Sustainable Snow Groomer

Overview

Team Slopes has been tasked by Volvo Penta, along with The Pennsylvania State University and Chalmers University of Technology, to develop solutions for finding a sustainable power source for snow groomers in Europe and the United States. Finding a feasible solution is challenging due to the potential cost of implementation and the need to convince major ski resorts to adopt new infrastructure to accommodate the energy changes. Our sponsor made it clear that our final solution had to be weighed against other potential solutions to make sure that the solution we found would be the best one.

Objectives

The objectives are prioritized from utmost importance to least: firstly, ensuring the snow groomers can generate sufficient power for slope traversal. Subsequently, evaluating the cost implications of adopting sustainable power sources, considering their potential financial impact. Lastly, analyzing the requisite infrastructure needed to support sustainable power integration, such as establishing battery charging stations for efficient operations and maintenance of the groomers.

Approach

We derived our customer needs and specifications through discussions with our sponsor, discussions with Ski Resort representatives, and research into existing products.

We generated as many concepts as we could then narrowed them down initially through feasibility assessments with our sponsor and amongst each other.

We selected our top three solutions with a Pugh matrix that used weighted customer needs to compare each solution.

We investigated existing patents to ensure that our solutions were unique.

We began to model a Battery swapping system using an Arduino and several 9-volt batteries.

We created multiple iterations of the battery housing for our prototype using CAD and additive manufacturing.

Our first prototype used 4 AA batteries as the base Arduino power source and swappable 9-volt batteries to power the motors directly.

Our final prototype uses 3 swappable 9-volt batteries to charge a base supply that powers the controller and motors.

We performed multiple tests to ensure that the batteries were delivering enough amperage to the base battery to charge it and keep it running.

Outcomes

The outcomes of this project hold significant implications for the sponsor. Firstly, the savings of $981.44 signify efficient budget utilization. The reduction in carbon dioxide emissions reflects a commitment to environmental sustainability, potentially leading to positive public perception and regulatory compliance. Additionally, the increased energy efficiency achieved through the project signifies a step towards reducing resource consumption and operational costs. Moreover, the introduction of a novel electricity usage method ensures a reliable and sufficient power source, potentially enhancing operational resilience and reducing dependency on traditional energy sources. Overall, these outcomes demonstrate the sponsor’s dedication to fiscal responsibility, environmental stewardship, and technological innovation.