Alternative EnergyWind and Bicycle Power

Choluteca, HondurasGroup Members: Robbie Schram, Justin Letts, Ben WeekesMay 23, 2013

Table of Contents• Wind Generator• Overview• Project Goals

• Bicycle Generator• Overview• Project Goals

• Implementation in Country• Project Summaries• Recommendations for Future• Acknowledgements

Wind Generator

Overview• Why?• Supply green sustainable energy to the vocational school• Supply electricity to storage container

• Charge tools• Power fluorescent lights

• Serve as a learning opportunity for students• Produce systems independently • Capabilities of “green” technology

• Avoid expensive power grid in Honduras

Overview• Last year’s team built a mostly working system• Completely wired to storage box• BUT the blades did not spin quick enough to reach 12V

• Tried a gearing system out of motorcycle parts to fix• Not enough time to perfect

• Once back in Columbus, new gearing system and motor sent• Some internal parts broke• Gearing system “persnickety” • Wind blade broke

Scope of Work• Purchase new motor • Design and construct new wind blades• Be able to connect blades to motor• Fully operational Wind Generator

Bicycle Generator

Overview• Why?• Multi-Purpose Generator: • Exercise• Educate school patrons and people at clinic of

maintenance/health and fitness• Alternative Energy• Human Powered• Environmentally Friendly• Charges phone batteries

• Bicycles are easily accessible• Replicable and Portable

Overview• 2012 initially built fully functional system• Alternator 1 – Burned out• Alternator 2 – Malfunctioned • Connection between bicycle wheel and alternator did not

work as intended • Drum-driven system

Scope of Work• Improve connection between bicycle and alternator• Deliver two working bicycle systems• Both using new alternators acquired and tested during class time• Belt driven system

• Build prototype in Columbus to test alternators• Safely secure electrical components• Design and construct project with extreme user in mind

Implementation in Country

Work Schedule

• Wind:• Tear down old windmill: 1 day• Install new motor and blades: 1 day• Trouble shooting: 2 days• Testing/Calculations/Instructions: 1 day

• Bike:• Modify and wire old bike stand: 1 day• Fabricate and wire second bike stand: 1 day• Trouble shooting: ½ day• Testing/Calculations/Instructions: ½ day

Monday May 6, 2013• Toured vocational school• Inspected old windmill motor and electrical components• Inspected second bike stand• Took down old motor and motor plate• Drilled new holes to mount bracket for new motor

Tuesday May 7th, 2013• Mounted new motor to wind armature• Assembled new blades to fly wheel and fit to motor• Raised pole, but it did not turn to face wind

• The new motor is quite heavier than old• Needed to push with pole to face wind• Countermeasure idea: to balance armature by adding weight

to tale, regrease pole

Wednesday May 8th, 2013• Modified old bike stand to accommodate new alternator and

belt design• Wired bike stand and alternator and wrote directions for use• Showed students at school how it worked and tested with

clock radio from one of the offices of the vocational school

Thursday May 9th, 2013• Balanced wind armature with scrap metal rails from the school• Regreased pole• Raised pole again, but windmill did not turn to face wind and

only produced 9V even in highest winds• Countermeasure proposal: bigger tail, cut out sections of fly

wheel to reduce drag as well as weight on shaft of motor

Friday May 10th, 2013• Fabricated second bike stand• Needed to accommodate for different wheel and belt size and

different model of alternator• Wired second bike stand and tested again with clock radio• Began cutting out large sections of fly wheel

Monday May 13th, 2013• Finished cutting out flywheel • Clamped on longer tail cut from sheet metal found at

vocational school• There was a break-in at the school and the 220V extension

chord was taken so we couldn’t weld the tail• Raised pole to test new fly wheel and tail• Turned to face wind easily and produced a top voltage of

17.5V

Tuesday May 14th, 2013• When arrived at school, windmill was turning to face wind just

fine without extra tail• Decided to add tail anyway to ensure windmill will turn in

even light winds• Instead, made tail smaller and rebalanced the armature• Painted tail and raised pole for last time

Wednesday May 15th, 2013• Spent day rewiring and soldering circuit board for windmill• Found diode was fried and searched for replacements in

Choluteca and had staff member search for one while he was in Tegucigalpa for the day, but could find no suitable diode

• While testing second bike setup, ran into problems with the belt wobbling and coming off

• Added pond liner to wheel to prevent wobbling

Bike Channel

Wind Summary • With modifications to fly wheel and tail, the wind generator

works perfect mechanically• While in Columbus, did not anticipate the need of a

replacement diode• Could not find an adequate diode in Choluteca or in

Tegucigalpa• Ordered a diode online and sent to next mission group going

to Choluteca (Leaving today, May 23rd) • Once installed, wind generator will be able to power

electronics in the storage container at the vocational school

Wind Cost Analysis Wind Price Location

Pre-Trip PVC Free ($200) Speer MechanicalPre-Trip Aluminum Plate $19 Stargate MetalsPre-Trip Pulley $21.80 eBay Pre-Trip Motor $198 eBay Pre-Trip Hardware $16.51 Lowe'sPre-Trip Rope $9.97 Lowe's

Post-Trip Diodes $49.34 Solaire's/Coleman Air

Honduras Locktite $6.23 Lowe'sPre-Trip Paint $11.98 ACE

Total Cost: With Free PVC $332.83

Including Price of PVC $532.83

Bike Summary• Finished project with two working bicycle stands• Adequately charge battery and power electronics as effectively as plugging

them into the wall• Larry decided to send one of the bike generators to a family in Siete de

Mayo to observe how the Hondurans use and take care of it• Second bike is currently at the vocational school, but we are unsure of

future location

Bike Cost Analysis Bike Price Location

Pre-Trip Alternators $202.43 All City Auto

Wrecking Inc./Woody's Auto

SalvagePre-Trip Threaded Rod/Hardware $20.51 Lowe'sPre-Trip Wood Free/Scrap OSU LabPre-Trip 1st Bike Free Roger DzwonczykPre-Trip Rechargeable Battery $19.95 Batteries PlusPre-Trip Inverter $32.01 Harbor FreightPre-Trip Toolboxes $12.76 Lowe's

Honduras Decking screws, hookup wire, hardware $83.28 Lowe's

Honduras 2nd Bike $35 Casa de Empenos la Union

Honduras Battery $25 WGMHonduras Bike and general $10.90 WGM

Total Cost: $441.84

Recommendations• Wind:• Research new blade material• Send wind speed sensor to vocational school• Wire up new diode• Exchange current wind battery for old solar panel battery

• Bike:• Move one of the bike stands to the clinic• Design and construct stand for front wheel of bikes• When buying bikes for futures stands using same design, ensure

rear wheel channel is wide

Acknowledgements • We would like to thank first and foremost Dr. Roger Dzwonczyk

and Miriam Cater, without whose wisdom and expertise we could not have completed our projects so successfully

• Special thanks to:• Larry and Angie Overhault• Vocational School Staff• Dr. John Merryl• Patrick Bosch• Professor Jeffrey Huston• World Gospel Mission