technical paper

ENE3150 Final

Spring 2017

Professor Biers

1

This final examination is a technical report. It shall follow IEEE format. You will choose, research, and

design the power system of a house not connected to the main power grid that has an average power

usage of 3000 Watts and a peak power usage of 10,000 Watts. The power system shall include at least

two different technologies such as solar cells and a fuel cell, a wind turbine and a secondary battery, etc.

You can choose more than two if you desire. The power system choices to use shall be the following:

1. Secondary Batteries – Select a chemistry

2. Fuel Cells – Select a chemistry

3. Solar Cell Arrays

4. Wind Turbines

The power supplied by the system shall be:

• 120VAC at a max current of 60 amps.

• 220VAC with a max current of 20 amps.

• A maximum power output of 10,000 Watts. That can be divided between the two AC

voltages.

You do not have to design any circuitry. For example, you will need some circuitry that will convert

the DC output power from your system to the 120VAC and 220VAC. You will need some kind of

switching system that switches between your two different sources. Find actual products that will

do these functions. Write a 10 page, minimum, paper (written portion) on the power system. The

paper will include, and be graded on, the following information.

1. The detailed reasons for your power system choices, i.e. ‘I chose to use a Lithium Ion battery

storage system because…’, or ‘I chose a PEM fuel cell because...’. A reason of, ‘I chose these

systems because I had to write a paper about them…’ is not a valid reason.

2. General calculations on how many batteries, how big of a wind turbine, how many solar cells,

how many stacked fuel cells, etc. You can find systems that companies have for sale such as a

whole house fuel cell but you need to show the details and calculations of why that fuel cell or

battery system or solar cell will meet your needs and is large enough.

3. A detailed block diagram showing how your system would be connected together.

4. The advantages of the system you are designing.

5. The disadvantages of the system you are designing.

6. An estimated cost for your system detailed in a spreadsheet or table form. Don’t just pick

numbers out of the air. Have an estimated cost for each part of the system and how you came

up with the costs. If your costs came from systems for sale, show them. If your system is similar

to something for sale, detail how you came up with your costs.

ENE3150 Final

Spring 2017

Professor Biers

2

Your textbooks are a good reference source for the batteries and fuel cell chemistries. You can

research and find two systems that companies are selling and integrate them. You will need to

provide sufficient detail on the systems to show that they will do what you need them to do. Charts

and graphs are encouraged, but do not give me a report with a few paragraphs of information and 4

or 5 pages of charts, graphs and pictures. The visuals should add to the length of the report, not

bring it up to the 10 page length.

Use your imagination for this system. If you cannot find a component for sale by a company, design

your own. For example, you cannot find a fuel cell that is the correct size to supply your power. You

find that you can get 1 volt and 500mA out of one fuel cell. Your DC to AC inverter requires 50 Volts

at 10 amps to generate 120 Volts AC at 4.2 Amps (500 Watts) How many fuel cells would you have

to stack in series to generate 50V (50 fuel cells in series) and how many parallel stacks would you

need to meet the 10 amp current (20 parallel stacks of 50 cells)? The method of stacking the cells in

series and parallel is not part of the problem, just the amount of fuel cells required for that power

level is important. Now, that is probably not very practical but it shows me that you are thinking

about your requirements.

The report will be due at the official time of the ENE3150 Final during Finals Week.