PHYSICS FOR ARCHITECTS II LAB PROJECT: The Solar Collector

The Project

The problem is to design a solar energy collector that resembles a building and will increase the input temperature of air as it flows through the collector.

The Objective

To build and analysis a simple solar energy collector system. The radiant energy will be provided by two four lamps.

The Rules

The rules for the design and construction are as follows:

· It can only be made from any type of craft supply (such as form board you use for modeling in architecture), tape, glue, pins, and a plastic top to let the sunlight in.

· The roof of the structure must be transparent or have some transparent parts to allow heat to radiate into the structure.

· It must be no bigger than 50 cm by 50 cm by 50cm and no smaller than 30 cm by 30cm by 30 cm.

· An input and output hole, 1.5-inch in diameter, must be included to allow an air hose to be attached.

· The instructor will provide the means of airflow and temperature measurement. The same airflow system will be connected to each solar collector

· The instructor will also provide light meters to measure the intensity of the solar light incident on the collector

The Documentation

In addition to the completion of the structure, each individual must submit a report. The report is due the week before finals and must contain:

• Sketches of the solar collector concept
• Explanation for the design used
• Explanation for the materials used
• A detailed analysis of the energy in and energy out and comparison with observation. This information will be collected at testing time.
• An estimation of the collectors output air temperature
• A written description of the weaknesses of the design

The Evaluation

The evaluation for grades will be based upon the clarity and degree of completion of the report. It will also depend upon:

• Accuracy of the modeling techniques, does the model fit the criteria set by the rules; 40%
• Written report as described by the documentation section, 40%
• Significant increase in energy out per unit time; 20%