Group #18 6

Reading into the Sun

Group #4

Nicholas Vassiliadis

Kevin Uyleman

Michael Alonzi

Joe Tunnera

Marlborough High School

STEM ECHS

May 22, 2014

Step 1: Identify the Problem

The Marlborough Library Media Center, or LMC, uses too much power and the school needs to reduce its dependency on non-renewable energy to save money.

Step 2: Research the Problem

Many different buildings are supplied power by outside sources. It is an expensive way to get power, for the owners have to pay their supplier as they receive the power. If a building’s power was supplied by an internal source rather than an external source, it would be more cost-efficient and eco-friendly. There are many alternate ways to generate electricity: hydro, wind, solar, and human power. The LMC in Marlborough High School uses too much power, and could be made more cost-efficient and eco-friendly if it were to use green power rather than an external source.

Man power has been used since the beginning of time to make buildings and other things such as the Pyramids of Egypt and many items before the start of the Industrial Revolution. The LMC in Marlborough High School uses too much electricity and it would be better if man power was used. If the LMC uses man power it would benefit students and teachers because the ones pedaling the bike will become more fit and it will be more energy efficient.

Hydroelectricity has been used since the ancient era to produce work and make life easier. The Greeks used water wheels to grind wheat into flour around two millennia ago. Hydroelectric power then was used to saw wood and power textile mills. The basic hydroelectric power then started its evolution to bigger and better ideas. In the late 18th century, Bernard Forest de Bélidor, a French hydraulic engineer described using a vertical axis versus horizontal axis machine. Michigan's Grand Rapids Electric Light and Power Company lit up 16 lamps with a water turbine in 1880. Just one year later, all of the Niagara Falls city lights were lit by hydroelectricity. Shortly after, in 1882, the world’s first hydroelectric plant opened in Appleton, Wisconsin. By 1889, 200 hydroelectric power plants were open in the US. By 1920, 25% of all US power was provided through hydroelectricity. In 1940, 40% of all US power was hydroelectric. However, because of the increasing amount of power needed in the US, only 10% of the power generated is hydroelectric in the US. Today, many dams are uses to generate hydroelectric power. The Hoover dam, Grand Coulee dam, and Chief Joseph Dam are some of the most notable dam in the United States. (History of Hydropower, 2012)

Wind power has been in use since B.C. This source of power was used to propel ships along the Nile River in 5,000 B.C. It spread from Europe, and went global. Wind power was mainly used for farms: pumping water for irrigation, or food production. As the steam engine emerged, wind power became less and less popular, for a new and cheaper means of electricity was available. Then, in the 1940’s, wind turbines emerged, which could supply power to a neighborhood. Denmark was credited for the largest wind turbine of its time, and it supplied local utility network for the duration of World War II. Today, wind energy is the most clean and efficient source of energy, and will become more popular as cheaper and even more efficient solutions emerge (science.gov 2014).

There are many wind turbines that are in use today. One example is the Vestas V164 8MW. It is the latest model of a wind turbine, with rotors of 80 feet long. It is placed at the Danish national wind turbine test center in Osterild. Another example of a modern wind turbine is XEMC, which is a Chinese design. It stands 100 meters above the ground and has a diameter of 115 meters. It powers utility buildings in the Netherlands, and is the first Chinese turbine to be used in Europe.

The LMC, or the library of the Marlborough High School, uses a lot of power to keep the room running. The electronic devices in the LMC that use power are: 171 lights (two led light strips per light), 63 computers and monitors, one television, one cord phone, two printers (one big, one small), one projector, two exit signs, 18 speakers, three fire alarms, and two water bubblers. All 342 light strips use 4.5 watts each for a total of 1539 watts in total. The 63 computers and monitors take 295 each, which is 17325 watts in all. One Sony Television uses 185 watts of power. There are two printers in the LMC, on big and one small, uses 520 watts in total. There is one video projector, which takes 160 watts of power. One cord phone is used in the LMC, which only takes 2 watts of power. There are 3 fire alarms that use 2 watts each, which add up to 6 watts. Water bubblers use 200 watts; there are two bubblers in the LMC, which add up to 400 watts total. (History of Hydropower, 2013) So the total amount of power the LMC uses if all of the electronics were on is 20, 397 watts. Small scale water turbines can generate anywhere from 1-1250 Wh. So if the LMC was powered by hydroelectricity, it would need 17 small scale turbines to power it.

Many different buildings are supplied power by outside sources. It is an expensive way to get power, for the owners have to pay their supplier as they receive the power. If a building’s power was supplied by an internal source rather than an external source, it would be more cost-efficient and eco-friendly. One of the many sources of electricity is wind power, with the use of wind turbines. The LMC in Marlborough High School uses too much power, and could be made more cost-efficient and eco-friendly if it were to use wind power rather than an external source.

Wind power works on a wind turbine, which is a large metal structure. It has blades, or rotors, which spin like a fan as the wind blows between them. This motion turns and powers a generator, creating electricity for use at homes or buildings. It is usually built on high ground, to reach a higher wind speed.The wind turbine is a more efficient, eco-friendly way of creating electricity. It would be cheaper, and more reliable. There are a lot of objects that use electricity in the LMC, and it is very expensive to run them all at once. Building a wind turbine would make power from nature. It would create it from virtually nothing, while creating energy otherwise uses machines, coal, and other non-eco-friendly means.

Hydroelectricity is a renewable and reliable power source. The water propels a propeller-like piece called a turbine, which then turns a metal pole in a generator. (How Hydroelectricity Works, n.d.) One of the best reasons to switch to hydroelectricity is because it is renewable. If you place a dam in front of a river or choke point of a lake or ocean, water will rarely ever run out if ever. If you create a system where water keeps flowing, you will never run out; excluding evaporation. Hydroelectric power does nothing wrong to the environment. While some generators run off of coal and oil, they release harmful chemicals into the atmosphere that open holes in the ozone layer in Earth’s atmosphere, which can expose harmful radiation from the sun upon your skin. If MHS transitions to hydroelectric power, there would be more money for educational purposes. The Marlborough High School currently receives power from an energy provider. If MHS decides to go for hydroelectricity, they would not have to pay the electric bill, or as least not as much, so they can shift their budget completely towards education. All of those benefits while saving the planet.

The way solar power can be used in everyday life is through solar panels. Solar panels can be used for solar powered cars and to power buildings. Solar panels work by absorbing light and transforming it into energy. Though solar panels are very good there is two major cons. Solar panels cannot make energy during the night because the sun is not out. One other con is that solar panels are very expensive but eventually you will get that money back from energy that you save.

Man power is still being used in as a source of power today. It is unlikely that it is being used to power anything that requires more energy than a washing machine. One modern use of a man power machine is a bicycle. Bicycles have been used since 1865 to help people get around faster because cars won’t be invented until 1895. Bikes nowadays are still used for transport. They also are a more efficient way of traveling because they don’t need a fuel to be powered and it’s safer for the environment. Another example of man power in the modern era is any kind of paddle boat like a canoe. Canoes have been used as water transportation vehicle and use less energy because it is being powered by humans not any kind of fuel source. They are eco-friendly because no harmful fumes are being released in the air.

These four sources of energy are all super-efficient and would all benefit the school in many ways, the biggest being efficiency.

Step 3: Develop Possible Solutions

Nick came up with a cost-efficient way to power the LMC, which is to build a wind turbine that is at least 10 meters in diameter and at least 30 meters tall. It should be placed in the “Pit” (near the back of the school), facing towards the lake. This would provide enough energy to power every device in the LMC at once.

Kevin proposed another cost-efficient way to power the LMC, which is to set up 17 small scale water turbines to generate enough energy to keep all of the electronics in the LMC running at all times.

Joe thought of a third way to create a cost-efficient way to power the LMC. It is to use solar panels. The 80 solar panels needed would cover the roof of MHS and provide healthy power for MHS. The solar panels would be more cost-efficient in the long run, paying off in about ten years.

Mike proposed the fourth and final way to power the LMC that is cost-efficient, which is to put 1000 humans in the basement to power the LMC. This would be cost-efficient, and people would get a free workout. However, it would take a while to get 1000 volunteers to run on elliptical.

Step 4: Select the Best Possible Solution

The best possible solution is to cover the roof of the MHS with 80 solar panels. Unlike water, wind, and human power, it is cost efficient as well as energy efficient.

Step 5: Construct a Prototype

Materials:

· Architectural foam board

· Graphic art plotter/Graphic art plotter paper/Graphic art plotter ink

· CAD program (AutoSketch)

· 1 Hot glue gun/Hot glue sticks

· Thin balsa wood panels

· 3 Balsa wood strips

· White construction paper

· Light tan construction paper

· Scissors

· Spray glue

· 1 Ruler

· Writing implements (pencils/pens/etc.)

· 1 X-Acto knife

· 1 Small saw

· 1 Small circle template

· 1 Large circle template

· 1 Soldering iron/Solder

· Electrical wires

· 2 Solar panels

· 4 LEDs

· Paper

· Cardboard roll

· Wire strippers

Procedure:

*Keep in mind: when directions such as north, south, etc. are mentioned, north refers to how you walk as you enter the LMC.

1. Gather all materials.

2. Go to the LMC and measure all walls, poles, and windows. Find out where everything is in the LMC and make a sketch on paper of the LMC. Make sure to include the doors, windows, poles, computers, projector, bookshelves, tables, chairs, etc. Label all measurement on the sketch.

3. Using the sketch, draw the LMC on AutoSketch. Use a scale of 1’=1/8” on size D paper. Remember to scale the bookshelves to four, tables to three, computers to 31, and poles to four. Offset the walls 6” to the outside. This is the width of the walls.

4. Label all of the walls with measurements on the CAD.

5. Print out the floor plan using a graphical art plotter on size D paper.

6. Get a 34” x 24” piece of cardboard.

7. Cut out the paper with the floor plan on it so it fits perfectly on the 34” x 24” cardboard.

8. Glue the bottom of the paper and the top of the foam board with spray glue. Carefully place the paper on the board. When you place the paper, make sure there are no air pockets.

9. Go to the drawing on AutoSketch and draw the walls. To draw the walls, make a length of the walls on the floor plan, and make the width of the walls the height of the LMC, four meters. Then, use your sketch on the scrap paper that you crated to figure out where the windows are in the LMC. Draw the lines on AutoSketch, then use the fill hatch tool to fill in the window lines you have created with glass.

10. Print out the walls and glue them to architectural foam board.

11. Cut out all of the walls with an X-Acto knife.

12. Hot glue all of the walls on the floor plan where the offset of the walls are.

13. Make two 6/8”x1-1/2” and two 5/8”x1-1/2” pieces of balsa wood. Glue all four of them together so they make a rectangular prism shape pole that is 5/8”x6/8”.

14. Make three more rectangular prism shape poles so you have a total of four.

15. Hot glue them to the paper where you drew them on AutoSketch.

16. Make 21 2/8” x 2/8” pieces of architectural foam board.

17. Glue them where you drew the chairs in the projector room in AutoSketch.

18. Cover the tops of the “chairs” with light tan paper.

19. Cut two 3 ¼ x ½” pieces of balsa wood.

20. Cut 1/2 x ¾ pieces of balsa wood.

21. Hot glue a 3 ¼ x ½ to a 1/2 x ¾ piece to form a right angle. Connect another 1/2 x ¾ to the other side you glued the other pieces to form another right angle. Then, glue another 3 ¼ x ½ to the middle of both 1/2 x ¾ pieces.

22. Do this four more times for a total of five bookshelves.

23. Take a 1 1/8” diameter roll of cardboard (usually in the middle of the paper towel rolls. Cut a ¼” tall strip of the cardboard, all of the way around the circle. Then, cut a piece of paper, the same diameter as the circle made of cardboard you just made. Hot glue the paper to the edges of the cardboard, on the top so the paper fits perfectly on the diameter of the circle.

24. Measure and cut a 10 ½” x ½” piece of architectural foam board.

25. Measure and cut 6”x ½” piece of architectural foam board.

26. Measure and cut a 2” x ½ piece of architectural foam board.

27. Hot glue all three of the foam strips down so they fit perfectly with your drawing. The long desks should be placed in the northeast corner of the LMC.

28. Measure and cut thirty-six ½” x ½ " squares of architectural foam board.

29. Evenly hot glue the ½” x ½” squared along the outer table on the northeast to north part of the LMC. These represent computers/monitors.

30. Cut a 2-3/8” diameter circle of thin balsa wood.

31. Cut a 1” diameter circle of thin balsa wood.

32. Hot glue the 1” diameter circle in the middle of the computer section in the northeast corner of the LMC. Next hot glue the 2-38” diameter circle in the middle of the 1” diameter circle that you glued down earlier. This represents a round table in the LMC.

33. Cut out four more ½” x ½” squares of architectural foam board.

34. Glue the ½” x ½” squares of architectural foam board evenly around the wooden circle you placed in step 31. These are more computers.

35. Cut a panel of 2-1/2” x 1-3/8” balsa wood.

36. Cut a 2-1/2” x 1” panel of balsa wood.

37. Glue them together so they create a corner between the 2-1/2” x 1” and the 2-1/2” x 1-3/8”. Place it against the wall so the box panels make a box around the wall. Place the box where the school sores desks in the LMC.

38. Cut small holes on both sides of the box so that a wire can fit through both sides.

39. Cut 3”x¾” panel of balsa wood.

40. Cut a 1-1/4” x ¾” panel of balsa wood.

41. Hot glue the 3”x ¾” panel of balsa wood to the 1-1/4” x ¾” panel of balsa wood so that they form a right angle.

42. Cut a 3” x ½” panel of balsa wood.

43. Hot glue the 3” x ½” to the 3”x¾” on the edge.

44. Cut a 1-1/2” x ½” panel of balsa wood.

45. Glue the 1-1/2” x ½” panel of balsa wood to the 1-1/4” x ¾” panel of balsa wood on the edge. This will be the back part of the couch.

46. Cut a ½ x ¼ panel of balsa wood.

47. Glue the ½ x ¼ panel of balsa wood to the gap of the couch.

48. Cut two 1-1/4” x ¾” pieces of architectural foam board.

49. Glue both pieces of the architectural foam board together so that they are pressed together on top of each other.

50. Cut a 1-3/4” x ¾” piece of architectural foam board.

51. Cut four ½” x ¼” pieces of architectural foam board.

52. Glue the four pieces of architectural foam board on all four corners of one side on the 1-3/4” x ¾” piece of architectural foam board. This will be a table.

53. Cut a ½” x ¾” piece of architectural foam board and glue it to the top of the table you made in step 51.

54. Glue the four corners of the table to the ground where it says to on your floor plan.

55. Cut a strip of 12-1/2” balsa wood.

56. Cut two strips of 8-3/4” balsa wood.

57. Hot glue an 8-3/4” strip of balsa wood to one side to the top of the right-most poles and to the end walls of both sides of the floor plan.

58. Hot glue the other 8-3/4” strip of balsa wood to the other two poles and both walls.

59. Hot glue the 12-1/2” strip of balsa wood to all walls on both sides of the walls.

60. Cut four holes in the paper where the ends of the four solar panels can fit through.

61. Place the two solar panels in these holes so that the input and output are on the back of the board.

62. Solder wire from the negative side of one solar panel to the positive of the other.

63. Make a parallel circuit by connecting the wires to all four LEDs from the positive side of the LEDs to the positive side of solar panels. Make four separate pathways to create a parallel circuit.

64. Hot glue the wires on the bottom of the board and the wires to the board so they look neater and are less likely to fall apart.

Step 6: Test and Evaluate the Solution

Testing Materials:

· Lamp

Testing Procedure:

1. Turn on a lamp.

2. Hold it directly on top of the solar panel.

Results:

Once the lamp was lit, all four LEDs went from an off state to an on state. Because all four LEDs powered, the solution to the problem was a success. Both of the two solar panels produced 12.5mA of power for a total of 0.0267W. Each one of the LEDs had 3mA of current for a total power of 0.02664W consumed.

Step 7: Communicate the Solution

The solution is communicated through this written design plan and via the group presentation on Tuesday, June 10.

Step 8: Redesign

Conclusion

There are multiple alternate forms of energy, solar, water, man, and wind. All of these forms of energy are cost efficient and eco-friendly. All of those forms of safe energy would change the world in many positive ways. These forms of energy could save millions of dollars through time. The world should use alternative energy sources to improve economies as a whole.

References

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History of Hydropower | Department of Energy. (n.d.). Retrieved April 28, 2014, from http://energy.gov/eere/water/history-hydropower

Human Motion Will Power the Internet of Things, Say Energy Harvesting Engineers | MIT Technology Review. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.technologyreview.com/view/516816/human-motion-will-power-the-internet-of-things-say-energy-harvesting-engineers/

Human Power - Electricity and transporation technologies. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/technology/human-powered/

Hydroelectric power and water. Basic information about hydroelectricity, USGS Water Science for Schools. (2014, March 17). Retrieved April 28, 2014, from https://water.usgs.gov/edu/wuhy.html

Hydroelectric Power: How it works, USGS Water-Science School. (March 17). Retrieved April 28, 2014, from https://water.usgs.gov/edu/hyhowworks.html

LOW-TECH MAGAZINE. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.lowtechmagazine.com/

Solar | Department of Energy. (2013). Retrieved April 28, 2013, from http://energy.gov/science-innovation/energy-sources/renewable-energy/solarResources