Energy-saving advances by cadets save tax dollars

  • Published
  • By Capt. Michael Richards
  • Engineering Mechanics Department
U.S. AIR FORCE ACADEMY, Colo. --  Energy awareness is a national focus during October but for Academy cadets here, it's a topic of interest year-round.

"Energy is the lifeblood of our society," said Lt. Col. Mark. Reimann, Chemistry Department assistant professor. "Everything we value requires energy and generally the more valuable something is, the more energy it requires. Our cadets represent the future leadership of our Air Force and our nation, so we have a responsibility to ensure they graduate with an energy-conscious world view."

To help develop this world view, cadets take part in a wealth of energy-related projects of significant potential impact, including biologically-powered fuel cells, waste-to-energy-harvesting and solar-powered vehicles.

One project, sponsored by our Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering is the solar power system on top of Fairchild Hall. What began as a relatively minor project is now a permanent solar energy lab. This highly visible system has become an Academy landmark and a topic of conversation among cadets and Academy visitors.

Inspired by the success of this project, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering cadets are now hard at work on a Boeing-funded project to research the benefits of creating a sustainable micro grid here.

The Academy is so serious about saving energy -- and by extension, taxpayer dollars -- that many of its capstone projects focus on energy.

In the Engineering Mechanics Department, for example, cadets design prototype energy harvesting devices to power structure-monitoring equipment for bridges and other infrastructure.

"This year's project is to reduce or minimize the effects of corrosion on such structures by using this harvested energy," said faculty member Kevin Gibbons, a capstone team lead. "In previous years, capstone projects have included a road-moving vehicle interface, a project using the weight of vehicles to produce electricity as they drive over the road, and a hybrid wind-solar harvester design."

In the Chemistry Department, cadets study various forms of energy in the Renewable Energy Education Laboratory and have the chance to participate in a waste-to-energy demonstration, sponsored by the Advanced Power Technology Offices.

In the Biology Department, cadets research using microbial fuel cells to power remote sensors and other devices. Microbial fuel cells are bio-electrochemical systems that generate an electrical current by imitating bacterial interactions found in nature.

"Electrochemical organisms could potentially convert fuel substrates into clean bio-electrical power," said Dr. Don Veverka, assistant professor of biology. "Since they derive energy from the sun, harnessing this natural process could offer a variety of benefits including fixing carbon dioxide, eliminating toxic energy waste or producing chemicals for commercial uses."

The Academy's energy-saving projects help us produce lieutenants for our Air Force and nation who understand the critical role energy conservation plays in the Air Force and the world. As our cadets graduate and become Air Force leaders, they will be prepared to make the difficult decisions competing energy requirements demand.