Microgrid Testing and Experiments

Objectives
1. Solar - See what is the most effective angle for power generation in a 19% efficient solar
panel
2. Wind Power - How effective is a wind turbine in Novato Ca? Are the wind speed viable
for a wind turbine?
3. Necessary Equipment - What materials are need to regulate the flow of electricity in a
grid
4. Energy Dissipation - How much energy loss will we see through our circuit
5. Fault Reliance - How can we make a microgrid fault reliant.

Hypothesis
1. Solar Panel Angle
● If the solar panel angle is at 30 degree angle, then the performance of the solar
panels efficiency will be at its peak.
2. Solar Panel Sun Angle
● If the sun is directly overhead a solar array (90 degrees), then the performance of
the solar panels efficiency will be at its peak.
3. Solar Panel vs Atmospheric Particles
● If the atmospheric particles are high, then solar panels efficiency will be lower
● If the atmospheric particles are low, then solar panels efficiency will be higher
4. Wind Power Effectiveness
● If a small wind turbine has 5-10 mphs of wind speed, then it will be effective as a
second power generation source
5. Energy Dissipation (Later)
● If electricity is stored in a battery, then there will be a drop in power from the
original energy created.
6. Fault Reliance
● If we make our microgrid with two parallel lines to transfer power, then it will be
fault reliant
Background
Wind Turbine Simulation
https://interactives.ck12.org/simulations/physics/wind-turbine/app/index.html
Solar Panel Simulation
​https://archive.manylabs.org/lesson/124/solarPanelSimulation/
Energy our school uses Square foot = 1.3AMPS

Materials
Materials to be tested​: Other Needed Materials​:
 Solar PV panels 18.9% Power Cables
Solar Inverter DC to AC
Lithium Ion Batteries
Wind Turbines (1-2m diameter)
Regulator

Independent Variable
Solar Panel Angle
● Angle of solar panel
Solar Panel Sun Angle
● Angle of sun to solar panel
Solar Panel vs. Atmospheric Particles
● Atmospheric Particles
Wind Power
● Wind Speed
Energy Dissipation
●
Fault Reliance
● Number of connections/wires
Dependent Variable
Solar Panel Angle
● Kwh
Solar Panel Sun Angle
● Kwh
Solar Panel vs. Atmospheric Particles
● Kwh
Wind Power
● Kwh
Energy Dissipation
●
Fault Reliance
● Kwh
Controlled variables
Solar Panel Angle
● Atmospheric Particles, angle of sun, efficiency of solar panel
Solar Panel Sun Angle
● Atmospheric Particles, angle of solar panel, efficiency of solar panel
Solar Panel vs. Atmospheric Particles
 ● angle of solar panel, efficiency of solar panel, angle of sun

Wind Power
● Diameter of turbine
Energy Dissipation
●
Fault Reliance
● Batteries, energy produced from solar panels/wind turbines,

Experiments and Tests

Experiment 1 Change in Solar Panel’s Output due to its Angle

● In this experiment, we will be testing the energy output of the solar panels when its angle
is changed in a virtual environment at different angles of the sun. The purpose of this is to
find the most best at different angles of the sun (time of day)
● How does the angle of the sun affect the power output?
● How does the sun’s angle and the angle of the solar panels in conjunction affect the
power output?
● Procedure
○ Set solar panel efficiency to 19%
○ Set atmospheric particles at 0
○ Set angle of sun to 90 degrees
○ Set angle of solar panel to 45 degrees
○ Record data of energy produced as a control, then repeat existing steps, but
change the angle of the solar panel for different results
○ Record all data

Experiment 2 Change in Solar Panel’s Output due to the sun's angle

● In this experiment, we will be testing the energy output of the solar panels when its angle
is changed in a virtual environment at different angles of the sun. The purpose of this is to
find the most best at different angles of the sun (time of day)
● How does the angle of the sun affect the power output?
● Procedure
○ Set solar panel efficiency to 19%
○ Set atmospheric particles at 0
○ Set angle of solar panel to the degree that we found was best from experiment one
○ Set angle of sun to 90 degrees
○ Record data of energy produced as a control, then repeat existing steps, but
change the angle of the sun for different results
○ Record all data
Experiment 3 Change in Solar Panel’s Output due Atmospheric Particles
● In this experiment, we will be testing the energy output of the solar panels when
atmospheric particles change in a virtual environment. The purpose of this is to find how
much atmospheric particles affect solar panel output.
● How does atmospheric particles affect the power output?
● Procedure
○ Set solar panel efficiency to 19%
○ Set angle of solar panel to the degree that we found was best from experiment one
○ Set angle of sun to 90 degrees
○ Set atmospheric particles at 0
○ Record data of energy produced as a control, then repeat existing steps, but
change the atmospheric particles for different results
○ Record all data

Experiment 4 Loss of energy through a circuit

● In this experiment we will be testing how large a circuit will be until we see a decrease in
the amount of amps inside the circuit and what's the efficiency of when the energy was
created to when it is stored. The purpose of this experiment is to see if the dissipation of
energy in a circuit is a problem and if there are ways for us to avoid this problem in our
microgrid design.
● Will our microgrid be affected by loss of energy due to size or will there be no real
change
● Which loses energy quicker AC or DC, and by how much until it's noticeable as a
● Experiment
1. Look at mentors blueprints for inspiration/ something to base our design off of
2. Set up the grid according to mentors advice
3. Have two set ups, one that uses AC power and another that uses DC power
4. Test dissipation of electricity for both
5. Record the dissipation of electricity for these setups
6. Compare which loses energy more for the type of current used

Experiment 5 Fault Reliance Circuit

● In this experiment we will be creating a fault reliant power grid. A fault reliant power
grid is a circuit that does not fail if one aspect of it fails. The purpose of building a faculty
reliant circuit is to be a simulation for our microgrid, since we will incorporate these
types of circuits into our design.

● What is fault tolerance?

 ○ “Fault tolerance​ is the property that enables a system to continue operating
properly in the event of the failure of (or one or more faults within) some of its
components. If its operating quality decreases at all, the decrease is proportional
to the severity of the failure, as compared to a naively designed system, in which
even a small failure can cause total breakdown. A ​fault-tolerant design​ enables a
system to continue its intended operation, possibly at a reduced level, rather than
failing completely, when some part of the system ​fails” (Wikipedia).
● Experiment 3 Steps
○ Look at mentors blueprints for inspiration/ something to base our design off of
○ Set up the grid according to mentors advice
○ Test power output and storage under normal circumstances
○ Begin simulating fault (removing parts)
○ Possibly revise and see what can be done to make the grid fault tolerant
○ Reset the grid and repeat steps