Hope College Engineering Department Research Experiences for Undergraduates Summer 2009 Project Summary

A goal of this research is to contribute to the development of a generalized means to describe technical systems based on functional analysis methods. In engineering applications energy conversion devices provide critical functions. Determining efficiency is central to understanding the application of these devices. A portable data-collection device was used to develop procedures to find the efficiency of a thermoelectric converter, a photovoltaic module and a gearbox. Efficiency is the ratio of energy output to energy supplied. Thermoelectric devices utilize the Seebeck effect - a temperature gradient in a conductor creates an electric field. Temperature sensors were used to find the rate of heat loss of a water bath with and without the thermoelectric converter immersed; a voltage-current sensor measured electric power. The average efficiency of 0.25 ± 0.032% was found. The efficiency of the photovoltaic module was computed from the ratio of maximum power supplied to the load and radiant power at the module surface. The illuminance due to sunlight and compact fluorescent lamps was measured and converted to irradiance. The average efficiency was 9.1%. A force sensor and known masses were used to compare the work done at each shaft of a low-friction gearbox, demonstrating energy conservation.

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