Net-Zero Living Space Colony Style
This year's project was intended to be a massive culmination of the 3 years of work our students have done thanks to the support from Inside Education's A+ for Energy Grant. Amanda Green and I worked hard to develop a 2-phased approach to a project that would allow us to guide students to understanding overall energy needs, sources and optimization while still harnessing their enthusiasm for space!
Energy Offset Phase - Students at Michael Strembitsky School were tasked with leading the investigation into what the energy needs would be for a space settlement and how that energy could be provided using alternate means. This would allow students to understand how much energy is used in their everyday tasks and which sources would be the most viable for offsetting these needs.
Energy Optimization Phase - Students at Ecole Champs Vallee would spearhead the development of automated systems that could be used throughout their space settlements to efficiently and effectively use the limited energy supply they would have.
Both groups of students would be involved in collecting data and constructing various devices throughout the entire project.
ENTER COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS:
Due to the continuing challenges of our experiences with the Covid-19 pandemic, some aspects of our project had to be altered to ensure students could still have an engaging and educating experience with this project, while following all guidelines for Covid-19 restrictions in our respective school divisions.
Amanda was deployed to teach exclusively online in her division which meant she had to completely reconceptualize her "phase" of the project.
Julie had to determine how to carry out hands-on activities when materials could not be shared between classes and interactions within classes had to be minimal
We decided that Julie would use the Energy Offset Phase materials exclusively in her classes for this year to minimize the need for sharing. Amanda would focus on collecting enough materials for her distance learning students to be able program automated devices in the Energy Optimization Phase while at home. Julie's students would also code automated devices at school with materials acquired through previous grant projects.
Learning About Energy Needs:
In order to understand our energy needs for the project, students began brainstorming the different activities they use energy for here on Earth. Once they had this list, they used this as a jumping off point for determining essential activities that would be carried out by settlers on Mars.
Each group narrowed down their list to essentials that they could measure at school or home. They were provided with TrickleStar Energy Monitors to take home to measure the kWh different devices used.
Because our access to real-world data for a space settlement was limited, we were thankful to have Ross Lockwood, who participated in the HI-SEAS mission to provide us with some basic guidelines they used on their mission. Students were able to use this information, along with the data they'd collected to make an "energy budget".
At this point, all that was left to do for this stage was to finalize our Mars Settlement living spaces and assign spaces to groups so they could focus on their specific energy needs.
Thankfully, we were able to cohort materials to meet our Covid-19 guidelines for safety. Each group was given a bin of materials they - and only they - would use for the duration of the project. This helped to minimize shared surfaces.
Energy Sources on Mars:
Because fossil fuels will not be available to provide energy on Mars, we needed to find alternate sources that could reasonably be used on the Red Planet.
Students constructed microbial fuel cells using MudWatt MudCells and a mixture of Mars simulant and organic matter that they concocted using everything from manure to banana peels. Microbial fuel cells use electrons that are released through metabolic reactions by microbes in the dirt. A special anode and cathode are layered in the cell and a circuit board and capacitor concentrate the charge so an LED can blink. A special app allowed students to measure the output of their fuel cells in microwatts.
Each group was also provided with small wind turbines and two sizes of solar panels so they could measure how different circumstances would impact current and voltage. They were able to calculate power outputs in direct sunlight vs shade, different angles and different sized panels. We used a fan for the wind turbines but students were careful to consider that wind speed on Mars is much lower - an anemometer was helpful for this.
With the information gathered, students discussed reasonable devices that could be powered using these sources of energy and compared to commercially available solar cells and wind turbines.
As discussions progressed about energy generation, the group in charge of the "Mars Gym" asked if they would be able to consider electricity that could be generated by an exercise bike. They had even researched how it could potentially be done, which meant we ended up taking apart a school stationary bike to see if we could make a bike powered charger! This also ended up being the inspiration for an upcoming A+ for Energy Project - stay tuned!
Learning from Experts:
Dr. Jillian Buriak from the University of Alberta spoke with students about her work in Solar Nanotechnology and how solar panels are produced. She also shared valuable information regarding costs per kWh of electricity for thermal, solar and wind generation.
Dr. Steven Bergens from the University of Alberta discussed energy necessities for life on Mars. He also spoke about his Carbon Capture experiments and gave a basic explanation about how the MOXIE reaction occurs to generate breathable oxygen from Mars' carbon dioxide rich atmosphere.
Valerie Miller from University of Alberta Future Energy Systems talked with both groups about her expertise in Land Reclamation. Students learned the essential components of this process and were able to connect it to how they might "make" the land on Mars more useful for human settlement.
Compiling Offset Information:
After measuring power outputs from solar panels, mini-wind turbines and their own microbial fuel cells, students conducted research to determine large scale outputs for comparison. It was especially important that students attempted to adjust for milder wind (due to Mars' thinner atmosphere) and lower solar energy (due to distance from the Sun & atmospheric dust) when making their comparisons.
Energy offset information was compiled for each living space and students created infographics to explain how energy will be provided for all required activities on Mars.
Using Our Limited Energy - Optimization Through Automation
The final piece of the puzzle was for students to determine which activities in each living space could optimize energy use through automation of devices. Students brainstormed various possibilities based on the functional space and the accessories that were available to us. Each group narrowed down their possibilities to two automated sense and response systems and set about designing, coding & constructing prototype devices using Micro::bits.
Students had to explain their code and include a write up about how this particular device would help to conserve energy on Mars. They also included proper circuit diagrams, an explanation of energy transformations throughout the system and finally, an explanation about how similar devices could help conserve energy here on Earth.
Examples of devices included:
CO2 Monitoring Systems
Automated Watering Systems
Automated Lighting based on ambient light and/or movement
Automated Heating and Cooling Systems
Automated pH measurements for hydroponics
Automated timed shower
Temperature warning systems
Final Reflection
Few projects that I have been a part of have required the level of problem solving and flexibility that this one has. From moving between in person and online multiple times throughout the year, to cohorting materials and following mandatory safety guidelines, we all had to do our best in very interesting situations.
In the end, I could not be more proud of the work we were able to do and the resiliency of my students. Despite all of the challenges and disruptions, they did not give up and many times they helped in the problem solving when life threw us a curveball.
This project was a shining oasis in the middle of a stormy time and I am so grateful to Inside Education and all funding partners for helping me bring this experience to my students.