Members: Leo Buoncristiani, Mikey Harris, Isabella Bergmark, Sarah Teel
Why!?
We did this abnormally large unit for multiple purposes but mainly to learn how to design an electrically efficient building "house". We learned about many different topics and did multiple labs during the unit so here they are.
Water Heater Lab: In this lab my group and I created a simple hand operated solar heater to get 100 oz of water as high a change of temperature as we could in half an hour. We used a shoe box, a mirror, tinfoil, plastic wrap, copper tubing, plastic tubing and a gallon plastic jug. This taught us how to utilize reflective materials to make sunlight work for us.
Day-lighting house model: We made a cardboard house using multiple types of day-lighting techniques to make the most of the sun's light.
Water Heater Lab: In this lab my group and I created a simple hand operated solar heater to get 100 oz of water as high a change of temperature as we could in half an hour. We used a shoe box, a mirror, tinfoil, plastic wrap, copper tubing, plastic tubing and a gallon plastic jug. This taught us how to utilize reflective materials to make sunlight work for us.
Day-lighting house model: We made a cardboard house using multiple types of day-lighting techniques to make the most of the sun's light.
Site Selection: We walked around campus and found the most promising areas for us to theoretically build our day-lighting house. We needed an area with a lot of light to be able to use our day-lighting techniques and also privacy, sound barriers, and a solid ground.
Material Analysis: We did multiple labs to determine how well certain types of materials hold heat and absorb heat. Here is our analysis list
Material Analysis: We did multiple labs to determine how well certain types of materials hold heat and absorb heat. Here is our analysis list
Photo credits to Mikey Harris
The Why Paper: In class we made a Google document to show why we need to limit our energy and what different types of energy creating processes are.
The class justification paper
The Final Project: In the final project of this unit we were tasked with three separate jobs
One: To create a cold frame "mini greenhouse" for the San Marin garden. Slideshow
Mikey and I worked on this project, our cold frame had a partial brick base to maximize stability and heat intake, a slanted top made of glass with wood trim angled to capture light and hinged for easy access.
Two: To build a way to get more light into the Stem Day-lighting structures northern window. Slideshow
Sarah worked on this project, the way she reflected light into the north window was with a window level parabolic sheet metal structure. The reflector is held up by two wood posts 4 feet from the building and at window level there is a curved metal reflector to capture and redirect light.
Three: BONUS PROJECT. Slideshow (coming soon)
Isabella worked on this project, and for our bonus project she made a reflective chandelier . The chandelier is made to be aesthetically pleasing and to reflect light into the corners of the room. Its made with pieces of glass on fishing line hanging from a hula hoop fixed to the ceiling.
The class justification paper
The Final Project: In the final project of this unit we were tasked with three separate jobs
One: To create a cold frame "mini greenhouse" for the San Marin garden. Slideshow
Mikey and I worked on this project, our cold frame had a partial brick base to maximize stability and heat intake, a slanted top made of glass with wood trim angled to capture light and hinged for easy access.
Two: To build a way to get more light into the Stem Day-lighting structures northern window. Slideshow
Sarah worked on this project, the way she reflected light into the north window was with a window level parabolic sheet metal structure. The reflector is held up by two wood posts 4 feet from the building and at window level there is a curved metal reflector to capture and redirect light.
Three: BONUS PROJECT. Slideshow (coming soon)
Isabella worked on this project, and for our bonus project she made a reflective chandelier . The chandelier is made to be aesthetically pleasing and to reflect light into the corners of the room. Its made with pieces of glass on fishing line hanging from a hula hoop fixed to the ceiling.
CONCEPTS
Atomic structure: The makeup of an atom that in turn makes up molecules.
Thermodynamics: We were introduced to the laws of thermodynamics and about energy types and transfers.
States of Matter: Liquid, Solid, Gas
We learned the property's of each and how they relate to temperature.
Radiation: The emission of energy as electromagnetic waves or subatomic particles (photons)
Sunlight and the Seasons: We learned about how the earths position relative to the sun causes different angles of sunlight throughout the year.
Temperature: The degree or intensity of heat present in a substance or object.
Convection: The movement in a fluid caused by heated fluid rising and colder fluid sinking.
Conduction: The transfer of heat through a solid medium when the medium is of a different temperature.
Thermodynamics: We were introduced to the laws of thermodynamics and about energy types and transfers.
- Zeroth law of thermodynamics: If two systems are in thermal equilibrium respectively with a third system, they must be in thermal equilibrium with each other. This law helps define the notion of temperature.
- First law of thermodynamics: When energy passes, as work, as heat, or with matter, into or out from a system, its internal energy changes in accord with the law of conservation of energy. Equivalently, perpetual motion machines of the first kind are impossible.
- Second law of thermodynamics: In a natural thermodynamic process, the sum of the entropies of the participating thermodynamic systems increases. Equivalently, perpetual motion machines of the second kind are impossible.
- Third law of thermodynamics: The entropy of a system approaches a constant value as the temperature approaches absolute zero. With the exception of glasses the entropy of a system at absolute zero is typically close to zero, and is equal to the log of the multiplicity of the quantum ground state.
States of Matter: Liquid, Solid, Gas
We learned the property's of each and how they relate to temperature.
Radiation: The emission of energy as electromagnetic waves or subatomic particles (photons)
Sunlight and the Seasons: We learned about how the earths position relative to the sun causes different angles of sunlight throughout the year.
Temperature: The degree or intensity of heat present in a substance or object.
Convection: The movement in a fluid caused by heated fluid rising and colder fluid sinking.
Conduction: The transfer of heat through a solid medium when the medium is of a different temperature.
reflection
During the duration of this unit our team worked well... whilst separate from one another, we had some power struggles but in the end it all worked out very well and we were able to coexist and get our projects done. One of the most distinct pits during this unit was that we always got distracted by other groups or by something else, another pit was that towards the end we all worked separately again to build our final projects and it was hard to communicate with each other. Still we did get it all done and had some good peaks along the way, we were able to get everything done in a timely manner and no one ever rushed we always seemed to have more time (Thanks Mr. Williams). My final big peak was how much we learned, it was a long unit but we did learn lots of useful information. Overall we worked well and were able to finish grandly with the presentation night.