Analyzing the Effect of Weather on Evacuated Tubes

School Name

Center for Advanced Technical Studies

Grade Level

12th Grade

Presentation Topic

Environmental Science

Presentation Type

Non-Mentored

Oral Presentation Award

1st Place

Abstract

This is a continuation project from last year. Previously this project looked at if there was an inexpensive material that would improve evacuated tubes internally. From the previous year’s findings, it was determined that fiberglass insulation had the most detrimental impact on the solar evacuated tubes, whereas aluminum heat fins improved the solar evacuated tubes the most because of this aluminum heat fins were used in both sets of evacuated tubes to have the best data possible. This year’s project looks at what environmental factors affect solar evacuated tubes the most. The problem statement for this project is how different environmental contaminants effect solar evacuated tubes. Data was and will be collected through “side-by-side” trials, which means that the contaminated and non-contaminated tubes will run simultaneously. Running trials in this fashion will add validity to the conclusions drawn. So far data has been collected for a proof of concept phase, the flour simulation phase, and the light layer dust simulation phase, the heavy dust layer, and snow. In the future, there will be fog simulation and rain simulation trials. As the project progresses more contaminants may be added to test a greater diversity of environmental contaminants. The next step is to start data collection on fog simulation. Keywords: Solar Evacuated Tubes Weather contaminants Solar technologies

Location

Lassiter 220

Start Date

4-14-2018 10:00 AM

Presentation Format

Oral and Written

COinS
 
Apr 14th, 10:00 AM

Analyzing the Effect of Weather on Evacuated Tubes

Lassiter 220

This is a continuation project from last year. Previously this project looked at if there was an inexpensive material that would improve evacuated tubes internally. From the previous year’s findings, it was determined that fiberglass insulation had the most detrimental impact on the solar evacuated tubes, whereas aluminum heat fins improved the solar evacuated tubes the most because of this aluminum heat fins were used in both sets of evacuated tubes to have the best data possible. This year’s project looks at what environmental factors affect solar evacuated tubes the most. The problem statement for this project is how different environmental contaminants effect solar evacuated tubes. Data was and will be collected through “side-by-side” trials, which means that the contaminated and non-contaminated tubes will run simultaneously. Running trials in this fashion will add validity to the conclusions drawn. So far data has been collected for a proof of concept phase, the flour simulation phase, and the light layer dust simulation phase, the heavy dust layer, and snow. In the future, there will be fog simulation and rain simulation trials. As the project progresses more contaminants may be added to test a greater diversity of environmental contaminants. The next step is to start data collection on fog simulation. Keywords: Solar Evacuated Tubes Weather contaminants Solar technologies