Re: [Phys-l] Thesis Topic

[Brian Whatcott <betwys1@sbcglobal.net>]

Rory Ian BUalan wrote:
> Hello ;)
> I'm in my 2nd year in MST-Physics. We're told to think of possible thesis topics for our proposal sumbission. I want a topic that is interesting and is very relevant right now... Any suggestions??? THanks ;)
>
> RORY IAN BUALAN
I was browsing video clips about Arduino projects - a current enthusiasm 
of mine.The Arduino is a low cost microcontroller with free source 
hardware designs and a large joyful following. Robots, dynamic magnetic 
levitation, two wheel robots with dynamic stabilty - all that good stuff.

And I came across a window air conditioner controller - and the dialog  
came as a shock.   It went something like this: New York has high 
property prices and so a nationally high percentage of rental occupation 
at 40%.
It turns out that most rentals have through-wall or through-window air 
conditioners. Such conditioners have internal thermostats that are all 
but useless. 

 What would be more practical than a removable actuator that fits over 
the controls: heat, low cool, on, off that responds to a decent 
thermostat placed in some sensible position?
You set the control point, the dead band, the cycle rate, and any other 
variable that seems like a good idea at the time.
The green pitch went roughly like this: 40% of ten million people using 
1.4 kW in say a 80% duty cycle use a considerable amount of energy.
Better controls would easily slim the energy bill by 20% or more.
And there was an embodiment - the software load is freely available of 
course, the air conditioner is operated externally, safely, removably 
with a couple of servos pressing the buttons. I guess this would be made 
for well under $100.

Estimated magnitude of the effect:
40% of 10E7 people using 1.4 kW X 80% of 24 hrs X 30 days/month.
Perhaps 2 months/ year. That's 6.5E7 MW.hr/yr
If electricity cost 10cents per kW.hr - it usually costs more I believe 
- the NY heat/cool bill amenable to reduction would be
6.5E7MW.hr / $100 perMW.hr = $6.5 billion.
20% of that bill saved represents $1.3 billion at $100/barrel oil
or 13 million barrels of oil p.a
(But wait: don't we use 21 million barrels of oil a DAY in the US?)

Even if these numbers are totally off the mark, I am sure you get the 
idea: incentives for improving energy use will be more and more welcome, 
and practitioners of thrifty energy use will be valued.

Brian W