Page 140 - tech fest 2025 ב״ש חוברת תקצירים

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Water Clock
ME-C-27
Amir Igbaria; igbaria.amir7@gmail.com
Advisor: Dr. Yoav Y. Biton
SCE - Shamoon College of Engineering, Be’er-Sheva
This project explores the reconstruction of Al-Jazari’s 12th-century water clock, built at the request of King Salih Mahmud. This clock was a mechanical masterpiece using water flow to measure time with surprising precision. Intrigued by its historical accuracy, I built a first model and observed an 8% error margin—higher than Al-Jazari’s. This led to developing a second, improved version using Bernoulli’s equations to refine water flow dynamics. Inspired by Al-Jazari’s use of smooth, heat-resistant onyx for the outflow pipe, I proposed two modern valve solutions—a thermal valve that reacts to water temperature and an electronic valve controlled by sensors. This project blends ancient engineering with modern tools to test how accurate historical timekeeping could truly be.
Keywords: Al-Jazari water clock, engineering analysis of historical inventions, fluid dynamics in historic timekeeping, mechanical design and modern reconstruction, thermal and electronic flow control
Engineering Design of a Wind Shield for Concrete Casting Molds at a Construction Site
ME-C-28
Boris Fatahov; boris1472@gmail.com
Advisor: Dr. Merav Arogeti
SCE - Shamoon College of Engineering, Be’er-Sheva
At many construction sites, concrete casting molds are lifted using tower cranes, a complex and challenging process, especially when strong winds are blowing. This project deals with researching aerodynamic solutions for the creation of suitable shields for molds, to improve their stability when lifted by reducing the tilt angle of the mold’s shaking, while the wind is blowing at a speed of 50 km/h. Wind tunnel experiments were carried out testing the tilt angles of various shields under different conditions. One of the experiments showed success in achieving the threshold requirements. The most suitable shield will be chosen and adjusted to ensure its proper operation for the purpose of installing the formwork at the construction site.
Keywords: aerodynamics, concrete casting molds, construction safety, formwork, lifting, stability, tilt angle, tower cranes, wind factor, wind tunnel