Building Sustainability Path at SUNYIT An Integrated Approach to Sustainability and Engineering Student Design. Final Report

Transcription

1 2012 SUNY Sustainability Fund Small Grants for Ideas that Might Further the Power of SUNY Award No.: Building Sustainability Path at SUNYIT An Integrated Approach to Sustainability and Engineering Student Design Final Report Submitted to SUNY Office of Sustainability State University Plaza 353 Broadway Albany, NY Submitted by Xinchao Wei, Ph.D., P.E., F. Andrew Wolfe, Ph.D., P.E. Mason H. Somerville, Ph.D., P.E. Mark A. Bremer, M.S., LEED GA SUNY Institute of Technology 100 Seymour Road Utica, NY (315) Tuesday, September 24, 2013

2 Project Overview Increasing energy demand and finite fossil fuel resources necessitate the development and utilization of renewable energy to provide viable solutions to our energy future. The renewable energy, such as wind, solar, and hydro, can all contribute significantly to meeting the grand challenge of our nation. SUNYIT, as one of the technology-focused campuses in SUNY, is not only striving to implement sustainable practices in its operation but also encourages the integration of sustainability into its engineering programs. The Sustainability Path project (or The Path ) was to 1) to design and build renewable energy technology demonstration projects (solar, wind, and hydropower) along a trail on the campus of SUNYIT and 2) to integrate sustainability into engineering student design by enhancing student learning with hands-on projects. Specifically, engineering students of ESC 120 in SUNYIT learned, designed and built solar and wind systems to power path lights and a water fountain along the Path. A hydropower demonstration unit was also incorporated to illustrate the hydropower generation and its potential use in energy storage system for renewable energy sources. The Path was formally opened to the public on May 1 demonstrating a path to sustainability to the campus and communities. Project Outcomes 1. Renewable energy and sustainability were incorporated into a freshman course ESC 120 Design Tools and Process. a. From Jan. 22 to Feb. 9, 2013, the 12 students of ESC 120 were divided into 4 groups to study the four aspects of renewable energy: solar energy technology, wind energy technology, hydropower technology, and energy storage technology. On Feb. 6, each group submitted a literature review report (10-15 pages) on its specific topic, and on Feb. 8, each group did a PowerPoint presentation for the whole class. This way, each student was exposed to all aspects of renewable energy with a deep understanding of one area. b. From Feb. 10 to March 2, 2012, the class of ESC 120 was divided into 3 teams of four students from each of the literature study group, ensuring each team had the expertise of all aspects of renewable energy. The teams completed their preliminary design including the capacities and physical sizes of solar and wind systems and the layout plan. The teams submitted their preliminary design reports on Feb. 27, and gave PowerPoint presentations to the whole class on March 1. The designs were discussed and debated in the class and the design teams had to defend their design. The teams were evaluated by their design report and presentation performance. 2. Engineering students designed and built the Sustainability Path by working as a team. a. After the preliminary design, the whole class worked together to finalize the design for the Path by incorporating the best elements of each team. The purchase order was generated for solar panels and wind turbines mainly based the power generation capacity and cost of equipment. After class discussion, the installation of a hydro turbine in the Gridley Creek was abandoned because the inconsistency of the flow and lack of sufficient water head after monitoring the flow and surveying the creek.

3 To accommodation this change, a small hydropower demonstration unit (using pump, not creek flow) was added in the design. The main components of the Sustainability Path are listed in Table 1 and the schematic of the design is presented in Figure 1. Table 1. The main components of the Sustainability Project Item Capacity Model Manufacturer/vendor Remarks Solar Panels Wind Turbine Hydro Demo Kit Water Fountain Path Lights 4 100W GS-400-KIT Grape Solar 600W (Max.) N/A 600W Trubine LC Sunforce Scientific Equipment of Houston Panel: 41-1/8 by 26-3/8 by 1-9/16 Rotor diameter: 1.31 m (4.3 ft) Turbine: 4 inch (100mm) dia. N/A Two-tier Alan and Roth Size: 38 by 22 by W Low voltage Portfolio 16 lights in total Fig. 1 Schematic of the renewable energy technology demonstration b. Purchase was made in the week of March 9 and the orders arrived in the subsequent week. Small items were purchased directly from local hardware stores. Three students were chosen to lead on solar panel installation, wind turbine installation, and installation of hydro demo, lights and water fountain. Students worked together to study the installation plan, build the solar panel support rack, and investigate the wiring of the systems. The system was first built in Donovan Hall G226 with initial wiring to prove the feasibility before it was moved outside. The final site was chosen on the trail between Kunsela Hall and Donovan Hall after subsurface utility investigation. Solar panels were installed outside in the week of April 6 and the wind turbine was erected in the week of April 13. The photos of the Sustainability Path are presented in Figure 2.

4 Fig. 2 Photos of the Sustainability Path Project 3. Impact to the SUNYIT campus and communities The formal opening of the Sustainability Path Project was on Wednesday, May 1, from 2 pm to 3 pm and the Path was officially open to the faculty, staff, students and the public. The President of SUNYIT attended the formal opening and addressed the crowd. Students worked as tour guides to explain the Sustainability Path and the renewable energy alternatives. A couple of news media was at the scene of the formal opening. The renewable energy demonstration project was well received by SUNYIT and communities. Some photos of the formal opening are presented in Figure 3. The news coverage video of the event can be found at: html. The Path has since been in operation, providing electricity for the path light along the path and the water fountain. In the past several months, the Path was used in various functions for SUNYIT community to educate students and public on the fronts of renewable energy and sustainability. These functions include open house, freshman orientation, summer camps for high school students, field trip for courses such as Introduction to Engineering and Renewable Energy etc. The Path stimulates the public awareness of renewable energy and the system demonstrates there is a viable path to environmental sustainability. 4. Presentation and additional funding secured A presentation entitled Sustainability Path: A Renewable Energy Demonstration Project was made at the SUNYIT Student Presentation Day on April 25, 2013, at SUNYIT. Three students working on this project presented their work to the faculty, staff, and students of SUNYIT.

5 Partially based on this project, a proposal entitled Integration of Virtual and Real Equipment Learning Tools Related to Sustainability Education was developed and submitted to SUNY Innovative Instruction Technology Grants (IITG). The review of the proposal was favorable and funding of $15,000 was secured in August of As part of the IITG project, an interactive informational website and physical kiosk display monitor will be implemented to enhance the existing renewable energy technology demonstration (solar, wind, and hydropower) of the Sustainability Path on the campus of SUNYIT. Students participating in the Sustainability Path project Fig. 3. Photos of the Formal Opening of the Sustainability Path