Alternative Energy Evaluation May06-16

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Alternative Energy EvaluationMay06-16

• Team Members
• Steve Chebuhar EE
• Anhtuan Dinh EE
• Ryan Ferneau CprE
• Justin Jorgensen EE
• Client
• Professor Ralph Patterson III
• Dr. John W. Lamont
• Faculty Advisor
• Tom Baird
• Date April 6, 2006

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Presentation Outline

• Introductory material
• Project activity description
• Resources and schedules
• Closing material

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Acknowledgment

• The team would like to thank
• Tom Baird Dr. Lamont
  Prof. Patterson

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Problem Statement

• Analyze alternative energy solutions
• No utility
• Utility as backup
• Alternative energy sources as backup
• Economic analysis
• Load analysis

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Solution Approach

• Research alternative energy sources
• Solar, wind, fuel cells, biomass, micro hydro,
  and micro turbines
• Research geographical area, area regulations, and
  interconnection with utility
• Create website to post the solutions

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Operating Environment

• Data is organized and presented on a website that
  can be viewed using Windows XP and Internet
  Explorer

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Intended User

• Farmer or rural resident
• Supplement or eliminate electric utility

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Intended Use

• Provide information for a rural resident
  interested in alternative energy

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Assumptions

• The user must have basic computer skills
• The user must have knowledge of power needs
• The user must have knowledge of system
  requirements
• Six sources where considered
• Wind, solar, fuel cells, micro hydro, micro
  turbines, and biomass

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Limitations

• Exact cost of each alternative source
• Installation cost
• Maintenance cost
• Fuel Cost

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End Product and Other Deliverables

• Website
• Informative spreadsheets with the final results
• Final Report

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Present Accomplishments

• Research 100 complete
• Design 100 complete
• Website 100 complete
• Testing 100 complete

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Approaches Considered

• Interactive program with user inputs which gives
  recommendation output
• Informational website (the approach used)

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Project Activities

• Research
• Design
• Implementation
• Testing

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Research

• Sources
• Economic analysis
• Viability for user
• Energy storage
• Sources divided into two categories
• Those which require no fuel
• Those which require fuel

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Wind Power

• Advantages
• Low cost
• Many turbine sizes available
• No fuel required
• Disadvantages
• Unreliable as primary source
• Requires tower construction

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Solar

• Advantages
• Small size
• No fuel
• Good for low power applications
• Disadvantages
• Expensive
• Unreliable as primary source

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Micro Hydro

• Advantages
• Requires no fuel
• Low maintenance
• Disadvantages
• Unreliable as primary source
• Many government regulations
• Not environmentally friendly

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Micro Turbines

• Advantages
• Small size
• Affordable for large power needs (gt30 kW)
• Can use multiple fuels
• Disadvantages
• Expensive for small power needs
• Fluctuation of fuel cost

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Biomass

• Advantages
• Can often be substituted as diesel fuel
• Generator is low cost
• Can meet many different power needs
• Disadvantages
• Fluctuation of fuel costs
• Noise
• Takes up a lot of space

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Fuel Cells

• Advantages
• Useful for energy storage
• No combustion required
• Disadvantages
• Expensive
• Requires fuel source to generate hydrogen
• Involves many different components

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No Utility Case

• Main source would most likely be wind
• Backup source would be Diesel/biomass generator
  or micro turbines

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Utility as Backup Case

• Main source is most likely wind
• Requires safety equipment to interconnect with
  utility company

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Utility as Primary Source

• Diesel generator is most cost effective
• Micro turbines and batteries also a possibility
• User would have to manually switch over in the
  event of power loss

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Informative Website

• Provide information about each source
• Explain how to calculate monthly energy usage
  (kWh)
• Present spreadsheets with cost analysis
• Provide links for additional information

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Data Organized into Spreadsheets
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Sample Webpage
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Testing

• Design was tested by making comparison with
  systems currently in use
• Wind was most cost effective alternative source
• Diesel generator was most common form of backup

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Other Activities

• Team attended an 8 hour long alternative energy
  workshop at the University of Minnesota
• Focused on many types of
• alternative energy (solar,
• wind, fuel cells)

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Personnel Effort
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Resources
Item Without Labor With Labor
Poster 23 23

Team Member at 11/hr
Steve Chebuhar 1870
Anhtuan Dinh 1848
Justin Jorgensen 1793
Ryan Ferneau 1661
Total 23 7195
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Schedule
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Project Evaluation

• All required deliverables were completed
• All tasks completed on schedule
• Project was a success

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Commercialization

• No plans to commercialize this product
• Not likely to be high enough demand
• Possibility exists to sell advertising space on
  website if popular enough

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Recommendations for Additional Work

• Installation and maintenance costs
• Reevaluate project within a few years due to
  rapidly developing technology
• Obtain funding to implement a system

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Lessons Learned

• What went well
• Research was effectively divided among group
  members
• Flexibility of scheduling meetings
• What did not go well
• Lack of understanding of project definition

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Technical Knowledge Gained

• User energy needs
• Cost of equipment
• Components required to create system
• Web design

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Non-technical Knowledge Gained

• Communications skills
• Time management
• Risk management

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Risk Management

• Anticipated risks
• Loss of team member
• Difficulty finding sufficient data to complete
  research
• Unsuccessful approach
• Management of risks
• Share information between group members
• Frequently evaluate project approach

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Risk Management

• Unanticipated risks
• Lack of understanding of project definition
• Loss of faculty advisor
• Management of risks
• Extra effort at later stages of project to make
  up for previous lost time
• Additional effort on the part of remaining
  faculty advisor

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Closing Summary

• Informational website created
• Present information in spreadsheet form
• Power output and cost evaluation of each source
• Links for additional information

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Questions ?