New Energy Saving Solution – to Save Money to the Military
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The US Office of Naval Research (ONR) will support an energy saving solution under development by MIT researchers.
Engineering professor Steven Leeb and his graduate student John Donnal designed a portable measurement system. Comprised of five postage stamp-sized sensors, the technology monitors the amount of electricity used by individual devices. MIT envisions an accompanying mobile app that displays data in real time, helping users save money.
The MIT team built a catalog of energy footprints for common household, industrial, and even military devices. The extensive database will allow a single sensor to identify “signatures” of specific appliances, according to pcmag.com.
The new system has several advantages. First, it involves no complex installation: No wires need to be disconnected, and the placement of the postage-stamp-sized sensors over the incoming power line does not require any particular precision — the system is designed to be self-calibrating. Second, because it samples data very quickly, the sensors can pick up enough detailed information about spikes and patterns in the voltage and current that the system can, thanks to dedicated software, tell the difference between every different kind of light, motor, and other device in the home and show exactly which ones go on and off, at what times.
In August the researchers estimated a final purchase price around $30, once the technology goes into commercial production.
Although the concept has obvious benefits for consumers, Leeb and Donnal believe their system could be a “valued tool” for the military, according to ONR, as reported by foxnews.com.
MIT’s system could not only generate major savings in fuel or power, the agency said, but it may also safeguard those soldiers responsible for base resupply.
“At a forward operating base, fuel consumption is paramount,” Donnal, a former U.S. Army captain, said, calling the Armed Forces “an ideal customer.”
“Or take the case of a Navy vessel. By cutting back on fuel and power consumption, a vessel might be able to sail for longer periods of time before needing replenishment,” he added. “Having a way to track energy usage in real time would be extremely valuable.”
At-sea tests of the system were already conducted aboard three Coast Guard Cutters near Boston, and tests will also be run on the US Naval Academy’s training ships.
