Development of an Experiential Humanitarian Engineering Pilot Program

Development of an Experiential Humanitarian Engineering

Pilot ProgramHenry Louie, PhD*

Steve Szablya, PE**

*Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering**Facilities ServicesSeattle University

Spring/Summer 2011

Funding Sources• SU Global Grant: $9,524• SU Endowed Mission Fund: $6,000• Community Solutions Initiative: $3,000• Professionals without Boundaries: $3,000

Total Funding: $21,524

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Program Goals

1. Develop a humanitarian engineering curriculum and supporting educational materials

2. Increase Seattle University faculty experience and capability in humanitarian engineering projects and in experiential teaching techniques

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Program Goals

3. Expose students through immersion to global humanitarian challenges, and empower them to work toward solutions, culminating in an experiential service experience

4. Strengthen bonds with local and international organizations and communities

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Approach• Discussion Sessions• Workshop Sessions• Immersion

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Discussion Session Details• Held Weekly• 45 minutes in duration• Developed slides• Recommended reading

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Discussion Session Topics• Session 0: Information Session• Session 1: Introduction to Humanitarian Engineering• Session 2: Fundamentals of Wind Energy• Session 3: Energy Poverty• Session 4: Opportunities and Roles of Engineers in

Developing Self-Sustainable Communities*

• Session 5: Micro Credit*

• Session 6: Generator Basics• Session 7: Trivia

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*Guest Speaker(s)

Discussion Session Participation

Number of Attendees• Session 0: 23• Session 1: 22• Session 2: 17• Session 3: 19• Session 4: 8 (evening meeting)• Session 5: 16• Session 6: 16• Session 7: 8 (last week of quarter)

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Average Attendance: 16

Workshop Session Details• Held Weekly• Saturday Mornings• +4 hours in duration• SU Carpentry Shop• Supervised work• Included professionals

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Workshop Session

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Workshop Session• Special Topics:

Shop Orientation Aerodynamics Welding

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Immersion Trip Participants• Dr. Henry Louie (Faculty)• Steve Szablya (Staff)• Vincent Van Acker (Volunteer)• Ayesha Pirbhai (Student)• Josh Peavler (Student)• Karim Farraj (Student)

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Case Study: Zambia

+12 million people• 25% have electricity• per capital energy use: 3.3% of USA

+8 million live in rural communities 50% of rural population have electronic devices

• 4% have access to electricity• Average income: US$5.30/day

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Case Study: Zambia

Case Study: Zambia

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What we Brought• Rotors• Stator• Hub assembly• Tools• Misc. Electronic Components

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Our Goals• Determine feasibility of building generator• Make blades, tower• Field test

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Packing

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Immersion Itinerary• Seattle-Lusaka• Lusaka-Livingstone• Livingstone• Chobe (Botswana)• Chikuni• Monze/Lusaka• Chikuni• Lusaka• Lusaka-Seattle

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ZAMBIA

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X Chikuni

Lusaka

Livingstone

230 miles

Dr. Livingstone I presume?

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Sunset on the Zambezi

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Safari in Botswana

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Getting Around

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Our Workshop• No power tools• No lighting

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Fr. Bert’s Wind Turbine

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Where the Wind Blows…

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Option 2

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Option 3

Wind Speed Measurements• Used local knowledge

to screen locations• Near continuous

readings from 8am to 6pm for 2 days

• Did not record during evening Safety Generally low wind

speed

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anemometer

100

inch

es

And the winner is…

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X 450 ft

Wind turbine location

Prevailing Wind

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Wind Speed Measurements (Monday/Tuesday)

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0 5 10 15 20 250

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

15-minute average wind speed (mph)

occu

rrenc

es

0 5 10 15 20 250

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

15-minute max wind speed (mph)

occu

rrenc

es

Maximum ValuesAverage Values

Wind Speed Measurements (Friday/Saturday)

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0 5 10 15 20 250

2

4

6

8

10

12

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instantaneous wind speed (mph)

occu

rrenc

es

Instantaneous Values

Blades• Obtained two 100”

boards• Designed for three 60”

blades

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100 inches

4 foot blades vs. 5 foot blades• Perceived Advantages

Available Easier to construct Cheaper Less weight Faster rotation? Less structural stress

• Disadvantages Reduction of power by 36%

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312

pAP C v

Difference in swept area

5 ft

4 ft

Blades• About 15 person-hours

per blade

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Blades

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Blades

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Blades• Completed blades

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Generator Assembly• Parts premade in Seattle• Assembled in Chikuni, Zambia

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Ready for Assembly

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Generator

Blades

Hub

Assembled Wind Turbine

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Tower• 2.5” diameter steel

borehole pipe• Allowed generator to

rotate (yaw)• Used in water

boreholes• Commonly available• Length: 6m

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Generator assembly

Tower Raising• 3-4 people can lift• Without blades: 60 lbs• With blades: 75 lbs• Lowering is difficult

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Tower Support

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Before After

Removed section

Tower Raising

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cows

Tower Raising

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Tower Support• Two motorcycle tie downs • Nylon rope

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Yaw/Furl • Wind turbine naturally

furls in high wind• Used ropes to yaw

wind turbine

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Yaw/Furl

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Furled Position Facing into the Wind

Charging Circuit

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Va VbVc n

Generator

shortto stop turbine

+

- 12Vbattery

switch

3-phase rectifier

Charging Circuit

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Wind Speed vs. RPM

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0 5 10 15 20 250

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

instantaneous wind speed (mph)

RPMLarge variation due to inertia of blades

Wind Speed vs. TSR

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0 5 10 15 20 250

1

2

3

4

5

6

instantaneous wind speed (mph)

TSR

Very lowTSR, efficiency

Reshaping the Blades

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Inefficient Leading Edge

ReshapedLeading Edge

Wind Speed vs. RPM

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0 5 10 15 20 250

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

instantaneous wind speed (mph)

RPM

Wind Speed vs. TSR

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0 5 10 15 20 250

1

2

3

4

5

6

instantaneous wind speed (mph)

TSR

ImprovedTSR, efficiency

Simulated vs. Actual• Volts per Hz

Simulated: 1.06 Measured: 1.07

• Cut-in RPM Simulated: 85 RPM Measured: 85 RPM

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Performance Data• Idle: 11 mph• Cut-in (battery charging): 15 mph• Max RPM tested: 330 rpm• Maximum instantaneous power output: 75 W• Continuous power output: 5 W

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Lessons Learned• Feasibility of in-country blade and tower

construction proved Balancing blades is difficult

• Matching blades and generator is critical High starting torque needed Very low TSR caused very low efficiency

• Generator as built is too powerful• Security is a challenge

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The Market for Electricity

• Cell Phone Charging: With charger: 1000 Kwacha (US$ 0.20) With shop charger: 1500 Kwacha (US$ 0.30)

• Car Battery Charging: 2500 Kwacha (US$ 0.50) Charged overnight

• LI cellular phone battery capacity: 5 Wh Cost per Wh: US$ 0.04

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Back-of-envelope calculation:

• Village size: 1000 people• Percent with cellular phones: 15• Charge Frequency: 1/week• Charges per day: 21• Energy required: 105 Wh per day• Wind turbine capacity factor: 15%• Wind turbine size: 30 W• Income: US$4.20/day• Payback time on $500 investment: 120

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700W Wind Turbine Costs

• Pipe: $78• Wood: $13• Wire: $0.32/m x 250m = $80 • Magnets*: 24 x $15 = $360 • Resin*: $80 • Hardware*: $130• Rectifier*: $7• Battery: $125• Metal Parts*: $450• Electrical*: $20

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* Price in the U.S.

Total: US $1343

Cost Considerations• Does not include tools, labor• Price of rare earth magnets increasing and

volatile• Resins, magnets not easy to find• Too big, expensive• Micro loans generally are $500 or less

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Next Steps• Design 100 Watt wind turbine• Test deploy• Engineer tower structure• Continue to work with local community• Promote as a business opportunity

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0.00 5.00 10.00 15.00 20.00 25.00 30.00Time [ms]

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Speaking at the Boy’s School

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Dr. Louie Doing What He Does Best

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A Physics Lesson at the Girl’s School

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National University of Zambia

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Acknowledgements• Seattle University Office of Global Engagement• Seattle University Endowed Mission Fund• IEEE Power & Energy Society Community

Solutions Initiative• Engineers without Borders Puget Sound

Professional Chapter

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Videos• Raising The Turbine in Chikuni, Zambia(255.5M)• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qOQk6gl7O8 • Wind Turbine and Electrical Setup in Chikuni,

Zambia(27.1M)• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EO38Mo_WJdk • The Wind Turbine Spinning in Chikuni, Zambia(57.87M)• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ9U7uz8onk • Electric Braking During High Speed Operation in Chikuni,

Zambia(59.45M)• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=faBwLgE4NE0 • Alternate View of the Turbine Configuration from the bottom

of Dam in Chikuni, Zambia(53.72M)• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qv4B7zy08w

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S C I E N C E A N DE N G I N E E R I N G

Henry Louie, PhDAssistant Professor

Department of Electrical andComputer Engineering901 12th Avenue, Bannan 219P.O. Box 222000Seattle, WA 98122-1090www.seattleu.edu

Tel: (206) 398-4619Fax: (206) 296-5962louieh@seattleu.edu

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