[Urban Planning] SODA VAN
It is now time for the second Action Project for this term’s STEAM course, Urban Planning. This unit is called Power, and it is all about electricity and how we are able to power the country and the world. We learned about Thomas Edison and Nikola Tesla. We talked about their Direct Current and Alternating Current competition and how Tesla won in the end. We spoke to people from Arup Engineering about electrical engineering and how our power is made and transported. We also learned about how to calculate Watts, Voltage, Ohms, and Amperage, as well as how to draw circuit diagrams. For this Action Project, we have been tasked with creating a circuit out of Snap Circuits. We then have to match each resistor to an appliance that saves power over normal appliances. F.K. and I had a fun idea to be represented by our circuit, so read on to see the SODA Van!
Circuit Diagram, L.A.H., 2023
Solar panel Circuit, A.C.L.,2023 Battery Circuit, L.A.H., 2023
Pictured above are two versions of our circuit. On the right, we have the original version of our circuit. In it, we have two 1.5V Batteries that power the circuit. On the left, we have one 1.5V battery, something not powerful enough to power the circuit independently, and a solar panel, which makes up the difference to power the circuit. This was an additional challenge we put upon ourselves, and it took a lot of finagling, but we were able to complete it. Our calculations are below.
Calculations, L.A.H., 2023
Of course, we had to cover the circuit as you wouldn’t be able to see it if it was actually in a wall…
Van Life, L.A.H., 2023
…so we turned it into a “van”. On this, we have labeled all of the different appliances, detailed below. Electricity is currently roughly $0.00014 per W/h.
This totals out to $76.4 saved per month and 4698.84 watts! For our circuits, we had to calculate the voltage, amperage, ohms, and watts.
At GCE Lab School, we pay a lot of attention to the Sustainable Development Goals or SDGs. The SDG that most connects to this project is SDG 7, Ensuring access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all. We believe that our project follows and reaches SDG 7 because we are attempting to create as little a footprint on the planet as possible, going so far as to not have a permanent place to live. All of our appliances are more efficient than the industry standard. Additionally, our appliances would be powered by a Solar Generator, meaning we wouldn't be using harmful fossil fuels in our van. All of this leads us to think that our van design is extremely sustainable.
This has been a very fun project! F.K. and I worked well together and we had a lot of fun designing the circuit, incorporating the solar panel, and researching cleaner appliances! If I were to do this project again, I think I’d give the SODA van better wheels, but aside from that I am very happy with this project.
Sources
- “How Many Watts Does a Window AC Use.” Jackery, 29 Jan. 2023, www.jackery.com/blogs/news/how-many-watts-does-a-window-ac-use#:~:text=A%20window%20AC%20unit%20uses,hours%20of%20electricity%20each%20month. Accessed 17 May 2023.
- “How Many Watts Does a Refrigerator Use? [or Mini-Fridge] - EnergyBot.” Energybot.com, 2023, www.energybot.com/blog/how-many-watts-does-a-refrigerator-use.html#:~:text=Mini%2Dfridge%20wattages%20vary%20based,and%20100%20watts%20of%20power. Accessed 17 May 2023.
- “Water Pump Energy Calculator: Watts and KWh.” Energybot.com, 2023, www.energybot.com/energy-usage/water-pump.html#:~:text=How%20many%20watts%20does%20a,or%20on%20the%20device%20itself. Accessed 17 May 2023.
- Marsh, Jacob. “How Many Watts Does an Electric Oven and Stove Use?” EnergySage Blog, EnergySage, 16 Feb. 2022, news.energysage.com/how-many-watts-does-an-electric-oven-and-stove-use/#:~:text=On%20average%2C%20electric%20stoves%20use,kWh. Accessed 17 May 2023.
- “Energy Use & Cost to Run an Electric Water Heater | Perch Energy.” Perchenergy.com, 2023, www.perchenergy.com/energy-calculators/water-heater-electricity-usage-cost. Accessed 17 May 2023.
- Arizona, In. “Battery Powered Air Conditioners 12/24/48 Volts DC.” Battery Powered Air Conditioners 12/24/48 Volts DC, 2019, www.cruisencomfortusa.com/. Accessed 17 May 2023.
- “SEAFLO 12V 100PSI Self-Priming Diaphragm Pump - - Amazon.com.” Amazon.com, 2023, www.amazon.com/Seaflo-100PSI-Self-priming-Diaphragm-Pump/dp/B0166UBJX4/ref=asc_df_B0166UBJX4/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=167126276842&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=9029093738111872509&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9060252&hvtargid=pla-306984007667&psc=1. Accessed 17 May 2023.
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