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Wednesday, November 29, 2017

HydroCoil Final Group Project

Hydrocoil's mission is to facilitate the global transition to renewable energy. By introducing a new hydroelectric technology, we hope to promote a world filled with alternative energy solutions. As we address environmental energy challenges through new and progressing technology solutions, join us in our vision of a world free from fossil fuels.

The goal of Hydrocoil, and our company, in general,is to develop an environmentally-friendly and financially affordable alternative energy device. By harnessing the power from an ocean's waves, which are accessible to over half the globe, we can provide energy to areas that were previously lacking in infrastructure regarding energy production. A significant portion of the world's impoverished nations are located near the sea, and the Hydrocoil allows these countries the ability to establish a reliable long-lasting energy base.

Group members:
Connor Meeks
Jackson Brumfield
Avyon Bess
Kenya Withers
Rosa Castillo

Link to the website:
https://castillo21998.wixsite.com/hydrocoil

Link to the powerpoint:
https://drive.google.com/open?id=1x4vqX-BT_613j8NDEGUH3PRmi4__wzQo

15 comments:

Unknown said...

We use many things to conduct electricity including fossil fuels, coal, and natural gases. But sadly there is a downside to the environment when it comes to this. There are many dangers of fossil fuels etc. They are non-renewable, they can become hazardous to the environment because burning fossil fuels, unlike the extraction and transport stages, in which coal, oil, and natural gas can have very different types of impacts, all fossil fuels emit carbon dioxide and other harmful air pollutants when burned. Accidents can happen like oil spills, and there is negative effects on human health like asthma, bronchitis, and low functioning lungs. Price fluctuations can become a problem with gas prices rising and lowering, and America's over dependence on gases etc. Lastly our companies are messing up the environment by burning fossil fuels.
Over 3 billion people are living in the dark, they lack the energy and they lack lights. In Asia and Africa, approximately 79% have no access to electricity that equals 1.5 billion people and 10% have to rely on modern cooking styles, like wood and coal. One downside from this is smoke fuels. There are over 4 million deaths per year from smoke fuels, which is more deaths than Malaria and Aids.
So what is the Solution?
Wave energy vs other renewable sources. Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction - Faraday's law of induction is a basic law of electromagnetism predicting how a magnetic field will interact with an electric circuit to produce an electromotive force (EMF)—a phenomenon called electromagnetic induction. Here is the design concept, the shaft connects to magnet that is connected to ocean floor, the magnet will induce voltage, and the lines from device will produce power and voltage, which includes the rectifier, smooth capacitor, bust, LED, etc. This was demonstrated for us in class, a live wave from the computer was shown and the LED light lit up and at this point it generates power from the ocean floor (Metaphorically). The stronger the magnets the larger the waves.
So far the closest things they have to this is in space which is kind of similar to this but they have not quite succeeded. Only 4 of these would be able to power one American household for one day. This could basically work anywhere else besides the sea including, rivers, lakes, and even air. Basically anywhere there is natural movement away from human interaction. The goal is to produce renewable energy, to address environmental energy changes and to keep away from fossil fuels.

Valery Gomez said...

I really enjoyed the presentation and the concept of the Hydrocoil. Throughout every slide I was being informed of different and interesting things that I had no idea of. What I learned from the Hydrocoil presentation was that 1.3 billion people are living in the dark meaning they have no type of electricity. I kind of guessed that the people without electricity were the third world countries but I had no idea that it was 79%. I was stunned to read that there are over four million deaths per year caused by inhalation of smoke and fumes that is produced from burning traditional fuels. I found it sad that one third of all health centers and primary school are being educated and receiving healthcare with no power. Ocean wave energy was something I was not informed about and I was glad that this presentation helped me learn about this form of energy. After being introduced to this dilemma I was excited to hear what solution you guys had for this problem.
The solution that you have created is very clever and I believe that it can actually be done in the future. I am not so sure how it works on the technical side because I had trouble understanding but once the live model was shown I knew what the group meant. I was excited to see a group have an actual model of their project and was amazed to see it work. I feel as if they went the extra mile with showing a full scale model and tweaking what the model would consist of. My concern was only about the sea life and how it would affect their environment but you guys managed to have a great answer for my concern. Overall everything was perfectly presented and the whole idea was development in such a great way.

Anonymous said...

The situation that you all are addressing is one of great interest to me personally. That is why I found you all’s solution of Hydrocoil to be a great idea. Not only is this idea new and fresh, but it also presents a method of that solve a real world issue that affects people globally. I learned even more about this issue from you guys’ presentation, specifically, the fact that 79% of people in third world countries have no access to electricity. I found this statistic to be interesting and thought- provoking. It made me wonder whether or not nations or countries that preserve their traditional ways of life is included in this statistic?
Nevertheless, your solution to this issue remains great! I enjoyed viewing the website that you guys designed. It was easy to navigate and the theme matched yall’s subject. The only problem that I have with the full scale model would be the potential harm it could do to the marine life. I mean the amount of Hydrocoils it would take to power all the countries of the Earth could cause an overuse of ocean water. How do you put water back into the ocean? (You may have answered this already.) Great Job!!

Unknown said...

We are in dire need of a stable and constant energy source that will not affect our planet negatively. For as long as I can remember, I have always known that we were slowly killing the planet by using gas and other kind of harmful things on a daily basis. This product might be the one that saves the planet from certain doom. The HydroCoil is a product that is usable all over our planet since it uses the power of the waves.
The earth is covered in mostly water, so this product can be placed all over. The only concern that I have with this product is the wildlife. The thought of running electricity lines underneath our oceans is truly a frightening thing. Even though they’re going to be securely placed underground, the chance of something going wrong is still possible. My main fear would be the the electricity somehow leaking into the water and shocking countless water life. Yeah maybe the chances of this happening might be low, but I feel like it would be catastrophic. I’m not sure how installing things underwater works, but I imagine that it is more difficult that working above water. Even though mistakes can be made, I feel like it could be easily avoidable if there is some type of prevention system placed into the product. Since having a ton of these in the water is the idea, we can only imagine that it is going to affect the aquatic life that lives in the water.
Fish and other creature’s areas might be affected because of all of these Hydrocoils. This is something that the creators are going to have to test. Because even the slightest change in the biome can cause a huge outcome. Maybe we could test this by placing them in only a lake or pond and see how the aquatic life reacts to it. The effect that the device might have on fish might be small, but it is still surely something that has to be looked into .
In the end, this product is a very promising solution to one of the biggest problems the world faces. Humanity has come up with plenty of solutions to the use of fossil fuel, but nothing seems to compare the the energy that the HydroCoil can produce. Most countries have begun to try to conserve our planet, and I think that this product is surely a step in the right direction.

LexyR228 said...

I found this presentation to be very interesting. I am aware of some of the alternative sources of energy but this one really stood out from the rest for me. I think it's brilliant to harness the energy of a natural force that is so powerful on it's own. Many people underestimate the power and strength of water. A wave is one of the strongest forces in the world. It can be peaceful and calming to watch at times, but with the right circumstances it can be disastrous and but cities and homes located near the coast in major danger. I think this group did a great job of fully processing this idea thoroughly. This group was especially strong because they brought in a scaled down prototype for the class to get a better visual of the product and how it functions. Having an engineering major as a part of this team brought in advanced technical skills and knowledge. I like that each group member contributed a different set of skills. Diversity is what Dr. J wanted us to have in our groups and this group had exactly that. I really enjoyed the website for this project. It was designed so well. Keeping the theme of water throughout each portion of the website reminded the viewer exactly what this product was about. I liked how interactive the site was. It was intriguing and it sparked my curiosity to really delve into the site. I liked that this group picked the moral issue of lack of power in impoverished nations. This is a major issue that many don't acknowledge. In our country, I think we take accessibility to electricity for granted. We often think that everyone in the world shares the same luxuries however that is not the case. Choosing to harness power from ocean waves is perfect because many poor countries are indeed located on the coast and for them to be able to rely on a close by resource is very logical. The only question I have in regards to this idea is if it would be harmful animals. I wonder if the machinery would cause any ocean pollution or take up too much space for larger aquatic life. I imagine large sharks and fish may struggle to maneuver around the machines.

Michael Waldrup said...

This was a well-presented project and with the real prototype, I knew this project was going to be a winner. I honestly can see this powering countries all over the world. An energy source that is reliable and powerful, and can be used at any coastline. The only big concern I would have is when mother nature turns the seas into a crazy whirlpool. I know these systems at its full scale would be hundreds, thousand dollars. A single 50kw wind turbine itself is around 115 thousand dollars, but they strong enough to take on most weather conditions (besides tornados and powerful earthquakes). The ocean doesn’t play around though, fishing boats, cargo ships, even naval vassals can be obliterated. Now I bet the system is strong to take on heavy storms, but if the system was there when hurricane Katerina came through, nothing would be left and replacing such a loss would be nearly impossible. One other point that doesn’t pertain to your design, but how people would feel having a massive energy infrastructure in the ocean. Many would be opposed that it would disturb the natural life of the ocean. Yes, a point was made that if they bumped into the system nothing would happen, no animal would feel safe in an area filled with massive moving machines. Many species rely on each other to survive, so when several leave the domino effect begins and many more die off. Let’s say a crazy storm came and destroyed hundreds of these machines. Not only would debris be set across the ocean, it could also affect much of the natural life of the ocean. I feel It would end up having to be regulated in a way in which would limit the over scale of the infrastructure that can be built, but I could be very wrong. It could end up being a very safe system that would have no significant effect on the environment, but someone has to play devil’s advocate just to see what possible could go wrong. Though I do believe as technology progresses, the system can be implemented and be weather proof and safe for the environment. Overall the project was excellent, and easily out preformed any other project that competed. I hope in my lifetime I would see this system being put to the test, and I could say I knew the group that put that together. Excellent work!

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Anonymous said...

Over 3 billion people are living in the dark, they lack the energy and they lack lights which Hydrocoil will resolve this issue by using the oceans waves the ocean produces in order to provide electricity for those countries that do not have access to electricity. In Asia and Africa, approximately 79% have no access to electricity that equals 1.5 billion people and 10% have to rely on modern cooking styles, like using wood and coal. A downside from this is that these cooking styles emit smoke fuels which are dangerous. There are over 4 million deaths per year from smoke fuels, which is more deaths than Malaria and Aids. By implementing Hydrocoil as a solution to producing electricity for areas that don’t have access to electricity could possibly reduce the deaths related to using wood and coal as a source to cook.
Hydrocoil’s goal is to produce renewable energy in order to address environmental energy issues and to stay away from fossil fuels which are hazardous to our environment and to the population. This is a really good idea because this product will not cause any environmental issues like the fossil fuels we are using now which downsides are that they are non-renewable, they have negative effects on human health because when burned fossil fuels they emit carbon dioxide and other harmful pollutants when burned, and they are hazardous to our environment as mentioned by the group in their presentation.
If Hydrocoil was implemented as an alternative source to produce electricity it would be really great for those areas that are prone to natural disasters such as hurricanes because the power will more than likely not go out since Hydrocoil produces electricity by using the oceans waves. It could basically be used anywhere there is natural movement. Another great thing about this group’s idea is that there is nothing similar to it because so far, the closest thing they have to this is in space which is kind of similar to Hydrocoil but it is still under development. A question that does arise is where might Hydrocoil be tested out which is a minor detail but kind of important because it would be great to see how it would work and fix any issues that come up. Overall this idea is really innovative and helpful to the environment and the population’s health because it will be renewable energy.

Anonymous said...

I could not imagine living in the dark with no electricity. Most of our day to day operation require electricity. From charging our phones, Plugging up our hair straightens to electricity used in large businesses. I believe that Hydrocoil is a very good alternative energy device since the power is from ocean's waves. Studies show that the oceans hold about 96.5% percent of all Earth's water. As you guys mentioned, Ocean Waves will still be around for centuries to come. So those countries lacking a energy source will be able to receive sufficient amount of electricity for a very long time. On behalf of your PowerPoint, Very good explanation on the Faraday's Law of Electromagnetic Induction. The fact that you guys have the science behind the device is very useful. Good use of images on the circuit designs. In behalf of the Website, I loved the background. The Water drop and ocean were a very good way to represent your prototype. One downside that I do have is the price of the full Scale Model. $5999.99 seems to be a overwhelming amount of money. During your presentations, I don't recall you mentioning who exactly would be in charge of paying for this SPEC. Would it be the United States Government or the High Authorities of those countries that lack electricity? Another concern I have, As Dr.Johnson mentioned, was the size. Would our beautiful oceans be covered in these not so attractive floating SPECS? The Ocean life would also be a concern, One loose wire could probably electrocute some fishes. But Overall, As you mentioned during your presentation, This are only a Prototype and not official. Very well Done!

Shinn Taniguchi said...

This presentation absolutely blew me away. Once I heard the first two minutes of the presentation, I already knew this one was going to win the entire competition. Knowing that this was a senior project for an outstanding engineering student, the expectation was extremely high. But this is not what stood out to me the most: it was the group members that collaborated and helped come up with such an amazing presentation. Yes, this is a philosophy class, but to me, everyone up there presenting sounded like actual engineering students in their final year of college. The statistics, the vocabulary, the understanding of the topic was impeccable. As an engineering student myself, I understood most of the vocabulary the people were saying up there, but for a philosophy class, I was more than amazed. I was fully emerged in the presentation, it was like my physics class all over again. Not only was the presentation such a beauty, the actual prop for the senior project was mind-blowing. Seeing an idea come to real life, right in front of my eyes, was insane. The coils and the lights were all interesting, and knowing that this situation is so popular and much needed, I was fully blown away by the creation. Everything about the presentation was perfect, leaving everyone else's presentations in the dust.
Topic-wise, it is indeed a very serious topic that everyone in the world needs to be aware of. Previously, Puerto Rico was devastated by a category five hurricane, leaving them in ashes and with no power for several months. With people not being able to live without electricity happily, I understand how tragic it must be for the citizens in Puerto Rico. Most of us panic when the power goes out for more than thirty minutes; imagine not having access to power for more than three months. With this creation, however, they will have some source of energy and relief. Costly, maybe, but definitely worth. People should be enjoying life and not pushing themselves too hard to survive. The hydrocoil will not only supply them with energy, it will give them a sense of relief and relieve stress off of their shoulders. I am not only talking about Puerto Rico, I am speaking to all the countries that lack a sufficient amount of energy. Overall, this presentation was by far the best one I have heard, and most definitely hope this passes in the future to make everyone's lives a little bit brighter.

Anonymous said...

For me the presentation and the idea of Hydrocoil was very well put together. While the fossil fuel industry is one of the leading contributors to climate change, it is also a finite source that will be depleted which is why it's important that we find other sources of energy to rely on, which is what this project touches on. Hydrocoil addresses the topic of alternative fuel. Fossil fuel comes with many problems like the fact that it's non- renewable, it has negative effects on human health and to our planet. The idea behind this is to use ocean wave energy as an alternative to fossil fuel. I think Hydrocoil provides us with a great alternative fuel and an opportunity for third world countries to have access to electricity.
This covers an important issue that we should be talking about more often. Like if we continue to exploit fossil fuels and release toxic emissions we will continue to see the harmful results to not only our health but also to our planet. When it comes to our energy independence and security, I think this renewable energy could provide a safer and more reliable domestic form of energy, without the risks. While you guys were doing your presentation the only concern that I had was whether this could potentially bring any harm to aquatic animals. However, someone else also voiced this concern and you guys assured us that this wouldn't be harmful and that y'all would even look into other forms of precaution just in case. Aside from that concern, which was very well answered, I think this was a very good presentation which touched on an important issue. You guys did an excellent job in explaining all the science behind this and I thoroughly enjoyed this presentation.

Unknown said...

I think the problem the group is targeting, the idea brainstormed, and concept of the product are very well thought out. I mean, this is a senior project from someone extremely knowledgeable in the subject so I hope so! Anyway, I do have problems with the reality of the whole thing. I mean Dr.J brought up a good point on having to need, and don’t quote me on the number used, a bajillion to have it actually make a dent in the problem. So this brings up concerns of my own. With so many of these products floating on the bottom of the sea, what is the chances of this pushing the ecosystem out of whack? I have always been told throughout every science class I have ever taken that, Ecosystems are VERY delicate. I get that there are oil drills the touch the bottom of the sea but like the amount of the products you are promoting needed to be successful is, in my mind, extremely higher than the amount of drills we have in the ocean. I mean, don’t get me wrong, I don’t really support the amount of drills in the ocean, but hey, society refuses to fully transition to a reusable energy source. In addition to the amount of them, how big are they? They seem like they would need to be very big to give an amount of energy back that makes having the product worth it? If the sizes are large, next add that to amount necessary to make it all actually enough to change something, finally we are left with a major problem: A crap ton of huge machines cluttering the ocean floor. Also I see the price tag becoming an issue as well. I mean the whole point of the product is to solve the problem that there isn’t a good source of energy to impoverished areas of the world. But, who’s going to pay for this? Do you plan to donate these products to the cause or just sell to charities who do this? Also, who will pay for maintenance if ever the piece of technology breaks? A good idea might be to teach classes to the local of these impoverished nations. I mean, this would provide them with jobs, and if you’re right about the impact that these machines will have, they could make mad money off these contraptions! That could really boost the economies in these areas which then could lead to a domino effect of helping push the country out of poverty. This is a little of a stretch, but hey, who knows what can come from this if it truly successful.

Unknown said...

This project is an incredible idea to keep our world running with our crazy energy demands. The presentation was very impressive and sounded more like a business pitch which really had me hooked on this technology. The prototype was very impressive to see working and to see a higher scale model would be very impressive. It is very easy to see how much energy even one of these devices could produce because ocean currents never stop. And would it be more beneficial to place these device in areas with rougher ocean currents. The potential uses of this technology are much to numerous to list but this could one day be the answer to renewable energy considering in the presentation it was stated that we only have about fifty years worth of fossil fuels left. The only potential set back I could foresee is difficulties with boat travel, potential danger to sea life environments since these are anchored to the ocean floor, cost challenges, and the dangers of servicing such devices being so deep in the ocean. Also on the note of sea life if these devices are as tall as a smalI skyscraper or so what would happen if a massive sea mammal were to run into it would the mount to the ocean floor beflexibke enough to take a hit from an animal that weighs several tons and go back to the correct position with out snapping or an undersea earthquake were to hit near or at the point these are mounted would it come floating to the surface or stay well beneath the surface. I am also curious who would be the one to pay for the building of the machines and the wages of the people who would make them. Are you going to have a start up company, private donors, or sell percentages of the company ownership to private corporations who already have the capabilities to build these machines.

Jared Schools said...

This is a really good invention and will no doubt help many people once it becomes viable technology. One concern I have though is that many of the areas on the map that do not have reliable electricity are not coastal or areas with an abundance of standing water, such as the interior of Africa or Asia. I know in your presentation you said that it could be used in the air but how long until it is viable to be used in that manner? How would these areas that are in the most dire need for electricity benefit from this mainly coast based source? Another issue is that according to the map the areas without electricity that are by the coast have rather weak tidal forces. Would they need a large amount of the arrays in order to truly benefit from it? Even with its drawbacks it would still be a vastly superior alternative to fossil fuels.

Anonymous said...


I love this idea. I've always found great interest in the ocean and think it is a great idea to use the natural tides as a source of renewable energy.I liked how thoroughly you explained the science behind it and it was a great idea to bring a working prototype and be able to actually demonstrate it. I would love to see how this could be implemented in other habitats as well, especially in the air. I think this would be a great solution to coastal areas without access to other forms of alternate energy. I would also like to know if this could be used around hydroelectric facilities such as the Hoover Dam. I'm interested to know if this would make it more or less effective, or if it has any significant change on production at all. I would certainly donate to this cause and would love to see it become a reality.