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z. Tanzanian Computer Workstation. Photovoltaic cells collect solar energy and convert it to electricity. Abstract.

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  1. z Tanzanian Computer Workstation Photovoltaic cells collect solar energy and convert it to electricity. Abstract Team 2 was tasked with building a solar-powered, satellite-connected computer workstation for a small school in rural Tanzania. Key design points were to keep cost down, maintenance to a bare minimum, and be completely independent of the local power grid (unavailable) and network (unreliable). Constructed in three segments, the project will be deployed in December 2008 by the design team, accompanied by Dr. Goodman. The satellite relays data from the satellite dish to the internet. Solar Powered The power system will be constructed on site, and consists of six 80 watt solar panels, an OutBack Power Systems solar charge controller, a 1500 watt power inverter, and over 400 AH of batteries. The satellite dish broadcasts data between the computerandthe satellite. The charge controller regulates the power from the solar panels to the battery. Multi-Seat Computer The computer system is a Lenovo workstation running a customized version of Linux. This enables one computer to power four (up to 8, with additional hardware) unique desktop sessions. By centralizing the computer architecture, the team was able to significantly reduce the per/seat cost and the power requirements as well. The computer is connected to four monitors, four keyboards, and four mice, enabling four separate and simultaneous desktop sessions. The power system monitor records various currents, voltages, and temperatures and sends them to the computer. Power Management A custom built power monitoring system was developed. It’s purpose is to monitor the current, voltage, and temperature of the system. This data is used to determine uptime and is also logged to the computer. A daily log file will be uploaded to an offsite server, and this data will be used to refine future implementations of the system. The battery stores energy in a gel-type electrolyte. Conclusion By constructing a stand-alone workstation that is ideally deployable anywhere in the world, we can bring the educational tools of the internet to the most rural of classrooms. Education is the cornerstone of every society, and by providing the children of Tanzania with the same advantages that American youth have, we can reduce socio-economic barriers and enable the entire country to develop. The power inverter converts the DC power from the battery into a standard AC current. Jakub Mazur [Manager] Eric Tarkleson [Presentation / Lab] Ben Kershner [Document Prep] Josh Wong [Web Master] JianRen [Facilitator] Team 2: Sponsored by:

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