Energy from the ocean

Here's the pilot plant for Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion being developed by Makai Ocean Engineering.  We toured the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority right near Kona airport on the Big Island of Hawaii.  Amazing technologies to take advantage of Kona's deep, cold, clean water. 

Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion

This poster was sent to us by Makai Ocean Engineering, a Hawaii-based firm that is developing Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion for our state.  The company is located on Oahu, but this pilot plant is on the Big Island, at NELHA (Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority). 

OTEC uses the energy difference of cold, deep ocean water and warmer surface water to drive an ammonia cycle, spinning a turbine to produce electricity.  The ammonia is in a closed-loop system, so OTEC is extremely clean, with no need for fresh water and no competition for space or resources.

You can learn more about OTEC at Makai's website, www.makai.com. 

Wind Turbine Size on Maui

We visited Maui's Kaheawa wind farm with First Wind's Kekoa Kaluhiwa and Jennifer Endo on October 17.  As we passed one of the turbines, we noticed a worker cleaning one of the fan blades.  Can you spot him?  There were actually two workers on the same blade.  Exciting view!

Refresher Workshop on Maui

 Teachers measuring their work, equal to force times distance

 Prepping for torque lab--a new IEI activity under development

 Twisting a tube to lift weights

 Data to determine work and power

 Watts and costs for electric loads

 Renewed skills using volt meters

 Checking voltage from photovoltaic cells

 Voltages confirmed, the team's PV panel drives their water pump

Optimizing blade angle of a wind turbine--as a team

Power of Students!

Power of Students

Island Energy Inquiry is developing additional class activities linking energy to work.  Students in Tech Careers measured forces and distances in two mini-labs:  Stairway to Heaven and Moving Water.  Back in the classroom, they calculated Work = Force x Distance, then computed their individual power.

Are you brighter than a 50-watt bulb?  Students calculated their results and answered the question.

Finally, they converted their watts of power to horsepower in the lab section titled Horsing Around.  Through this inquiry activity, they found that large muscle groups are best!  And that a world-class athletic bicyclist generated the power for the Gossamer Condor when it won the Kremer Prize for human-powered flight in 1977. 

Island Energy Inquiry Professional Development Course for Maui County Teachers Grades 5-12

MEDB Women in Technology is pleased to announce an Island Energy Inquiry Professional Development Course for teachers grades 5-12 to be held November 11^th & 12^th, 2011 (lunch provided both days) & 2 online follow-up sessions in February 2012 (exact dates TBD) at the Maui Research & Technology Park Malcolm Center (limited funding available for Molokai and Lanai teacher travel).

Highlights of the course:

·    ENGAGE in the use of the Island Energy Inquiry science curriculum which focuses on energy sustainability for Hawai’i  (aligned to HCPS III and Common Core Standards)

·    RECEIVE an Island Energy Inquiry Kit as well as access to an equipment loan program (PV panels, solar thermal, wind, energy auditing, and other equipment!)

·    INTERACT with local Hawai‘i energy professionals and hear live energy presentations

·    BENEFIT from ongoing support via Island Energy Inquiry Blog & Website

·    LEARN to use our Clean Energy Hawaii STEM App via a mobile lab of iPad computers

·    EARN $200 stipend for full participation and classroom implementation

Please visit www.womenintech.com/workshops.html to register.

Download the IEI flyer for more information. 

We look forward to an enriching workshop!

Island Energy Inquiry Lending Library Fall 2011

As Hawaii educators are starting their 2011/2012 school year, we would like to remind Island Energy Inquiry Workshop participants that the Island Energy Inquiry Library Program (IEI-LL Program) is available to teachers who want to use hands-on tools to implement energy inquiry science in their classrooms.

To sign up for a kit, please complete the following survey:

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/8NPKXMS

Participants need to have an IEI-LL Participant Agreement on file, abide by the program's policies and procedures, and have a google or gmail account to access online shared forms.

If you have already implemented the IEI-LL tools in your classroom, please share your IEI-LL experiences and ideas here! Mahalo!