Passive Solar Design
Overview
The goal of this project was to design a new STEM building that utilized solar light fixtures and was an environment which revitalizes learning. Types of light fixtures that were used include: the traditional window, the clerestory window, the light shelf, the solar tube, and the skylight. A clerestory window is a small window that occupies the upper half of a wall. The advantage of using it is that it provides light, without damaging light sensitive objects, through the reflection of the light on a pale colored wall. A light shelf is an outdoor shelf which reflects light from the sun through a window, onto a ceiling, and into a room. The advantage of using a light shelf is that it produces less direct sunlight throughout a room through a lengthier series of reflections, which is less damaging to other light sensitive objects, than a window or a clerestory window. A skylight is a part of a roof/ceiling which is made out of a relatively thin layer of glass, with a frame of regular roof material surrounding it. The advantage of a skylight is that it provides more direct sunlight, which is better for the health of regular people, who often need more Vitamin D. These are all needed for different reasons, such as privacy, direct sunlight, and indirect sunlight.
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Part one: House Design
During this portion of the project, my group and I had to partially design a house and then build it out of cardboard. Unfortunately, I do not have any pictures of the cardboard model, but I did draw up a blueprint as seen far below. As one may notice, the house possesses a 3/4 circle shape, with extra room for a driveway. It also has four major rooms, as well as a closet, and an area in the kitchen similar to a traditional bedroom. In addition, it possesses a variety of windows relevant to the rooms(such as a solar tube in a bathroom, light shelf in a bedroom, and a skylight in a common room).
Another key feature of this house design is the innate accessibility throughout the hypothetical house. First of all, it is a single story home, which means that it can be accessed by a person with a physical disability or with a condition which requires similar needs. Second of all, there are many doors so that nobody has to find their way throughout a complex labrinth they call home. This house also utilizes indirect sunlight in all but one major room, which is definitely useful in keeping a home relatively cooled.
Another key feature of this house design is the innate accessibility throughout the hypothetical house. First of all, it is a single story home, which means that it can be accessed by a person with a physical disability or with a condition which requires similar needs. Second of all, there are many doors so that nobody has to find their way throughout a complex labrinth they call home. This house also utilizes indirect sunlight in all but one major room, which is definitely useful in keeping a home relatively cooled.
Part Two: Modelling Orbits
In this portion of the project, my group and I needed to identify the orbital period of an unspecified planet, known only as Planet X, using an equation which we were still trying to figure out. This equation was: t=((2(pi)(r))/V)/86,400 where t=time, r=radius of orbit, and V=orbital velocity. While our equation did not work perfectly with every planet, as some values were slightly above, and others slightly below, this slight variation seemed tangible enough to produce correct calculations. Our results are described in a poster below:
Part Three: Building Design
During this part of the project, my group and I had to actually design the new science building, which was very exciting due to the fact that it was a major project. We started with a basic drawing of the building, with breif labels, such as BIOLOGY ROOM, PATH and PHYSICS ROOM as a sort of guide. Then, we incorporated this basic design into a 3D model and worked on specifics, such as, the design of the path, the design of the rooms, and anything in the courtyard, as we had not figured that part out yet. Eventually, we had a complete design with al the specifics worked out.
We ended up with a regularly sized U-shaped building suite which has a large courtyard within the inner edges of the rooms. The courtyard has several paths that lead to a fountain which is surrounded by benches. Around this central area are several growing weeping willow trees which provide shade in the summer and light in the winter. They need to provide shade, because that would make for cooler classrooms and outdoor areas in the excessively hot summer. They must supply light because that would let heat enter classrooms and the courtyard in the exceedingly cold winter.
We ended up with a regularly sized U-shaped building suite which has a large courtyard within the inner edges of the rooms. The courtyard has several paths that lead to a fountain which is surrounded by benches. Around this central area are several growing weeping willow trees which provide shade in the summer and light in the winter. They need to provide shade, because that would make for cooler classrooms and outdoor areas in the excessively hot summer. They must supply light because that would let heat enter classrooms and the courtyard in the exceedingly cold winter.
Atomic Structure/Summary
An atom is the smallest unit of regular material with unique chemical properties. It was discovered in the earlt 19th century by John Dalton, but his model was not perfected for a very long time.
An atom is comprised of a nucleus, which is a lump of neutrally and positively charged particles, and a cloud of negatively charged particles. However, the positive or negative charge of a subatomic particle is relatively arbitrary, meaning positive and negative are just different, as there is nothing positive or negative about either charge. The positively charged particles are called protons and the neutrally charged particles are known as neutrons. The negatively charged particles, are called the electrons after the word electricity, which is what this particle produces when it is in a current, or movement throughout a material, such as iron. However, a current moves in the opposite direction as the movement of electrons.
An atom is comprised of a nucleus, which is a lump of neutrally and positively charged particles, and a cloud of negatively charged particles. However, the positive or negative charge of a subatomic particle is relatively arbitrary, meaning positive and negative are just different, as there is nothing positive or negative about either charge. The positively charged particles are called protons and the neutrally charged particles are known as neutrons. The negatively charged particles, are called the electrons after the word electricity, which is what this particle produces when it is in a current, or movement throughout a material, such as iron. However, a current moves in the opposite direction as the movement of electrons.
Solar Angles
Solar angles are the angles at which sunlight makes contact with the Earth, with one of the rays of the angle being perpendicular to the radius, or tangent to the circle on a given point. These affect the temperature on the Earth, beneath the sun. For example, due to the Earth's tilt, areas at or near the equator are usually at higher temperatures, due to their relative perpendicularity to the sun's rays. In contrast, the poles, which are furthest from the equator, are always cold due to their relative parallelity when compared to the sun's rays. The tilt of the Earth relative to its orbit is important to solar angles, as angles change over time, causing seasons. In summary, heat is inversely related to distance from the equator, as well as other factor's such as humidity.
Reflection
While I was working on this project, I learned many interesting things about design, power generation, and even myself. I learned that it is better to have indirect sunlight than direct sunlight, so that books and delicate materials can survive. I also learned that almost all power generation techniques have to do with rotating magnets around a wire to produce a current. During this project, I struggled with finding a balance betweet contributing ideas and accepting others' ideas. However, I believe that this experience will ultimately help me with projects throughout my high school career and beyond. Through the whole project, I learned that it is okay if some ideas are not ultimately used, because that teaches a person more about the construction of ideas as a whole.