3-7-08

OEES/OEET 221 Cooperative Work Experience
Bruce McDowell
e-mail address and phone
Spring 2008

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Job assignments (names are in alphabetical order)

I'm dividing everyone up into teams, so that people on each team can develop a sense of ownership for their project. Of course, there will be times when you need to work on the other team's project, so as to speed things up.

We will be creating a Web site, with the main purpose of providing plans, tips, etc., for others throughout the world who are trying to do things similar to what we are doing.
Everyone
  • Wire up the stepper motor circuit that's on the L298 data sheet.
  • I want everyone to learn how to touch-type. (A highly important job skill.) Do five or ten minutes of typing practice each time you come in.  Directions.
  • Assemble the audio amplifier from the kit we bought.
  • Make meter leads using banana plugs we just got.
  • Do small chores to maintain the lab.
    • Plastic drawer organizing
    • Gather up tools and parts from benches
    • Check student drawers for tools
    • Check workstations for meter leads, etc.
    • Tidy up soldering bench
    • Work on a lab-organizing scheme
    • Tool organizing (wooden drawers, Greenlee cabinets, etc.)
    • Sweep up sawdust, etc.
    • Order parts
    • Solder wires onto parts
  • If you're not taking the motors class right now, learn about lead-acid batteries. (Both projects will be using them.) We'll be covering lead-acid batteries in the motors class, seeing as how they are often used in industry for emergency lighting, etc. A good place to start for learning about these batteries is wikipedia.org. 
  • Internet research, as listed below. This is a good fill-in activity when you're waiting for me or for something else. You don't have to confine yourself to things appropriate to your team.
  • Replace blown fuses for the remaining meters that haven't been checked yet. Ask me to show you where the fuses are. Write down size of fuses needed (but which we don't have).
  • Internet research as listed below.
  • Read about solar and wind power, etc.
 Solar Power Unit 2 Team
George & Linald
  • Paint the bare 2x4 crosspiece that the solar panel is attached to, so we can move the rack outdoors.
  • Cut foam, plywood, and 1x2's for internal compartments.
  • Build internal compartments.
  • Paint the system enclosure.
Additional jobs for George:
  • Finish servicing the meters in the lab.
Additional jobs for Linald:
  • Work on Temperature-Controlled AC-Device board.
 Wind Turbine Team
Gerald & Rick

My main job on this project will be simply to type in the credit card number when needed. Pretty much everything else is up to the two of you.
  • Read the following articles:
    • A Simple Charge Controller
      • (We'll be using the turbine to charge lead-acid batteries. Our present charge controller won't work for a wind turbine.)
  • Make a bill of materials for as many of the parts as you can at this stage.
  • Make purchase requisitions for things that need to be ordered.
  • Buy things that are available at Diamond G.
Additional jobs for Gerald:
  • Finish the software for the photovoltaic system.
 The Z Team (Zach)
  • Get TV working
  • Help other two teams

Articles needed from the Internet

Search engine tips
  • The default is to treat the words and phrases you type in as being ANDed. For example, if you type solar power in the search key box, you'll get a list of Web pages that contain the word solar somewhere and also the word power somewhere. Pages that have only the word solar, but not the word power will not be included. Likewise, those having the word power but not the word solar will not be included.
  • When you put quotes around a phrase, the search engine will only give you pages that have that exact phrase. For example,  if you type in "solar power" (with quotes around it), the search engine will only give you pages containing the phrase solar power. It won't give you pages having the word solar somewhere and the word power somewhere.
  • Don't be afraid to use Google's advanced search page. It's easy to use, and it gives you a lot more power to find what you want.
Once you find a good Web site, don't print out all the pages (unless there are only two or three). Instead, print out just the first page or two. Be sure the Web address is included on the printout (so we can get back to the Web site and print out more pages if we want).
System Sizing Calculations
We need information about how to calculate the watt hours or (amp hours) to be obtained by a stationary solar panel at a certain angle from horizontal. We especially need to know how to compensate for the sun's angle being very unfavorable in the morning and late afternoon.

Suggested search keys:
  • "solar power" "sizing calculations"
  • solar "sizing calculations"
  • photovoltaic "sizing calculations"
  • insolation
  • "insolation calculations"
  • "fixed solar panel" "watt hours"
  • "fixed solar panel" "amp hours"
  • solar "fixed panel" "watt hours"
  • solar "fixed panel" "amp hours"
  • solar stationary "watt hours"
  • solar stationary "amp hours"
  • photovoltaic "fixed panel" "watt hours"
  • "solar power calculations"
  • "photovoltaic calculations"
  • solar "effect of sun's angle"
 Electric gate opener
We're looking for something we or the welding students could build, with power coming from one of our solar power systems.

Suggested search keys:
  • "homemade electric gate opener"
  • "do it yourself" "gate opener"
  • "gate controller"
  • "build a" "gate opener"
  • "build your own" "gate opener"
  • welding "gate opener"
Lead Acid Batteries
We need the following:
  • Graphs showing the relationship between state of charge and voltage at various charging or discharging currents. ("State of charge" means "what percentage of the batteries energy remains.")
  • Use of lead acid batteries to store energy from photovoltaic power.
  • How to care for lead acid batteries, especially deep cycle batteries.
  • Safety precautions for lead acid batteries.
Suggested search keys:
Use phrase "lead acid" and one of the following:
  • "state of charge"
  • "deep cycle"
  • photovoltaic
  • "care of"
  • safety
 Wind Power (homemade)
Done:
Super-efficient refrigerator
Suggested search keys:
  • "living off the grid" refrigerator
  • "living off the grid" "super-efficient refrigerator"
  • "alternative energy" refrigerator
  • "alternative energy" "super-efficient refrigerator"
  • "solar living" refrigerator
  • "solar living" "super-efficient refrigerator"
  • conservation "super-efficient refrigerator"


Reference