"Create the Future" Sustainable Technologies Category Winner
Saturday, June 20 2009
The 2008 NASA Tech Briefs "Create the Future Design Contest," presented by SolidWorks, recognized innovation in product design in six categories: Consumer Products, Machinery & Equipment, Medical, Safety & Security, Sustainable Technologies, and Transportation. Here is the winner of the Sustainable Technologies category, along with the two honorable mentions.
Efficient Air Conditioner
Lindsay Meek
Perth, Australia
This design improves the energy efficiency of a residential
air conditioner by replacing the traditional
reciprocating compressor (bore and stroke) with a higher
efficiency permanent magnet motor coupled to a
scroll compressor. Recent advances in permanent magnet
motors used in modern hybrid car electric drives
and wind turbine generation have seen the incorporation
of strong NdFeB magnets into the rotor, which
greatly improves the motor efficiency. The compressor
motor is then driven by a compact IGBT inverter stage
with a motor controller, so motor current consumption
can be optimized at the different operating speeds.
The other improvement that can be made is to replace the traditional refrigerant expansion valve with a similar scroll expander turbine coupled to a second permanent magnet generator. The decompression of the refrigerant gas through the turbine on its way to the condenser allows some of the work used to compress the gas to be recovered and converted back into electrical energy. The generator is connected to a second compact IGBT inverter stage with a motor controller, and can be controlled in conjunction with the compressor motor controller to regulate the pressure and flow rate of the gas through the system.
The two inverters are connected together via a common, high-voltage DC bus, so the electrical energy recovered from the decompression state can be reused by the compression stage, improving the overall efficiency of the refrigeration cycle. Finally, an AC-DC rectifier power supply is needed to provide the main work energy for the DC bus to keep the cycle operating. The above improvements should lower the power consumption by at least 30%.
For more information, contact the inventor at lindsaymeek@hotmailcom.
Honorable Mentions
Coupled Water Tower/Wind
Turbine Controller
Andras Tanczos
Helsinki, Finland
A coupled water tower/wind
turbine controller stores wind
energy in the water towers of the
drinking water network. At
strong winds, the extra electrical
energy generated by the wind
turbine can be used to pump
water into the water tower. When
there is no wind, this energy can
be released with a hydro-turbine,
and the water goes back to the
wells. The pump of the water
tower and the hydro-turbine are
used to control the water level in
the reservoir. The electricity from the wind turbine is used
for pumping the water or for supplying the electrical grid.
The controller can also be installed on existing water towers
and water tanks placed on top of buildings.
Electromagnetic Rail Motor
Tim Cormier
Beavercreek, OH
The Electromagnetic Rail
Motor (ERM) can power
anything from aircraft and
cars, to artificial human
limbs. The ERM is based on
the modern rail gun. By taking
the two rails and forming
a ring, a continuous
rotational force is created
that is easily managed and
controlled. The speed of
rotation can be directly controlled by adjusting the voltage,
similar to a gas pedal. Once the ERM powers up, the motor
rotation will accelerate to its terminal speed. The blades act
as both rotational shafts and as propeller blades to help cool
the motor during extremely high speeds. The rail housing
holds the assembly together and keeps the rails in place to
counter the immense separation force.
To view all of the contest entries online, click here.
