Project

# Title Team Members TA Documents Sponsor
19 Smart Power Routing with MPPT-Based Wind Turbine
 Rong Li
Tiantian Zhong
Zhekai Zheng
 design_document2.pdf
design_document3.pdf
proposal2.pdf
 Lin Qiu
## Problem Statement

Traditional wind energy systems often face challenges related to suboptimal power extraction, limited adaptability, and inadequate integration with smart grids. Conventional wind power systems usually requires a giant turbine which produces power for the grid. Yet a new trend arises in recent years where a small wind power system is installed on a fisher or on the roof of a villa. Such scenario requires a stable power converter and router to ensure stable power supply, which not only allows the user to use cheap and clean wind energy, but is also able to switch to battery or mains when wind force is too light to drive the turbine or when the turbine is in fault.

## Solution Overview and Components

The proposed solution involves the development and implementation of the system integrated with a MPPT-based wind turbine. This comprehensive solution aims to address the inefficiencies and limitations of traditional wind energy systems by incorporating advanced technologies for optimal power extraction, intelligent management, and seamless integration with smart grids.

Some key components of the solution are as follows:

1. **Wind turbines.** The project plans to use a three-phase asynchronous motor to build a down-scaled wind turbine. The turbine should produce no more than 30 V AC output under normal weather condition with wind speed less than 8 m/s (force 4). (Similar turbine with suitable size (diameter = 1.1 m) for the project appears on Taobao, which has rated output voltage 12 V, maximum power ranges from several hundred watts to kilowatts, and can work safely within wind speed 35 m/s (wind force 6). Link to the turbine)
2. **MMC-Based AC-DC converter.** This unit is expected to provide stable DC output for users. Its controller consists of MCUs and voltage sensors. The converter should be designed using MMC technology and should be able to implement Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT).
3. **User interface.** This unit displays real-time current, voltage and power of the system.
4. **Simulated mains.** This is a low-voltage (<30 V) power supply that simulates the mains. It is apparently down-scaled for safety considerations.
5. **Routing system.** This unit should be able to decide which power should be connected to the load, the turbine or the simulated mains.
6. **Safety.** An emergency stop button should be connected to the circuit in order to cut off all power sources and stop the turbine whenever an emergency happens. Control units should be able to cut the power when the system is overload or in fault status. The solution should fit in relevant national or industrial standards.

## Criterion for Success

The design will be tested using various common loads that is used at home. The following criterion should be satisfied to indicate a successful design:

1. **Safety is the first priority**. All safety measures should be working properly.
2. The controller should be able to keep the converter working at the maximum power point.
3. The MMC converter should be able to provide stable output with current and voltage ripple less than $\pm10\%$​​.
4. The controller should switch between power supplies within a short period of time (specific time limit needs to be determined after further research on relevant national standards and other technical documents).

## Distribution of Work

The project can be divided into three modules – the power system, the control system, and the mechanical system.

- The power system deals with everything related to power transmission, include the design of generators and converters.
- The control system provides control signals to the converter, properly routes power to the load, and provide safety measures.
- The mechanical design should put every hardware components organized to form a ready-to-use product, and print necessary instructions and warnings at proper places.

The following is the detailed task division:

- Power system and circuit design: Rong Li & Zhekai Zheng
- Control system and circuit design: Tiantian Zhong & Rong Li
- Mechanical design and manufacturing: Zhekai Zheng
- Purchasing, finance, and other miscellaneous affairs: Tiantian Zhong

RFI Detector

Featured Project

Problem Statement:

Radio frequency interference from cell phones disrupts measurements at the radio observatory in Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Many visitors do not comply when asked to turn their phones off or put them in airplane mode.

Description:

We are planning to design a handheld device that will be able to detect radio frequency interference from cell phones from approximately one meter away. This will allow someone to determine if a phone has been turned off or is in airplane mode.

The device will feature an RF front end consisting of antennas, filters, and matching networks. Multiple receiver chains may be used for different bands if necessary. They will feed into a detection circuit that will determine if the power within a given band is above a certain threshold. This information will be sent to a microcontroller that will provide visual/audible user feedback.