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Session 3233

Design, Construction, and Commissioning of a 60-kW Microturbine Demonstration Facility

Glenn Wrate, Michael Swedish, Frederik Betz, Justin Reese, Chad Weis, and Lee Greguske

Milwaukee School of Engineering / Focus on Energy

Abstract

A joint project between the Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy program, the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE), City of Milwaukee, and We Energies to develop a 60-kW microturbine demonstration facility is described. All the salient mechanical and electrical data (speed, torque, voltage, current, etc.) from the microturbine and its associated equipment is made available to the students at the Milwaukee School of Engineering, and, in the future, other educational institutions. A subset of the data, in particular the energy costs, break-even points, and reliability statistics, are made available to the general public. Since the site is several kilometers from the MSOE campus, all of the data is made available remotely via the Internet. The facility has provisions for student tours of the site and a secure entrance and student work area for graduate students or senior projects. A multidisciplinary team of students and faculty (ME and EE) specified the desired parameters, assisted in development of the data acquisition system, and oversaw the development of the web-based delivery system. One of the more challenging aspects of this project was the number of entities involved. All told, ten different organizations played a role in the project. One of the major tasks for the students was to coordinate between and among these various organizations. A driving force for the students was to provide a useful tool for the students that came after them. This paper includes a description of the facility and microturbine technology, information on the data acquisition system, descriptions of the web- based instructional materials, and experiences with student recruitment and interactions.

Introduction

Genesis of the Wisconsin’s Focus on Energy Program

Focus on Energy is a Wisconsin-based partnership consisting of both private and public organizations that focuses on saving energy and money for the people and corporations in Wisconsin. Focus on Energy provides businesses and residents with education and technical services. Their aim is to help people save money and improve their economic well being, increase energy reliability and efficiency, and reduce the need for fossil fuels; improving Wisconsin’s environmental future. The services that are offered to the clients of Focus on Energy are provided by a group of firms, contracted by the Wisconsin Department of Administration’s Division of Energy1. As part of this work, Focus on Energy does the testing of

Proceedings of the 2003 American Society for Engineering Education Annual Conference & Exposition Copyright © 2003, American Society for Engineering Education

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Greguske, L., & Reese, J., & Betz, F., & Weis, C., & Swedish, M., & Wrate, G. (2003, June), Design, Construction, And Commissioning Of A 60 Kw Microturbine Demonstration Facility Paper presented at 2003 Annual Conference, Nashville, Tennessee. 10.18260/1-2--12079