UltraBattery

By:
Brad Schwenk
Tyler Simches
Robert Swahl
Evan Steigerwalt
Overview
Problem Statement
Use of Inverters
Criteria of Success
Project Designs
Decision Matrix
Solar Technology
Wind Technology
Our Recommendation

Problem Statement
Design a power grid
Make it usable for many applications
Exhibits all of the criteria for success
Power cannot be stored for later use
efficiently
Designed a power grid that can generate
a large amount of power which can also
be stored.

Inverters
Transfer from DC to AC and back
Way to Charge Batteries
Controls Volts and Amps
Can be put in Series or Parallel

Why Inverters
Get Higher Voltage
Less Batteries
More Control
Sunny Island
Reaches 120 volts
Reaches between 41.7 and 180 amps
Weighs 86 lbs
Optimal temperature is between -13
and 122 degrees (F)
95% efficiency
$4,500
Sunny Boy
Charge batteries from solar
panels
$2,875
98% efficiency
Weighs 77 lbs
Criteria for Success

Safety
o Sturdy enough to keep it up without being too big
Cost
o Needs to be as cost effective as possible
Cooling
o Batteries create their own heat but should be kept at an average of about 77 degrees
Adaptability
o Base model for a house needs to be able to adapt to different applications easily
Accessibility
o Needs to be easy to access in order to change out depleted/ineffective batteries and/or connections
Size
o Needs to be a reasonable size in order to install and manage
Weight
o Price of installation depends on the necessary machinery to move and manage the weight of each
individual module
o Weight also determines the placement and platform materials for module.
Design #1
2 Volt Battery
12 Batteries per Module
3 Batteries in Series
6 Volts
Each Series Paralleled
Together
(4 Sets in Series Paralleled)
140 Amps
Inverter
Sunny Island
o Converts power
o Raises Volts
o Lowers Amps
o Series 2
o Parallel 2 sets
Cost
Solar Panels in PA
o $107,586.21 - $201,724.14
Module
o Steel
$17.50
o Batteries
$8,448
Return Investment House in PA
o -5.6%
Design #1
Racks have stands on the bottom the hook into indent on top
Front cover plate to keep batteries out of reach
Kept underground so children/unwanted animals cannot reach it
Air vents are small enough to keep out fingers

Safety
Placement
Underground
Outside of Town or House
Stays cool using Geothermal
Technology
Access to underground is by
bomb shelter like doors
Accessibility
Front access only
Top access to two outside
batteries for terminal posts
Cooling
Vents on sides and top of
module
Vents in each piece
separating the batteries
Kept underground to use
Geothermal cooling
Adaptability
Small modules
Easy to add or subtract one or
two modules
If needed can be put in an air
conditioned shed
Size
Weight
Each module is
small
They are deep and
long but are very
short
180x840x635 (mm)
Each module weighs
around 50 lbs
The batteries in each
module weigh 528 lbs
Total of 578 lbs
Design #2
2 Volt Battery
15 Batteries per
Module
All Batteries are in
Series
30 Volts
No Batteries in
Parallel
35 Amps

Inverter
Sunny Island
o Converts
power
o lowers amps
o raises volts
o 2 series
Cost
Solar Panels in PA
o $107,586.21 - $201,724.14
Module
o Steel
$31.50
o Batteries
$5,280
Return Investment House in PA
o -5.7%
Design #2
Very heavy therefore very hard to move
Front cover plate to keep batteries out of reach
Few air vents to keep out fingers
Safety
Size
Cooling
Weigh
t
Accessibility
Adaptability
Placement
In basement or
garage
Shed next to
house
Underground
Larger modules
harder to change
One module adds 30
volts
The modules are
never paralleled
together
Need a whole new
module for a small
increase in voltage
Only Front access
Big panels for the front
of the module
No access anywhere
else
Few vents on each
side
no back or front
vents
No other air flow
throughout module
no flow between
batteries
Each module is
somewhat large
Deep, Tall, and Long
250x840x760 (mm)
Each module weighs 90 lbs
The batteries in each module
weigh 660 lbs
Total of 750 lbs
Design #3
2 Volt Battery
12 Batteries per Module
4 Batteries in Series
8 Volts
Each Series Paralleled Together
(3 sets in Series Paralleled)
105 Amps
Inverter
Sunny Island
o Converts power
o Raises volts
o Lowers amps
o Series 2
Sunny Boy
o Converts DC solar
power to AC power
o Charges batteries
via solar power
Solar Panels in PA
o $107,586.21 - $201,724.14
Module
o Steel
$21.00
o Batteries
$6,336
Return Investment House in PA
o -5.7%
Cost
Design #3
Each module is a collection of battery "cages"
Each cage rests on top, and alongside each adjacent battery
No cage can slide or slip, each welded together in rear
Side terminal posts are exposed
Safety
Placement
Adaptability
Accessibility Cooling
Weight
In shed or basement
Underground
Stays cool using
geothermal cooling
Size
vents to open air for all
batteries
air constantly circulating
Each module weighs around
60 pounds
Batteries weigh 528 pounds
Total is about 590 pounds
Only front access
Open front allows easy
access
Easy to add modules
with the use of the
cages
Complete units easy
to be constructed
Each module is relatively
medium sized
Deep, and somewhat
wide, but not too tall
235x675x635
Design #4
12 Volt Battery
8 Batteries per Module
4 Batteries in Series
48 Volts
Each Series Paralleled Together
(2 sets in Series Paralleled)
108 Amps
Inverter
Solar Panels in PA
o $107,586.21 - $201,724.14
Module
o Steel
$8.75
o Batteries
$1,000
Return Investment House in PA
o -5.6%
Cost
Sunny Island
o Converts power
o Raises Volts
o Lowers Amps
o One inverter
Design #4
Few terminals for electrocution risk
Module is not heavy, risk of injury from module itself is low
So many cooling vents module itself is unstable
Vents are big enough to get fingers and things in
Safety
Placement
Adaptability
Accessibility
Cooling
Size
Weight
Excellent cooling
Each battery is
essentially in a wire
frame
Very low weight of module
around 25 pounds
Very low durability of module
Batteries weigh 448 pounds
Combined weight of about
475 pounds
Front accessibility only
Terminal posts are exposed
Risk involved with batteries
more so than the module
itself
Modules easily added
Modules can be paralleled
or put in series depending
on the need
In an air conditioned
shed
Outside of a house or
building
Needs to power air
conditioning using
modules
The modules are very
big
Very tall and wide not
too deep
518x565x209 (mm)
Cost Equations
Batteries = $2/lb
Steel = $0.35/lb
o Each module uses steel
ROI = (annual savings - (first cost life))
first cost
Cost of solar panels = {[((# of kwh/day take over from
grid) insolation hours) (30% efficiency)] (1,000)}
($8 $12)
Payback period = First Cost Annual Savings
Explanation of Decision Matrix
To power a house volts need to be 240.
o All designs reach required voltage
The higher the amps the better.
o Design 1 has the highest amps
Size and Adaptability are similar.
o Smaller the Module better it can adapt
o Design 1 is the smallest therefore the most adaptable
Weight also ties into size and adaptability.
o Design 3 weighs the least and has a good adaptability rating
Able to access but still safe.
o Design 3 is the most accessible but 1 is the safest
Batteries optimally need to be at 77 degrees.
o Designs 3 and 4 have the most airflow therefor have the best cooling
Finally cost, high cost is bad the lower the cost the better.
o Design 4 is the cheapest because it uses basically no steel and few
batteries
Decision Matrix
Weight Concept 1 Concept 2 Concept 3 Concept 4
Voltage 10% 10
100
10
100
10
100
10
100
Current 10% 10
100
5
50
8
80
2
20
Size 15% 9
135
6
90
8
120
6
90
Adaptability 10% 10
100
7
70
9
90
9
90
Accessibility 2% 7
14
7
14
8
16
5
10
Safety 8% 9
72
7
56
8
64
2
16
Weight 15% 9
135
7
105
9
135
10
150
Cost 20% 9
180
8
160
9
180
10
200
Cooling 10% 9
90
7
70
10
100
10
100
Total Score 100% 926 715 885 776
Solar Energy
Solar Panels will last 20-40
years
o After 20 years they will only run at
80% capacity
Benefits
o Can be put anywhere
o More Places to install
Problems
o Extremely expensive
o Only Absorbs sunlight when sun is
perpendicular to the panels
average about 3 hours a day
Wind Energy
Each Turbine produces 3-4KW/h
Each Turbine costs $2,000 (per KW)
Life expectancy of 20-30 years
Problems
o Expensive
o Few places to collect
o Size
o Requires constant maintenance
Benefits
o Cheapest cost per KW/h (4 cents)
o Cheaper then Solar Panels
o Constant Energy
Recommendation
Design #1
o Safety
o Adaptability
o Current
o Never low
o ROI
Customers Without Solar Panels and Wind Turbines (in
PA)
o Only Solar would be a -5.6% Return on Investment (per year)
o Half and half would be a -5.2% ROI (per year)
o Not Worth it
Customers With Solar Panels and/or Wind Turbines
o 10.09% Return on Investment (per year)
o Worth it
Investment turns positive when cost for solar panels
and/or wind turbines is less than $20,000.
Payback Period
o 7.83 years 8 years
Solar Map
To Completely take over the grid using
Solar Energy
o To power a house at lowest levels
Cost equals $200,000
o To power a house at mid levels
Cost equals $120,000
o To power a house at highest levels
Cost equals $85,000

Wind Map
Turbines need an average of 5.7-6.9
m/s wind speeds (12-15mph)
Ocean or coast lines
Recommendation
Design #1
o Safety
o Adaptability
o Current
o Never low
o ROI
Best places for wind
o Unfortunately the best places to put wind turbines are also the worst
They are by the sea and/or in deserts however these places are the most harmful to
the turbines
Best places for solar
o In deserts and near the equator
o It cuts the price of the solar panels in more than half
Africa is best
o In the Sahara Desert with only solar panels in the first life of the
batteries is -4% ROI
o In the second life of the battery the ROI is 9.19% so after 30 years you
would be in the positive for cost with another 10 years left on the life of
the solar panels
Questions?