Hybrid Powerplant

The project "Hybrid Powerplant" is basically the combination of wind turbines and hydro-electric powerplants to develop and innovate a new renewable energy powerplant. This new model of an integrated powerplant will help to produce more efficient and clean energy that decreases the problems ordinary renewable energy powerplants face which will decrease problems in the economy and environment. So, this instructable will be showcasing the steps I took in developing this invention from inquiring and analyzing, developing ideas, creating the solution, and evaluating.

Problem:

The main problem is that renewable energy sources and powerplants face a lot of problems that affect their rate of efficiency and productivity which is a cause of a lot of problems in the economy and the environment such as the waste of money and resources. Also, because renewable energy sources are not that efficient in energy production people to tend to use nonrenewable energy sources more, which is a cause of greenhouse gasses which is a cause of global warming. Thus, I see the problems renewable energy sources faces affect their efficiency rate which affects different factors in our everyday life.

Who Considers This a Problem?

I would say the whole world considers this a problem where global warming is a serious problem in nature and we all show our concerns in solving this problem. Bringing more relevance to this project, I think we as Saudi Arabia consider this a problem where we are highly dependent on petroleum and natural gas, and it is essential to stop this consumption to achieve our dream which is vision 2030 to sustain our resources.

Goal:

The main goal of this project is to integrate both wind and hydropower together in one independent powerplant hoping to increase energy production from renewable energy sources, which will increase the rate of efficiency. This can help solve renewable energy source problems, putting an end to the consumption of oil and natural gas in Saudi Arabia which will create a long-lasting, sustainable energy source for this beloved country.

What are the problems that wind turbines face?

What are the problems that hydro-electric powerplants face?

Are nonrenewable energy sources more efficient than renewable energy sources?

Why are renewable energy sources inefficient?

What are the problems renewable energy sources face?

Are renewable energy sources expensive?

How much energy do wind turbines produce?

How much energy do hydro-electric powerplants produce?

What are the pros and cons of nonrenewable energy sources?

What are the pros and cons of renewable energy sources?

These projects are quite similar to my model where they all include hydro-electric powerplants and wind turbines that are integrated together. One of the wind turbines is in a tub of water which is the hydroelectric powerplant situated on a farm. While the other is similar to mine which is where the wind turbines are above the hydro-electric powerplant and the powerplant is situated in a coastal area.

In the end, I will go with sketch 1 because it is more innovative and newer, and it will be applied better on the application. In this diagram, the hydroelectric powerplant is facing sideways and not on the top, where it is isolated in a box-like structure. The water enters from an opening, where the water comes running from a slope that is attached to a river or a water source. Thus, the slope will give the water momentum to move the wheel and after that, the water leaves through the exit on the left. Above the hydroelectric powerplant, there are two wind turbines and on the other side, there is another hydroelectric powerplant. All of these four powerplants are attached to one generator to convert the kinetic energy into electric energy.

Tinkercad Project URL:

https://www.tinkercad.com/things/dYTq9bEO9ZV-hydro-wind-powerplant/edit?sharecode=zFJLpt-EE38zlWEIcTIEytT1FjK8G5PgiT1Iowbl0QY

This is the hydro-electric powerplant, there is two in my 3D model, and the water sources enter a hole and fall down pushing the wheel which generates energy.

There are two wind turbines in my project, I have put them towards the water source so that the wind coming with the water currents moves the wind turbines and generates energy. The black lines are the cables running to the generator, and there is a border protecting the wires and the wind turbines from the water.

In the back, we have the generator up top and all powerplants are connected to it, there is an opening in the bottom which allows the water to leave the powerplant.

Strengths:

•The hybrid of wind power and hydro-electric powerplants produce more cleaner energy than normal renewable energy powerplants.

•The hybrid of wind power and hydro-electric powerplants is more efficient and productive.

•The hybrid of wind power and hydro-electric powerplants saves spaces and that is by joining wind turbines and hydro-electric powerplants in one, instead of distributing them separately.

•This model is also more reliable where if one is not working the other is.

Weaknesses:

•The hybrid of wind power and hydro-electric powerplants use too much money and resources to build and construct.

•The hybrid of wind power and hydro-electric powerplants can take up too much time to build and construct which is not promising.

•The hybrid of wind power and hydro-electric powerplants is very huge, big and complex meaning it will be extremely difficult to build it without any injuries which is not promising either.

Improvements:

•Decrease the powerplants to one of each source.

•Change the model of the hydro-electric powerplant to make it more developed rather than a simple wheel.

•Make the turbine of the waterpower built on the upper wall.

I changed the number of blades for the hydro-electric powerplant turbine from 3 to 6 as a traditional wheel. Also, what I changed in the project is the angle of the wind turbine where I made them face the water source to pick up the air current coming with the water. On another hand, I changed the box shape from a rectangular prism to a cube and added bigger openings to the design so the water can enter and leave the box more smoothly. Lastly, I put the generator in the back of the design instead of in the middle of the two turbines and added a water border to protect the generator and the cables from the water.

The most suitable location for my project in Saudi Arabia is in an area that has powerful wind and most importantly a water source. In Saudi Arabia, there are not a lot of places that have a good water source to keep the hydro-electric powerplant on working, keep in mind the main water sources are in the costs of the kingdom. Speaking of the costs, there are enough water sources and wind in the coastal areas, where the wind can reach up to 6m/s which is a very good wind current that will be capable of moving the wind turbines. Thus, in conclusion, I conclude that the most suitable area for this project is near the gulf and red sea were in these locations both have strong wind and water currents are present that promise the production of clean and efficient energy.

Thus, in conclusion, I conclude that renewable energy sources and powerplants, in general, face a problem in our era that causes a lack of efficiency and contributes to a global issue indirectly (global warming). So, my project is a way to solve this problem and decrease the rate of problems by producing cleaner energy, making more space on the land, and make renewable energy sources more reliable. even though my project faces some weaknesses and problems it is better to wait until the cost of renewable energy sources drops which will increase the use of these significant resources. I present this project as a succesful project that will help this country to make clean and efficient energy to sustain our resources which will contribute to the success of vision 2030.

The ATL skill that I used the most during my journey of this invention is self-management. I managed myself throughout the whole process and that is by using time wisely, efficiently, and most importantly productively. I managed my time by dividing my work time on the PowerPoint, instructable, video, and the prototype itself. I see this skill as the most important skill in this assignment (the science fair) because we work individually and every person has to depend on himself, meaning every person needs to manage his time wisely. Thus, in conclusion, self-management was key to my success in this assignment.