Water and Energy Group

Education Module
Toluwase Bolarin, Nathan Duderstadt, Michael
Fitzgerald, Hugh Parent

Syllabus
GRADING

25% Hydropower

Day 1 Case Study: 10%

Day 1 HW: 5%

Day 2 Case Study: 10%

25% Tides and Ocean Waves

Day 1 HW: 5%

Day 2 Innovative Idea: 10%

Days 1 & 2 Class/Group Participation: 10%

25% Energy for Purification

25% Solar Thermal

DESCRIPTION
This class is designed to teach students in a variety of technical and non-technical fields about the connections between water and energy and the problems they pose in our
modern world. The topics to be explored are outlined below. Included are lectures and activities to provide opportunities for the students to both hear about and then practice with
the intricate problems and solutions needed in the 21st century. The course will specifically focus on helping students to gather a broad understanding of the technologies on a
high level, and to explore said technologies through practice and experimentation.
LEARNING OUTCOMES

Use differing educational perspectives to approach water and energy problems

Understand the principles that drive water and energy technologies

Work with a group to generate ideas that push existing technology

Gain a high level knowledge of water/energy technology

TOPICS
Contained in our lecture outline
Week 1

Hydropower
Week 2

Tides and Ocean Waves

Week 3

Desalination- Energy required to clean water

Week 4

Water as energy (Solar thermal energy)

Our Goals
Use differing educational perspectives to
approach water and energy problems
Understand the principles that drive water
and energy technologies
Work with a group to generate ideas that
push existing technology
Gain a high level knowledge of water/energy
technology

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Day 1
Lecture
o
o
o

What is hydropower?
How does it works?
Examples

Case study
o

Exploring specific hydropower example

Homework
o

Article/3 questions/3 things learned

http://amailahydropower.com/project/Hydropower.cfm

Day 2
KW River Hydroelectric Speaker
o

Projects, Experience, Innovations, Q & A

Case study
o

Creation of hydroelectric innovative idea

http://kwriver.com/

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Day 1: Building a Foundation

Lecture
o Brief introductory video followed
by lecture.
Basics of tidal streams, barrages, and lagoons.
Integrated Group Work
o Work competitively to list pros/cons for tidal power
o Professor presents afterwards on the
advantages/disadvantages.
This format is more engaging to students.
Homework
o Students are asked to find and describe an example
of tidal power being applied in the real world.

Day 2: Innovation
2nd Lecture
Professor gives brief presentation of tidal power
equations
Equations are simplified for accessibility
Professor follows this up with a few examples

Emphasis on how changing different properties can affect

power output

Innovative Idea Group Project

Synthesizes information
Fulfills learning outcomes
Students are able to innovate with
technical and conceptual understanding

3
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Energy for Purification- Desalination

Day 1
Lecture

Topics include

Review: Where is Earths water?

Distillation
Membrane Separation
Format of
1. Concept
Electrical separation
2. Where it is used
3. Why it is used
4. future potential

Guest speaker
Assignment- each group gives a report on a
working system using one of these technologies

Energy for Purification- Desalination

Day 2
Presentation
10 mins for groups to present last assignment

Activity- Example corporate project

Each group is a different company department given
different information
Each group must decide between two projects from
information given
Groups present results
The whole class then discusses what is MOST
important
Final vote

Guest Speaker(s)- UK CAER

University of Kentucky Center for Applied Energy Research
Work on many energy technologies but with an
emphasis on fossil fuels
Biofuels/Environmental Catalysis
Carbon Materials
Clean Fuels
Electrochemical Power
Environmental and Coal Technologies
Environmental Remediation and Restoration
Power Generation and Utility Fuels

Their outreach director has passed along

information about our course to the research staff to see
if anyone is interested in being a guest speaker
http://bizlex.com/bl/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/caerlogo2010
.jpg

4
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SOLA

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Solar Thermal- Day 1

Introduction to Solar Thermal Energy (20 minutes)

Topics Covered

What solar thermal energy is?

How Solar Thermal Collectors Works (20 minutes)

The Difference Between Passive and Active Solar

http://energyinformative.org/how-solar-thermal-collectors-work/

Low-Temperature Solar Thermal Collector

Medium-Temperature Solar Thermal Collectors

High-Temperature Solar Thermal Collectors

Lab/Case Study (40 minutes)

Each group picks a solar thermal design from each of the three collector
categories: Low, Medium, High

Each group has to come up with a research paper with each of these
components for each solar collector:

What the solar collector is

How it works

Its cost range

Its efficiency

Its limitations (in terms of location, space, peak sunlight)

Homework:

Gather information on your familys home hot water consumption, your

rooftops space and annual income of family (you can make this up if
you dont know or dont want to reveal it)

Using this information select the best solar thermal collector that your
family can buy.

Solar Thermal - Day 2

(40 minutes) Group Presentation on Solar Thermal Collectors

(40 minutes) Guest Speaker on Solar Thermal Collector from
Blue Chip Solar and Wind, a local solar and wind energy
systems maker:
Topics:
How the design Solar Thermal Systems
The process
The machinery they use
The amount of time it takes from inception to
production
The future of Solar Thermal systems
What are upcoming trends
New innovative ideas
Areas engineering and non-engineering students
can research and master, that can help them be
at the forefront of Solar Thermal Systems design
Question and Answer Session

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Kitchen Sink Flowmeter

Goal: Give people something more tangible when they
think about saving water

Small turbine flowmeter

o
o

records flow
powers device

plug connector for smartphone

connector with stepping rings, threads
o

use for sinks, showers, hoses

Rainwater Collection Turbine

Goal: Power buildings with an internal
rainwater internal system
Funnel shaped roof
o

Collects rainfall into one centrally located pipe

Pipe water spins turbine

o

Connects to generator and rechargeable battery

Powers building with this internal system

Wind Turbines on Cargo Ships

Smart Home FlowMeter APP

This is simply an app that accompanies the Smart Home flowmeters. The app allows you to have:

Real-time data of:

how much water is being used where

kitchen sink

bathroom

bathtub

faucet

hot water tank

heaters

The performance of the turbine

Its speed

How much water flows through

The app also:

Makes recommendations on how to conserve water based on:

Average estimated optimal times for taking shower, washing hands, or cleaning
dishes against users past history of doing such tasks and user preferences.

i.e. User likes to take long showers with very hot water. App will recommend
cutting down time on shower and keeping the water same temperature or
reducing the temperature slightly but spending the same amount of time in
the shower.

Allows you to set timer for different tasks so that water flow automatically shuts off when
timer is down.

i.e. Shower head stops dispensing water after 5 minutes.