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GRIDVILLE Newsletter

Q4 2021

ABOUT GRIDVILLE

GRIDVILLE What we do

GridVille is a student initiative by Ingeniører Uten Grenser NTNU in Trondheim. Together with our partner, Kathmandu University (KU) in Nepal, GridVille will design and build parallel sustainable microgrids tailored to the needs of people and villages without access to everyday electricity.

Climate change is changing the way we think about energy production, transport and storage. The challenges are particularly demanding for developing countries, since the transition to renewable energy requires big investments.

In GridVille, we believe that a microgrid powered by renewable energy sources can help solve this challenge. Microgrids require less investment costs during development, and will give people who live far from existing power grids easy access to electricity.

ABOUT GRIDVILLE

THE GROUPS OF GRIDVILLE Mechanical Engineering

The mechanical group have started designing the components for the turbine after a thorough research phase. Next year, several of these designs will be tested in the wind tunnel at NTNU.

Education

The education group is, in collaboration with two Master with Meaning students, in the process of creating a training program for operation and maintenance for a solar system for a school in Kenya.

Electrical Engineering

The electrical group has worked on understanding and setting up their system in Simulink, a program for modeling, simulating and analyzing the individual converters.

Aid and Sustainability

Aid and Sustainability have been working to prepare the project teams, from both NTNU and Kathmandu University, on how to effectively design, build and implement the energy system in a sustainable matter.

INTERVIEW

Where do you think GV is in 5 years? In five years, I think we will have set up the first grid at a location in Nepal. We have

FOUNDER AND FORMER PROJECT LEADER NAME: Maurice Sudkamp AGE: 24 STUDY: Energy and Environmental, Electrical Energy Engineering POSITION: Assistant Chief Engineer Where did the idea come from?

My motivation behind for joining IUG NTNU was to use the knowledge I had acquired during my studies in electronics to help others, and to gain more practical experience. I wanted to provide electricity to those without access to it, in a sustainable way. I had heard a lot about microgrids during my studies, and was about to have a subject about wind turbine design. This made me think about building a microgrid consisting of solar cells and wind turbines. My initial idea was that this technology could be used in refugee camps, to replace the diesel generators that are used today.

What is your motivation?

My motivation is the same as the vision of for the project. One part is to give future NTNU students the opportunity that I was missing, to apply what they have learned about electric power and renewable energy. The other part of my motivation is that this project could make a real difference, and actually contribute to the electrification of developing countries.

established ourselves at campus Gløshaugen, and NTNU students will be familiar with the project. Hopefully, we will be known for our good work culture, where you can combine theory and practice, but also as a great social arena.

Where do you think GV could provide assistance in the future?

I imagine that GridVille is a project that can be copied by other universities, and through this, more students can be engaged in designing simple solutions.

Do you have anything you want to say to the members of GV and the sponsors? I want to thank my members, the sponsors who have shown us confidence, all the mentors who have set aside time to help us, and everyone who has been involved in one way or another. Coming up with an idea is the easiest part of a project like this, it’s the work and effort from everyone involved that has got this project where it is today. It has been a dream to see the project come to life, thank you all!

INTERVIEW

NAME: AGE: STUDY: POSITION:

Selma Gudmundsen 19 Computer Science Head of Sustainable Design

NAME: Varshan Erik Shankar AGE: 23 STUDY: Energy & Environmental Technology, Electrical Power Systems POSITION: Chief Electrical Engineer

What is it like to be a leader for Sustainable Design in GV?

What is it like to be a leader for Electrical in GV?

Why did you want to be a part of GV?

What are you working on now?

Anything you want to say to the members of GridVille?

It is first and foremost incredibly exciting and educational. With the rest of my team, I get the opportunity to explore a whole new field: industrial design.

Technological development is the future and it is a future I want to be an active part of. The project combines two of the issues that’s closest to my heart, sustainable development and aid.

Among other things, we are working with the collaboration with Kathmandu, making criteria for location selection, developing a training program for a school in Kenya with Masters with Meaning EWB and creating GridVille flyers for new partners in Nepal.

I feel privileged to have the opportunity to meet so many interesting and talented people from both Norway and Nepal. This interdisciplinary project has taught me much more than I could ever have imagined, and I look forward to seeing the development.

It’s quite fun! Electrical is the largest group in GridVille with more than 20 members. It comes with a lot of responsibilities (and meetings).

I got an opportunity to join a student project where I get to combine technology, innovation, and sustainability. Through GridVille I get to challenge my knowledge and experience, as well as being a part of the creation of a student project at NTNU that will hopefully last for many years! The team is currently working on the design. The next steps will be the production and test phase. I look forward to seeing the team’s implementation of the theory and their designs practically as they transition between phases.

I am extremely excited about GridVille’s future and to see the end product in phase one. I feel privileged to be working on a student project in the same field as my MSc, and I have already learned a lot. Even with the technical challenges in this project, I have total confidence in the team and all the motivated students!

NEWS

STARTING UP THE NEW SEMESTER Bootcamp

This autumn, the GridVille-team have expanded to 65 members. In week 37, we conducted a bootcamp for both old and new members. It was a successful week filled with soldering, 3D-printing and other team building activities.

Crash course

In week 38 and 39, the management arranged crash courses for all members. Doctoral students and professors held lectures in the different subjects covered by GridVille. The members come from different academic backgrounds – being in different classes and study programmes. Through the crash courses the members gained a fundamental knowledge of the different components that are central in electrical systems, and a deeper understanding of the components they will design and build.

SPONSOR

The GridVille team is grateful to announce Würth Elektronik as our first sponsor, and we look forward to see what the partnership will bring! Wurth Elektronik is one of the most successful companies of the Würth Group. They have 14 production locations worldwide and operate within the three main areas of Electronic and Electromechanical Components, Circuit Boards and Power and Control Systems. As one of the leading manufactures of electronic and electromechanical components in Europe, they are making sure the electrical team in GridVille has all the electronic components needed for the circuit boards they are designing. For more information about würth visit we-online.com Facebook: Würth Elektronik Sweden/Norway/Denmark LinkedIn: Würth Elektronik Sweden/Norway/Denmark