1. By: Addison Duhon, Alex Lehocky, Elliot VanLandingham
1.4.1 Presentation
By: Addison Duhon, Alex Lehocky, Elliot VanLandingham

2. Hydrogen fuel cell research:
Research Summary
1.4 Project Research
The cost of electricity averages around 12 cents per kilowatt-hour in McKinney, Texas.
The average annual electricity consumption for a U.S. residential utility customer was 11,000 kWh, an average of 900 kilowatt-hours per month.
Solar Power Research
On average, McKinney, Texas has 10 hours of sunlight per day. However, there is only 5 peak hours of sunlight. To power 100% of a residential house, you will need a solar panel that will produce 6,000 Watts of power. The solar panel system needed to produce the 6000 Watts of electricity would cost anywhere from $7,400 to $11,000.
Hydrogen fuel cell research:
Max Voltage of the fuel cell is 1.23V (Also minimum voltage needed for decomposition of water in electrolysis.) Larger Voltages can be obtain by connecting in series. Due to internal resistance and inefficient diffusion of gas, the voltage is obtained is V DC.
LED Research:
Needs 1.4V to light up the Led would not go higher than 9V. Led at full brightness is at 4V. Power Supply at 7V using a 330 Ohm resistor during testing: Voltage across LED: 1.77V Amps with the LED: .007A

3. Research summary (continued)
Wind power Research:
Average wind speed in McKinney Texas is 10 mph.
On average, a typical American home would require a small turbine with a 5-kW generating capacity to meet all its electricity needs. A turbine of this size has a diameter of approximately 18 feet. The exact size needed to power a home, however, can range from 2 kW to 10 kW (12- to 25-foot diameter) based on a home’s energy use, average wind speeds, and the turbine’s height above ground.
The purchase and installation of a system large enough to power an entire home costs, on average, $30,000, but the price can range from $10,000 to $70,000 depending on system size, height, and installation expenses. The purchase and installation of very small (<1-kW) off-grid turbines generally cost $4,000 to $9,000, and a 100-kW turbine can cost $350,000.
A 5-kW turbine (average residential size, 18ft. rotor diameter) produces around 8,000 kWh per year in 12-mph average winds, which is about 100 percent of what an average U.S. home requires. At the larger end of the spectrum, a 100-kW turbine (60ft. diameter) in these conditions will generate around 200,000 kWh per year.

4. Design Brief: Client: John Q. Public Mckinney Tx
Designers: Alex Lehocky, Elliot VanLandingham, and Addison Duhon
Problem Statement: Consumer demands for reliable, usable, and low cost electrical energy. Must require electrical energy in different locations, times, and quantities depending upon application.
Design Statement: Design, model, and test a miniature power grid using vex(c) parts for the construction and different color Leds to represent the different electrical banks red and amber (Residential and Industrial respectfully). To power the Leds we can use a motor to represent a wind turbine, two hydrogen fuel cells, and 2 solar panels.
Constraints:
Simulate a 24 electrical energy demand cycle
2 solar cells, 2 fuel cells, and a Turbine
System dimensions do not exceed 22” by 15” by 18” high
Leds must be wired into 2 different electrical banks, Industrial and residential .
The Leds in the banks must be wired in series with a 330 ohm resistor.
Deliverables: Must Include a Title page, Research summary, Design brief, Brainstorming Sketches, Final Solution sketch, Modification Sketches, Prototype, Wiring Diagram, and References.

5. Brainstorming
Use the wind turbine and 2 hydrogen fuel cell to power the system.
Use 1 solar panel and the wind turbine to power the system.
Use the wind turbine, 2 solar panels, and 1 hydrogen fuel cell to power the system
Use 2 small wheels to drive a gear train that turns a motor.
Hook up the Led bank into series
24 Hour Electrical Energy Demand Scenario
Operational Time
Simulated duration
Environmental Conditions
Residential Demand
(Red LED)
Industrial Demand
(Amber-Yellow LED)
:00 PM – 6:00 AM
165 seconds
(2min 45sec)
Wind and darkness
Minimal
(Lit LEDs x 1)
(Lit LEDs x .5)
:00 AM – 4:00 PM
150 seconds
(2min 30sec)
Wind and sunlight
Maximum
(Lit LEDs x 3)
:00 PM – 7:00 PM
45 seconds
(Lit LEDs x 4.5)
(Lit LEDs x 2)

6. Brainstorming Sketches

7. Modification Sketch
The first sketch was hard to turn due to the location of the wheels, the size of the wheels, and only one person can work with it efficiently. In the second sketch we added a large wheel at the top to make it easier to turn, and also two people can operate it at once which can double our efficiently. One person can work the bottom wheels and the other person can work at the top wheel.

8. Final Solution Sketch
This was our final sketch that we use for the testing.

9. Prototype

10. Wiring Diagram
This was our first design for the electronics, but the system powered the motor instead of the Leds.
This was our final design, we just used the wind turbine because the hydrogen fuel cell and the solar panels powered the motor.
And this is what the final design looked like on the breadboard.

11. Reflections/ Final thoughts
Overall we found this project to be challenging toward the end when we started to build the machine and test it. One issue is was it was hard to turn the wind turbine. The second issue was it was very difficult to design the electronics because the hydrogen fuel cells and the solar panels tried to power the motor instead of the Leds. Our final design used just the motor and it did its job successfully by lighting up all of the 10 Leds. But our first test had a lot of brownouts because it was hard to grab the wheel that turned the motor. To solve our issue we added another bigger wheel to the top of the turbine which solved the problem. We wished we had diodes to help us during the project so it would direct the current in a certain direction, so the hydrogen fuel cells and solar panels wouldn’t power the motor.

12. References
The Fuel Cell. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2014, from
U.S. Energy Information Administration - EIA - Independent Statistics and Analysis. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2014, from