TeacherPages:ModelingPowerGridswithSnapCircuits

WisconsinEnergyInstitute–energy.wisc.edu/education

ModelingPowerGridswithSnapCircuitsâ

Overview:Studentsusesnapcircuitstomodelpowergeneration,distribution,anduseinatraditionalgridvsmicrogridsystem.Studentsusethemodeltodevelopexplanationsforhowmicrogridshelpkeepthelightsonincommunitiesduringpoweroutagesandexploresomeofthecharacteristicsofmicrogridsthatallowforintegrationwithsmall-scalerenewableenergysources.Gradelevels:MiddleandHighSchoolSubjects:Physics,EarthScience,EnvironmentalScience,EngineeringTimerequired:Two50-minuteclassperiodsMaterials:

• SnapCircuitsAlternativeEnergyKits(1pergroup,2-4students)• Approximatecost:$40each

Learningobjectives:Studentswill…

1. Listthekeycharacteristicsofamicrogridanddescribethesimilaritiesanddifferenceswithatraditionalgridsystem.

2. Design,build,compareandevaluatedifferentmodelsoftraditionalgridsandmicrogridsusingSnapCircuits.

3. Explainhowmicrogridscanimprovethereliabilityofpowerdeliveryandintegratewithrenewablepowersourcessuchaswindandsolar.

Assumptionofpriorknowledge:Familiaritywithelectricalcircuitsandknowledgeoftheenergytransformationsassociatedwithgeneratingelectricityishelpful.NGSSStandards:

• 4-PS3-2.Makeobservationstoprovideevidencethatenergycanbetransferredfromplacetoplacebysound,light,heat,andelectriccurrents.

• HS-PS3-3.Design,build,andrefineadevicethatworkswithingivenconstraintstoconvertoneformofenergyintoanotherformofenergy.

• 4-ESS3-2.GenerateandcomparemultiplesolutionstoreducetheimpactsofnaturalEarthprocessesonhumans.

• HS-ESS3-4. Evaluateorrefineatechnologicalsolutionthatreducesimpactsofhumanactivitiesonnaturalsystems.

• MS-ETS1-2. Evaluatecompetingdesignsolutionsusingasystematicprocesstodeterminehowwelltheymeetthecriteriaandconstraintsoftheproblem.

TeacherPages:ModelingPowerGridswithSnapCircuits

WisconsinEnergyInstitute–energy.wisc.edu/education

• HS-ETS1-3. Evaluateasolutiontoacomplexreal-worldproblembasedonprioritizedcriteriaandtrade-offsthataccountforarangeofconstraints,includingcost,safety,reliability,andaestheticsaswellaspossiblesocial,cultural,andenvironmentalimpacts.

Part1:Modelingasimplemainelectricgrid.Thepurposeofanelectricgridsystemistogenerateelectricityanddistributeitforitsenduses,suchaslighting,poweringelectronics,andheating.Inthisactivitystudentswilluseasnapcircuitmodeltoanswerthequestion“Whatneedstohappenforthelightstocomeoninyourbuilding?”Introductionandpre-assessment:

1. Introducetheguidingquestion,“Whatneedstohappenforthelightstocomeoninyourbuilding?”Switchthelightonandoffintheclassroomtoengagestudents.Insmallgroups,havestudentsdiscussandwritedownand/orillustratetheirinitialideas(Slide2).

2. Poolideasandprobestudentunderstandingofhowelectricityisgenerated,distributed,andused.

3. Usingwhiteboard,posters,etc.,sortstudentideasintothethreemainstages:powergeneration,distribution,anduse.Cometoaconsensusdefinitionofthepurposeofthestageandlistspecificexamples(Slides3-4).

ModelingthegridwithSnapCircuits:

1. UsingtheSnapCircuitsAlterativeEnergykits,havestudentsworkingroupsof2-4toconstructamodelofatraditionalgridsystemwithpowergeneration,distribution,anduse(Slide5).

a. Option1:Removetheinstructionsandimagesfromtheworksheetandletstudentscreatetheirownmodelfromscratchwiththematerialsinthekit.

b. Option2:Havestudentsusethesamplemodelfromtheillustrationanddirectionsontheworksheet.

2. Afterstudentsworkthroughthefirsttwoquestions,discussandaddressanyquestionsandmisunderstandingsthatcomeuprelatedtothebasicphysicsofelectricitygenerationandcircuits.Drawingasimplecircuitdiagramasaclassorinsmallgroupscanbehelpful.

3. Havestudentsshareexamplesforquestion#3(typesofgeneration,uses,etc.).Thesecanbeaddedtotheposterorwhiteboarddiagramunderthecomponentsoftheelectricalgrid(generation,distribution,use).

4. Discussand/orconstructasharedanalogymap(studenthandout)comparingthemicrogridmodeltotherealelectricgrid.ThenhavestudentssharesomeexamplesforhowtheyusedtheSnapCircuitstomodeapoweroutage.(Slide6).

5. Assessment:Studentscanrevisitandrevisetheiranswerstotheguidingquestion“Whatneedstohappenforthelightstocomeon?”

Extensionsandvariations:

• Studentscaninvestigatetheprocessofgeneratingpowerfromdifferentenergysources.• Lookatyourstate’senergyportfolioandnearbypowerplantsontheEnergyInformation

Administration:http://www.eia.gov/state/Part2:Modelingamicrogrid.Amicrogriddoesthesamethingsasatraditionalgrid:generateselectricityanddistributesittoenduses,butatasmallerscale.Themaingridisaninterconnectednetworkofpowerplants,transmissionlines,andcommunitiesthatcoversmanystates.Butamicrogrid

TeacherPages:ModelingPowerGridswithSnapCircuits

WisconsinEnergyInstitute–energy.wisc.edu/education

isasmallnetworkofpowersourcesandusesthatcanserveacity,neighborhood,orbuilding.Amicrogridcanconnectanddisconnectfromthetraditionalgridandoffersflexibilitytousesmaller-scalerenewableenergysources,suchaswindandsolar.StudentswillproposeexplanationsforwhythelightsstayedoninsomeplaceslikeNewYorkUniversityduringthemassiveblackoutinManhattanduringHurricaneSandy.Theywillthenmodifytheirgridmodeltoincludefeaturesofamicrogridthatcould“island”fromthemaingridandkeepthepoweronduringablackout.Introducingtheproblem:

1. ShowstudentstheaerialnightphotoofLowerManhattanduringtheHurricaneSandyblackoutandhavethemshareobservationsandquestions.(Slide7).ExplainthattheregionwithlightsstillonistheNewYorkUniversitycampus.

2. Posethequestion:“HowdidthelightsstayonatNewYorkUniversitycampusduringthemassiveblackoutduringHurricaneSandy?”Havestudentsdeveloptheirexplanationsinsmallgroupsandthenshareout.

ModelingamicrogridwithSnapCircuits:StudenthandoutPart2

3. Introducetheconceptofamicrogridanditskeyelementsusingthisvideo(https://youtu.be/qwVggeO_GTY)presentationgraphics(Slides9-11).

4. Studentsmodifytheirgridmodeltoincludekeyelementsofamicrogrid:1)abilitytooperateindependentlyofmaingrid(“islanding”),and2)abilitytoincorporatemultiplepowersources(local,small-scalegenerationandregionallargerscalepowerplants).

a. Option1:Removetheinstructionsandimagesfromtheworksheetandletstudentscreatetheirownmodelfromscratchwiththematerialsinthekit.

b. Option2:Havestudentsusethesamplemodelfromtheillustrationanddirectionsontheworksheet.

5. Afterstudentsconstruct,use,andanswerquestionsabouttheirmicrogridmodelsinsmallgroups,discussanswersasaclass(PPTslide).Discusslimitationsofthemodelandideasforimprovement.

6. ConstructtheFrayerdiagramasaclass,comparingthesimilaritiesanddifferencesbetweenamicrogridandtraditionalgridsystem.

7. Sharesomeexamplesofhowmicrogridsareusedaroundtheworld(PPTslides).8. Assessment:Studentscanrevisitandrevisetheiranswerstotheguidingquestion“Howdidthe

lightsstayonatNewYorkUniversitycampusduringthemassiveblackoutduringHurricaneSandy?”

Extensionsandvariations:

1. GroupscanworktogetherandshareSnapCircuitpartstoimprovetheirmodelssothattheymoreeasilyislandinthecaseofblackoutsandswitchbetweenpowersources.

2. Learnmore:a. ReadaboutmicrogridsresearchattheWisconsinEnergyInstitute,UW-Madison:

https://energy.wisc.edu/news/micro-macro-uw-madisons-expansion-microgrid-ideab. TheLawrenceBerkeleyNationalLabdescriptionofmicrogridsandexamples,

https://building-microgrid.lbl.gov/about-microgrids-0