Marquette University senior engineering students recently completed a project that required them to build an electric generator that could run off of a water wheel or a windmill. One requirement for the project was that all of the parts for the generator components had to come from an auto salvage yard.
“The idea was that people in underdeveloped or rural countries do not have the money to purchase fancy generators, but they do have access to salvaged auto parts.” said Mark Polczynski, engineering director and head of Marquette’s Engineering Management Program. “The student’s design can be replicated by almost anyone in the world that has access to junked auto parts.”
According to Polczynski, the idea for the project came from one of his friends who lives in rural Ireland.
“My friend and I had been talking about this for a few years now, he has a river running through his property and has been looking for a way to take advantage of that essentially free energy,” he said.
The students spent around $150 creating their generator, a solar panel that would generate nearly the same energy output would cost around $1,500.
“The idea was not to have this generator completely replace an existing power source,” Polczynski said. “My friend doesn’t want to heat or light his entire house, but using this product he might be able to reduce the cost of his energy bills.”
The students were also required to create a website to document their results and were able to include blueprints and step-by-step instructions on how to create the prototype from salvaged auto parts. That website can be found here: http://www.muelectric.org/.
The project was completed earlier this week, so his friend has not had a chance to look at the design, Polczynski said. However, the site will remain on the web long after the seniors have graduated in order to serve as a long term reference for people interested in the design.
