Griffin Kriebel

Collaborated to develop a cost-optimized hybrid renewable energy system using NREL's System Advisor Model (SAM) to reduce grid dependency by 70% and meet peak annual energy demands. Processed hourly energy data in Excel to identify optimal wind-to-solar ratio, thus reducing LCOE to 7.24¢/kWh, capital costs to $210 million, and operating costs to $4.8 million.

Designed and manufactured a 3D-printed vertical axis wind turbine prototype using Fusion 360. Collected and analyzed performance metrics including wing swept area, rated power, and power curve to optimize energy output and efficiency. Potential design improvemnts include greater wing swept area, using a generator with specs to match the rated power, and adding a planetary gearbox to increasing shaft RPM. Currently under resdesign to make for a more portable system while using a motor that is better suited to charge handheld devices.

Designed and manufactured custom motor and sprocket mounts for electric bike conversion using iterative engineering processes. Integrated a 36V 350W electric motor system with mechanical drivetrain components for optimal performance. Selected a 36V 10Ah battery based on power requirements and calculated a 15-mile range with top speeds of 20 mph. Future upgrades include a hub driven motor to eliminate mechanical ineffciencies from the drivetrain while increasing reliability.

Collaborated on a solar-powered food dehydration system. Analyzed data on moisture removal of fruits and presented findings on efficiency of heat generation and mositure removal in a final report using sustainable design principles. Natural convection used to cycle moist air out of the top and take in fresh dry air from the bottom of the dehydrator creating a fruit drying efficiney of 41%.

Commissioned by a client working with musical artists to do videography for thier concerts. Designed a custom 12V 2600mAh battery pack and integrated a mini-DVR for analog-to-digital video conversion. Modified the 10-pin JVC GX-N7U camcorder connector to accommodate signal output to DVR and power distribution. Calculated battery life provides approximately 6 hours of continuous operation. Future plans include upgrading microphone quality and integrating reocording and power controls from original camera to control DVR and new power source.

Worked in a team of three to design, manufacture, and adapt a lab-scale vertical farming setup to using water-based liquid cooled LEDs provided by Agnetix to recycled wasted LED heat. The heat was transferred to a root solution reservoir via a coiled heat exchanger and any excess heat was removed by a secondary forced convection heat exchanger in series. Prosense temperature transmitters and SOLO temperature controlled realys were used to automate valves to divert heat flow away from the root solution to maintian optimal root zone temperatures. Experimental data showed an increase in energy effecincey from 72% to 94% with the use of a heat recycler with an average heat recovery of 948.3W equivalent to 6.81°C. Further research is currently being conducted on the effects of optimal root zone termpertures on plant growth rates in order to confirm research that shows it increases crop produciton rates. I was personally responsible for designing, wiring, and troubleshooting the control panel, sensors, and valves for controlling heat flow. Additioanlly I desgined the control panel frame and manufactured it with a team memeber.

Co-designed and programmed a combat robot for regional competition using Fusion 360 CAD software and C++ programming. Implemented VEX Cortex microcontroller for system controls and autonomous operation. Final design was fabricated using plasma cut aluminum components with a steel frame for structural integrity.