Power San Marin
Microgrid Design
Our task for this project was to design an electric microgrid to power San Marin High School. We worked with our team to deign the microgrid, to be as efficent as possible, while being in a reasonable price range. The idea an inspiration for this project came from our field trip to Stone Edge Farm in Sonoma. They are run on an electrical similar to the ones we designed. This information helped us gage what to expect during this project. Our group's project proposal is located in the slideshow at right.
Motor Disection
For this assignment we disected a motor and read an article to understand how motors work. In our paper we drew the different parts of the motor also.
Wind Turbine Design
Another portion of this unit leading up to the final project was to create a wind turbine. We were assigned to test this design and adjust it to create the most effective turbine possible
Content
- MIcro-grid: "a small network of electricity users with a local source of supply that is usually attached to a centralized national grid but is able to function independently."
- Electromagnet: "a soft metal core made into a magnet by the passage of electric current through a coil surrounding it."
- Turbine: "a machine for producing continuous power in which a wheel or rotor, typically fitted with vanes, is made to revolve by a fast-moving flow of water, steam, gas, air, or other fluid."
- Motor: "a machine, especially one powered by electricity or internal combustion, that supplies motive power for a vehicle or for some other device with moving parts."
Reflection
Overall, our group created a project that we were proud of and reflected our understanding of electric microgrids. One positive thing I did during this project is thorough research. When we were researching the different elements of our microgrid, I made sure all my information was accurate and that I had enough to create a fully informed presentation. Another thing that I did well during this project was I asked more questions. Throughout the process I continued to ask my teamates questions and answer any that they had.
All though the majority of the project went smoothly, it had some areas for improvement like all other things. One area I could have improved on was my leadership. I wasn't necessarily the voice of the group. I kind of took a step back and let someone else lead. It was nice not having to do everything, but I should have contributed some into the leading. Now I know how to find a happy medium. This leads into my second area of improvement. Normally time management isn't an issue, but in this project it was a little bit. Our group was a little behind because of distractions and talking. I should have taken that leadership opportunity to get the group back on track. All in all, I am proud of how our group worked and I am proud of our San Marin Microgrid Design.