BEST of BEST SUMMER 2021
The Best Designs for Renewable Energy Concept for Puerto Rico for the Fall 2020-Spring 2021 academic year at UPR-RUM. They are all freshman undergraduate engineering students and the course is more about innovation, critical thinking and how to convey your ideas with CAD and engineering drawings. The groups worked all summer with 3D printing, implementing an Arduino setup to a mechanism and preparing a "pitch" video submission for the final Best of Best 2021.
Prof. M. Cortés Delgado to "mi gente":
Thank you for working hard on your projects, giving extra and wanting to participate in the Summer 2021 BEST of the BEST Renewable Energy Design for Puerto Rico Competition. I am very proud of your projects.
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BIG THANKS TO EXDSRAE FOR YOUR SUPPORT.
VIRTUAL AWARDS SUMMER 2021
BEST OF BEST
COMPETITORS
FALL2020 - SPRING2021
FALL 2020 OFFSHORE WIND FARM
Team Members (INME): Jose Ortiz Báez, Rafael Rivera Vargas, Alexander Nieves Rivera and Adriel Torresola Merced
Abstract: The national average cost for energy production in the United States is 13 cents per kW/h compared to 20 cents per kW/h in Puerto Rico. This disparity can be attributed to various factors such as poor infrastructure, inefficient energy production, and higher cost of importing fossil fuels. These problems combine to create an unreliable, inefficient, polluting, and outdated energy infrastructure system for the island. In this project, we ascertain the feasibility of an offshore wind farm for Puerto Rico and design an adequate system to supplement our current power grid. Offshore wind turbines were chosen for their excellent scalability and reliability. Offshore wind turbines typically generate more energy than those on land which can be attributed to unobstructed wind, largely unidirectional wind, and an increased level of scalability that can be had at sea. In addition, offshore wind farms can be placed much closer to populated city centers as these are often closer to the coast. An offshore wind turbine simply needs a foundation to stand on to capitalize on acres of unused ocean space- for this application, a floating tripod design was chosen for its ease of installation and adaptability at increased depths.
SPRING 2021 - 802 Turbines Co.
Team Members: Andrea Sepúlveda Vargas (ININ) and Valeria Herrero (INQU)
As global warming increases and the world’s need for clean sources of energy intensifies, the wave energy sector has become a focal point in modern investigations. This area of research is focused on converting kinetic energy from the ocean’s currents and waves into electricity. Currently, the main sources of renewable energy include solar panels and wind turbines, but the wave energy sector has proved its potential due to its predictability, consistency, and generation capacity. In Puerto Rico, this type of energy source would also help to provide a dependable stream of energy that will resist damages caused by natural disasters, such as hurricanes and earthquakes. Therefore, 802 Turbines Co. has developed an underwater turbine model that would be capable of supplying a steady source of electricity for our tropical island. An economic analysis has been made based on the type of materials, turbine installation process and energy generation, which demonstrate that it can cause a positive impact in our economy and be cost effective. With this project, we would like to encourage other organizations to start developing their own wave energy models in order to solve the energy crisis that Puerto Rico faces every year.
SPRING 2021 ReWAVE
Team Members: Alondra Rodriguez (INME), Liza Rodriguez (INQU), Julian Morales (INQU), Paola Guzman (INQU) and Christian Rosado (INSO).
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ABSTRACT: ​The electric power system of Puerto Rico has been slowly, but consistently, deteriorating. Being an island with limited economic resources and with a high risk of receiving hurricanes every season, it is in need of a way to produce energy without risking the system to fail when it is most needed. ReWAVE’s prototype brings a solution that strengthens the system enough for it to withstand hurricane season, while protecting the natural resources of the island. This prototype uses wave energy, a relatively new method to convert the energy from ocean waves into electricity. The device consists of three main parts: a base, that captures the waves from any direction; an arm, which connects the base to a pier or breakwater; and two pistons, which are responsible for turning a hydraulic motor that activates an electric generator producing electricity. Through the process of developing this prototype, members of ReWAVE were able to familiarize with wave energy, its functions, and its advantages. As a conclusion, a functional and efficient while cost effective prototype was developed to help with Puerto Rico’s energy crisis while using the biggest natural resource in an island: the waves.
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SPRING 2021 Ocean Motion Energy Project
Team Members (INME): Gianinna Maldonado, Ricardo Flores, Williezer ValentÃn and Gabriel Ayoroa.
INTRODUCTION: ​
Our focus on this project is to bring a solution to the frequent power outages we have in Puerto Rico. On an island where energy in residents' homes has been so inconsistent in recent years the search for alternating energy is a way to consider. Add to this that most of the energy used in Puerto Rico is energy from petroleum and other large CO2 generators we find a solution that could help decrease both. In recent years the wave energy system has been developed and can be one of the more efficient energy systems because waves are barely interrupted. In a wave energy system, the vertical movement generated by the waves is used to power general electrical energy. With this system we can transform parts of our coasts into much cleaner power generators. Wave energy is a system which occupies a considerable space where they are installed and one of our goals is to optimize that space. As a team we decided to do a hybrid system implementing a buoy system with a solar energy system. This type of hybrid system will provide a high power density and it’s a renewable and clean source of energy
FALL 2020 BOS -TAURUS BIO-ENERGY
Team Members (INME): Gustavo Matos, Andrea Acevedo, Emilio Mayorga and Jacob Fernandez.
ABSTRACT: ​
As Puerto Ricans we face an energetic crisis due to the limited ways of energy production that exists in our country. Therefore, as part of the course of Creative Design 1, we decided to come up with a solution to mitigate this crisis. Our group chose to orientate our solution into biomass renewable energy because of its potential to generate large quantities of energy and at the same time reducing the environmental footprint caused by methane emissions from livestock. After investigating we concluded that the best way to extract energy from livestock manure would be through the process of anaerobic digestion in which bacteria extracts the methane from manure in an oxygen free environment. The way we chose to apply this method was with a biogas plant with its main components: a crusher, a waste belt, a digester tank, a gas filter, a storage tank, and a generator. Each one of these components were created from scratch using information that we retrieved from different sites and implementing the most innovative features in order to increase the effectiveness of the process.
FALL 2020 CH FOUR COWS
Team Members (INME): Yamila Mustafá, Yolairy Soto, Desireé Ortiz Emilee Vázquez and Héctor Ortiz.
ABSTRACT: Este proyecto revela una solución sobre la crisis energética en Puerto Rico, siendo no muy efectiva durante la temporada de huracanes. Los estudiantes de ingenierÃa subgraduados del Departamento de IngenierÃa Mecánica proponen el uso de la extracción de metano del medio ambiente como una forma de energÃa más limpia. El metano es conocido como uno de los gases principales de efecto invernadero. Este gas calienta la tierra 86 veces más comparado con el dióxido de carbono en un perÃodo de veinte años. El gas metano ha aumentado constantemente como uno de los gases más peligrosos en respecto al cambio climático. La extracción de metano no solo ayudarÃa a crear una forma limpia de energÃa, sino que también ayudarÃa a eliminar los recursos dañinos del medio ambiente actual. Este diseño ofrecerá una solución a la crisis energética que afecta no solo a la salud fÃsica y mental de los civiles, sino también a la economÃa y los recursos del paÃs. Incluido, habrá información sobre su concepto de diseño, vista estándar de los componentes dentro de la máquina y análisis estadÃstico sobre cuánto más beneficiosa es esta forma de energÃa en comparación con la fuente de energÃa actual.
Competition Organizers
Francheska Colón González
Co-OrganizerÂ
Best of Best Design Summer 2021
Research scientist at the Center for Chemical Sensors Development (CCSD) and Chemical Imaging Center and Surface Analysis (CICSA) located at the Department of Chemistry, Active member of the IEEE Western Puerto Rico (WPR) section, and Chair of the IEEE Women in Engineering (WIE) – WPR. Her academic training began at the University of Puerto Rico Mayaguez Campus, includes BS in chemistry and MS in Biochemistry with expertise in spectroscopy, with thesis focused on how to detect and discriminate high explosives in human hair for forensic and national security applications. She is currently in her second year of her Ph.D. at UPRM in Biophysics/Chemistry of Materials. She is now working with biological threats in international mail for rapid/on-site detection and working with materials and components for thermal and pressure cycling of supercritical CO2 with Sandia National Laboratories.
TIMELINE OF COMPETITION
We will upload the video and description of two projects/per day on this website and on IG exdsrae.
Wednesday 25, 2021 @ 12pm
Groups:
1. BOS-TAURUS
2. CH FOUR COWS
We will upload the video and description of two projects/per day on this website and on IG exdsrae.
Thursday 26, 2021 @ 12pm
Groups:
1. 086 1 WINDFARM
2. OCEAN MOTION
We will upload the video and description of two projects/per day on this website and on IG exdsrae.
Friday 27, 2021 @ 12pm
Groups:
1. ReWAVE
2. 802 TURBINES
August 30, 2021 5pm YouTube Live Stream (go to events)
Virtual Awards Summer 2021
A Review Panel will evaluate for OVERALL winner, and also the general public and students (hopefully!!!) the Most liked by voting on IG exdsrae on the video submission and brief description of your projects. Lastly, Dr. MC will give awards in the following categories: "The Professor Award", "The NASAcriollo Award", "The BOSS Level CAD Award" and the "The Terminator (Arduino setup) Award".
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