CAT- DAY 1

MICRO-HYDRO/INDEPTH RENEWABLE TOUR 19/02/2018

On the first morning of the theory session as a group of students we were introduced to the wide range of renewable resources that provide some of the energy on the site:

Fed from the CAT reservoir each micro-hydro electric turbine generates an output of 4 kilowatts. Some of the sites electricity is

provided by the integrated photovoltaic (PV) roof, which can be seen in the WISE courtyard.

Heat from the sun is captured by solar thermal collectors and transferred to water in a highly efficient way. Various collectors on roofs and displays are found throughout the site.

A range of accessible air and water heat pumps are on site that can be used for practical's by current/visiting students.

A variety of wood burning boilers are displayed and used on site that supply hot water for nearby buildings through a modern and efficient process.

Micro-hydro electric turbines generate electricity as far as a mile away to the location with micro-hydro at a small amount of flow ( as little as 2 gallons per minute); stream size may fluctuate seasonally in certain locations resulting in reduced power output in drier months. The energy demand should be assessed in advance to ensure adequate supply.

The various alternative renewable resources adapted by CAT, providing a sustainable environment with zero carbon emissions were presented to the students with practical examples and clarification on each process offering a better understanding on sustainability and the purpose of Zero Carbon Britain.

After completing the first theory session we continued onto the afternoon practical session.

TIMBER FRAME

Timber frame construction has the lowest embodied carbon to steel and concrete framed buildings. The methods used to harvest, produce and transport timber are less detrimental to the environment, however due to the density timber frame structures may not achieve the same level of sound insulation or fire performance as other materials, such as concrete.

For the practical we had to design and build a timber frame bridge within groups of 3 and 4 students in a time span of 4 hours with limited number of timber beams.

We believed incorporating a curve along the bridge would be an efficient form with minimal material supporting each end and the center of the curve with accurately measured and sawed timber beams to gain

maximum strength and stability.

The Timber frame bridge we designed was 2550mm long with the strength of 550MN/m2 and managed to carry the weight of 3 people.

This practical experience gave each student an opportunity to develop their skills and understanding on basic uses of timber and its benefits.