Research Project: Miniature Solar Farm with the Alam CEED Research Group
August 2021 - Present
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The goals of this research project were to model a real-world solar farm using a scaled maquette and to build a community of photovoltaic system enthusiasts that utilize the desktop solar farm.
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This research project encompassed the development of a miniaturized solar farm. The scaled farm contains electronics that collect IV (voltage vs current) curves throughout the day at any given location. The design of the scaled farm allows for remote data capturing, real-world measurements, portability, and modularity. The scaled farm emulates real photovoltaic systems to predict the energy yield of solar farms before they are built (lower the initial investment) and optimize farm specifications (maximize return). The system uses the collected data, neural networks, and physics-based models.
Research Project: Algae Biofuel Multidisciplinary Renewable Energy Project
October 2018 - June 2020
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In this research project, I investigated electric fields as a method for disrupting algae to release lipids for potential biofuel applications. The research encompassed analyzing AC circuits, high frequency (RF) systems, and electromagnetic fields. In order to have enough test samples, I cultivated and maintained healthy 15mL cultures of Chlorella Vulgaris for experimentation. I analyzed the electrical and physical variables that rupture algae cells for lipid extraction. I designed, simulated, fabricated, and tested an electromagnetic field generator.