Design of a Low-Power Quadruped Robot for Remote Data Acquisition in a Heated Garden

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas Mitchell ◽  
Kristin Miller ◽  
C. S. Wei ◽  
Runar Unnthorsson ◽  
William Foley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Low Power ◽  
Thermoelectric Generator ◽  
Waste Heat ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Mobile Web ◽  
Remote Supervision ◽  
Test Beds ◽  
And Control ◽  
Sustainable Power

The authors have developed test beds heated green roofs in New York City and geothermal heated gardens in Iceland using waste heat. A thermoelectric generator developed by the authors for these gardens currently provides more than 6 watts of steady state power. This sustainable power source is independent from the grid and is used for web cameras. The test beds need a mobile, web-accessible robot platform for additional monitoring that is battery-charged by the thermoelectric generator. This robot’s power consumption must match the constraints of the thermoelectric generator’s output. This paper presents the design and construction of a low-power walking quadruped robotic platform with a specifically designed walking algorithm. The robot will eventually provide the needed web accessible remote monitoring and maintenance capabilities for the test beds. Remote supervision and control of multiple heated green roofs and heated gardens will be possible from a central location.

Designing and Installing a Retrofit Heated Green Roof Using Either Co-Gen Waste Hot Water or Municipal Waste Steam Heat as Energy Source

2014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Dell ◽  
C. S. Wei ◽  
Raj Parikh ◽  
Runar Unnthorsson ◽  
William Foley
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
New York City ◽  
York City ◽  
Waste Heat ◽  
Green Roof ◽  
Cooling Water ◽  
District Heating ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Small Scale

Municipal District Heating Services and Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems can produce waste heat in the form of steam condensate and hot water. The authors have developed a system to use this thermal pollution to heat the soil and growth medium of green roofs and outdoor gardens. The system enables plant life to survive colder climates and increases growth often in excess of 20% (Power2013-98172). In New York City test heated green roofs, the system can save vast amounts of normally required cooling water that is tapped from the overburdened municipal supply (IMECE2013-65200). Existing small scale green roofs in New York City and larger scale heated green roof retrofit in New York City is presented to indicate additional construction details, thermal considerations, and potential code compliance considerations.

Design and Construction of a Heated Garden System Utilizing Steam Condensate From an On Site Boiler

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Dell ◽  
C. S. Wei ◽  
Raj Parikh ◽  
Runar Unnthorsson ◽  
Nicholas Mitchell ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
New York City ◽  
Plant Growth ◽  
Potable Water ◽  
Waste Heat ◽  
District Heating ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Steam Condensate ◽  
Chp System

Municipal District Heating Services and Combined Heat and Power (CHP) systems can produce waste heat in the form of steam condensate and hot water. The authors have demonstrated (IMECE2014-39066) the potential of open field heating of green roofs to reduce thermal pollution, save potable water, and while increasing plant growth. Subsequent research in both Iceland and New York City using similar systems has resulted in the growth of out of region plants. The latest plant growth results are detailed. The latest research has indicated additional potential impediments, including the need for an additional CHP system pump. A thorough structural analysis on existing older roofs is necessary to avoid an overstressed roof. Substantial UV shielding of the plastic piping and upgrading of the pipes from braided PVC to PEX(a) was also needed. The details of selecting an appropriate heat exchanger were analyzed for a specific building and associated construction details are provided.

Repurposing Waste Steam and Hot Water to Accelerate Plant Growth in Heated Green Roofs

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert Dell ◽  
Runar Unnthorsson ◽  
C. S. Wei ◽  
William Foley
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Plant Growth ◽  
Air Conditioning ◽  
Potable Water ◽  
Waste Heat ◽  
District Heating ◽  
Green Roofs ◽  
Hot Water ◽  
Applied Technology ◽  
American Society

Municipal steam district heating services such as New York City’s Consolidated Edison’s have no recirculation system. The waste heat, usually in the form of steam condensate and hot water, is mixed with and cooled by municipal potable water. Since 2006, The Center for Innovation and Applied Technology and The Laboratory for Energy Reclamation and Innovation at the Cooper Union have been developing a system to use this thermal pollution to heat the growth medium of green roofs. The authors have also constructed three geothermal heated gardens systems in Iceland. American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (ASHRAE) specifications for heated sidewalks were referenced in all locations. The heated green roofs have the potential to save more than 2,000,000 cubic meters of potable water if applied to 40% of Consolidated Edison’s steam customers. Plant growth is often accelerated by 20% or more in all locations.

scholarly journals Cu2Se-based thermoelectric cellular architectures for efficient and durable power generation

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Seungjun Choo ◽  
Faizan Ejaz ◽  
Hyejin Ju ◽  
Fredrick Kim ◽  
Jungsoo Lee ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Power Generation ◽  
3D Printing ◽  
Power Output ◽  
Waste Heat ◽  
Computational Simulation ◽  
Mechanical Stiffness ◽  
Higher Power ◽  
Printing Inks ◽  
Binder Free ◽  
Sustainable Power

AbstractThermoelectric power generation offers a promising way to recover waste heat. The geometrical design of thermoelectric legs in modules is important to ensure sustainable power generation but cannot be easily achieved by traditional fabrication processes. Herein, we propose the design of cellular thermoelectric architectures for efficient and durable power generation, realized by the extrusion-based 3D printing process of Cu2Se thermoelectric materials. We design the optimum aspect ratio of a cuboid thermoelectric leg to maximize the power output and extend this design to the mechanically stiff cellular architectures of hollow hexagonal column- and honeycomb-based thermoelectric legs. Moreover, we develop organic binder-free Cu2Se-based 3D-printing inks with desirable viscoelasticity, tailored with an additive of inorganic Se82− polyanion, fabricating the designed topologies. The computational simulation and experimental measurement demonstrate the superior power output and mechanical stiffness of the proposed cellular thermoelectric architectures to other designs, unveiling the importance of topological designs of thermoelectric legs toward higher power and longer durability.

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