the power of urine pdf

8/10/2019 The Power of Urine PDF

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The Power of Urine 2

The Power of Urine

Prepared by:

Megan Bringham, Mike Byrne, Heidi Cox, Ruben Esparza, Kevin Kerlan,

Tommy Ondrasek, Junji Otsuka, Luis Torres, Kathy Tran,

Adrian Uribe, Michael Woldezghi, & Xingjian Zhou

Faculty Advisor:

Glynn FalconAviation and Technology Department

San Jose State University: College of Engineering

Source: www.rsc.org


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1. Executive Summary

The energy required to keep an airport operating has always been at the forefront of cost-

benefit analyses. With the price of fuel continuing to rise, few options are left for airport

managers to help curb the costs associated with operating at maximum efficiency, while still

providing an invaluable service to the public. It is the aim of our team, Urine Power Energy

Research (UPER), to help curtail such trends by providing an alternative to on-site electrical

power production by the use of a well-known substance human urine.

UPERs proposal stems from extensive research conducted through a thorough review of

available peer-reviewed articles, collegiate studies, websites, as well as personal interviews with professionals in the fields of aviation and engineering. The information that we obtained from

these sources was crucial to understanding how best to design a system that is safe, reliable, and

efficient.

What is outlined in this proposal is only representative of a very specific example at a

local airport, Mineta San Jose International (SJC). However, the potential implications of this

system are extensive, providing a sustainable solution to a problem experienced by virtually

every airport worldwide in some facet. There are many forms of sustainable energy: solar, wind,

and tidal, to name a few, but only urine-sourced electricity production gives an airport the ability

to re-use a waste product and turn it into something productive for decades to come. As will be

presented, there have been many studies done to support such a claim, as well as ongoing

research that continues to improve the capabilities of wastewater technology.


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14. Conclusion ... Page 27

15. Appendices A-G

A. Appendix A. ... Page 29

a. Complete List of Contact Information for Advisor(s) and Team Members

B. Appendix B. Page 31

a. Description of San Jose State University

C. Appendix C... . Page 34

a. Description of Non-University Partners

b.

Technical Aspects and Expert Interactions

D. Appendix D.......... .............................................. Page 36

a. Sign-Off Form from Faculty Advisor(s)

E. Appendix E . Page 37

a. Team Member Assessments

F. Appendix F.. . Page 53

a. References

G. Appendix G Page 58

a. List of Safety Regulations

b. OSHA Regulation Standards


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2. Problem Statement and Background

A key problem related to airport power is that energy can be expensive. Alternative

energy sources are of major importance at airports, as Going Green initiatives become better

well recognized and understood. With the use of Urine Power Energy Research (UPER) design,

it will provide airports with an alternative energy source, and can also be utilized as an

emergency energy resource, such as maintaining the charge on backup batteries. The price of

energy is exuberant, and every dollar saved puts the airport in a better economic state. As time

and technology permits, UPERs design can be modified for uses of an increased amount of

alternative energy for the airport, such as runway lighting. UPERs design of the urine -poweredgenerator will support airports by providing a reliable alternative energy source, compatible with

energy needs at any location on the airport.


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3. Introduction

Our team, Urine Power Energy Research (UPER), decided to research the feasibility of

utilizing urine to generate electrical power for usage on an airport. Speaking with various subject

matter experts (SMEs), the team concluded that the most logical option (locally) was to supply

this energy to electric vehicle charging stations used for certain pieces of ground support

equipment (GSE), specifically at San Jose International Airport (SJC). The team members of the

UPER design project researched the different methods of converting human urine into a usable,

efficient, and a sustainable power source. Upon completion, the Team determined that microbial

fuel cells (MFCs) provided a suitable balance of power-producing capability while also reducingthe cost of energy. MFCs will be an environmentally-friendly method of producing electricity,

and will also help SJC save on water usage in the flushing process.

This report will review the processes involved in MFC electricity production, a cost-

benefit analysis, advantages and disadvantages, interactions with industry professionals, a safety

risk assessment, as well as projected impacts on the environment and work place. With raising

energy costs, the utilization of urine for electricity generation will help enhance an airports

ability to maintain or reduce its energy costs while reducing its carbon footprint.

4. Summary of Literature Review

Many sources of information were utilized while developing this project. The core of the

research came mainly from journal articles explaining studies of MFCs that have been done and

that are currently being performed. These studies were supplemented by scholarly journals,

books, websites, and news reports, which gave information on the type of equipment that would

be receiving the electrical power. In addition, research was done on construction and operating


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costs, as well as the cost of electricity. Lastly, the team consulted with several industry experts,

who gave us valuable information and knowledge to add to our research paper.

5. UPERs Problem Solving Approach

There are many hazards when handling urine and it is important to evaluate each hazard

separately until a full and complete understanding is established. Urine is considered a bio-

hazard, which means there are many safety precautions that are required when handling such

materials. Some factors our team considered when researching our design project was to analyze

the safety and risk factors associated with the design. The major risks associated were the use ofhuman urine and the handling of electrical equipment. Our team carefully chose equipment that

would eliminate human contact to any hazardous sections of the design, such as the urine. Any

problems that arose during the design process were quickly eliminated by finding solutions that

would carefully consider all risks involved.

Our team spoke with many experts in the professional field in areas such as electrical,

sewage, and airport operations and gained valuable information concerning our design and its

associated risks. We specifically spoke with Curt Eikerman from the operations department at

San Jose International Airport in which he guided us through our design and what electrical

components pertaining to our design would efficiently function on various areas of the airport.

With the help of Mr. Eikerman, our team determined the best and most efficient vicinity of the

airport to use our design based on the electrical components available to us. Other team members

spoke with employees at a sewage facility to gain further knowledge of what to expect when

handling bio-hazards such as urine. Our team also spoke with Dr. Shahab Ardalan, a professor in

the Engineering department at SJSU, who provided us with information regarding the urine


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generator proposal. Dr. Ardalan had previously performed his own research pertaining to a urine-

powered generator, but in a slightly different manner than our projected design. Furthermore, Dr.

Ardalan was able to contribute his help as much as possible to the extent of what his previous

research had pertained to our design. A great deal of the problems associated with our design

project were resolved, thanks to the help of those in the professional field.

The UPER design team also held many meetings to ensure everyone was staying focused

with their assigned topics. Each team member was paired up with at least one other team

member and was assigned a specific section of the paper to research. This ensured no one was

working alone and always had that extra help to answer questions if needed. Weekly progressreports also became a requirement, in order to follow up with each meeting. This ensured our

team was staying on time with the FAA Design Competition due dates. By utilizing Facebook,

Skype, and face-to-face time, our team was able to stay consistent with our meetings and

successfully completed the design to the best of our abilities.

6. System Operation

MFCs offer a way to improve an airports electrical infrastructure with no environmental

impact. The UPER design team discussed many sources of electricity production such as wind,

wave, or solar power, but instead our team used an alternative that has been getting much less

attention biomass. To be more specific, the team proposed to use a constant supply of urine,

from the urinals, to be converted into electricity using devices called microbial fuel cells

(MFCs).

The MFC is a re-circulating system consisting of three separate containers. On either side

of the apparatus are reservoirs to hold the two liquids to be utilized: urine and water. In the


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center, there is another container, made of acrylic. This center section is divided in half with a

carbon veil electrode placed inside each compartment, called the cathode and anode chambers.

The cathode and anode chambers are split in two by a cation ( pronounced CAT -ion ) exchange

membrane. Additionally, there are two pumps connected to the sides of each chamber to transfer

the liquids from the reservoir into the individual chambers.

The MFC is separated into two sections, the aerobic and anaerobic side. The aerobic side

is positively charged and oxygenated, while the anaerobic side has zero oxygen and is negatively

charged, allowing the electrode, placed in the anaerobic side, to attract electrons from the

bacteria in the urine. The membrane that separates the two sections prevents the oxygen fromseeping from the aerobic chamber to the anaerobic chamber. However, it does allow the

positively-charged hydrogen, which is food for the bacteria, to travel from one side of the

membrane to the other.

Source: www.engr.psu.edu


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Bacteria are introduced into the MFCs to act as catalysts. Once this is added and all the

substances combine properly it provides energy that can be harnessed. Bacteria also need an

energy source to stay alive, which the bacteria receive from the organic compounds present in

urine. From here, a series of oxidation-reduction (redox) reactions take place, which is simply a

chemical reaction in which a transfer of one or more electrons exists (Zumdahl & Zumdahl,

2007). The energy sequence (or cycle) is oxidation, which involves extracting electrons from the

organic matter. Bacteria would normally gain energy from the electrons that are expelled, though

the microbial fuel cell disrupts this process by means of a mediator molecule. This disruption

moves the electrons from the cathode to the anode (Mercer, 2010). The reduction reaction thatfollows requires having something in place that will accept those free electrons. For this to work

properly, the bacteria must be grown in an oxygen free environment (the anaerobic side). Once

this criterion is satisfied, the bacteria can then transfer electrons to the anode (a carbon electrode)

in the anaerobic cell. The next step is crucial to the process the free electrons then move from

the anode to the cathode, passing through a power-supplied device along the way. This device

can be anything from a light bulb to a resistor, though our group has chosen electrical charging

stations to serve this purpose. This movement of electrons is one example of electrical current

(Serway & Vuille, 2009), which also produces a voltage, and usable electricity is the result. Once

the current from the electron movement is harnessed, the electrons continue-on to the cathode,

where they join with oxygen and protons to form water (Logan, 2007).

The overall system will be gravity-fed, transferring urine from the toilets to the reservoir.

Once the urine and water have been processed in the MFCs, any remaining waste (from

electricity generation) will be flushed out of the system every three days with fresh urine and

water. This will be done by a preprogrammed timer that opens a valve to release the waste fluids


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from the bottom of the reservoirs. Once this is completed, the contents will be drained directly

into the existing sewage system.

In an article from Penn State University discussing key facts about MFCs, it was stated

that their lab was able to reach power levels of up to 1.5 W/m 2 on the surface area of electrodes

using the replenishment method outlined in this proposal. However, if a continuous-flow method

is utilized instead, the power output increases to as much as 15.5 W/m 3 (Logan, 2007). In another

study published in 2012 by Ioannis Ieropoulos, John Greenman, and Chris Melhuish, it was

found that it took the energy levels, of their MFC, one full day before peaking, and then would

plateau for an average of three days. The peak value of energy was 8 mA/m2

0.5. The studyused a 25 ml anode and cathode chamber. UPERs design will have a similar setup, except there

will be five MFCs hooked in series to produce an average energy output of 40 mA/m 2. The

MFCs will be connected to the two large reservoirs that will supply the liquids to all anode and

cathode chambers. This energy will be enough to slowly charge the battery to full capacity over a

24-hour time period.

7. Application of Charging Stations

In recent years, many airports have started to turn to alternative energy sources.

According to an ABC News article, Airports Go Green with Eco -Friendly Efforts, Boston

Logan International Airport added twenty tiny wind turbines to reduce the electric costs and help

the environment. At SJC, they use solar panels and EVs to reduce the amount of energy

consumption and pollution. Many airlines, like Southwest Airlines, now have their own electric

vehicles (EVs) located at their serviced airports to help with the daily operations.


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To get some answers, we met with Curt Eikerman, an Operations Manager for the airport

operations at Mineta San Jose International Airport (SJC). He advised that the airport also has

several city electric vehicles and their own designated charging station areas. According to Mr.

Eikerman, the city uses these electri c vehicles to transport personnel and equipment on the non -

movement areas of the airport. Installation of MFCs to one of the charging station already in

use at the airport may be able to reduce the daily cost of using the electric vehicles.

According to SJCs Master Plan Update Project, SJC introduced fifteen electric

vehicles into the Airport Operation and Maintenance vehicle fleet, in 2000 (2011, p. 27). After

inquiring some more with Mr. Eikerman, we discovered the main type of EV the airport uses is

the Taylor-Dunn ET 3000. These vehicles have a 48 volt drive train and a single charge that

allows it to drive for roughly 30 miles.

Source: www.flysanjose.com


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Below is the battery and powertrain information, for this EV model, from the Taylor-Dunn

website.

Powertrain BatteryType: EletricPower: 110/220V, 50 HzTransmission: Transaxle assembly, SealedHelical Gear Primary Reduction to HypoidRing and Pinion GearsController: SEM

Type: Eight 6V, 250 amp hour (lead acid)System Voltage: 48Charger: Built-in

In order to calculate the cost to charge this EV, an understanding of volts, amps, and

wattage must be obtained. Upon speaking with Shahab Ardalan, an Assistant Professor in the

SJSU Electrical Engineering department, and Rodney Maciel, an Instructional Support

Technician at SJSU, we were able to gain better insight on the subject. The ET 3000 can be

plugged into any outlet that produces 110 to 220 volts. The lower the voltage being produced

from the outlet, the longer it will take to charge the EV. The battery type states that it has 250AH

(amp hour). This means that after one hour of use, the battery is still holding 250 amps, assuming

the battery was fully charged before use. The systems voltage is 48V, which will need to be

multiplied with amps, in order to obtain the wattage.

7.1 Monthly Cost of Generated Power

Based on all of the information found, the team was able to obtain an approximate

monthly cost to generate the power for one EV. The equation below is necessary to find the

wattage. Once the wattage was found, it can plug that number into a separate equation to

determine the monthly cost.


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Watts = Amps * Volts

Amps = amperage used for EV at SJC is 12 amps.Volts = the battery voltage used at SJC airports is 48V.

W = 12 amps x 48 volts = 768 Watts.

Under Specification: Nominal capacity of 20-hr. charge is 12.50Amps

7.2 Average Cost per Month to Charge the ET-3000

To find the average number of days in a month, take 365 days and divide by 12 months.

This will give an average of 30 days in a month. The average time it takes to fully charge a

drained 6V 250 amp battery is about 20 hours (ecoDIRECT). If a single EV needs to be fully

charged every day, then it will take 600 hours a month to charge the ET 3000. According to

Energy Information Administration, California s Electric Industry Average Revenue cost ranges

from 11.22-34.87 cents. Thus, in this case, the cost of each kilowatt is 11.22 cents. This

information can be plugged into a simple equation to find the cost per month.

Watt/month = Watts * Hours * Cost kWh = Cost per month

or

Watt = Cost

In order to convert from watt to kilowatt, the equation must be divided by 1000.

kWh/month = (768*600*.1122)/1000 = $51.70 per month

kWh/year = $620.42

kWh/day = $1.72


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The calculation on the previous page describes the electrical bills for each Taylor Dunn

ET-3000. The electrical bill is $52 per month for each EV and with the installation of trickle

battery to the charging stations, it can reduce the cost by $6.46.

The price of MFC kits has fallen to an affordable range, which is favorable for the

industry. The restroom toilets are changing to waterless toilets, also known as no-mix toilets,

which can separate waste and urine for only $599 per toilet. With these toilets installed at the San

Jose International airport, it can save $77.52 for each toilet on a yearly basis. Thus, the UPER

team highly recommends for SJC to implement reusable energy to reduce monthly cost.

8. Safety Assessment

Safety is an important factor in a waste management system that deals with electricity

and hazardous waste within the premises of an airport. Problems that arise within a waste

treatment facility at an airport can extend to the passengers and employees. Employees face the

ultimate challenge with safety risks during maintenance and operations at waste treatment

facilities. Common issues that affect the safety of surrounding areas within a waste facility are

risks in keeping the operation functional: electrical hazards, containing foul smells released from

sanitation, airborne diseases from sitting water-waste, and the attraction of wildlife. Considering

thousands of passengers utilize the San Jose International airport, occupational hazards are an

important factor in maintaining legal liability from operating a waste treatment facility within an

airport.

California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is a federal agency of

the United States that regulates workplace safety and health. Our team has attached Appendix G,

which contains a list of safety precautions presented by CAL-OSHA and require any operation

working under hazardous work conditions to abide by these regulations. A waste treatment


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facility in compliance with federal CAL-OSHA regulations must ensure the safety of work

places that undergo challenges at an airport in order to keep the environment safe. More

information regarding the safety standards and OSHA regulation standards can be found in

Appendix G.

9. Risk Assessment

The purpose of the risk analysis is to measure and assess risks associated with the project,

with the ultimate goal of managing and reducing such risks. According to the FAAs policy on

safety risk management, all changes to aviation related procedures, aircraft, or airportinfrastructure require a thorough safety and risk analysis. Therefore, the teams objective is to

follow the pro cedures described in the FAAs Safety Management System Manual (2004) to

evaluate the project as to its safety and risks. The risk assessment is presented in the following

phases: describe the system, identify the hazards, analyze risk, assess risk, and treat risk. After

evaluating the project, the team found that there is a risk associated with the project, which is

that hydrogen gas is flammable when mixed with oxygen at a certain temperature and pressure.

9.1 Required Steps to Analyze Risks Involved in UPERs Design

I. Describe the system

The function of the microbial fuel cell urine power system is to convert chemical energy

to electrical energy by the catalytic reaction of microorganisms. In the reaction, hydrogen ions

will be produced from the water reservoir.


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II. Identify the Hazards

Hydrogen ions are different from hydrogen gas. Hydrogen ions are not flammable, but

one should be prepared in case some hydrogen gas is produced. Although the frequency of this

occurring is extremely low, the team needs to assume and to conduct some risk assessments to

ensure the safety of the whole system. As we have learned from our chemistry course, hydrogen

gas is highly flammable when mixed with oxygen at a certain temperature; therefore, the

microbial fuel cell urine power system must be well designed in order to prevent hydrogen gas

from explosion in the case that a small amount of hydrogen gas is produced.

III. Analyze Risk

To analyze the risk, we first estimated the probability that the problem will occur by assigning

an expectation number between 1 (low) and 10 (high) to the problem. In this case, we estimated

the probability that the hydrogen will explode is 5. Second, we estimate the severity of the

problems impact by assigning a number between 1 (low impact) and 10 (high impact) to the

problem. In this case, the number assigned to the severity of hydrogen gas explosion is 10 since

its extremely dangerous when it happens.

IV. Access Risk

To access the risks, multiply the expectation number by the impact numbers to produce the

measure of severity for the problem. Multiply 5 by 10, to find the severity to be 50. After

consider ing our cut -off point of 25 in the severity ratings, our group determined that any

severity above 25 needs treatment.


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In this case, the severity of the risk is higher than 25; therefore, our team will need to develop

a plan to treat the risk.

Risk / Problems Measurement Analysis

Hydrogen Gas(Flammable)

Expectation: 5Impact: 10

Severity: 50

Above the cut-off point Needs treatment

V. Treat Risk

To avoid this risk, our team proposed to set up a one-way safety valve in the Microbial

Fuel Cell system. A safety value will automatically release a substance from a system when the

pressure or temperature exceeds preset limits. In the UPER design project, hydrogen gas will be

automatically released into the atmosphere from the system when the pressure or temperature

exceeds the preset limit. This way, hydrogen gas will be prevented from explosion due to the

extreme compression from excess pressure.

10. Electric Battery Storage and Use

We found that the system will be able to create one amp with 345 separate MFC units.

One amp is the necessary power to produce because it is the minimum amount of current needed

to charge a battery. The amount of time the battery will have to charge depends on the capacity

of the battery, which is normally specified in amps per hour (V. Uribe, Personal Communication,

March 18, 2013). The anode and cathode of the MFC connects to the anode and cathode of the

battery. A Vmax 125 AGM Deep Cycle 12v 125-amp hour SLA rechargeable battery shall be

used for this process.


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Charging a battery at 2 amps will take close to 24 hours to completely charge such battery. It is

possible to charge a battery faster by increasing the amount of MFCs or the capacity of the

MFCs (Serway, 2012).

As we can see, this system can be made possible. Having 345 MFCs can produce 2 amps

per hour which can charge the Vmax battery in 24 hours (R. Hernandez, Personal

Communication, March 20, 2013). Even during a blackout, it can be possible to charge various

EV by attaching a DC to AC converter to the battery. Other electronic applications, such as

emergency flash lights, can be charged by this system as well.

11. Cost Analysis

One of the most crucial steps in the project was to perform an accurate cost-benefit

analysis. The cost on the project would vary tremendously based on the incorporated technology.

Including of the MFCs at new construction sites would differ from integrating it into a current

layout of an already existing airport. Adding the technology to a new site under current

construction would be the simpler of the two options, but the design team decided to incorporate

the project into an existing airport to prove its practicality and ease of implementation.

11.1 Cost of MFCs

After the initial research on renewable energy via human urine, the team was very

excited. Not only was the idea feasible, but it had already been accomplished by a few young

women in high-school in Nigeria (Roach, 2012). The Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) system consists

of materials that are abundant and easy to find; thus, making the technology itself very


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inexpensive to attain, operate, and even replenish. The MFCs could be the next big source of

renewable energy considering their cost efficiency and environmental friendliness.

Simple MFC kits are sold on the Internet for various purposes for as low as $45, such as

the MudWatt Microbial Fuel Cell Kit (Keego Technologies, 2013). However, the MFCs needed

for the function of powering the batteries in this project would be approximately $80 in value.

The group concluded that the Urine Power project needs approximately five MFC units to

produce sufficient electrical energy for each battery.

The following is an estimation of the amount of energy the MFC will provide:

Price of MFC = $80

MFCs needed to provide enough energy = 5

80*5 = $400

11.2 Cost of Toilets

Initially, the team was a bit set back and unsure of how the separation of urine from the

rest of the human waste would be achieved. However, several companies that sell no -mix

toilets (Roediger NoMix) and waterless toilets (Separett). The NoMix technology helps to save

water and increases the flexibility of the entire wastewater management system. (Novaquatis,

2007). Other concepts such as waterless toilets are greatly beneficial in this project also

considering the main constituent for the MFCs to operate is urine. Separett, a company that

specializes in waterl ess toilets (but also sell urine separating toilets) claims that they are

contributing to a 'green' and sustainable environment for present and future generations (Eco

Services Group, 2011). However, in this project, the NoMix toilets will be the ones applied.


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With the phrase Going Green being such a modern idea , this project can easily tap into

the notion with MFCs and the assistance of these innovative toilets. Merchants are selling these

toilets and similar products at prices ranging anywhere from $120-$500. Like all other products,

quality is directly proportional to price, but the following specification comparison between

different toilets will be included in the cost analysis for a forthcoming glance.

Toilets Roediger NoMix Separett Torp-Isak Convention Toilets

Price $120-$599 $889-$1300$304(Price taken for KohlerK-3837 Devonshire)

Water Usage 1-2 Gallons None 3-5 Gallons

AdvantagesReduces the amount ofnitrogen and phosphorousentering sewage

Water and Sewagesystem not needed

Already present in most buildings

11.3 Cost of Storage

Several storage ideas such as capacitors and water generators were considered for storing

the electrical energy that the system would produce. Initially, capacitors were a reasonable

choice, but load capacity and storage time limitations made capacitors an unfeasible choice for

our design. The largest capacitors that were available were not large enough to hold the energy

produced. As a result, batteries appeared to be the most efficient solution for energy storage.

The group also looked into a trickle charging technique. A trickle charge technique gives

an electric charge that is supplied to the storage battery of choice at a continuous low rate. It

would keep the battery fully charged and allow for long term storage. Thus, being more

resourceful and efficient. The cost of one Vmax Change Tank is priced at around $265. A


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calculation of an approximate monthly cost to generate the power for one battery is provided

below.

Watts = Amps * Volts Amps = amperage used for electric vehicles at SJC which range from 12-20, so we

assumed 12 amps Volts = the battery voltage used at SJC airports which range from 48- 80. We assumed 48

volts.

W = 12 amps x 48 volts = 576 Watts.

Eleven hours of charge per day during an average month, provides an approximate usage of 330

hours per month. The wattage and hours used monthly is then multiplied by the cost of kWh per

month to get a final cost of kWh/day.

kWh/month = 576*330*.09/1000 = $17.11 per month.kWh/year =$205.32

kWh/day = $0.56

The cost analysis provides a rough estimate of the cost and savings of this project. There

may be some set-backs in construction, as with any project, but the savings will by far exceed the

expenditure. Not only is the cost user-friendly, the concept that it entails about green energy and

renewable energy is a great factor.


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12. Toilets

Restrooms are very important in airports. This century is all about the best technology the

world has to offer including the common notion of Going Green. Toilets, which are used

worldwide, are also taking on this going green initiative by creating a functional and hygienic

way of separating and collecting urine for other uses. Many of these separating toilets are utilized

for wastewater recycling. Wastewater recycling is becoming ever more evident, especially for

uses on plants and gardens. The biggest movement to come across the world is wastewater for

power.

Researchers at Ohio University and at the University of the West England in Bristol have

designed a method to utilize urine to help our environment and our wallets electrical energy.

Experts in Singapore have successfully researched the application of urine to create energy,

which was then applied to things such as batteries and other small devices. The team decided that

utilizing this design would be useful if implemented in the aviation field, something not yet

Source: www.fujitaresearch.com


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accomplished. Urine has similar chemical components of water, in that urine also has a high

concentration of hydrogen, which can be used to generate the power. With the amount of

passengers traveling through the airport, there will be more than enough urine to supply the

required amounts needed for the design. What once has been utilized as waste, can be used to

create substantial electrical energy.

12.1 About the Toilets

The toilets to be utilized for the

design will be supplied by Novaquatis. Novaquatis is an environmentally

concerned company, and have been in

operation since 2000. Their goals for the

company are to improve water pollution

control by reducing inputs of nutrients and

micropollutants, and to close nutrient

cycles. These toilets function just as any typical household/public toilet, except only half of the

toilet is flushable. The front section of the toilet bowl allows for the collection of urine, without

contamination of feces, while the back section of the bowl allows feces to be collected and

flushed to the sewers. The flushable section allows for any typical items, such as womens

toiletries and toilet paper, to still be flushed without the worry of blocking or clogging pipes.

With the idea in place that waterless toilets and urinals have an unpleasant odor (Yon,

2009), the half waterless-flushable toilets eliminate this problem. These toilets are also eco-

friendly in that they do not use as much water during the flushing process, being that only half

Source: www.treehugger.com


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the toilet flushes. Airports will save money on this alone, but also will save on electricity by

utilizing the collected urine to generate power.

13. Difficulty in Implementation

Several challenges arose while trying to find a way to implement this system into an

airport. The process of completing the UPERs design project will require some construction

within the airport facility, both interior and exterior. A few main difficulties in the

implementation of UPERs design are with the construction and modification of the current

restroom facilities, building a housing unit specifically for the MFCs, and extending the sewagesystem for disposing the waste coming out of the UPER design project. The current toilets will

need to be rep/laced with eco-flush toilets. Construction for the replacement of the toilets will

take two to three months (Luis Contreras, Personal Communication, April 4, 2013). Building a

housing unit for the MFCs and making changes to the sewage system can take about three to four

months (Luis Contreras, Personal Communication, April 4, 2013). In addition, the UPER design

project would require personnel to be properly trained. These personnel must know how to

properly and safely handle the biohazards of urine and the fire hazards involved when dealing

with hydrogen.

14. Conclusion

The process of converting urine into electrical power is possible. Our team, UPER, has

designed a basic system that can help make an airport more energy efficient and environmentally

friendly by converting urine into energy through the use of microbial fuel cells. This energy is

stored in batteries for future use. Connecting the battery to a DC to AC converter and then to an


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outlet, makes this a useful back up system for any airport because it gives airport officials the

flexibility to charge a variety of electrical applications such as electric vehicles or emergency

flashlights in a power outage scenario. Boeing predicts that passenger traffic will increase 5%

annually around the world over the next 20 years (Boeing Aircraft Company) making airports

like San Jose Mineta International Airport an ideal launching pad for our design. Countries

around the world are taking notice on the benefits urine holds. Several research institutions and

universities, such as Singapores Institute of Bioengineering, Nanotechnology, and Penn State

University, are pouring millions of dollars into research to advance this innovative power source.

Urine has the potential to become mankinds main source of energy. Innovative designs such asUPERs can pave the way to a greener tomorrow.


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A. Appendix AList of Contact Information for Advisor(s) and Team Members

Faculty Advisor

Glynn FalconSan Jose State University: College of Engineering

One Washington SquareSan Jose, CA [email protected]

(650) 400-1523

Team Members

Adrian Uribe Megan Bringham2145 Newton Avenue 14 Sunland Drive San Jose, CA 95122 Chico, CA [email protected] [email protected] (831) 776-3754 (510) 864-8925

Heidi Cox Michael Byrne16445 W La Chiquita Avenue 6546 Rogue River Hwy

Los Gatos, CA 95032 Grants Pass, OR 97527 [email protected] [email protected] (408) 455-3092 (707) 332-5664

Junji Otsuka Michael Woldezghi4863 Pine Hill Court 682 Grove StreetSan Jose, CA 95129 San Francisco, CA 94115

[email protected] [email protected] (408) 529-3086 (415) 574-7183

Kathy Tran Ruben Esparza III

100 East Branham Lane #111 PO Box 552San Jose, CA 95111 San Jose, CA 95106 [email protected] [email protected] (408) 772-7032 (510) 449-5463
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Kevin Kerlan Thomas Ondrasek203 Murray Avenue 2791 Shoemaker CourtKentfield, CA 94904 Woodland, CA 95776 [email protected] [email protected] (415) 686-2048 (510) 868-8532

Luis Torres Xingjian Zhou1787 Diamond Springs Lane 375 South 9 th Street #4506Brentwood, CA 94513 San Jose, CA 95112 [email protected] [email protected] (925) 584-5890 (408) 930-0898
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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B. Appendix BDescription of San Jose State University

A Brief Overview of SJSU

San Jose State University (SJSU) is a public university located in San Jose, California,

whose location in the Silicon Valley makes it an exceptionally rewarding learning environment

for students. The various firms and agencies of the region consistently seek SJSU students for

internships, summer work programs, and for assistance with research and development projects.

These firms employ more graduates from SJSU than from any other university in the nation.

Located on 154 acres in downtown San Jose, the university offers the excitement of studying at a

large, metropolitan campus where many cultures meet, yet students still find personal attention

from faculty members in the smaller setting of the universitys eight colleges.


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The Charles W. Davidson College of Engineering consistently receives high rankings for

masters -level institutions by U.S News & World Report (SJSU, 2012). The college aims to

educate and prepare students for the rising technological demands of the 21 st century.

Departments of the college includes: Aviation & Technology, Biomedical Engineering,

Chemical & Mechanical Engineering, Civil &Environmental Engineering, Computer

Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Industrial & Systems Engineering, Mechanical &

Aerospace Engineering, and General Engineering.

The Department of Aviation and Technology at SJSU is home to the largest provider of

aviation and technology degrees on the west coast. The BS in Aviation offers students fourdifferent concentrations: Aviation Management, Avionics, Maintenance Management, and

Operations. With at the off-campus location at Reid-Hillview Airport, aviation students are able

to achieve a high level of learning through hands-on experience. With so much industry-

applicable education opportunities available around San Jose State University, students have a

greater chance of networking within the industry throughout their college careers.

Mission

To enrich the lives of its students, to transmit knowledge to its students along with the

necessary skills for applying it in the service of our society, and to expand the base of knowledge

through research and scholarship.

History

Founded in 1857, San Jose State is the oldest public institution of higher education on the

West Coast, and is the founding campus of the California State University (CSU) system. From


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its beginning as a school to train teachers for the developing frontier, SJSU has matured into a

metropolitan university offering more than 134 bachelors and masters degrees with 110 different

concentrations.


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C. Appendix CNon-university Partners Involved With the Project

Curtis B. Eikerman, C.M.

In October, of 2010, Eikerman was hired at San Jose International Airport as the

Operations Manager. He is in charge of organizing and directing the daily activities of the

Airside Section. This includes the airfield operations, emergency planning, terminal

management, and safety and certifications.

In 1990, Eikerman obtained a bachelors degree in science, from Central Missouri State

University in the Aviation Safety department. In the same program, he went on to attain a

masters degree in 1994. After completing his education, he was hired by San Jose International

Airport as an Operations Specialist. He held the position from 1996 to 1998, until he was

promoted to Operations Supervisor. In 2000, he was promoted again to his current position.

Jeff Barron

Engineering & Technical Service Specialist

Jeff Barron is an engineering and technical service specialist for Interstate Battery System of

America located in Dallas Texas. Mr. Barron has extensive knowledge in how batteries work.

Brad Douglas

Corporate Parts CoordinatorBrad Douglas is the corporate parts coordinator for Industrial Battery Products. Mr. Douglas has

extensive knowledge in battery charging. He explained how batteries charge and told us a

general rule for determining how much amperage my team needs to charge a battery.


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Roberto Hernandez, E.E.

Roberto obtained his B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Cal-Poly San Luis Obispo in 2004.

After graduation he went to work for Alabama Power as a Power Delivery Engineer. He held this

position for two years until he moved to Los Angeles Area. He went to work for LADWP (Los

Angeles Department of Water and Power) for three years as a Staff Engineer where he conducted

feasibility studies, failure analysis, process analysis and other various tasks.

Roberto currently works for Pacific Gas and Electric Company in Alameda, CA. He holds the

position of DCS Engineer where he leads the design and installation of new equipment. Hes in

charge of developing and managing functional tests for control systems and ensures that allcontrols work is done in a safe and efficient manner maintaining a Target Zero mind set.

Victor Uribe, M.E.

Victor graduated from Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara in 1979 where he obtained his

B.S. in Chemical Engineering. After graduation he was hired by Coca-Cola Company in

Guadalajara, Mexico. He started as a Process Engineer. He held that position for one year; then

he was promoted to Chemical Project Engineer. Two years later, he was promoted to Operations

Manager. After working for Coca-Cola Company for 6 years Victor decided to go back to school

and study Mechanical Engineering. He went back to Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara and

obtained is B.S. in Mechanical Engineering two years later.

Victor has been working as a Mechanical Engineer for over 30 years. He currently has a

partnership on a welding shop where they modify tractors to do specific tasks. He has built

several wind turbines and has experimented with different designs to produce alternative energy.

He also has experimented with different ways to store energy.


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D. Appendix DSign-off Form for Faculty Advisor

University: San Jose State University, Department of Aviation & Technology

List other partnering universities if appropriate:

Design Developed by: Student Team

Student Team Leader :

Student Team Lead: Heidi Cox

Permanent Mailing Address: 16445 W La Chiquita AvenueLos Gatos, CA 95032

Permanent Phone Number: (408) 455-3092

Email: [email protected]

Competition Design Challenge Addressed: Airport Environmental Interactions

I certify that I served as the Faculty Advisor for the work presented in this Design submissionand that the work was done by the student participants.

Signed Date: April 19, 2013

Name: Glynn Falcon, J.D.Lecturer of AviationSan Jose State UniversityAviation & Technology Dept.Office IS-133COne Washington SquareSan Jose, CA 95192-0061

SJSU Direct Line Phone: 408-924-3203SJSU Dept. Fax: 408-924-3198
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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E. Appendix EStudent and Faculty Assessments

1. Bingham, Megan

While there were times I found this competition to be frustrating, it was definitely a

valuable experience and well worth the effort. O ur project wasnt just about airports and the

realm of aviation, it also had a lot of electrical and science aspects. We were forced to obtain

a better understanding in various subjects before we could put the paper together. This

project also allowed me to learn how to work with a rather group. Coordinating with so many

people to make sure everything gets done, was definitely a challenging task.

While working with such a large group was difficult, I found the greatest challenge was

trying to find a way to implement the system into an airport. We hit many walls along the

way and had to change our direction several times. I believe we were able to move past one

our more difficult challenges after speaking with Eikerman at SJC. He showed us our idea

wouldnt work the way we had planned , but pointed out alternative areas we could

implement the system into the airport.

In the beginning, everyone researched some ideas and we would meet up and discuss all

of them. Many ideas were cast to the side while some we chose to look more in depth to.

Once we narrowed the subjects down, everyone went on their own to research each idea.

Afterwards, we would all meet back up for a group discussion. As a group we were able to

come to the hypothesis we thought was best.Participation by industry was not only appropriate, but also incredibly useful. The areas

we had to research were rather complex and just reading information online or in books only

got us so far. Speaking with other people helped me understand the more complicated


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subjects. As I said before, we got stuck multiple times, but asking experts to share their

knowledge helped us come up with new or even better ideas.

I learned so much working on this project, but I what I learned most was how to work in

such a large group. Working with so many personalities can definitely cause some friction. I

learned very quickly that you had to communicate with everyone all the time or people

would get behind on where we were, or not know who had what information. However, most

careers will force you to learn how to work with all types of different people. It is essential to

know how to work with others and communicate.

2. Byrne, Michael

Yes, it was a great way to work as a team. It was also a great learning experience in

dealing with a project where we had to go out and talk to people and learn how the system

works ourselves instead of being taught or reading it out of a book. I would say the biggest

challenge with the. Competition was getting the entire team on the same page. There were so

many people we had to organize and split up the work evenly. Once this was done it went

smoothly for the most part.

We first saw the idea from three girls in Africa that created power from urine. We wanted

to have the same outcome but in a system that was more self-sustaining and efficient. Once

we figured that out we had to find a use for the energy which was not hard seeing electricity

is used everywhere on an airport. The airport and several companies we talked to for advice

provided essential information in the development of the project. The ability to work and

organize the team is essential in any workforce. I also learned more about how the different

systems of an airport work such as backup generators and the electrical grid.


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3. Cox, Heidi

I definitely learned a great deal by taking part in the FAA Design Competition. Even as a

graduating senior, I felt by performing the required research pertaining our design added

much knowledge to my educational experience. We got into the professional field and spoke

with many experts regarding our design process. Of course my team and I came across many

challenges, because this design we came up with had only been successful executed a few

times, and in smaller form. However, we came together as a team and conquered these

challenges by finding solutions to any and all complications we encountered along our way.My team and I started brain storming from all team members suggestions and ideas. By

narrowing it down to only a few suggestions, we successfully chose a topic and started our

hypothesis. By speaking with experts in the professional field, we discovered what would

work and what wouldnt work with our design idea. In my opinion, it was absolutely useful

speaking with professionals in the industry, as they helped guide us in the right direction to

successful achieve our design goals. This design project helped me learn new ways of

obtaining valid information by speaking and meeting with the experts, as well as how to

accomplish such projects in a given amount of time.

4. Esparza III, Ruben

Throughout the design competition I felt like Ive learned the amount of effort it takes to

put a large group of people together and create an idea that everyone can aspire on. The

experience Ive gained will give me the confidence to take an idea and bring it to life through

hard work and creative thinking. The learning experience started with reaching out to


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professionals and questioning their daily tasks to see if there is room for innovation and

expansion. Creative thinking was a challenge because the idea has to be applicable to the

airport and all the small and large functionalities within an airport. Team effort and

coordinating together was an excellent experience that I gained on a larger scale.

Coordinating among a diverse group of people with a team full of leaders was a

challenge. Everyone had his or her own ideas and creativity, which conflicted with having a

concrete foundation and working together to accomplish a final product. We overcame the

challenge and found a system that everyone believed in and started tackling the research.

Everyone came with an idea that would be voted on. The idea with the most votes wouldform a group and weave out the impracticalities. We then took the idea and formed an

innovative system that airports can use to save money and going green in technology.

Contacting industry professionals was practical for some parts of the project. Finding out

information on specific questions that only a professional could relay was useful. Legal

questions and cost analysis was provided through research. The system itself and how it can

be applied on a larger scale was something that required both professional assistance and

research.

Having to research safety and legal issues regarding a safe workplace for the protection

of the airport and the people that either work or travel was not necessarily a skill to becoming

an entry-level employee. I would lean more towards teamwork being the primary experience

gained through this project before entering into the workforce. I learned that airports have

many systems that all tie in together to make the airport function.


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5. Kerlan, Kevin

The FAA design competition provided me with the learning experience of teamwork.

During the duration of the project, not everyone saw eye-to-eye in terms of the process or the

original idea. Knowing when to compromise proved invaluable for my learning experience.

We faced the challenge of having multiple ideas to submit. The majority of 15 students

had an idea that seemed like a good idea to begin with. Narrowing them down to a number

that seemed reasonable proved to be difficult. We decided to narrow down by using a system

where everyone voted on a few topics after they were pitched in a 5 minute presentation.

As mentioned before, we chose to narrow down the topic based on how people felt aboutthe idea in the form of a vote. The votes were only cast after a presentation of the ideas to

measure the cogency of an idea. There were two ideas that people favored, which ultimately

dwindled to one after one of the ideas revealed a faulty premise.

The industry participation was appropriate. It was not only a great opportunity to become

better connected to the other colleges within SJSU, but was needed for areas we did not

completely understand, such as electricity.

The completion of this project allowed us to come in contact to some that related to the

industry we are interested in. This is because it required us to ask questions of those who are

currently working in the industry. Now that we have those invaluable contacts, we may

inquire at a later time if we have any more questions about career path in the aviation

industry or otherwise.


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6. Ondrasek, Thomas

This design competition has presented me with an opportunity to interact with the aviation

industry on a new and interesting level. I have learned a great deal from working with my

group to obtain the information that we needed from industry experts, as it has proven more

challenging than we had anticipated.

There are many challenges that the team faced while constructing our report for this

competition. When our team leader and classmate first came up with the idea, it sounded like

a very intriguing idea that could possibly have long-term benefits for airports and cities alike.

At first, it was quite difficult to find relevant articles on the operation of devices that couldconvert urine into electricity. This obstacle was eventually overcome by choosing to

concentrate on microbial fuel cells, which then led to quite a bit of information. In fact, it

seems to be a pretty hot topic that has gained quite a bit of attention in recent years. Even up

until the end of this competition, I am still finding out information about MFCs that lend

more credibility to how feasible our idea really is. Another obstacle, which I alluded to in

the previous question, dealt with the difficulty of obtaining interviews with industry

professionals. A few of our teammates were able to meet with personnel at SJC, though I

was unable to obtain similar interviews at Sacramento International Airport (SMF). It was a

bit frustrating, but we moved on without incident.

Upon gaining enough information from industry professionals, it was clear to us which

direction our research should take microbial fuel cells. Once we decided on MFCs as our

method of converting urine into electricity, all other facets of the project started to come

together. Once we reviewed the research was being done on a large scale with MFCs, such


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as at Penn State, we continued to build our confidence in our proposal. This further

reinforced our development of our hypothesis.

In our case, participation by the industry was appropriate. It would have been next to

impossible to ascertain much of the information that was critical to our research had we not

been able to meet with professionals in the aviation industry. It was meaningful and useful in

that those personnel provided unparalleled information that we would have not been able to

find otherwise. If we could have met with more professionals, and for a longer period of

time, I know that our proposal would prove to be even more informative.

If I were striving to be an airport manager, or some related position, then I could say thatthis project would directly correlate to an improvement in my skill-set. However, I have

always wanted to be a professional pilot, so about the only way I can think of that this project

enhanced my skills is that it has helped to build my working relationships with my fellow

classmates. In the cockpit, as well as in the field of aviation, you have to work together as a

team to accomplish whatever tasks are assigned to you. There will always be differences of

opinion as to the direction that should be taken in working through those tasks, but the key is

to follow the old military adage adapt and overcome.

7. Otsuka, Junji

Yes, the FAA design competition provided a meaningful learning experience for me. Not

only FAA design competition taught me how to cooperate with the group, it also gave me an

opportunity to think outside the box by finding different solutions to a problem.

The first obstacle we had to face was lack of time, two to three months of research to

complete a research paper. With great teamwork and well-informed members we were able


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to finish the project in a short span. Second obstacle was converting urine to electrical

energy. The engine that was used by the African high-school girls used a method of

separating ammonia with water to create energy, however their method was highly inefficient

to be used at airports. The solution we found was Microbial Fuel Cell (MFC) and trickle

battery.

On our first meeting, one of the teammate said that we should all come up with an idea

and present it on the next meeting. At the second meeting two groups were formed, each with

their unique idea. One of the groups couldnt move on with their idea because of the defect in

the product that they were researching upon so they joined and formed a single group. The participation by industry was extremely helpful. Without their help we wouldnt have been

able to calculate the cost-analysis and the use of the MFC at the airport.

8. Torres, Luis

This FAA design competition proved to be very meaningful and insightful. We learned

the process and steps it takes to convert urine into energy. This energy was then applied to

power a basic outlet in the airport. I gained a lot of experience by participating in this

competition. I saw in increase in my team building skills, research skills, and brain storming

skills.

This projected also tied into what I was learning during my studies at San Jose State

University. My team faced plenty of obstacles during this competition. There was a lack of

research on our design. We overcame this obstacle by talking to experts, chemistry

professors, physics, and engineers to slowly put our design together. Having a large group

proved to be an obstacle. Everyone had different schedules and could not meet up all at once


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to work on this project. We had to become flexible and use other resources such as

conference calls and the computer program SKYPE to make sure everyone was connected. I

believe that this truly made us a stronger team in the end.

My team and I saw on the news that four girls in Africa have successfully generated

energy from urine. This inspired my team and I do conduct research. We decided that urine

would be a perfect alternative energy source for an airport because of the traffic volumes that

go in and out of an airport. Hundreds of thousands of liters of urine are available at an airport

giving us essentially an unlimited source of energy. Once we figured this out we decided to

draw a diagram and start figuring out how we could make this possible. Having industry participation was very useful for us. We told battery companies like

Interstate batteries about our project and they recommended a battery that would best suit our

needs. We also talked to Curt Eikerman who is in charge of airport operations at San Jose

Mineta International airport; he gave us suggestions on where in the airport our design would

best fit. The team work skills, research skills, brain storming skills, and knowledge I have

gained from this competition well help me be successful in the work force. Todays jobs are

looking for team building, researching, and brainstorming skills and the project has given me

these valuable skills. I would like to pursue further study because making energy from urine

shows a lot of potential and a bright future. The world is moving toward greener technologies

and I believe power from urine will be the next breakthrough technology. Once a more

efficient way is found to convert urine to energy, the world will have a new main source of

energy. The FAA design competition was fun and provided me with a large amount of

knowledge . Im glad I got to participate in this competition.


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9. Tran, Kathy

The competition did provide a meaningful learning experience for me. Throughout the

years at this university, every single person on the team has been in multiple of my classes.

We befriended each other and helped each other through the hardships and the semesters.

Despite knowing each other, we never had to be as cohesive as we are with this design

competition. We helped each other out in our classes at our own leisure, whenever we felt

like it, but with this competition, we had to learn how to prioritize. Teamwork was never as

apparent within us throughout the long four years as it was for this design competition.

I think the biggest challenge was the number and size of the group. However, there aredefinitely pros and cons. The pros are that we had many people to split the project amongst

and we had countless ideas. However, that also proved to be a semi-con. We were

constantly coming up with ideas, when we thought we had settled, another group member

would come up with another useful idea and it seemed endless. At times, it was a bit hard to

keep track of everyone and the work that everyone was doing, so we came up with the

solutions of deadlines and mini sub-groups so everyone would have their own partner to

confide in and help them if they got stuck.

The way we started to the design competition required a lot of brainstorming. Each

person in the group was to bring in a few ideas that they had done some brief research about

and thought was interesting. During our class meeting, we presented our ideas to the class

with a rough presentation and description. The class then narrowed down the topic and we

decided on the topic. When the topic was chosen, we disbanded for the week and everyone

continued the research that they deemed necessary to familiarize themselves. We spoke to

professors, friends, professionals, and everyone who had knowledge on the topic.


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The help of professionals definitely helped the team out tremendously. Most of our

research was completely beyond our prior knowledge. Although we read up on the topics

and information, there was so much that we could not merely comprehend on our own

through reading. We needed further explanations, which is where the experiences of the

people in the industry definitely helped.

I learned so much working on this project. Assertiveness can be a great attribute and can

go a long way. If I did not agree with something that was said, I always felt comfortable

telling my teammates. My opinion mattered just as much as the next person on the team.

Also, during the research portion of the project, we had to contact many different people.Some were very helpful and tried their best to help us understand whatever it was we needed

help on, and on the other hand, some people wanted nothing to do with us. We got positive

responses, negative responses, and some that were just out of pity, but the best thing learnt

was that it does not hurt to ask.

10. Uribe, Adrian

The FAA Design Competition provided a meaningful learning experience for the

complexity of the project we selected. It was a challenge for everyone in the group. I had to

learn about something I was completely unfamiliar with. I had to do research and talk to

experts of different professions. This helped me with networking and expanding my

knowledge on different sources of energy. It also helped me with time management, since we

had a short period of time to finish this project.

The biggest challenge was understanding this new form of energy (Energy from urine).

We had to do plenty of research to know how it works and find its limitations. It was


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difficult to calculate the amount of energy we could produce from this source and the amount

of energy that was required to power an electric vehicle at the airport. To overcome these

challenges, we broke down the project into smaller parcels and the group into smaller groups.

Each group was assigned to different parts of the project.

Each student was asked to come up with an idea on how to improve an airport. We voted

for most useful and feasible idea. After we had our topic, we brain-stormed on how energy

from urine can be applied to help improve an airport. We talked to airport managers and

operators to have a better understanding on what the limitations were of this source of

energy. Participation by industry experts was necessary in order to complete this project. It was

necessary to talk to several experts involved in different professions such as Electrical

Engineers, Mechanical Engineers, Airfield Operators and many others. Without their help

our project couldnt have been completed. Their expert advice provided insightful

information whenever we had difficulties trying to understand how to make our project

work.

I learned how to do a difficult project in a short amount of time. I learned the importance

of delegating work and trusting our teammates with their parts of the project. This project

helped me understand a new source of energy and its limitations and how we can apply it to

the real world. The project helped me develop skills such as crew resource management for

we had a limited time and limited resources to do this project. Even though we had limited

knowledge on the subject we were able to learn more about our topic and come up with an

excellent project by talking to experts and doing research.


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11. Woldezghi, Michael

Yes, this project provided a significant learning experience because it helped me

perfect and increase my teamwork abilities, time management, and research skills. Also I was

able to learn something new that could be used in the future that could help our planet

waste useful and have clean energy.

The primary challenges we encountered were choosing the topic, dividing into groups and

time management. First, all students in capstone class had great ideas, so we narrower it down

and choose the one we liked. Secondly, we came to conclusion on two ideas so we divide the

group, however one of the idea wasnt good enough so we agree to work as one and we dividedthe work into 3 people per group. Our last and main problem was time management. Everyone

had different schedule and it was hard to meet outside class, but we decided to meet a least once

outside class with one member from each group with their progress report.

After deciding on the topic from the competition, we each came up with ideas, and narrowed

it down to 2 topic and divided into groups. Our group came up with the idea that one of our

classmates saw; which was three girls from A frica that used urine to generate power for

their village. So we did research and learned the concept, and it seemed a good idea since it is

environmental friendly and save money.

Yes, involving expert from San Jose airport and teacher with knowledge of Microbial fuel

cell was very helpful and provided a great resource and advises for the project. This project gave

us many skills that will be useful in the future. First, it helped me perfect my research skills, how

to manage my time, and work as a team which one will experience in his/her future profession. I

also gained knowledge on the material we talked about that could be use in the near future to

make airports more environmentally friendly.


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12. Zhou, Xingjian

The FAA Design Competition provided me with a great learning experience because it

allowed me to display what I have learned in my major. Also, it is meaningful that this is my

last chance to make some achievement as an undergraduate student in the Aviation

Department at San Jose State University. There were 12 graduating seniors, including

myself, working on this project. I have never worked with that many other peers on one

project before, and I thought that would be difficult to work in cohesion. However, we did it.

We set deadlines for each stage of the project, and the project went smoothly.

The biggest lesson I learned from this project is time management. Time management isthe act or process of planning and exercising conscious control over the amount of time spent

on specific activities, especially to increase effectiveness, efficiency or productivity. This

capstone course project is limited by time and personnel availability; therefore, we tried to

schedule our weekly meetings based on our individual availability, and we also tried to plan

on our project tasks accordingly throughout the project life cycle. In each meeting, we

discussed what we had accomplished and what the next step should be. I believe that we all

developed a sort of time management skills during the project, and it will benefit for our

future projects.

Overall, I think that the FAA design competition was a great experience for me in my

final undergraduate career. Also, I am glad that I got the chance to participate in this design

competition because it taught me how to do teamwork and how to achieve team goals

through team effort.


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E. Appendix E(Advisor/Instructor Portion)

1. Describe the valu e of the educational exper ience for your student(s) parti cipating in thi sCompetit ion submission .

This competition is used as the culminating experience for SJSU aviation majors as theirgraduating Capstone class projects. This competition has proven to be an excellent Capstoneexperience for our graduating seniors. They are working and experiencing the real -world

pressures of meeting deadlines, advance planning, scheduling, group dynamics and personalcommitment and responsibility, dealing with personal and group conflicts, interfacing andconsulting with aviation experts, and editing and publishing a professional, finished report. Astheir professor, I was able to observe their growth throughout the process, especially in how theymanaged to overcome major problems, hurdles, and roadblocks, which, if they happened in other

college courses, would have left them motionless and looking to their instructor for solutions andresolution. That was not the situation here. I was able to act merely as facilitator for access toinformation and expertise, and as a sounding board, so that they could see what some of theissues were, and then be able to resolve them with their own resources and solutions.

2. Was the learni ng experi ence appropri ate to the cour se level or context in which thecompeti tion was under taken?

Yes. The Aviation Department limits participation in Department sponsored projects,

such as this, to only Capstone enrolled, graduating, seniors. In this way, the Department is ableto supervise and witness their learning experiences and, hopefully, successful outcomes.This protocol proved successful. Again, without exception, each of the Aviation seniors

demonstrated maturity, group commitment, and educational excellence and competence in theirapproach to, and submission of, their designs projects to the FAA.

3. What chal lenges did the students face and overcome?

The primary challenge was the very limited time span that the Capstone students had in

which to complete the projects. This class met for the first time on February 5, 2013. Thatmeant they had only ten weeks to submit their projects before the FAAs Competition deadlineof April 12, 2013. Additionally, this team had to quickly evaluate each members strengths andweaknesses, and then assign appropriate duties to each member which best utilized thatmembers potential , skills, and talents.


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4. Would you use thi s Competi tion as an educational vehi cle in the futu re? Why or why not?

Yes, and I have. This program continues to be an outstanding opportunity for our seniorclass to demonstrate their readiness to join government or industry employment.

5. Ar e there changes to the Competiti on th at you woul d suggest f or fu tur e years?

Yes. Extend the deadline until after classes and final exams have been completed. Thiswould allow more time to those participating in the Spring semester to research and prepare their

project reports.

Thank you, again, for continuing to provide this excellent program for college students in

which to compete.Respectfully submitted:

April 9, 2013

_______________________Glynn Falcon, J.D.

Lecturer of AviationAviation & Technology Dept.

College of EngineeringSan Jose State University


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Eikerman, C. (2013, February 27). Interview by H.S. Cox [Personal Interview]. Feasibility and

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Mercer, J. (2010, May 4). Microbial fuel cells: Generating power from waste . Retrieved from

http://illumin.usc.edu/134/microbial-fuel-cells-generating-power-from-waste/

Monavalli, J. (2009, July 22). Pee Power: Urine Isn't Just "Waste," It's Useful Energy and

Possibly Car Fuel. Retrieved from http://www.thedailygreen.com/living-green/blogs/cars-

transportation/urine-fuel-power-hydrogen-460709

Northern Arizona Wind & Sun. (2013). Universal battery model 45964 250 amp-hours 12 volts

sealed agm battery . Retrieved from http://www.solar-electric.com/unba250amagm.html

Novaquatis. (2007, May 3). Novaquatis: Overview . Retrieved from

http://www.novaquatis.eawag.ch/ueberblick/index_EN Novaquatis. (2012, November 5). Welcome to novaquatis . Retrieved from

http://www.novaquatis.eawag.ch/index_EN

Roach, J. (2012, November 8). African girls' pee-powered generator raises questions. NBC News .

Retrieved from http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/futureoftech/african-girls-pee-

powered-generator-raises-questions-1C6956099

Roach, John. "Urine Battery Turns Pee Into Power." National Geographic . National Geographic

Society, 18 Aug. 2005. Web. 21 Feb. 2013.

.

Serway, R., & Vuille, C. (2009). College physics . (8 th ed., Vol. 2, pp. 570-571). Belmont, CA:

Brooks/Cole.

Serway, R., & Vuille, C. (2012). College physics. (9 th ed., pp. 608-609, 617). Boston, MA:

Charles Hartford.
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Singh, T. (2011, November 9). Pee power: Bristolian scientists make breakthrough in using

urine as a viable power source read more . Retrieved from http://inhabitat.com/pee-

power-bristolian-scientists-make-breakthrough-in-using-urine-as-a-viable-power-source/

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dunn.com/vehicle-details-standard.aspx?id=28

Richard, M. G. (2010, March 11). After smart grids, smart sewage? urine-separating nomix

toilet gets thumbs-up in 7 european countries . Retrieved from

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separating-nomix-toilet-gets-thumbs-up-in-7-european-countries.html U.S. Department of Labor. (2007, July 30). Occupational safety & health administration .

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id=9797

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the power of urine pdf

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