Electrae - Generating Energy from multiple Sources including Piezoelectric, Photovoltaic Materials and Low Flow/Head Hydropower to be Applied in a Multitude of Environments
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Abstract:
The purpose of Electrae (Generating Energy from a Multitude of Sources - Piezoelectric Materials, Low Flow HydroPower and Photovoltaic Cells) is to develop a device that uses multitude of energy sources through vehicle traffic, solar panels embedded in roadway and by a low flow/head water flow. This addresses Energy Poverty, a serious global issue with pollution. Over 3 billion people across the world do not have access to electricity. Those who do have access, rely on energy sourced from fossil fuels. In the US, renewable energy is used for <10% of energy consumption. This leads to high pollution with 5,271 million metric tons of CO₂ in the atmosphere. It is estimated the world will run out of fossil fuels by 2050. We need to find a cost effective, adaptable, and renewable energy source. This project explores the possibility of using a multitude sources, in one device. Multiple piezo prototypes were tested and Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) with mass was selected. For turbine selection, multiple 3D printed turbines were tested for ideal output in multiple flow conditions. Solar panels were tested in cloudy and full sun conditions - all these components were combined to produce 5 to 11 W. This device can be scaled for large operations, e.g. on roadways above the bridges, roads over stormwater etc. A small-scale version is portable and can be used to generate power on small scale - working as a nano-grid feeding into micro-grids. This can be used for calamity-impacted areas like Puerto Rico or Asia. |
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Project Accolades:
Electrae was presented at the American Junior Academy of Sciences and the American Academy for the Advancement of Sciences Annual Meeting. The research was selected for this honor through a rigorous process that included defending the research in front of other academicians, presenting the work to a committee and turning in a written paper. Electrae was then chosen as a Melvin Scholar and represented Ohio at this prestigious event
Electrae was invited to compete at the MOSTRATEC Brazilian International Science Fair and received the 3rd Place Award in both Electrical Engineering and in the International Students . In addition, Electrae was invited to present at other fairs in Latin America to share the applicability of this project.
Electrae also won the Gold Medal at the Genius Olympiad, was a finalist at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), and an ealrier iteration of Electrae was also selected as a finalist for the Discovery education 3M Young Scientist Challenge.
Electrae was presented at the American Junior Academy of Sciences and the American Academy for the Advancement of Sciences Annual Meeting. The research was selected for this honor through a rigorous process that included defending the research in front of other academicians, presenting the work to a committee and turning in a written paper. Electrae was then chosen as a Melvin Scholar and represented Ohio at this prestigious event
Electrae was invited to compete at the MOSTRATEC Brazilian International Science Fair and received the 3rd Place Award in both Electrical Engineering and in the International Students . In addition, Electrae was invited to present at other fairs in Latin America to share the applicability of this project.
Electrae also won the Gold Medal at the Genius Olympiad, was a finalist at the International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), and an ealrier iteration of Electrae was also selected as a finalist for the Discovery education 3M Young Scientist Challenge.
