Project/Wind Energy Harvester
From Drexel Smart House
2008 Design Projects
Summary: We plan to integrate a WindbeltTM, created by Shawn Frayne, into the Drexel Smart House to help store energy or to power one of the systems within the house, for example to power a micro-hydrogen generator.
Team Members:
Academic Advisor: Adam Fontecchio adam.fontecchio@drexel.edu
For more information:www.humdingerwind.com
Problem Statement
Drexel Smart House needs to be energy self-sufficient.
At the start of this decade, the negative views on the overuse of energy in the United States have become more pronounced among both neighboring nations and American activists. The consumerism-oriented lifestyle that Americans live requires such an extreme amount of energy that the environment is being strongly effected in a detrimental manner. The average U.S. household in 2001 consumed 10,654 kWh [2]. Fossil fuels alone produce 3,700,000 tons of carbon dioxide and 10,200 tons of nitrogen oxide among other things [4]. Each of these waste products contributes to global warming. It is for this reason that people must become more conscious of their impact on the environment. With that in mind the Drexel Smart House has designed its mission to adhere to an energy generating, self-sufficient goal. In order to reach that goal, it is important to incorporate a diverse range of alternative energy sources while following the zoning restrictions that come with an urban environment.
Green Implementations for Drexel Smart House The Drexel Smart House needs to be able to generate all energies on site. The problem at hand is not the lack of available energies, but the methods known and being applied to harvest those energies. The goal is to apply a new mechanism or enhance the current alternative energy resources being researched. Whether or not a new mechanism is put into place or an old one is enhanced, the final solution needs to be a cheaper, cost effective solution for domestic use in comparison to current technology. At the same time our solution should provide a sufficient amount of energy to reduce the Drexel Smart House’s impact on the environment.
Problems and Solutions Associated with an Urban Environment Since the Drexel Smart House is located in an urban environment, it is subject to the scrutiny of more stringent zoning codes than in a rural environment. With these restrictions in mind the solutions must be aesthetically pleasing, space saving, and noise conscious because of the proximity of neighbors. Another aspect that must be considered is the distance of the new power source to the machines or processes that would use the energy; the farther the source, the greater the resultant loss of energy during the transfer. In order to satisfy these constraints our group is considering wind turbines, photovoltaic cells, and/or wind flutter technology. Although wind turbines could easily be incorporated to the Drexel Smart House, they are very large, unattractive, and could not be located near the House. Consequently, wind turbines would need to be adapted to better fit the Drexel Smart House. Photovoltaic cells are beneficial in terms of reliability and space, but they have an efficiency rate of 20.8% and therefore cannot alone provide for all of the Drexel Smart House’s energy needs [3]. Recent advances in wind flutter technology allow engineers to harness the power of wind energy on a small scale, which can be incorporated to numerous areas of the Drexel Smart House such as the roof, backyard, or ventilation system. The aesthetics and noise constraints are dependent on its location, which will need to be considered. In terms of efficiency, the wind flutter technology has up to 30 times the efficiency rate of micro-turbines [1].
References
[1] Anonymous "The Windbelt Technology," vol. 2008, www.humdingerwind.com
[2] Anonymous "U.S. Household Electricity Uses: A/C, Heating, Appliances," vol. 2008, http://www.eia.doe.gov/emeu/reps/enduse/er01_us.html
[3] G. A. Landis, S. G. Bailey and M. F. Piszczor Jr, "Recent advances in solar cell technology," J. Propul. Power, vol. 12, pp. 835-841, 1996.
[4] Wikipedia contributors, "Energy development," vol. 2008, wikipedia-energy sources
2008 Design Projects
