Spring SAVY 2019, Day 5 – Circuitry, Systems, and Design (3rd/4th)
Dear SAVY Parents,
Is anyone wondering about the implications of such wet weather on our local power grid? We did today! We are thankful for those that keep us powered up with great design planning and reliable responses to emergencies.
In regard to being thankful – we are much appreciative to the quality support of Joseph Cauthen from NES, (my apologies for my last blog post error with his name). During our curriculum studies, we developed questions that could only be answered by an expert. Today in small groups, we discussed and further researched his response to questions we submitted last week. Some questions were technical, others more issue-oriented. His team’s responses were amazingly helpful and compelling. Where is electricity for Nashville’s power grid generated? Will we be able to “beam” electricity on a large scale or will we be forever connected to a wire distribution system? What are the considerations for priorities when planning grid designs? What safeguards are built in to protect the grid? Consider these online resources (TVA link and MIT link) with your child and formulate more questions for independent research!
Finally, with all our accumulated knowledge, students began to design their own electric grids for a fictitious city approximately the same size (in square miles) as Nashville. What are the major energy users, and do we have an adequate plan for current needs (pun intended) as well as future growth needs? Can we assure our customers that the lights will stay on even when weather or usage patterns become extreme?
One final word of thanks to Ashanti Charles, our teacher assistant for this course. She has been amazing, and indispensable! We both invite you to plan to attend our Parent Open House during our final Saturday session, March 2, from 11:15-11:45am. We look forward to sharing your child’s work.
Mrs. Byrd