RECHARCSABLE BATTERIES

eco

Fig. 4-19 TrademarkDesigns

i.K\.i!:l'MM

Fig. 4-20 Graphic Design Sketches

Trademark

The first

logotype, Eco,

during

the Form

Refinement

the designs. It came from the firstthree

characters ofthe terms "ecological"

and

"economical",

aimed_{for. Figure 4-19 illustratessome parts of}

the sketchesfor_{the Eco trademark.}

The circle _{design is the best onein this}

category because it simply explessesthe

cross-section ofthree cylindrical cells,yetit

repeats_{the stackingappearance} of the Eco machine.

Then this trademark was applied onto the

product _alongwith _{some coorperative terms,}

such as

"Energy"

and "Rechargeable".

The first_stepofthis process was _makingsuch rough sketches as illustrated in figure 4-20. Afterthat,some

interesting

refined and applied on the metalic surfaces

of 1:5 scale models as shown _{in figure 4-2 1}.

Finally,the conclusionwas reached that:

1)themat colorfieldstands outbest on

the shinysurface,

2)

thesame surface is easiertoread than the

positive

letter, 3)

big

product.

Instruction

Therearetwo kindsof instructionsonthe user

interface ofthe Eco

battery

machine: the permanent instructionsandthe

interactive instructions.

As shownin figure4-22, 'TO STARTplease

touchscreen"

and "TO RECEIVEorTO DEPOSIT

please push

here"

are _{only two} permanent

instructions ofthe Eco machine.

Each instruction is a combination oftwo

differenttype faces. The mainterm ofthe

instruction is36 pt.Helvetica Light Italic.

The

key

emphasised

by

Compact inthe uppercase style.

Consequently, the usercould read and

1

mi

Wffi.

W

JrSSSsS5sSSSw

rs

Thefirstinstructionadvises the userto

activatethe machine

by

touching

screen.

Thereafter,

instructionsonthescreen willlead the user

from the first to the final stepofthe operation.

To support_{the instruction} onthe screen,

the second permanentinstruction assuresthe

user ofthe locationand theoperation ofthe

battery

screen. Thisposition _{may be too} low forthe

human's eye level, but theinstruction isstill

easy to read because it ison a

turned-up

When noone operatesthe Eco

battery

exchanging machine,the touch screen

displays a _{standby image} which can be an

advertising campaign or special information

forthe period oftime,depend upon

programingvia thesoftware.

Immediately

whenthescreen is disturbed, the standby

image changesto be the main menu (figure

4-23). Themenu invitesthe userto useone of

the threeservices ofthe machine which are:

PURCHASE, EXCHANGE,and RETURN.

The black fields

identify

(icons)

are atthe bottom ofthe screen, exceptfor the

battery

screen ofthe "PURCHASE"

category. Thefour

battery

they

are aboutthe right proportion in a smaller

scale. _So,the userwho always forgets the

battery

ableto recognize the

battery

Additionally,

canbe increased

by

Main Menu

Figure 4-23

Step-by-step

"PURCHASE"

Process

PLEBSEDEPOSIT 113.1 OUNNTITV BRTTERV TYPE RMOUNT(t)

2 0 5.50

4 RR 8.00

TOTRL 13.00

MOUNT RECEIIIEO 0.00

CHRNGt 0.00

icB:

13.00

Figure 4-23

"EXCHANGE"

Process

Figure 4-23

"RETURN"

Process

QUANTITY BRTTERV TVPE AMOUNT It) 2 D 0.20 i R 0.40 REFUND O.tO

Figure4-23

FINAL MODEL

The full scale model shownin figure 4-22 is the final resultfrom

blending

The method for _makingthis model was almost the same as_{that for the study} model.

The main structure ofthe final model is made offoam coreboard.

Only

An important trick ofthepresentation isthe light behind the translucent panelwhich

representsa flattouch screen. The light screen helpsthe model looks like the actual product with power-on.

CONCLUSION

The

battery

from other_vending machines in the consumer market in thatitincludesa

collecting unit. _{Therefore,the} user can return or exchangethe drained

battery

recharging. This concept applies not_only

to rechargeable batteries thatare cylindrical,

but toonesthat areother shapes such as

those used in camcorders. If

battery

exchange units were as ubiquitous asdrink

vending machines,tourists would nothave

to carry

heavy

camcorders.

Furthermore,considering a

battery

and _anything else. As aresult, consumers will

have little to throw away,andthat reduces

the demand on raw materials.

Figure A Project Presentation (Thesis Show)

REFERENCE

Catotti,

Dinkier,

Evjen,

Hodgman,

J., Lehnen, R.,

Messier,

Mullersman,

Pensabene,

Rockey,

Nickel-cadmium

Battery

Barak,

The Institution of _{Electrical Engineers.}

Vincent,

Scrosati,

Modern Batteries.

London,

Woodson,

Wesley

New York: McGraw-Hill.

Cushman,

Rosenberg,

Amsterdam: Elsevier Science.

Panero,Julius and Zelnik,Martin. 1979. Human Dimension & Interior

Space. New York: Watson-Guptill Publications.

Gasbarro, Ron. 1991.

Getting

Journal forThe Environment. September/October 1991, 42-43.