Home / Group 3 / Integrated Civil System / Combined Parametric Model
Renewable Energy Park
The major challenge for our group was to integrate all the four highly important engineering systems such as:- Dam, Tunnel, amphibious house as well as Oscillating Water column. Since Oscillating water column is a marine infrastructure system so to integrate the same to the other system was a major design integration challenge.
Structures to be integrated
Dam
A dam is a structural system that controls the flow of water through valleys. This structure can be considered as flood protection barrier thus protecting the downstream area from flooding. Even reservoir serves as water supply system for irrigation, human consumption, industrial use, aquaculture and navigability. It also serves as a major recreation attraction. Reservoir also provide hydroelectric power to residential houses, tunnel systems , industries , water treatment plants etc.
Highway Tunnel
A tunnel is an underground passageway, dug through the surrounding soil/earth/rock and enclosed except for entrance and exit, commonly at each end. A pipeline is not a tunnel, though some recent tunnels have used immersed tube construction techniques rather than traditional tunnel boring methods. A tunnel may be for foot or vehicular road traffic, for rail traffic, or for a canal. The central portions of a rapid transit network are usually in the tunnel. Some tunnels are aqueducts to supply water for consumption or for hydroelectric stations or are sewers. Utility tunnels are used for routing steam, chilled water, electrical power or telecommunication cables, as well as connecting buildings for convenient passage of people and equipment.
Amphibious house
An amphibious house is a building that rests on the ground but whenever a flood occurs, the entire building rises up in its dock, where it floats, buoyed by the floodwater. The house itself sits in the ground and the floating base is almost invisible from the outside. Floating and amphibious houses are built to be situated in a water body and are designed to adapt to rising and falling water levels. Floating houses are permanently in the water, while amphibious houses are situated above the water and are designed to float when the water levels rise. Amphibious homes are usually fastened to flexible mooring posts and rest on concrete foundations. If the water level rises, they can move upwards and float. The fastenings to the mooring posts limit the motion caused by the water. These types of houses are popular in highly populated areas where there is a high demand for houses near or in water. Because floating or amphibious houses adapt to rising water levels, they are very effective in dealing with floods. Living on water can also reduce the negative effects of heat, and may improve the quality of life of residents, who like to live on or near water.
Oscillating Water Column
Oscillating water columns (OWCs) are a type of Wave Energy Converter that harness energy from the oscillation of the seawater inside a chamber or hollow caused by the action of waves. OWCs have shown promise as a renewable energy source with low environmental impact. Because of this, multiple companies have been working to design increasingly efficient OWC models. OWC are devices with a semi-submerged chamber or hollow open to the sea below, keeping a trapped air pocket above a water column. Waves force the column to act like a piston, moving up and down, forcing the air out of the chamber and back into it. This continuous movement force a bidirectional stream of high-velocity air, which is channelled through a Power-Take-Off (PTO). The PTO system converts the airflow into energy. In models that convert airflow to electricity, the PTO system consists of a bidirectional turbine.
