Abstract
My technical project focused on the idea of understanding hydropower within educational environments. Through the development of SHaRK, which is the Student Hydropower Analysis Reliability Kit. The purpose of this project was to bridge the gap between theoretical coursework and engineering insight to analyze the effects of turbine design and water flow on renewable energy. With it being designed for middle and high school students, this kit allows users to either design their own turbines or use provided 3D-printed models to monitor real-time electrical output. Students can attach their turbine designs to the system's rotor to gather essential data, including voltage, current, and power. This data supports the accompanied lesson plan outlining core hydropower concepts and efficiency equations. In order to ensure the prototype is safe, the prototype features a waterproof enclosure that protects all electronics from the electromechanical generator to the data collection subsystem during operation. The mechanical subsystem uses a stainless steel root shaft and dual ball bearings to reduce static friction, allowing the turbine to initiate rotation in all certain flow conditions. Ultimately, the prototype satisfied all the performance requirements outlined. This includes a functional electromechanical system and clear data visualizations through LED feedback and LCD panel. While the designed system was meant to detect and signal generation at a 20 mW threshold, testing confirmed that the integration of the TI INA219 sensor provided laboratory-grade accuracy within a ±2% margin of error compared to the values obtained from the multimeter.
When applying the Social Construction of Technology framework, the research covers the interpretive flexibility of the Columbia River hydropower system. It is to help understand how various social groups influence energy policy, especially policies related to hydropower. While the federal government views the basin’s fourteen dams as an achievement and essential for carbon-free power and economic prosperity, this dominant frame tends to exclude the perspective of marginalized communities. Through the use of discourse analysis of policy documents and technical texts, the paper differs in respect to the federal focus on optimization and grid reliability against the counter-frame argued by the Native American tribes and environmental advocates. The analysis demonstrates that for indigenous nations, which include the Nez Perve, Yakama, Umatilla, and Warm Springs, the dam system in place symbolizes a source of cultural destruction. The information from the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Tribal Circumstance Analysis shows evidence of flooding of sacred burial groups and the destruction of salmon populations., which are central to tribal everyday life and sovereignty. With evidence of ecological and social harm to their communities, the system persists due to technological momentum, where the economic and institutional investments create barriers to reform. In the end, this paper argues that the closure present for the hydropower narrative is exclusionary. It results in a consensus that requires the transition to the idea of co-construction. This concept means moving beyond the minor technically implemented mitigations to integrate tribal sovereignty and justice as core principle mandates for sustainable energy systems.
Continuing on to the connection between the research and technical paper, it intersects with renewable energy technology and the sociotechnical frameworks that determine its real-world application. My technical project SHaRK, focuses on the engineering aspect of hydropower, which provides a tool for students to understand the physical principles of energy conversion, turbine design, and data accuracy. However, as my STS research states, a successful energy system can’t only be defined by efficiency and optimization. Understanding beyond the mechanical and electrical success of the prototype, SHaRK serves as a foundation in understanding the sociotechnical responsibilities inherent in the development of renewable energy systems. Although SHaRK teaches students about how a turbine generates power, the STS aspect examines the interpretive flexibility of said systems. It reveals that whatever an operator views as a successful low-carbon solution can be perceived by marginalized communities as a source of cultural and ecological destruction. Both of these projects together demonstrate that engineering innovations need to evolve from the idea of just engineering concepts and into including the model of co-construction. When understanding the mechanical requirements of hydropower through the SHaRK kit and the barriers created by technological momentum in the Columbia River Basin, engineering excellence requires balancing the ideas of technical reliability with social justice. Although protecting electronics in water-based environments is important, integrating tribal sovereignty and human rights into the design process is just as important. They are both necessary components to ensure that clean energy is engineered to be functional and equitable in the future.
