Abstract
The objective of this design project is to provide Six Rivers Charter School with a photovoltaic system capable of charging electronic devices while also serving as an educational device. The photovoltaic station will be used by students to charge their phones and provide education on solar power, energy efficiency and consumption. It will also be the focal point of a space for students to come together as a community.
INSERT IMAGE OF FINAL PRODUCT.
Background
Towards the beginning of the Fall 2018 semester, our team was tasked by Six Rivers Charter High School to create an educational photovoltaic system for their campus. Six Rivers Charter School is in Arcata, CA at 1720 M St. They are a small charter high school, who’s mission statement is: “Through communication, collaboration, and critical thinking, Six Rivers is a community that strengthens dependent learners into independent and interdependent learners. In valuing the whole student, Six Rivers provides opportunities for success within and beyond school” (Perry, 2016). They share the campus with Arcata High School, with whom they work with to provide their students with the full scope of classes needed to achieve a High School diploma (AHS, 2015). Ron Perry, the principle of Six Rivers Charter School, presented the criteria for our project on Friday, September 21. His main objective for the solar installation is to create a space for his students to come together as a community during school breaks, where they can charge their electronics and learn about solar power in a safe, relaxed environment. His main criteria for the actual station is that it needs to be durable, secure after hours, relatively low-cost and be as low maintenance as possible (Ron Perry, Interview, September 21, 2018). (ASK ABOUT WHAT EXACTLY GOES HERE)
Problem statement and criteria
The problem our team was tasked to solve was to invite use to a relatively unused part of Six Rivers' campus by creating and installing an educational photovoltaic system. To best determine how to solve this problem, IO Co. came up with a list of criteria and constraints. Criteria are specific elements of the project that can be judged subjectively to find the best solution to the problem at hand. Constrains are the parameters that the criteria must follow to ensure the client’s needs are addressed. After creating these two lists, our team then assigned weighted values (1-10, 10 being the most valued) to each criterion relative to their importance in the projects final design.
Criteria | Constraints | Weight |
---|---|---|
Safety | Doesn't shock students or damage phones | 10 |
Durability | 2 year minimum lifespan | 9 |
Education | Provides basic knowledge of PV charging | 9 |
Aesthetics | Looks nice and invites use | 7.5 |
Maintainability | Serviceable by existing maintenance crew | 6 |
Cost | $400 maximum cost | 2 |
With this information our team was able to decide upon a final project design.
Description of final project
This section describes the decided upon design from the criteria section and its application at Six Rivers Charter School. Subjects of interest include a description of the final product, cost analyses, as well as implementation and performance results.
Solution Description
The overall design can be described in four sections: 1) the solar array and its mounting system, 2) the structure of the retaining box, 3) the internal electronics and its connection to the external USBs, and 4) the educational and bulletin board display.
The Solar Array
The solar array utilized for this application is a three PV solar module system wired in parallel. Each panel is rated at 35 watts to produce a maximum combined power of 105 watts and a maximum voltage output of 18 volts. Mounting the solar array required the use of a frame constructed out of wood 2×4s and an assortment of nuts, bolts, and washers as shown in INSERT REFERENCE. (Talk about dimensions, height from the ground, angle from horizontal, mounting to the wall, conduit)
PICTURE 1: completed construction PICTURE 2: mounted to the outside wall at school
Retaining Box
(MEASUREMENTS NEEDED!/Nick needs to update) The base of the retaining box is constructed out of 2x5's with a (bathroom wood name) backplate. Inside the base is a vinyl liner stapled to the 2x5's to keep internal electrical components out of the elements. Around the rim of the base is weather stripping to create a watertight seal when the door is closed. Connected to the base with two hinges is a red balau framed acrylic door. PICTURE 1: completed construction PICTURE 2: mounted to the outside wall at school
Internal Electronics
The internal electronics of the Solar Bulletin Charger begins with the positive and negative leads being fed into the retaining box from the PV solar array. Before being wired to two marine grade dual USB ports, as shown in INSERT REFERENCE, a volt meter is wired in and mounted to the inside of the retaining box to be used for the educational display. (talk about fuse, maybe an on/off switch?) The reason this type of setup was chosen over one with a charge controller and battery is threefold: 1) it requires the least amount of maintenance with nothing needing to be turned on or off before or at the end of the day, 2) removing the charge controller, battery, and inverter reduces the chance and cost of future maintenance, and 3) it provides more efficiency of power by removing intermediate components while still being accessible to charge students’ phones at times of the day when they will be present.
PICTURE 3: circuit diagram
(talk about where everything is mounted, the connectors used)
PICTURE 4: completed internals
Educational and Bulletin Display
(Need to consult w/ Paulo)
Prototyping
Use a gallery of prototyping photos and lessons learned. (Need to consult w/ Paulo)
Costs
Use Help:Table_examples#Cost_Table.
Quantity | Material | Source | Cost ($) | Total ($) |
---|---|---|---|---|
3 | 35W solar panel | Donated (SERC) | 0.00 | 0.00 |
45 | 12 gauge wire (LENGTH) | Ace Hardware (Arcata) | 0.69 | 31.05 |
1 | 1/4" heat shrink | Ace Hardware (Sunnybrae) | 2.99 | 2.99 |
1 | 3/8" heat shrink | Ace Hardware (Sunnybrae) | 2.99 | 2.99 |
1 | 3/32" heat shrink | Ace Hardware (Arcata) | 3.39 | 3.99 |
1 | dielectric grease | Ace Hardware (Sunnybrae) | 4.99 | 4.99 |
2 | ring terminal | Ace Hardware (Arcata) | 3.99 | 7.98 |
1 | female disconnect | Ace Hardware (Arcata) | 3.99 | 3.99 |
1 | CONN WIRE 22-10 YEL | Ace Hardware (Arcata) | 2.29 | 2.29 |
1 | wire nut 5-pack | Ace Hardware (Arcata) | 4.59 | 4.59 |
2 | marine grade dual USB socket | Amazon | 19.44 | 38.88 |
1 | LCD Meter Reader | Amazon | 18.99 | 18.99 |
1 | 24x30x0.100" acrylic sheet | Ace Hardware (Arcata) | 17.99 | 17.99 |
2 | lockable draw catch 2-pack | Ace Hardware (Arcata) | 6.99 | 13.98 |
1 | hinge 2-pack | Ace Hardware (Arcata) | 5.99 | 5.99 |
1 | 2x5" scrap wood (10') | Donated (team member) | 0.00 | 0.00 |
1 | vinyl sheet (DIMENSIONS) | Ace Hardware Arcata | 5.99 | 5.99 |
1 | outdoor furniture varnish | Donated (team member) | 0.00 | 0.00 |
1 | wood caulking | Donated (team member) | 0.00 | 0.00 |
1 | conduit (LENGTH) | Donated (SRCHS staff) | 0.00 | 0.00 |
3 | 2x4" pressure treated wood (LENGTH) | Donated (SRCHS staff) | 0.00 | 0.00 |
2 | 3/4x4" red balau decking (6') | Almquist Lumber | 12.00 | 24.00 |
Total Cost | 187.79 |
Testing Results
(NEED TO CONSULT WITH ENTIRE TEAM)
How to build
(NEED TO CONSULT WITH ENTIRE TEAM)
Use Template:How_to
Maintenance
Introduce this maintenance section.
Schedule
Breakdown of maintenance tasks and how often to carry them out.
- Daily
- Turn the system on/off
- Ensure the bulletin box is locked and sealed
- Weekly
- Check solar array and bulletin box for wear and tear
- a weekly task
- Monthly
- Swap out bulleted information
- a monthly task
- Yearly
- Clean the solar array.
- As noticed
- Replace rotted wood
Instructions
(NEED TO CONSULT WITH ENTIRE TEAM)
This is how to maintain. The step by step how to template {{How to}} is most likely best for this part.
Troubleshooting
(NEED TO CONSULT WITH ENTIRE TEAM)
This is only how to troubleshoot basic operation. For complex issues, the solution might just say contact ________. It should be a table in this format:
Problem | Suggestion |
---|---|
Example issue | Example solution or suggestion |
Does not turn on | Make sure it is plugged in |
Another issue | Et cetera |
Discussion and next steps
(NEED TO CONSULT WITH ENTIRE TEAM)
Suggestions for future changes
This is where to lay out suggestions for how to make the project function better in the future. (NEED TO CONSULT WITH ENTIRE TEAM)
References
See Help:Footnotes for more. Template:Reflist