Project PlanRev. 0.1Page 1
Project Bluebird
University of Portland / School of EngineeringPhone 503 943 73145000 N. Willamette Blvd.Fax 503 943 7316
Portland, OR97203-5798
Project Plan
Team Merlin: WOC60
Contributors:
Tammy Okubo
Will Acorda
Meghan Tisdell
Approvals
Name / Date / Name / Date√ / Dr. Wayne Lu / 11/06/07 / √ / Ms. Swetha Varadharajan / 11/12/07
Insert checkmark (√) next to name when approved.
University of PortlandSchool of EngineeringContact: t. okubo
Project PlanRev. 1.0Page 1
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Revision History
Rev. / Date / Author / Reason for Changes0.1 / 10/31/07 / Merlin / Initial draft
0.2 / 11/2/07 / Will and Meghan / Added introduction, background
0.3 / 11/3/07 / Tammy / Development Process, summary
0.4 / 11/4/07 / Will and Meghan / Resources, Budget
0.5 / 11/5/07 / Tammy / Schedule
0.9 / 11/6/07 / Merlin / Minor formatting changes
0.95 / 11/7/07 / Tammy and Will / Faculty Advisor suggested changes
1.0 / 11/12/07 / Will / Project Plan approved by IR and advisor
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Table of Contents
Summary
Introduction
Background
Product Overview
General Description
Deliverables
Battery Bank
Transformer
Steps up the 12 volts AC to 120 volts AC
Waveform Controller PIC pseudo code
Main Board
Prototype
Development Process
General Approach
Assumptions
Milestones
Risks/ Contingencies
Hazardous Voltage Levels
Loss of Parts
Late Arrival of Parts
Schedule
Schedule Overview
Critical Path
Resources
Personnel
Budget
Equipment
Facilities
Conclusions
University of PortlandSchool of EngineeringContact: t. okubo
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List of Figures
Figure 1. Block Diagram of Merlin Product
Figure 2. Inner components of product WOC60......
Figure 3. Merlin schedule (Part A)......
Figure 4.Merlin schedule (Part B).
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List of Tables
Table 1. Merlin deliverables
Table 2. Key Merlin milestones
Table 3. Merlin project risks and contingencies
Table 4. Product WOC60 proposed budget
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Chapter / Summary1
Product WOC60 is a power inverter that draws power from a battery bank that is charged by a wind turbine, AIR-X. WOC60 draws 12 volts direct current (DC) then inverts and boosts that voltage to a 120 volts alternating current (AC). This document will describe the plans that team Merlin will follow to complete project WOC60.
The two main sections of this document are the product overview and the development process. The product overview describes all the deliverables that are specific to WOC60. Then the project plan will address the milestones that team Merlin will meet, assumptions, the risks and contingency plans, and the schedule for the rest of the year.
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Chapter / Introduction2
The purpose of this document is to describe what Team Merlin’s project does, and to define deliverables. In addition, this document defines a schedule for the rest of the school year that enables Team Merlin to complete WOC60 in the allotted time frame. This will allow the University of Portland faculty advisor, industry representative, and team members to track the progress of the project and keep on schedule.
The scope of this document is to define deliverables, break up the project into tasks, set up a schedule to assign when tasks need to get done and who is doing them, and discuss what those tasks are. In addition, in chapter 5 the budget is established.
A summary of the rest of the document chapters:
- Chapter 3: Background gives the current situation and need for renewable resources, and information on types of power inverters.
- Chapter 4: Product Overview refreshes the reader’s understanding of the product and defines deliverables.
- Chapter 5: Development Process discusses Team Merlin’s general approach, any assumptions made, the project milestones, any risks and their contingences, the project schedule, and resources used.
- Chapter 6: Conclusion is the conclusion of this document.
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Chapter / Background3
Society has shifted its focus from using only non-renewable resources, primarily coal and oil, to renewable resources such as wind power. The need for renewable resources has become synonymous with today’s society as the parity between supply and demand has not been maintained. Society as a collective entity continues to use primarily non-renewable resources, especially oil, which has made the demand outweigh the ability to supply these resources.
Product WOC60 is a small means in reducing the need for society’s use of oil and these types of resources. Product WOC60 will provide an alternative source of electricity for electrical devices and items that do not use non-renewable sources of energy. In fact, product WOC60 stands for “Wind Output Converter” which uses wind as its source of energy, thereby using a renewable resource.
As wind energy technology grows, the industry forms of these wind power systems and machines have developed in many different shapes and sizes. A part of this development is the development of small scale wind turbines. Product WOC60will perform the same functionalities as many of the technologies being used today and in the future.
Product WOC60 is primarily a power-electronic-driven project. The main components are the battery bank and the inverter. Product WOC60 will use the power fed to it by the battery bank and will invert that to a steady 120 AC voltage at 60Hz. The battery bank will be charged by the selected wind turbine AIR-X produced by Southwest Windpower, Inc.
A power inverter is the device that will convert a DC voltage to an AC voltage. In industry, there are currently three types of power inverters: square wave, modified sine wave, and pure sine wave. These inverters increase in difficulty from square wave to pure sine wave. A pure sine wave is what is compatible with all electrical components. Therefore, team Merlin has decided to have WOC60 produce a pure sine wave.
Any type of electronics has an ideal operating voltage and current. If any other voltage or current were to pass through a given electrical component, there is a chance that those voltages or currents could permanently damage that component. With the varying wind speeds, there is a great chance of voltage or current spikes. However, to reduce this risk Team Merlin’s device will control the voltage amplitude. Team Merlin’s device will also control the output frequency so that the AC signal is at 60Hz, which could be integrated into the power grid, if it were to be used for that purpose.
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Chapter / Product Overview4
General Description
The device will take the 12 volt DC power from a small-scale wind turbine/generator to charge a battery bank, which will then be inverted by WOC60 to a steady 120 AC voltage at 60 Hz. This process is shown in the block diagram in Figure 1. Also shown in Figure 1 is an enlargement of the inner components needed for WOC60. Two of the main components are the 60 Hz waveform controller and the power transformer. The controller will allow WOC60to adjust the frequency to ensure that it is at 60 Hz, and the power transformer will allow WOC60 to boost the DC voltage from 12 volts to a 120 AC voltage.
The user would mount the turbine in a non-obstructed site which would maximize wind exposure. The wind turbine that was selected is AIR-X, which will harness the wind power and turn it into electrical power. It will then rectify that power and regulate the voltage in our battery bank by controlling the turbine. From there, WOC60will take the 12 VDC voltage and invert that 12 V DC signal to a 120 AC voltage at 60 Hz.
Figure 1 - Block Diagram of Merlin Product
Figure 2 -Inner components of product WOC60
Deliverables
Table1 -Merlin deliverables
Number / Date / Technology / Deliverable1 / 11/9/07 / Hardware / Battery Bank
2 / 11/16/06 / Hardware / Transformer
3 / 11/30/07 / Hardware / Pure Sine Wave Inverter Circuit
4 / 01/14/08 / Software / PIC program
5 / 02/29/08 / Hardware / Main board
6 / 03/21/08 / System / Prototype
Battery Bank
Stores power generated by wind turbine, AIR-X, which will serve as the input to the power inverter
Transformer
Steps up the 12 volts AC to 120 volts AC
Waveform Controller PIC pseudo code
Ensures that the sine wave frequency is 60 Hz by use of a PIC controller
Pure Sine Wave Inverter Circuit
Inverts the DC voltage to an AC voltage as a pure sine wave
Main Board
Combines all hardware to complete circuitry
Prototype
Combines all of the above mentioned parts to utilize the wind energy to produce a 120 AC voltage
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Chapter / Development Process5
General Approach
As previously stated, the wind turbine AIR-X will feed the battery bank. WOC60 will then draw power from that battery bank at 12 volts DC to invert and boost to a 120 AC voltage. Some of the known components are a transformer and a PIC microcontroller. More research and design will occur in the fall semester. With that design, a computer model will be constructed so that simulations can be run to ensure the design quality. Once the research has been completed, the parts will be ordered in early December which will allow a month for parts to be received over winter break. At the beginning of the semester, the building of the product will begin followed by testing and debugging.
Assumptions
Parts other than the transformer, turbine, and PIC are available.
A wind speed greater than 8 mph, with varying speeds, can effectively be produced in the lab setting for demonstration and testing by a fan.
Milestones
The milestones found inTable 2incorporate both project specific milestones along with the required documents and presentations. These milestones help in gauging the progress of the development of WOC60.
Table 2 -Key Merlin milestones
Number / Description / Original / Previous / Present1 / Project Plan Approval / 11/09/07 / 11/09/07 / 11/12/07
2 / Put together wind turbine / 11/14/07 / 11/14/07 / 11/14/07
3 / Build battery bank and interface with wind turbine / 11/23/07 / 11/23/07 / 11/23/07
4 / Circuit Design / 11/30/07 / 11/30/07 / 11/3007
5 / Design Review / 12/07/07 / 12/07/07 / 12/07/07
6 / Order Parts / 12/14/07 / 12/14/07 / 12/14/07
7 / Parts Received / 01/14/08 / 01/14/08 / 01/14/08
8 / PIC program / 01/14/08 / 01/14/08 / 01/14/08
9 / TOP’s Approval / 02/22/08 / 02/22/08 / 02/22/08
10 / Complete Building / 02/28/08 / 02/28/08 / 02/28/08
11 / Test, Debug, Package / 03/30/08 / 03/30/08 / 03/30/08
12 / Prototype Release / 04/04/08 / 04/04/08 / 04/04/08
13 / Founder’s Day / 04/08/08 / 04/08/08 / 04/07/04
14 / Final Report 1.0 / 04/25/08 / 04/25/08 / 04/25/08
In the table of milestones, the required documents and presentations include the project plan, design review, theory of operations, prototype release, Founder’s Day, and the final report.
The project specific milestones include the battery bank interfacing with the wind turbine, circuit design, ordering and receiving parts, complete building, and testing. For the battery bank and wind turbine, it is necessary to interface and test as soon as possible since that battery bank is the power source for WOC60. Once the circuit design is complete, more research can be done on the exact parts to order. Ordering in December will allow a whole month to receive parts, so that at the beginning of spring semester, building can begin. By completing building at the end of February will allow four weeks to test, debug, and package by the end of March.
Risks/Contingencies
Every project has risks, which are better dealt with when identified early. For project WOC60, the risks that have been identified are listed below in Table 3.
Table 3 - Merlin project risks and contingencies
Number / Severity / Concern / Description1 / High / Risk / Hazardous voltage levels
Contingency / Safety requirement practices
2 / Medium / Risk / Loss of Parts
Contingency / Pre-plan
3 / Low / Risk / Late arrival of parts
Contingency / Seek other sources
Hazardous Voltage Levels
Since the output of WOC60 is 120 volts AC, there is a risk of bodily injury due. To avoid this risk as much as possible, team Merlin has decided on the following safety precautions:
- Work in pairs
- Never work on the project live unless absolutely necessary
- Wear the appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE)
Loss of Parts
Again, since this is a high power project, there are greater chances of circuit components burning. To deal with this problem, computer simulations will be done during the design process to raise concerns over parts of the circuit that may have been overlooked so that it can be addressed before construction. Also, team Merlin will take this risk into consideration when ordering parts, and possibly ordering a few extra.
Late Arrival of Parts
There is always a possibility that parts may come in late which will definitely hinder building. Team Merlin feels like one month should be sufficient, but there is always a possibility. However, team Merlin has acquired a transformer and the wind turbine has already been ordered, which are some of the parts that are harder to come by.
Schedule
Below in Figures 3 and 4 is Team Merlin’s schedule for the remainder of the year complete with both project specific tasks and class required tasks.
Figure 3 - Merlin schedule (Part A)
Figure 4 -Merlin schedule (Part B)
Schedule Overview
The schedule shows Team Merlin’s general layout of the remainder of the year. The fall semester is mainly the design and prep portion of the year which consists of translating and adjusting a pre-existing PIC code to fit our function, designing the rest of the circuit components that will interface the battery and transformer with the PIC, and to calculate the values of those circuit components. The spring semester will consist mainly of building and testing along with the final documentation. As shown in the figures, Team Merlin has many tasks that have dependencies, which outline the critical path.
Critical Path
The critical path contains all the tasks that must be completed before another task, which ends in the final product. Obviously, the building and testing phase are all dependent on the design of the circuitry along with the ordering of the parts. From there, the PIC will play a large role in the inverter circuitry, which is also part of the critical path. Once all the circuitry has been built then it must be interfaced with the AIR-X and the battery bank for completion of the prototype.
Resources
Personnel
Tammy Okubo. Team leader for Fall 2007. Build battery bank. Programming PIC. Acquiring transformer from uninterruptible power supply (UPS).
Will Acorda. Webmaster. Inverter design. Acquiring transformer from uninterruptible power supply (UPS). Parts handler.
Meghan Tisdell. Programming PIC.Inverter design. Build battery bank.Team leader for Spring 2008.
Dr. Wayne Lu. Project advisor.
Dr. Robert Albright. Co-project advisor.
Dr. Zia Yamayee. Co-project advisor.
Ms. Swetha Varadharajan. Industry representative.
Budget
The University allocates funds based on budgets received by each team. For this reason, funds will vary between teams. A sample budget for Team Merlin can be found in the excel spreadsheet shown in Table 4.
Table 4 -Product WOC60 proposed budget
Battery Bank: The cost of the battery bank was found to be $0 because batteries used will be those found in the lab.
PIC Microcontroller: The specific PIC that will be used is the ‘PIC18F452’ which is used by the Microprocessor class.
Packaging/Mounting: The packaging/mounting is estimated to be $30. This will include the circuit board.
Transformer: The cost of the transformer was found to be $0 because it is acquired by the disassembling of an uninterruptible power supply (UPS).
Air-X Wind Turbine: The School of Engineering has graciously paid for the Air-X wind turbine, which was approximated to cost $700.
Miscellaneous: The miscellaneous aspect of the budget encompasses all other parts such as resistors, capacitors, transistors, etc.
Equipment
Oscilloscope
Digital Multimeter (DMM)
Air-X Wind turbine
Facilities
EH 2007 (Electrical Circuits Laboratory)
EGR 312 (Microprocessor Laboratory)
EH 2001 (Senior Design Laboratory)
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Chapter / Conclusions6
This document gave a brief overview of Team Merlin’s project, which is to take the 12 volt DC power from a small-scale wind turbine/generator to charge a battery bank, which will then be inverted by WOC60 to a steady 120 AC voltage at 60 Hz. The key points of this document are the deliverables, milestones, and schedule of tasks which allow Team Merlin to finish the project in an on time and organized fashion.
University of PortlandSchool of EngineeringContact: t. okubo