Naturally-Cooled CPV Array

As many engineers can attest, the capstone project is the pinnacle of your academic career during your undergraduate. In my final year of study at Queen's, myself and six others (Grace Anderson, Grace Sellinger, Henry Brisbois, Andrew Da Silva, David Zamparo, and Christian Prime Guerra) were tasked with developing an array of CPV (Concentrated Photovoltaic) cells for a unique application of our choosing. A demographic we immediately identified were northern Canadian communities who primarily relied on diesel generation due to their isolation from the power grids enjoyed by those in high-population regions of the world. Diesel generation is convenient, but comes at an environmental cost when considering its production, transportation, and combustion. This project allowed me to showcase my MATLAB, algorithm development, mathematical modelling, engineering ethics, cost analysis, and above all, mental fortitude skills, in the development of a result that I can wholeheartedly stand behind. Furthermore, while working on a project that involved energy generation so fundamentally, an interest was sparked in the subject that I don't believe will ever go away. It pushed me to take my first full-time engineering position building hydrogen-capable power plants in smaller regions of Ontario, a first step in my journey as an engineer in a direction fully inspired by the work done on this project. If you'd like a copy of my thesis, please shoot me a message at any of the contact addresses listed in the "Contact" section of this site.