CutesyButton Technical Core Kevin Rzasa , Dan McEvoy , Tim McGraw, Gizlena Cuellar

1. CutesyButton Technical Core Kevin Rzasa, Dan McEvoy, Tim McGraw, Gizlena Cuellar Edsgn 100 Section 005 ObjectiveWe recognize the need to design the technical core of a house, combining all of the necessary amenities into a mass-production capable unit that runs on solar power, which a house can be built and expanded around.Survey ResultsWe conducted a survey of 100 college students and adults in order to gather information. In the first section we gave a list of 4 amenities and asked them to choose the 3 most important to them. The results are as follows:We also asked customers to rate, on a scale of 1 to 10, how much value they place on the environmental impact of their house, with the average response being a 6.Problem DefinitionConclusion: From our survey, we were able to discern which amenities are most important to the consumer, and that environmental impact is secondary to cost and functionality.Problem Statement: We define the problem to be integrating water heating, home heating and cooling, and electricity into a solar powered mass-producible unit, while maintaining as much energy efficiency as possible.Background InfoElectricity- The average American family can use from 4 to 18kwh of electricity each day. The majority of energy used goes to heating/cooking systems and cooling/refrigeration systems. Solar power can be utilized on a stand-alone basis, or on a grid-interface system in conjunction with an external power supply.Heating- There are many options for home heating including geothermal, radiant/baseboard, or central heating. Geothermal systems take advantage of the difference between the earth’s temperature and the air temperature to provide heat energy. Radiant/Baseboard systems run hot water through the walls or floorboards of a house, allowing heat to dissipate. Central heating is most widely used, combining a furnace and fan to disperse hot air.Cooling- Many home cooling options exist as well including central, whole house fan, and evaporative cooling. Central cooling systems utilize a coolant and fan to cool and disperse air. Whole house fans are large fans, usually placed in the attic, that create a large circulation of air throughout a home. Evaporative cooling systems utilize water to convert warm dry air to cool moist air.Hot Water- Water heating options include gas or electric powered, and both with or without a holding tank. Tank-less hot water heaters are drastically smaller in size.Final DecisionWe decided to go with a central HVAC unit to provide heating and cooling, along with a tank-less hot water heater. Our design also includes a circuit breaker to control energy flow throughout the house , a DC/AC converter, and solar panels. To run entirely on solar power, this unit would be way too expensive for most people, so we will utilize a grid interface system to provide the balance of energy.Analysis1. The base of the unit is 3 ton HVAC unit capable of heating and, by reverse cycle, cooling a home of up to 5400 square feet. Coming out of the right side is a 6 inch diameter pipe leading to the ventilation system.2. Attached to the base is also the tank-less hot water heater, capable of generating a temperature change of up to 80 degrees and a flow rate of up to 6.10 gallons per minute. Coming out of it there is plumbing leads for both the inlet and outlet of water.3. Also on the right side of the base is the circuit breaker. Connected to it are is a lead to the city power grid. This ensures that there will be enough electricity on days with little sun and extra solar energy can also be returned to the utility company for a profit.4. On top of the circuit breaker is an AC/DC converter. This is crucial because although most home appliance run on AC power, solar energy comes in as a DC current. The converter allows normal appliances to be used instead of their more expensive and harder to find DC counterparts.5. Finally, we have a solar panel with an outlet going straight into the AC/DC converter box.Cost Analysis-The cost provided is only for the features listed as well as shipping, installation, and all of the necessary wiring components of the solar panel system.-Additional costs for a complete home ventilation system, wiring and plumbing would also be necessary.-The costs for solar panels varies, thus making this an estimate. The actual size and amount of solar panels required will depend on the location and orientation of each house. This is for a 6kw system receiving 5 hrs. of full sunlight daily.