Alternative Energy as Power Source for Aquaculture Studies

Adam Freund, Amanda Mayette, and Matthew SeveyAdvisors: Michael “Mick” Peterson, Ph.D and Joe Zydlewski, Ph. D.Background

The Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) project was created to find an alternative energy solution to reliably power a fish tag detection system at a dam that is lacking AC power. The project directly affected the University of Maine Wildlife Ecology Department. For this reason, Dr. Joe Zydlewski, from that department, and Dr. Michael Peterson from the Mechanical Engineering Department teamed up to supervise the senior design group and its progress. RFID systems are used to detect and classify fish for long-term studies of populations. Studies are being performed at dams across Maine, and the lack of availability of electricity at some sites impedes the progress of biologists.

ObjectiveOur task was to design an alternative energy solution that would consistently power a tag detection system. The available options for a power source were:

• Wind • Water• Solar Energy

Specifications on Equipment:Three pieces of equipment were obtained for this project: a wind turbine, a hydro turbine, and a set of four solar panels. The Wildlife Ecology Department provided the group with the wind turbine and solar panels at no cost to the Mechanical Engineering Department. The hydro turbine was purchased brand new and the cost was split between the capstone funding and the Wildlife Ecology Department.

The wind turbine did not have any identifying markings, nor were any specifications provided. For this reason, testing the wind turbine was chosen as the experiment for the Mechanical Laboratory III class, in order to produce the missing power curves.

The four solar panels were Solarex MSX-60 panels. Specifications were provided to the group. Each panel has a maximum power rating of 60W. The voltage and current at the maximum power output is 17.1V and 3.5A respectively. The short-circuit current and open circuit voltage are listed as 3.8 A and 21.1V respectively.

The hydro turbine purchased was an Ampair UW100 water turbine. The data for the expected performance and power production was provided and is shown in Figure 4.

Power Source Decision:

Testing of Individual Sources:The wind turbine was tested with a variety of wind speeds in the wind tunnel in Crosby Hall Room 201 and its power output (determined from voltage, current, and resistance measurements) was found. Power curves for the turbine were produced and analyzed.

The experimental results and wind speed research for the area suggested that it was an unfit source for the project’s needs.

The solar panel backup was originally a single panel. The testing of this panel was performed at Witter Farm with the permission of Jake Dyer. In January, the group measured an open-circuit voltage of 21.4V and a short circuit current of 1.05A. The testing of four panels was performed at the Deer Pens located behind the Recreation Center on campus. The first attempt at acquiring information from this set up led the group to discover one of the fuses on the regulator was blown. The second attempt, using a different regulator, rated for a power of 360W, proved to be successful at keeping the batteries charged and the system running.

The last “tested” power source was the hydro turbine. The group ran into difficulties testing this source due to safety hazards around dams on nearby rivers and the low speeds of the tow tank. Once it was determined that even if the output matched the specifications given, the hydro turbine was inconvenient for installation and use at the dam, it was eliminated as a power source.

It is also important to note that in order to get a hydro turbine installed at a dam, it was necessary to iron out permitting regulations with the DEP. The final conclusion was that no permit would be required for this project’s installation.

Final Design for Installation:The final design consists of the four solar panels using to newly purchased regulator to charge a 24V battery bank. A wiring diagram for the system is shown below.

Future WorkThe system should be installed and running at the Dover-Foxcroft Dam by the end of May.

Acknowledgements

Figure 2: Ampair Hydro Turbine

Figure 1: Wind Turbine

Figure 6: Wind Turbine Power Output

RFID Tag Detection System

Special thanks to Dr. Michael Peterson, Dr. Joe Zydlewski, Jake Dyer (Witter Farm), Edward Hughes, Andy O’Malley, Doug Sigourney, Justin Poland and Murray Callaway.

Figure 3: Solarex Solar Panel

Figure 4: Power Curve

Figure 5: Wind in Maine

Figure 9: Input Regulator and System Wiring

Since water was a constant flowing resource in the area, it was initially chosen as the main power source. Due to reliability concerns and the difficulty of testing prior to installation, use of water power fell in favor of solar power.

The option decided on for this project was to use a bank of four solar panels to power the tag system. While the project did have access to a free wind turbine, in the end, this option was not chosen because wind power proved to be the least reliable power source of the three options, especially for the area of intended use. Evidence of this can be seen in Figure 5.

This graph shows that the water flow needs to be around 1m/s in order to begin power generation.

240W Solar Panel Array Consisting of Four Solarex

MSX-60 Panels

24V Battery Bank

RFID Tag Reader

24VDC

RFID Antenna

Modem

Morning Star ProStar PS-15 Controller, 24V,

15A

24VDC

8 to 40VDC