Green Laptop

PROPOSAL OF AN ENERGY SAVING LAPTOP:

The Green-Series Laptop

Team member:

LEE SOON CHEAN
LIM SHANG DA
CHONG MAN LOON
NATHANIEL THENG ZE ZHEAN

Table of Contents

i. Acknowledgment

ii. Abstract

1.0 Introduction 1.1 Problem Statement 1.2 Purpose 1.3 Scope

2.0 Theory 2.1 Thermophotovoltaic cell 2.2 Piezoelectric sensor 2.3 Nano wind turbine

3.0 Modification 3.1 Collecting heat energy 3.2 Pressure exerted on keyboard 3.3 Collecting wind energy

4.0 Discussion

5.0 Conclusion

6.0 References

Acknowledgment

We would first and foremost like to express my appreciation towards ASUSTeK Computer Inc. for giving us the opportunity to present our proposal of modification to your company's laptop. This gives us the chance to bring laptop engineering to the next level.
In addition, we would also personally give my most heartfelt thanks to our superior in INTI Engineering and Technology Department for letting us involves ourselves in this big project. We would like to thanks our colleague for assisting us in the research of the materials that were used in this project. Furthermore, we want to show our gratitude to our company that fund us with the materials that were involved in this project.

Sincerely,
Lee Soon Chean, Lim Shang Da, Chong Man Loon, Nathaniel Theng

Abstract
Proposal of an energy saving laptop to solve or minimize environmental pollution or problems by Lee Soon Chean, Lim Shang Da, Nathaniel Theng, Chong Man Loon

Many electrical appliances in our daily life is not highly efficient. Hence, It causes energy wastage to the surroundings. The main purpose of this proposal is to modify or recreate an object in order to solve or minimize environmental pollution or problems.
In this case, we choose to modify laptops into a more energy efficient product to solve the problem because laptops are the electrical appliances that most people use daily. While the environmental pollution or problems to minimize or solve are focused on to reduce the energy wastage by laptops. We tend to increase the energy efficiency of the laptops in order to reduce energy wastage to the surroundings.
We added some components to the laptop so that the energy wasted can be collected and turn back into usable energy. This can increase the energy efficiency of the laptops and reduce energy wastage to the surrounding.

1.0 Introduction

1.1 Problem statement
Nowadays, many electrical appliances in our daily life are not highly efficient. The lack of efficiency results in the wastage of energy to the surrounding. When energy is wasted to the surroundings, more energy is created to replace them. The production of those energy results in the usage of energy resources such as petroleum, fuel and much more. It also causes air pollution to the surrounding. For example, power stations burn petroleum to create steam that turns the turbines to create electrical energy, which the burning of petroleum causes air pollution.

1.2 Purpose In order to minimize the environmental pollution or problems, we need to increase the energy efficiency of electrical appliances. Laptop is one of the most used electrical appliances in our daily life. Majority of people uses laptop every day. We are going to propose a proposal on how to modify laptop into a more energy efficient and eco-friendly product.

1.3 Scope

Pressure
Wind energy

Heat energy

In the modification of this laptop, we tend to recollect the energy wastage and convert it back into usable energy. We done some modification at the keyboard, the bottom of the laptop, and in the cooling system of the laptop. The wind energy, heat energy, and pressure exerted on the keyboard can be converted back into usable energy.

2.0 Theory
We used several materials to convert energy wastage back into usable energy. The materials are thermophotovoltaic cells, piezoelectic sensors, and micro wind turbines. The energy collected can be charged back into the battery. Hence, the battery of the laptop can last longer. When some of the energy wasted is recollected and convert back into energy, less energy wastage occurs.

2.1 Thermophotovoltaic cell
Thermophotovoltaic (TPV) energy conversion is a direct conversion process from heat differentials to electricity via photons. A basic thermophotovoltaic system consists of a thermal emitter and a photovoltaic diode cell. TPV cells are great for converting radiation from any heat source to power.

Thermophotovoltaics (TPVs) are a class of power generating systems that are used to convert thermal energy into electrical energy. They consist of, at a minimum, an emitter and a photovoltaic power converter. However, most TPV systems also include additional components such as concentrators, filters and reflectors. The basic principle of operation is similar to that of traditional photovoltaics (PV) where a p-n junction is used to absorb optical energy, generate and separate electron/hole pairs, and in doing so convert that energy into electrical power. The difference is that the optical energy is not directly generated by the Sun, but instead by a material at high temperature (termed the emitter), causing it to emit light. In this way thermal energy is converted to electrical energy.

2.2 Piezoelectric sensor

A piezoelectric sensor is a device that uses the piezoelectric effect to measure pressure, acceleration, strain or force by converting them to an electrical charge. The prefix piezo is Greek for 'press' or 'squeeze'.

Piezoelectricity is the electric charge that accumulates in certain solid materials (notably crystals, certain ceramics, and biological matter such as bone, DNA and various proteins) in response to applied mechanical stress. The word piezoelectricity means electricity resulting from pressure. It is derived from the Greek piezo or piezein , which means to squeeze or press, and electric or electron, which stands for amber, an ancient source of electric charge. Piezoelectricity was discovered in 1880 by French physicists Jacques and Pierre Curie.

2.3 Nano wind turbine

A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind, also called wind energy, into mechanical energy in a process known as wind power. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind turbine or wind power plant. Generating electricity from wind is relatively simple. All effective wind turbines have often 3 blades that are aerodynamically architectured to easily create a rotating movement as air blows. The blades spin a shaft that is linked to a generator that creates the electricity.

A nano wind turbine is a wind turbine that came in very small size, making it very convenient because it can be place at anywhere.

3.0 Modification

The energy collected is converted back into usable energy. The energy is charged back into the battery.

3.1 Collecting Heat energy
Laptop produces a lot of heat energy when in use especially running high spec program. Those energy is wasted to the surroundings. We can convert some of those heat energy back into electrical energy by using the Thermophotovoltaic technology.

When the laptop runs for a certain amount of time, great amount of heat gathers at the bottom of the laptop. Hence, thermophotovoltaic cells is installed at the bottom of the laptop to collect heat energy and convert it into electrical energy.

3.2 Pressure exerted on keyboard

We used laptop to make documents, chat with people, play games and many more activities that involves typing. When typing, we apply pressure on our keyboard buttons. Hence we can convert those pressure into electrical energy using the piezoelectric sensor technology.

Piezoelectric sensors can be installed under the buttons of the keyboard of a laptop. When typing, pressure is applied on the buttons of the keyboard. Hence, those pressure can be convert into electrical charge.

3.3 Collecting wind energy
Laptops have their own cooling system. There's a cooling fan inside the laptop that blows hot air through a passage and out of the laptop to cool down the laptop and prevent it from overheating.

Wind energy can be collected using nano wind turbines. A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind, also called wind energy, into mechanical energy in a process known as wind power. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a wind turbine or wind power plant.
Hot air exits here

Nano wind turbines can be installed at the passage of the hot air to collect wind energy. The hot air which came from the cooling fan of the laptop, passing through the nano wind turbine, rotating the nano turbines of the micro wind turbines and produce electrical energy. Hence, it results in the wind energy to be convert back into electrical energy.

4.0 Discussion

We introduced the 3 method to collect wasted energy from the laptop back into usable electrical energy. The collected energy can be recharged back into the battery of the laptop so that the laptop battery can last longer.
Let the efficiency of a laptop is 50%, when those hardware are installed to the laptop, it can increase the energy efficiency of the laptop by approximately 20%, making it 70% energy efficient. Hence it results in less 20% of the energy to be wasted to the surroundings.
When less energy is wasted, less energy consumption occurs, less energy is needed to be reproduced which can minimized the environmental problems and pollution. Therefore, when we conserve energy resources, our nation can enjoy cleaner air and a healthier environment, and we can help protect the climate by reducing green house gases.

5.0 Conclusion

The purpose of this proposal is to increase the laptop energy efficiency which also reduce energy wastage to the surroundings. Laptop does not have 100% energy efficiency. With those methods above, we can increase the energy efficiency of a laptop and reduce energy consumption.
In my opinion, in the future laptop engineering, those devices should be considered as a part of a laptop hardware so that less energy wastage occurs, making laptop a more eco-friendly electrical appliance.

6.0 References

http://www.qianqin.de/2010/04/15/notebook-and-other-small-devices-power-supply-efficiency/ http://www.gizmag.com/piezoelectric-generator-shoes/14945/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermophotovoltaic http://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/energy/photos/9-ingenious-wind-turbine-designs/nano-vent-skin http://webecoist.momtastic.com/2008/11/16/wind-turbine-power-generators/2-futuristic-skin-of-wind-turbines/ http://www.behance.net/gallery/Pico-Spiral-Wind-Turbine/1709919 http://www.ecos2012.unipg.it/public/proceedings/pdf/SECS/SECS_ecos2012_088.pdf http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_turbine http://www.alternative-energy-news.info/thermo-photovoltaic-cells/ http://inhabitat.com/micro-wind-turbines-small-size-big-impact/ http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/green-science/house-music-energy-crisis1.htm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piezoelectric_sensor http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piezoelectricity http://www.epa.gov/greenhomes/ReduceEnergy.htm http://www.slideshare.net/suriyati73/format-of-proposal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Efficient_energy_use