LAGUNA CREEK HIGH SCHOOL VOLUME 1 ISSUE 5
MARCH 2020
Green Energy Technology Academy
PREPARED BY THE GETA LEADERSHIP BOARD
Introduction to GETA (Freshmen)
The GETA freshmen have been working on designing their own airfoils to generate electricity. Through this project, students are allowed to unleash their creativity through the designs they make for their airfoils. While all the airfoils should function well, the designs may range from simple and minimalist styles to more elaborate and expressive ones. In other news, the SMUD Solar car races are planned for this upcoming April, and some of us freshmen are currently working on building the race cars. GETA is honored to participate in this event, and we are excited to race! PATRICK DAVIS, KATIE LIANG, BENNY PEREZ
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GETA I (Sophomores)
The sophomores have begun to make their 10 foot wind turbines that will be hoisted in the quad once completed. They are currently using the engineering design process to build their collaborative and critical thinking skills, and help them to design the most efficient wind turbine (maximize electric output). The wind turbines are designed in teams of about 4 students, each with their own role. One student designs the wind vanes and chooses the shape, size, and number of turbine blades. Another student works on building the boom, or the body of the turbine. The third creates the circuitry for the charge controller to transfer energy from the wind into electricity. Finally, the last member works on creating an artistic design for the vane on the back of the turbine. IVAN HUANG, NICHOLAS INONG
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GETA II (Juniors)
The junior class is currently working on two big projects: building solar go-karts, and preparing the solar regatta for the upcoming competition!
Solar Go-Karts The majority of the Junior class has been split into groups of 4-5, and are working to fabricate solar powered go-karts from mostly raw workshop classroom materials (PVC, plywood, circuit boards, wires, tape, etc). The karts are expected to take several months to finish, at which point they will be raced in a competition between the teams to see whose is the fastest and whose is most endurant. So far, students have learned I-Board building techniques to better build their kart chassis and circuit board construction for their kart wiring. I-Boards are made up of two horizontal layers of plywood with small cuts of vertically cut plywood in the middle, creating an I-like structure, which dramatically increases the weight capacity of the chassis.
Solar Regatta While most of the class works on go-karts, 8 students have volunteered to build, modify, test, and improve a custom made solar powered boat. The boat will undergo several races in the spring: a Slalom, a Sprint, and an Endurance race. The students must also devise and perform a presentation of their solar boat to a group of SMUD representatives, who have thoughtfully provided us with the opportunity to participate in this race. This presentation can be worth as much as an entire race, so we must prepare well. So far, students have been planning to integrate a new hydraulic steering mechanism, and have started to remodel the boats solar panel support and angling system. JOAQUIN CRANMORE-SANCHEZ
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GETA III (Seniors) Many of us GETA seniors participated in this year’s Multicultural assembly. Those of us who performed include Aries Rik, Kevin Madriaga, Kendall Royal, Kai Kim-Ju, Riley Stewart (who can be seen in Haka and the PIC combo), Aya Shehadeh (who was in the Hmong performance), and me (I was in the Filipino Tinikling performance). Within our GETA class, we have been working further on OSHA 10 certification and our senior projects! JONATHAN CRUZ
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Upcoming Events May 1st ~ SMUD Solar Regatta Competition
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Supporters
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GETA Leadership Board THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE NEWSLETTER
Ha Nguyen
PRESIDENT
Aaron Gee
VICE PRESIDENT
Gabriel Espinoza
PRESIDENT PRO TEMPORE
Riley Stewart
TREASURER SECRETARY
Richard (Xihe) Gong Benicio Perez
MEDIA EDITOR
CLASS REPRESENTATIVES Freshmen
Sophomores
Katie Liang Patrick Davis Ivan Huang Nicholas Inong
Junior
Joaquin Cranmore-Sanchez
Senior
Jonathan Cruz
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