Design Document

EEE480: Senior Design

Dunes Team

Date: 24 October 2013

Dunes Team

Table of Contents

Team Information...........................................................................................................................3

Abstract..........................................................................................................................................4

Executive Summary.......................................................................................................................4

1 Project Context...........................................................................................................................4

1.1 Project Background..............................................................................................................4

1.2 Project Introduction..............................................................................................................5

1.3 Project Action.......................................................................................................................6

1.4 Deliverables.........................................................................................................................6

1.5 Timeline................................................................................................................................7

2 Overall Project Design................................................................................................................7

2.1 Alternative Energy................................................................................................................8

2.11 Wind analysis.................................................................................................................8

2.12 Solar Analysis.................................................................................................................8

2.2 Waste Water Treatment.....................................................................................................12

2.21 Primary Treatment Systems.........................................................................................14

2.22 Secondary Treatment Systems....................................................................................14

3 Appendix...................................................................................................................................15

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Team Information

Alex Kampf – Senior – Environmental and Ecological Engineering

Andrew Johnson – Senior – Environmental and Ecological

Engineering

Benjamin Kepchar – Junior – Environmental and Ecological

Engineering

Patrick Brown– Junior – Environmental and Ecological Engineering

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Abstract

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Executive Summary

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1 Project Context

1.1 Project Background

The Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore has devised some plans to begin ecosystem

restoration of the built environment. Within their plan, they seek out different partners for

opportunities; including student teams, local citizen scientists and new frameworks for

collaboration. When the National Park Service was given authority over what is now the

Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore, 750 homes stood. Homeowners were given reservation-

of-use permission over their homes; the next and final owner of the homes will be the

national lakeshore. With ~150 structures still abroad the property, the previous homes were

deconstructed and restoration of native ecology efforts have taken effect. The debris from

the ~600 structures quantifies to nearly 32,400  in landfill waste. Only 60 more of the

standing structures are targeted for removal.  The different habitats contained within the

IDNL include wetlands, forests, upland dunes, and savannas/grasslands. (IDNL ERBE)

1.2 Project Introduction

Of the structures within the National Lakeshore, history lies beneath many of the sites. Of

the historic sites, The Charles Nelson Home has become the main interest for the design

team.  The home has been uninhabited for several years, leaving some degradation. The

historic value of the Nelson Home has pointed us in the direction of rehabilitation of the land

and structures on the property. The home is on restricted grounds and requires a research

permit; thus, we have sent an application for the permit. The rehabilitation of the property

should include renewable energy plans, water management plans, and landscape

management with an overarching goal of complete sustainability in mind.

Figure 1: Front profile of Charles Nelson House

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Stakeholders

U.S. National Park Service – Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore

Purdue’s Division of Environmental and Ecological Engineering

1.3 Project Action

Upon confirmation for the Research Permit Approval, the first phases for our true innovations

and designs will begin. Phase one will include a visit to the Nelson Home with a certified

National Park Service or IDNL coordinator  who will have knowledge of the home, historical

constraints, and propagation for design and rehabilitation plan progress. This visit will help the

team obtain dimensions of landscape pieces and structural components, what structures will be

deconstructed, what native and invasive plants are on premises, and begin the establishment of

local citizen scientist contacts.  This phase will carry on throughout the rest of this semester. It

will lead us into research for different designs and proposals of pieces of particular designs for

different sectors of the plan i.e. energy, water, agriculture.

Future phases:

1. Deconstruction, removal of vital plants and land, ecological and soil survey.

2. Restoration, economic evaluation, continued monitoring

The overall rehabilitation and restoration of the ecologic and built environment will take many

years. This partnership is establishing the first collaborating efforts in completing the

foundational plans for rehabilitation and sustainable design of the Nelson Home.

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1.4 Deliverables

I. An alternative energy solution proposal to satisfy the Charles Nelson House needs.

II. A waste water treatment proposal to satisfy the Charles Nelson House needs.

1.5 Timeline

Week Goals for Fall Semester Complete1 Establish team Yes

Understand the scope of our project

2 Start basic information research off IDNL and possible project opportunities Yes

3 Initial field research of the building on IDNL property (Nelson, Goodfellow, etc…) Yes

 4 Establish contact with Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore(IDNL) YesContinue information research and feasibility of restoring an historic property on National Park land

9 Send request to IDNL for a Special Use Research Permit Yes 10 Compose a design document for our project Yes

Start research on alternative energy options and waste water treatment options for the Charles Nelson house

11 Send request to IDNL for an visit to the Charles Nelson House with a knowledgeable IDNL staff to enlighten our teamComplete feasibility analysis in regards to economics complete

 12 Establish long and short term goals for our project

 13 Complete feasibility analysis of alternative energy options and waste water treatment options for the Nelson House property

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2 Overall Project Design

2.1 Alternative Energy

2.11 Wind analysis

2.12 Solar Analysis

One of areas of focus for the Nelson Home is energy use. It has been discussed to

make this site completely off-grid for all of its energy use. A method of accomplishing this is to

utilize solar power. There are two types of solar power utilization: Concentrated Solar Power,

and Photovoltaic Power (PV). To study the possibility of outfitting the home with PV panels for

power requires a study of solar radiation for that location. This paper presents a collaboration of

collected solar data, and the feasibility of implementing PV panels to collect power.

To determine the practicality of placing PV cells in this region it is important to analyze

measured TMY (Typical Meteorological Year) data. This gives hourly data of solar horizontal

radiation, and solar beam radiation on a flat surface measured throughout the year. This can be

used to determine how much useful radiation is available on a given surface. This analysis looks

at a fixed surface, and a two axis tracking surface. The fixed surface faces south, and is angled

at the latitude of placement. The two axis tracking surface follows the sun throughout the sky,

always receiving normal radiation. This data can then be used to determine the availability of

solar energy, and further analyzed to produce an economic analysis of implementing a

photovoltaic system.

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The following set of figures will explain how much solar power is available, the difference

between fixed and tracking surfaces, and how much of it can be collected for power conversion.

Figure 2. This figure shows the annual solar flux onto a surface. Each curve represents

the different surface it is measured from. The tracking surface receives more radiation

throughout the year than the fixed one. The year is measured from January to December. The

peak radiation is measured during the summer months, and the least is received when the sun

is at winter solstice.

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

Fixed

Tracking

One Year

kWh/

m2

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Figure 3,4,5. The following figures

illustrate the difference between the

angle of the sun in the sky, and the angle

of incidence of solar radiation on the

fixed surface. The closer the lines are

together, the better utilization of solar

power. They measured angles were

taken over a 24 hour period on each day

given. Ideally, the two lines would

coincide with each other to maximize

useful energy. This is what the tracking

surface is for.

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0 2 4 6 8 10 120

2

4

6

8

10

12

Summer Solstice

Solar Zenith

Solar Incidence

0 2 4 6 8 10 120

2

4

6

8

10

12

Autumnal Equinox

Solar Zenith

Solar Incidence

0 2 4 6 8 10 120

2

4

6

8

10

12

Winter Solstice

Solar Zenith

Solar Incidence

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Figure 6. The following figure is a function of how much electricity would be produced by a

photovoltaic panel placed on each surface. The two different curves show how much total

radiation is received, and how much of that is converted into electricity. As can be seen, there is

not a large difference between how much power is produced from the fixed panel, to the

tracking panel.

Tracking RadiationFixed RadiationTracking PowerFixed Power

The preceding figures provide information that will be vital to determining the feasibility for

solar power for the Nelson Home. The future of this analysis will require gathering energy usage

data about the home. Once the energy consumption is calculated, then it can be compared to

how much energy can be produced. From there, a specific solar photovoltaic system can be

analyzed to determine the economics. If the electricity produced from the solar panels is

competitive, < $.17/kWh, then the system will be economically feasible. There are many

different factors that will play into this analysis. The first step of collecting and analyzing solar

data will provide the groundwork for a complete look at photovoltaic power.

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2.2 Waste Water Treatment

Another area of focus for the Nelson Home is wastewater treatment. More exploration in this

area is required; however one possibility is find ways to reduce the wastewater footprint of the

home. The first step in this endeavor is to gather more information about the home and its

current practices. Then an analysis can be performed to evaluate the feasibility of completing

such a system. Many options exist with both natural systems and conventional treatment

systems. Natural systems help remove biological, chemical and physical contaminates form

waste water using natural processes. Examples of natural systems options include constructed

and artificial wetlands and bio filters. Conventional systems include using septic tanks or a small

scale commercial waste water treatment system using chemicals to process contaminates.

1. Constraints

Economics

Maintenance

Environmental Costs

2. Wastewater Treatment Systems

Integrated Septic Systems

Primary Treatment in Septic Tank

Low maintenance

Provides 70% of treatment

Conventional Secondary Treatment

Absorption fields

Dispersion fields

3. Ideal Secondary Treatment

Environmental Friendly

Low Cost of Operation

Minimal Maintenance

Pollution Control

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4. Secondary Treatment Options

o Absorption/ Dispersion fields

No pollution control for organics, nutrients, or bacteria

Clogging Problems

o Constructed Wetlands

Native or Adaptive Vegetation filters pollutants

Naturally filters organics, nutrients, and bacteria

5. Treatment Economics & Maintenance

Septic Tank

High Construction Costs

Low Maintenance

Constructed Wetlands

Construction Costs are 50-90% less than Conventional Systems

Regular Inspections & Care of Vegetation

6. Works Cited

Environmental Building news. Constructed Wetlands for Wastewater. Retrieved

from http://www.buildinggreen.com/auth/article.cfm/2009/7/30/Constructed-

Wetlands /

Purdue Residential Onsite Wastewater Disposal. Purdue Engineering. Retrieved

from: https://engineering.purdue.edu/~frankenb/NU-prowd/

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2.21 Primary Treatment Systems

2.22 Secondary Treatment Systems

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3 Appendix

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