Jennifer Johnson 

 Electrical Engineering 

In this research, my partner, William Neely, and I, along with a graduate assistant, Eric Vilar, were given a specification sheet for a well-defined set of communication equipment. Our objective is to use the specifications to design a high energy density power source that has enough power to supply a load for 24 hours and is light weight for portability. Therefore, achieving the best power to weight ratio is an important factor when designing the system.

Since we cannot test the actual equipment, we will use the VTB (Virtual Test Bed) to simulate the process. Using this program, we will combine several components, like rechargeable lithium ion batteries, fuel cells and super capacitors, to find the best combination that will result in energy efficient, portable power system. By beginning our test with a single component and then combining it with other components, we can see if adding a particular component helps our objective or not by viewing graphical data.

The results of this project could be very beneficial to society. For example, imagine a world where cell phones would never have to be recharged and laptops would never have to be plugged in. It would make life a lot easier for people in the business world or for people who depend on technology to help organize their daily life.

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William Neely

Electrical Engineering

With electronics becoming more pervasive in both military and commercial applications, the need for efficient and light weight energy sources becomes more and more prominent. With this in mind, I am currently conducting research on the efficiency of battery and a fuel cell power sources, in collaboration with my partner, (Jennifer Johnson) and a graduate student (Eric Vilar). In this research, we are designing a high energy density source that will supply enough power to keep a defined set of communication equipment running for a period of 24 hours. The Military needs the system to be lightweight for portability but also very reliable. So the main goal of our research is to design a reliable system that has the best energy to weight and power to weight ratio to meet the needs of the equipment over a defined period of time.

The power source performance is tested using a program, created by students and faculty at USC, called VTB (Virtual Test Bed). The power source will include the following main components: a battery, a fuel cell and a capacitor. To start the research we analyzed the battery by itself to get an idea of its behavior. We used a lithium ion battery since it offers a high energy density. The system included a 12V battery a voltmeter and a varying load that represented the military equipment. Our hypothesis is that by adding a capacitor in parallel with the battery it will improve the power density of the system. We believe that the capacitor will be able to meet high power demands that the load might require. After analyzing the battery and capacitor combination we will incorporate a fuel cell in an attempt to further increase to energy density of the system. We will try to find the best battery, fuel cell and or capacitor combination to power our load. Hopefully this research will prove valuable in future energy systems design.

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