Specifications

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1 Executive Summary
It is the goal of our senior design team to design and construct a power generator that
harnesses and stores energy from renewable energy sources. This will include both
solar energy and energy that can be generated from a wind turbine. All of the energy
generated will be stored in a battery, and will have the capability of powering both a
laptop computer and a projector for a minimum of two hours. With the intent of being
used in a classroom setting, the functionality and user interface of our power generator
will be made easy to operate by the user, which, in the most likely cases, would be the
classroom instructor.
Within this document, our group first seeks to fully outline and define all of our goals and
requirements for our project. Next we wish delve into the research completed by our
group throughout the semester in the effort of developing a deep understanding of our
project. With all the research complete, our group will then go on to discuss all of the
specific parts and techniques implemented in the final design of our power generator.
Finally, an abundance of test cases will be drawn up to completely examine and
document every aspect of our power generator under the plethora of natural
environments that it will encounter from everyday use.
The goals of this document listed above will be completed in two academic semesters.
First, our goals will be outline, our research will be completed, and we will begin to
acquire all of the hardware needed. Then, beginning in the second semester, we will
begin to build a prototype of our design that can be tested as detailed in the document.
Our group‟s project will be funded and all parts necessary will be paid for by Workforce
Central Florida. Once we have completed all of the test cases required, we will present
our research, design summary, and final prototype to a panel of engineers. It will be our
goal at this point to be successful in harnessing enough solar and wind energy required
to operate a laptop computer and projector for the desired two hours.
Below is an outline of our project and the material that we will be researching this
semester.