Engineering Design Project- Presentation Summary Sam Sinclair Eoin Cheevers Thomas Butler Ben Hawksworth Enda Brett

Dingding Jia The basis of our presentation is to show the options available for producing 2kW of power to a small village rural sewerage treatment plant in the Lake District. The advantages and disadvantages of each option were assessed until a logical conclusion was made. The first option assessed was Solar; the advantages of solar was that it had a zero electrical expenses once installed, low maintenance, high lifespan, able to work in remote locations and ability to have battery chargers to store excess energy. Disadvantages were a high initial cost, the panels are very space dependant, degradation due to pollution and varying availability of sunlight. Solar was not the chosen option because of the varying levels of being able to provide energy due to sunlight exposure. Wind energy was the next, the advantages of this energy supply are zero electrical expenses once installed, the ability to sell excess energy back to the grid, and the option to store excess energy in batteries. Disadvantages of wind were, power supply varies in accordance to wind levels, planning permission issues and being high maintenance. Wind was not the chosen option due to the possibility of negative responses from local authorities and residents along with maintenance issues. Geothermal energy was the next option available, the advantages of geothermal as a power source are, the huge quantities of electricity that can be generated. Disadvantages are large installation costs, the size of the plant needed, and the specific requirements needed to produce the energy (exceptionally high temperatures in the underlying rock). Geothermal was disregarded because it was far too expensive and the unsuitability for small scale projects. Another option was to take power straight from the grid. The advantages are, quick and cost effective installation, no planning issues and low or no maintenance costs. Disadvantages are the high costs year on year to supply the power and it is not a green energy. This idea was not chosen because of both of the disadvantages above. Biogas was an option that was researched, it has advantages of being able to provide a constant supply of energy, a good use of recycling waste, and its ability to be used in a range of applications. Disadvantages are that toxic and explosive bi-products are produce and the system has high maintenance costs, for these reasons biogas was disregarded as a viable option. Micro-hydropower was the final option to be assessed, the advantages are the systems self sufficiency and produces a 24hr constant flow of power, there are many micro-hydro systems being used in the Lake District (Docker Nook Farm, Longsleddale) and its eco friendliness. Disadvantages are that the system is highly dependant on location i.e. it has to be next to or in a water way. Depended on water current usually 30% of the year the system generates little to no electricity, backup system may be concerned with this system. Micro-hydropower was the chosen option due to the presence of a nearby watercourse, its proven success in the Lake District, with the National Park Authority showing support to such schemes. Its reasonable cost over other schemes.