The potential of a trampoline to harnesses energy from the springs to save energy at the new Brown and Jolly campus.
Design Manifesto
Background Research
Every year, the typical school student uses from 250-400 kWh. That is enough power to run a house for a month. Currently, solar, wind, and other renewables are being used to reduce the use of non-renewable energy.
Some examples of minimising power usage in schools include solar and HVAC optimisation (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning units)
Aim and Hypothesis
Aim:
To theoretically design and build a prototype Trampoline that harnesses energy from the springs to save energy at the new Brown and Jolly campus.
Hypothesis:
If we install the trampoline at Brown and Jolly, then the amount of energy the school uses will decrease because the trampolines will generate energy.
Method and Safety
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First, the system's springs are moved by the trampoline.
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Next, the magnets are pushed by the springs through the copper wires.
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Then the system creates an electric charge from the electromagnetism created by the magnets.
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Finally, the system puts the energy into a battery to use later
Results and Estimations
This data models a section of the school with 3 trampolines over a 200-day school year (assuming the trampoline gets jumped on for an hour every day ).
Our research shows that three trampolines will make about 264kWh of energy a year. This is enough energy to power a fridge for 3-4 months.
Forces and Energy
Gravity- Non-contact force- This force pulls the person down onto the trampoline
Friction - Contact - As the springs are pulled and moved bythe person jumping they push the magnets through the wire
Energy Transformation: Gravitational energy is transformed into kinetic energy when the person jumps on the trampoline
Energy Transfer: Kinetic energy from the trampoline transfers into electric energy of the wire
Problem Solving
The biggest engineering challenge identified in a system like this is the magnets getting stuck
This causes two major failures in the system:
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The springs dont work as well: if the magnets get stuck then they might impede the springs movement
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The energy wont be generated because the magnets wont be moving through the wire
Engineering Modification
To solve this problem we would use the right measurements for the magnets and wire.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the trampoline is a great project for the new Brown and Jolly campus. While it doesn't solve all the school's energy problems, it makes a solid contribution by saving 264 kWh every year. If students are already going to use the trampoline anyway, we might as well capture that energy to help our new campus become environmentally neutral!