Space Apps Challenge 2017

I. Operating Mode:

Solar Control is a project destined to make people understand how energy is captured by solar panels, how to economize it on his own, whether on here on earth, on sea, on a spaceship or even on Mars. It does not matter, due to a smart system (Solar Tracker).

The project is composed of two parts (Hardware and Software).

1-Hardware part (CPV):

The goal here is to increase the energy’s output using the latest discovery, the CPV. The photovoltaic concentration is amplified by a Fresnel lens (multi junction) allows to have an output that reaches 41%, with the condition of being in an adequate environment. This is where the idea came from to place our system inside a dome, which allows not only to protect the system from storms, but also to adjust the atmosphere with an atmospheric pressure sensor, on the interior of the dome for a maximum output ranging from 39 to 43%.

Otherwise, our system is equipped with photo-resistance sensors, which makes it automatically positioned following the sun. You will be able to find it on the source code on our GitHub account (tracking_sys_solar_panel_DC_motors_4_sensors). In case of long storms, Wind turbines without blades are excepted to replace the solar panels and the absorbed energy will be stored in batteries.

2-Software part (Hybrid application):

The energy consumption produced by the solar panels, without distinguishing the exact rate of the expenditure, is a major problem in our days. Therefore, a hybrid application in Java Script, CSS, HTML and HTTP has been developed; this application will not only helps determine the exact consumption of products and disconnects the unnecessary of them, but it will also adapts to the user’s daily routine, except, electronics that might cause a considerable amount of energy waste, such as refrigerators that would lead to food degradation. These electronics will be set so they will be by default. Also It regulates everything, whether automatically or manually, our energy spends to gives us better management of it.

II.For less consumption we can use:

Thermal panels:

To decrease the consumption even more, our project will be equipped by thermal panels, that will heat the water by solar energy, that not only will allow us to heat up the place (The Hab) but also the water meant to be used, since they consist of thermal sensors that transform solar energy into heat, like hot water that can be used in many different manners: such as sanitary hot water in the heating system. The advantage of the thermal panels, is that it has little impact on our environment, will not go through breakdown because it does not contain mechanical pieces, it lasts for a really long time with a bit of alterations in the energy output, and last but not least, its energy source is endless, on earth or on mars.

1-Geothermal pumps:

On the other hand, with the geothermal pumps that cool down the food (it replaces the refrigerator), since they use the floor, the underground waters or both as a source of heat during winter and as an evacuator of the heat gathered during the summer. It’s because of this reason that we called geothermal pumps. The heat is drawn in the floor as liquid, as underground water or as an antifreeze solution. The liquid is heated in the thermal pump, and then the heat will be liberated to the interior of the house. In the summer, the process is reversed: the heat is taken from the air of the house and transferred to the floor by the underground waters or the antifreeze solution. In the geothermal systems with direct expansion, the antifreeze solution is replaced by a refrigerant inside an underground heat exchanger.

2-Light management:

In addition to the brightness, we will use phosphor-fluorescent color panels and we will fill the lack of light by LED lights, programmed to light up only on the position of the user, and due to beam sensors, that you can find on our GitHub account under the name «part_light_Control1_NBTeam.ino», it will reduce energy waste.

III.The principal energy source:

III.The CPV:

A concentration photovoltaic panel, sometimes simply called “concentration panels” is a photovoltaic solar module composed of series of optical devices for the concentration of light, such as lenses or mirrors; on photovoltaic cells (that have to be cooled down if the rate of concentration is high) this shouldn’t be a problem on mars due to the low temperature there.

By interposing a concentrator device between the sun and the cell, we can use a surface of cells a lot smaller, with values oscillating typically up to 40% of energy output.

IV.The secondary energy source (Wind turbine without blades):

They are the latest innovation in renewable energies based on wind; also they are most resistant to the wind speed, it’s made out of carbon fiber, they are light and very solid. In numbers, this can be better said in the following manner: a reduction of 53% in construction costs, 51% in operating costs, 80% in maintenance costs, 40% in CO2 emissions and the energy produced would have a lower cost of 40%.

V.Conclusion:

To sum up, we also wanted to clarify that this project is still under development, it will be improved over time. It also might revolutionize the world in the management of renewable energy.

our GitHub links : https://github.com/nbt2017