Energy Efficient Home
The Passive Solar Home design project has been the largest and hardest project. There were many parts to the completion of this project. My group consisted of Jonathan, Kyle, and sorta Maielle ( she got really sick ).
1. Designing a Water Heater: This was the first part of our project. We had to design a water heater using different types and combinations of materials. We used milk jug, a box, copper and rubber tubing, a paper bag, black spray paint, a couple cups, insulation, aluminum foil and plastic wrap. We used the plastic wrap to make a greenhouse layer over our box so that it would heat up our copper wires. We then used the aluminum foil to reflect the light and heat to the copper tubing thus heating the water stored in the milk jug and tubed into the box.
2. Solar Angles: Solar angles pretty much would make or break this project. Earth's axis tilts at a 23.5 degree angle. This is why life even exist on the planet, without seasons no plants and so on. The northern hemisphere is tilted more towards the sun in the summer causing longer days and higher temperatures. The winter is caused by the opposite. We had to learn all about this to know the desired amount of sunlight we wanted in our house.
1. Designing a Water Heater: This was the first part of our project. We had to design a water heater using different types and combinations of materials. We used milk jug, a box, copper and rubber tubing, a paper bag, black spray paint, a couple cups, insulation, aluminum foil and plastic wrap. We used the plastic wrap to make a greenhouse layer over our box so that it would heat up our copper wires. We then used the aluminum foil to reflect the light and heat to the copper tubing thus heating the water stored in the milk jug and tubed into the box.
2. Solar Angles: Solar angles pretty much would make or break this project. Earth's axis tilts at a 23.5 degree angle. This is why life even exist on the planet, without seasons no plants and so on. The northern hemisphere is tilted more towards the sun in the summer causing longer days and higher temperatures. The winter is caused by the opposite. We had to learn all about this to know the desired amount of sunlight we wanted in our house.
3. Solar Design Activity: We made a cardboard house to see the most effecient day lighting techniques. We used things like light shelves, skylights, clerestory windows, and solar windows. We used a large picture window and a clerestory window on our model.
4. Picking a site: We chose the site behind the new school cafeteria. It gets sunlight during the day,flat, and accessible. We planned on using it for a study center or hang out area, it also near the parking lot and close by the school library.
5. Materials Testing: We tested different materials for the walls, floor, roof, and insulation to see what materials were best for use in our house. We were assigned different materials, and told to turned on a light bulb that was about 20 cm above the material for 40 minutes and then turned off the light for 40 minutes. We checked the temperature of the materials every 10 minutes.
6. Building Design: Every group made their own home to give a presentation on. We researched the costs of the best material for a real house. We used a cardboard model. Our presentation is viewable here: http://jonathanstickle.weebly.com/designing-a-passive-solar-home.html
6. Building Design: Every group made their own home to give a presentation on. We researched the costs of the best material for a real house. We used a cardboard model. Our presentation is viewable here: http://jonathanstickle.weebly.com/designing-a-passive-solar-home.html
7. Wind turbines: The last part of the project was to make wind turbines. There are two kinds of wind turbines, HAWTs and VAWTs. HAWT or Horizontal Access Wind Turbines and VAWT ,Vertical Access Wind Turbines. We used manila folders and wooden sticks to make the turbines. We used a small fan to represent the wind.
Physics Concepts
Heat: The total energy of molecular a substance has
Pressure (due to liquid): Density x Depth
Temperature: Measurement of heat
Types of Heat Transfers
Conduction: Transfer of heat through contact
Convection: Heat transfer in fluid from the circulation of currents from one place to another.
Radiation: heat transferred as rays,waves, or particles
Insulation: Lack of heat transfers
Laws and Principles
Specific Heat: Heat required to heat a substance a given amount
Laws of thermodynamics;
0th: If two systems are in thermal equilibrium with a third system, then they are equal to each other. (similar to Transitive Property of equality in Geometry)
1st: Energy is neither created nor destroyed. (conservation of energy)
2nd: Entropy increases, or in other words disorder increases
3rd: Nothing can get to absolute 0, there is always going to be heat.
Reflection
This was a challenging project to do. I learned a lot about myself doing this project.I now know what what my mom really used to do and it was unbelievably hard without Maielle (who kept us all on task when she was with us). Sometimes I felt like everything was going perfect and other times I wanted to rip apart my papers then burn them. I learned that I need to work on my patience with the world, to also stay on task, and to ask for help if I need it.
Physics Concepts
Heat: The total energy of molecular a substance has
Pressure (due to liquid): Density x Depth
Temperature: Measurement of heat
Types of Heat Transfers
Conduction: Transfer of heat through contact
Convection: Heat transfer in fluid from the circulation of currents from one place to another.
Radiation: heat transferred as rays,waves, or particles
Insulation: Lack of heat transfers
Laws and Principles
Specific Heat: Heat required to heat a substance a given amount
Laws of thermodynamics;
0th: If two systems are in thermal equilibrium with a third system, then they are equal to each other. (similar to Transitive Property of equality in Geometry)
1st: Energy is neither created nor destroyed. (conservation of energy)
2nd: Entropy increases, or in other words disorder increases
3rd: Nothing can get to absolute 0, there is always going to be heat.
Reflection
This was a challenging project to do. I learned a lot about myself doing this project.I now know what what my mom really used to do and it was unbelievably hard without Maielle (who kept us all on task when she was with us). Sometimes I felt like everything was going perfect and other times I wanted to rip apart my papers then burn them. I learned that I need to work on my patience with the world, to also stay on task, and to ask for help if I need it.