Unit 2: Engineering design of the ocean batteries and energy farms
Introduction
In this submodule, you will engage with operation principles of a) the Ocean batteries technology (charging & discharging), b) Wave Energy Converters (WEC) technology, and c) wind turbines. You will experience engineering design processes through variable testing of several design characteristics of the prototype by using a simulation environment. Hence, you can make inferences about the optimal design of an off-shore Ocean Batteries & Energy Farms module regarding its efficiency.
Activity 1
Welcome to the Ocean Grazer module. You will soon learn about important aspects of the Ocean Grazer project in a collaborative way. You need to engage in activities in each room in order to gain the password code in order to progress to the next room. You can gain the knowledge & skills you need to answer the questions when engaging in the activities (screens), as well as look for pieces of information that are spread all over the map, so it is important to communicate well with each other. You can take notes on your logbooks (padlets) and write the conclusions on the whiteboard. Please proceed to the room OCEAN BATTERY – CHARGING room first and use the code ‘welcome’. Good luck!
Watch the video that shows an overview of the Ocean Grazer project
Can you intervene in the design of the Ocean Batteries charging system in order to maximise its efficiency? Try to go through the engineering design activities and carry out inquiry investigations. Use the embedded whiteboard and the logbook written in it for keeping notes.
(Hint: Try to gather the required information by interacting with objects in the room, so that you can answer the assessment quiz to get the password for the next room.)
Engineering design activity Charging 1:
How does the pipeline length affect the efficiency of the Ocean Batteries prototype?
Try to find the QR code that will open a dialogue with the AR assistant. Interact with the assistant while using the Ocean Batteries simulation software.
Use the online notepad to write down the variables, your predictions, the data you collected and your analysis of the data.
Engineering design activity Charging 2:
How does the efficiency of the pump affect the efficiency of the Ocean Batteries prototype?
Try to find the QR code that will open a dialogue with the AR assistant. Interact with the assistant while using the Ocean Batteries simulation software.
Use the online notepad to write down the variables, your predictions, the data you collected and your analysis of the data.
Engineering design activity Charging 3:
How does the diameter of the reservoir affect the efficiency of the Ocean Batteries prototype?
Try to find the QR code that will open a dialogue with the AR assistant. Interact with the assistant while using the Ocean Batteries simulation software.
Use the online notepad to write down the variables, your predictions, the data you collected and your analysis of the data.
Ocean Battery quiz
Try to collect information by interacting with prompts found in the room in order to gain the knowledge needed for the assessment quiz.
The Ocean Battery is highly modular. The storage system can consist of several connected, stand-alone units, allowing the system to grow along with the capacity of the wind farms by adding units as a wind farm expands.
Each pump of the Ocean Battery is connected to a maximum of 4 rigid concrete reservoirs and 4 flexible bags.
Each reservoir can hold up to 20.000 cubic metres of water.
When water has been pumped to the bags, energy is stored as potential energy.
Now the big question: The mechanism of the Ocean Battery is based on the technology of what big structure? (Tip: The door hates the spacebar. Also keep track of capital letters)
Assessment quiz
Now, try to find the password door for the next level. You can retrieve the password after you interact with objects in the room. Try to answer the assessment quiz questions in order to collect enough points so that you retrieve the password.
(Hint: try to find the QR code and scan it with your cell phone in order to interact with the AR assistant (brain)).
Activity 2
Can you intervene in the design of the Ocean Batteries charging system in order to maximise its efficiency? Try to go through the engineering design activities and carry out inquiry investigations. Use the embedded whiteboard and the logbook written in it for keeping notes.
(Hint: Try to gather the required information by interacting with objects in the room, so that you can answer the assessment quiz to get the password for the next room.)
Engineering design activity Discharging 1:
How does the pipeline length affect the efficiency of the Ocean Batteries prototype?
Try to find the QR code that will open a dialogue with the AR assistant. Interact with the assistant while using the Ocean Batteries simulation software.
Use the online notepad to write down the variables, your predictions, the data you collected and your analysis of the data.
Engineering design activity Discharging 2:
How does the efficiency of the turbine affect the efficiency of the Ocean Batteries prototype?
Try to find the QR code that will open a dialogue with the AR assistant. Interact with the assistant while using the Ocean Batteries simulation software.
Use the online notepad to write down the variables, your predictions, the data you collected and your analysis of the data.
Engineering design activity Discharging 3:
How does the depth of the installed device affect the efficiency of the Ocean Batteries prototype?
Try to find the QR code that will open a dialogue with the AR assistant. Interact with the assistant while using the Ocean Batteries simulation software.
Use the online notepad to write down the variables, your predictions, the data you collected and your analysis of the data.
Calculation quiz
Try to collect information and answer particular questions Q1 and Q2 by interacting with prompts found in the room in order to gain the knowledge and answers needed for the assessment quiz.
A general rule of thumb states that for every 10 m of water depth, the pressure increases by 1 bar (100.000 Pascal).
The turbines have an efficiency of 70-80%.
The water flows through large hydro turbines, which generate up to 10 MWh per system of four reservoirs and four flexible bags.
To generate the 10 MWh, the bags need to be placed at a depth of approximately 45 metres.
Question 1: Let’s say that the hydro turbines have an efficiency of 80%. How many MWh would be generated if the turbines were 100% efficient?
Question 2: How high is the pressure in bar at the depth that is needed to generate 10 MWh?
Assessment quiz
Now, try to find the password door for the next level. You can retrieve the password after you interact with objects in the room. Try to answer the assessment quiz questions in order to collect enough points so that you retrieve the password.
(Hint: try to find the QR code and scan it with your cell phone in order to interact with the AR assistant (brain)).
Activity 3
Operation principles
Try to interact with the AR assistant in order to study the operation principles of the Wave Energy Converter (WEC) system.
Follow the instructions from the AR assistant and watch the video that demonstrates how a WEC system works
Running the WEC simulation
Try to interact with the AR assistant in order to run the WEC simulator.
Can you examine the conditions in which the WEC system has maximum efficiency? Try to go through the engineering design activities and carry out inquiry investigations. Use the embedded whiteboard and the logbook written in it for keeping notes.
(Hint: Try to gather the required information by interacting with objects in the room, so that you can answer the assessment quiz to get the password for the next room.)
Engineering design activity WEC 1:
How does the height of the waves affect the output power of the WEC prototype?
Try to find the QR code that will open a dialogue with the AR assistant. Interact with the assistant while using the WEC simulation software and intervene in the code of the WEC simulation according to the instructions.
AR assistant (Engineer2) (same as the previous one)
Use the online notepad to write down the variables, your predictions, the data you collected and your analysis of the data.
Engineering design activity WEC 2:
How does the period of the waves affect the output power of the WEC prototype?
Try to find the QR code that will open a dialogue with the AR assistant. Interact with the assistant while using the WEC simulation software and intervene in the code of the WEC simulation according to the instructions.
AR assistant (Engineer2) (same as the previous one)
Use the online notepad to write down the variables, your predictions, the data you collected and your analysis of the data.
Assessment quiz
Now, try to find the password door for the next level. You can retrieve the password after you interact with objects in the room. Try to answer the assessment quiz questions in order to collect enough points so that you retrieve the password.
(Hint: try to find the QR code and scan it with your cell phone in order to interact with the AR assistant (brain)).
Activity 4
Watch the video that shows an overview of the Ocean Grazer project
Calculation quiz
Try to collect information and answer particular questions Q1 and Q2 by interacting with prompts found in the room in order to gain the knowledge and answers needed for the assessment quiz.
In 2020, there were 462 off-shore wind turbines in the Netherlands.
The total capacity of the off-shore wind turbines in the Netherlands in 2020 was 2.460 MW.
Q1: If all Dutch off-shore wind turbines in 2020 produced as many Watts as the maximum of your own simulated wind turbine, how many Watts would be produced in 2020?
Q2: How many of your maximised wind turbines would be needed worldwide to reach the predicted 1150 GW of 2050?
Wind Turbine Simulation
Using this online simulation try to maximise the number of houses you can power in a year with your energy farm of wind turbines. Write down the maximum amount of Watts that they can produce
Assessment quiz
Now, try to find the password door for the next level. You can retrieve the password after you interact with objects in the room. Try to answer the assessment quiz questions in order to collect enough points so that you retrieve the password.
(Hint: try to find the QR code and scan it with your cell phone in order to interact with the AR assistant (brain)).
