Light Saver, ChargEn 1

Grant Proposal
Project Title
Light Saver

Group Name
ChargEn

Project Team Information

Student Name UIN Classification Email

Aisha Al-Naemi 525000893 Sophomore aisha.al-naemi@qatar.tamu.edu

Asmahan 124000656 Sophomore asmahan.al-kuwari@qatar.tamu.edu

Al-Kuwari

Mai AlShakhs 625003893 Sophomore mai.alshakhs@qatar.tamu.edu

Nicholas Manavi 227000100 Junior nsmanavi@tamu.edu

Team Strengths
AISHA AL-NAEMI…………………………………………………….CHEMICAL ENGINEER
● Worked on a renewable energy project that converted sound energy into electricity to
power a TV

ASMAHAN AL-KUWARI…………………………………………..ELECTRICAL ENGINEER

● Studied business in London
● Won first place in engineering design involving cooling system

MAI ALSHAKHS……………………………………….…………...ELECTRICAL ENGINEER

● Engineering trainee in Hamad Medical hospital

NICHOLAS MANAVI……………………………………….……….AEROSPACE ENGINEER

● Constructs clinics for impoverished communities through organization called BUILD

As a team of diverse engineers, combining different majors and experiences, we will be able to
work together to end up with a successful project. Not only is our team from different
disciplines, but also different nationalities: Qatar and the USA. Our multinational experiences
will give us insight towards providing better solutions to powering the medical units. Our team
will also be assisted with experienced mentors that have more practical knowledge about
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renewable energy. Our qualities make us a team qualified to face the extended challenges in
bringing this project to life.

Project Description and Scope

Our project aims to create a reliable and cost-effective method of renewable energy for medical
clinics present in refugee sites, particularly in the Middle East. Evidence from our research
supports the conclusion that combining thermal solar energy harvesting via a stirling engine and
fuel consumption via a generator is the best solution to creating reliable energy. The innovation
funds will go directly towards supporting prototypes, which will undergo development towards a
final product.

Project Timeline and Milestones

Table 1. ​Schedule for the project
End Date Milestone

Week 1&2 Review and edit design with professional

advisors / Search for vendors to fund project

Week 3 Acquire parts necessary for prototype

Week 4& Week 5 Test efficiency and power production of

stirling engine alone including variable
diameters of parabolic mirror in different
environments

Week 6 Test power production of generator alone

Week 7 & Week 8 Build a basic assembly of the prototype (not

including exterior shell)

Week 9 Test total efficiency of complete assembled

prototype

Week 10&11 Make improvements to prototype efficiency

by reconfiguring placement of components
and while keeping minimal spatial design

Week 12 Acquire consultant to look over design

Week 13&14 Test for efficiency and power production for

prototypes with different component
configuration

Week 15 Build custom exterior shell

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Week 16&17 Test functionality in various weather

conditions and environments/ Test indoors
and outdoors. Make sure product meets 6kWh
produced needs.

Week 18&19 Revise design/ write project evaluation report

to vendors

Week 20 Give progress presentation to vendors

Project Evaluation
The project’s aim is to generate electricity for already-existing medical clinics. We must ensure
that the solar thermal energy unit will be able to produce electricity during all seasons of our
desired locations. Beirut, Lebanon’s yearly average high temperatures range from 15 Celsius to
30 Celcius (Climate). We will consider this location to be representative of our audience and
modify our device to work in slightly more extreme conditions, ranging from 12 and 35 Celsius.
Any modifications that increase the device’s usable range would only add to the success. Since
sunlight harvesting is more renewable and affordable than burning gas, our aim is to maximize
the proportion of energy the stirling engine provides for the clinic. Therefore, it is another goal to
make 70% of the usable energy from the clinic powered completely by the stirling engine. The
total combined output that can be produced by the hybrid must be 6 kWh/day to satisfy the needs
of a basic medical clinic.
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Budget justification:
Table 2. ​Estimated costs for initial prototype
Expense Estimated cost ($) Justification of Expense

17” Large Parabolic mirror $75 Reflects solar energy and

concentrates heat

Sunnytech Stirling Engine motor $90 To absorb heat and cause the gears
SC02M to move to generate a current

Baifa Generator $450 Runs the gas and causing pressure

that produces a current

Gas $100 Only used when the stirling engine

does not produce the sufficient
amount of current.

Shafaf woqod Gas Tank $30 That will be used by the generator

N100L MF Century Battery $269 To store the electricity

Wiring $100 Includes costs of resistors,

inductors, switch and sensor

Thermo-acoustic Insulation $150 Materials needed to construct the

exterior shell of the prototype
Chrome-moly Steel Pipes $400

Ampeak 2000W DC AC Inverter $140 Converts direct current into

alternating current

Shipping $300 Shipping all these heavy items to

Qatar.

Consultant $300 An experienced professional

mechanical Engineer who has
worked with hybrid renewable
energy device needs to check the
practicality and safety of the design
before completing the design and
construction process.

Total $2404 We are creating a hybrid of

renewable energy and gas energy.
The rest of the money will be
funded by other organizations.
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Needs statement
Refugee sites are turbulent areas with limited access to quality healthcare. Although portable
health clinics already exist for many refugees to use, they have issues reliably producing energy.
Clinic in a Can is an organization localized in the United States whose medical clinics have
already made an impact on the lives of local refugees. However, these portable clinics have room
for improvement, since diesel engines provide for all of the clinic’s power needs. The clinics use
many devices that require a nearly constant source of electricity (Table 3). Certain devices take
up a larger portion of power consumption than others, but almost all of them, except for the
x-ray, are necessary for a clinic to properly operate 24 hours a day (Graph 1). Refugees need a
solution that can take advantage of a natural element that surrounds them: heat. Hybridizing a
generator, something we know works reliably, with a stirling engine, which can output most of
the energy required from the clinic, will make our design an attractive solution for our audience.

Table 3.​ Clinic devices total load (Franco, 2017)

Equipment Power (Wh/Day)

Lights 122

Mobile Chargers 200

Ceiling Fans 600

Computer 1200

Radio 400

Sterilizer (Steam) 2000

Vaccine Refrigerator 160

X-Ray Machine 1000

Total 5,682
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Graph 1.​ Load distribution of clinic devices

We wanted confirm our secondary research regarding power needs of refugees by interviewing a
student at TAMUQ, Ghassan, who lived his early life in a Lebanese refugee camp. we have
discovered that power supply is a very significant issue that faces sites. Most devices that require
power run on gas or fuel. He mentioned to us that he only had access to a few hours everyday
(4-6 Hrs.) He also said that in some hospitals power completely shut off without warning. The
portable clinic that solely runs on diesel would be ineffective as a steady source of energy will
not be guaranteed. Our interview with Ghassan showed that there is a necessity for not only
health care but reliable power that can give a steady supply for 24 Hrs. Our team wanted to
tackle this issue specifically by developing a device that generates renewable energy in a matter
that vitalizes the environment that the refugee site will be on. The total power consumption of
the collective clinic equipment is 5,682 Wh/Day (Table 1). However a safety margin should be
considered, there for the total energy that will be produced by the device will be 6kWh/Day.

Unique Selling Points

There is room for development and innovation regarding the thermal solar energy harvester, and
our project focuses on maximizing the solar unit’s efficiency. We aim to take advantage of the
abundant Middle Eastern heat to produce reliable energy. Although many refugee sites already
use gas generators to power their facilities, there is not a product for them to use as a hybrid of
renewable and nonrenewable energy sources. Refugees are hesitant to adopt renewable solutions
on their own, as ​the cost of installing solar lanterns, which individually do not produce much
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power, is significantly higher than the cost for a year of gas​. Our solution offers reliability and
affordability, while remaining environmentally friendly. ​The stirling engine would be the main
source of energy used to run the clinic and the generator will act as a backup. The hybrid engine
will function and supply energy for 24 Hrs. If a facility requires 5 kWh/day or less, then the
backup generator will not be required.

Technical Design
Total energy generated needed to power a clinic with necessary equipment is 6 kWh/Day.
Therefore, we have based our device on satisfying this goal. The device, as seen on ​Sketch 1
below, is a stirling engine hybrid and its components, include:

1. Parabolic mirror
2. Stirling engine
3. Converter switch
4. Rotary motors
5. DC/AC inverter
6. Generator
7. Gas tank
8. Lithium ion battery

The thermal solar energy device works by reflecting the sun’s light hitting the large parabolic
mirror onto a single focal point located in the center of the mirror. The bottom of mirror will be
connected to rotary motors that revolve the plate one rotation every half hour. The rotation will
angle the device so the stirling engine remains the focal point of the mirror during all times of
day. The duration of rotation will be further examined on ​week 3 & week 4. ​The focal point will
directly transfer the heat collected by the Sun to a stirling engine. The stirling engine utilizes the
heat and generates electricity.

A converter switch will be installed along with a logic gate that will measure the power output
from the stirling engine. They will be wired to detect if the power produced from the stirling
engine does not meet 6 kWh, so the backup generator can be used. The generator then combusts
fuel to produce electrical energy. Power produced from the stirling engine and the generator will
be stored in a lithium ion battery by the means of charge controllers. An inverter will need to be
installed to convert the outgoing DC electricity from the battery into AC, for clinic use. The size
of the inverter will need to cover the power requirement of the equipment as well as 10% safety
margin. This means the inverter must be manufactured to handle 6.6 kW minimum.
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The prototype will be encased with an exterior body shell constructed from chrome-moly steel
pipes and layered with thermo-acoustic insulation in order to make it durable, that will be
manufactured when the final design is solidified.

Sketch 1. Shows one example of how the final design will look like. Further sketches and
changes will be considered once the project enters the testing period.

Sketch 1.​ Illustrates of the stirling engine hybrid (drawing is not up to scale)

Generator dimensions : 32cm X 42cm X 44cm

Battery dimensions : 24 cm X 17.5 cm X 21 cm
DC/AC Inverter dimensions : 24 cm X 16 cm X 7 cm
Parabolic Dish diameter: 45 cm

Technical feasibility:
A hybrid stirling engine has been recently implemented in cars, so we know our product can be
made. This idea was not widely implemented since the confines of the car heated the engine,
dropping its efficiency rate, but our product will be designed for proper ventilation. To meet
budgeting goals, early prototypes will be created using materials less durable than those suitable
for a final product (Estimates on table 2). The most cost-effective components for the final
product will be selected after two months of professional counseling and testing. Since we will
be working with power tools and electrical equipment to assemble the device, risks will be
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mitigated by complying with OSHA safety requirements. The construction can be done within
TAMUQ facilities under the guidance of professors.

Relevance to Tamuq:
Texas A&M at Qatar will benefit strongly from the sponsoring of the project as it motivates its
students to be determined about their goals and succeed in them. This opportunity is a chance to
prove the Texas A&M abilities not only over Qatar and Texas but further around the Middle East
and hopefully the rest of the world. As this project is aimed toward aiding refugee camps all over
the world, keeping in mind that A&M has previously proved it’s support towards refugees and
others in need. A&M provided generous donations to Palestinian refugees suffering from poverty
and those who were affected by Hurricane Harvey and lost their houses and properties to the
horrible crisis in Texas. A&M students and faculty traveled all the way to Thailand to help
renovate houses and schools. Tamuq is always participating in operations that aim to aid
disenfranchised communities. This project will further give credibility to Texas A&M as an
engineering college which truly takes advantage of their position, and contributes their resources
towards a greater humanitarian cause.
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References

Climate and average monthly weather in: Beirut, Lebanon. (n.d.). Retrieved July 17, 2018, from

https://weather-and-climate.com/average-monthly-Rainfall-Temperature-Sunshine,Beirut

Lebanon

Franco, A., Shaker, M., Kalubi, D., & Hostettler, S. (2017, March 17). A review of sustainable

energy access and technologies for healthcare facilities in the Global South. Retrieved

from https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213138817301376#t0010

Laukkonen, J. (n.d.). How to Estimate Power Inverter Size Requirements. Retrieved from

https://www.lifewire.com/find-the-right-inverter-size-534680