Define the Problem
For this project, our main goal is to test what we think would be the best insulation. Goals include that the material will produce minimum heat loss, will fit the box, and be environmentally friendly.
Generate Concepts
Brainstorming:
-plywood
-cardboard
-tin foil
-polyisocyanurate
-plywood
-cardboard
-tin foil
-polyisocyanurate
I decided to use polyisocyanurate because it is the best insulation on the market and my dad had some sitting around in the house, so I though it would be interesting to test. It has a reflective coating to reflect heat and provide radiant heat while it also traps heat in by being made of an insulator on the inside.
Develop the Solution
Construct and Test the Prototype
"Polyiso insulation is environmentally-friendly and requires 85 percent less embodied energy to manufacture."
http://www.roofingmagazine.com/polyiso-insulation-is-environmentally-friendly/
"The EPDs report that the energy-saving potential of polyiso roof and wall insulation over the average 60-year lifespan of a building is 47 times the initial energy needed for its production, transport, maintenance, and eventual removal and disposal."
https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/polyiso-roof-and-wall-insulation-certified-environmentally-friendly
Can be recycled --- as done by this company -------> https://www.greeninsulationgroup.com/
Polyisocyanurate is the most expensive type of foam, but that makes sense because it is the best insulation, plus the fact that it can be recycled and is environmentally friendly. I believe that it is economical.
http://www.roofingmagazine.com/polyiso-insulation-is-environmentally-friendly/
"The EPDs report that the energy-saving potential of polyiso roof and wall insulation over the average 60-year lifespan of a building is 47 times the initial energy needed for its production, transport, maintenance, and eventual removal and disposal."
https://www.eesi.org/articles/view/polyiso-roof-and-wall-insulation-certified-environmentally-friendly
Can be recycled --- as done by this company -------> https://www.greeninsulationgroup.com/
Polyisocyanurate is the most expensive type of foam, but that makes sense because it is the best insulation, plus the fact that it can be recycled and is environmentally friendly. I believe that it is economical.
Here is the screenshot of the data collected while heating.
Here is a screenshot of the data collected during cooling.
Evaluate the Solution
LoggerPro was pretty easy to use but that is because Mrs. Zienty pretty much did it for me. I like thermodynamics, and I don't think that it is as hard as I thought it would be. I have learned some things that will definitely be helpful to me when doing my Science Olympiad event in Thermodynamics. My testing results were worse than I thought they would be. I was expecting to get better results than everyone, because my material is actual insulation used in houses. Then again, the size that I used didn't completely fit the box. This was the biggest mistake I made, which could have been solved if I knew the dimensions of the box beforehand. I got to practice solving real world thermodynamics equations and I learned about how this insulation performs. I am glad that we did this and I liked that this project was another one that we could do on our own.
Present
Conclusion
To make my insulation more efficient, I could have done something to make the structure air-tight. The piece of insulation was a little too small for the box and I could have used a bigger piece to make it more air-tight. I could also have used something heavier than a computer to hold down the insulation so that heat could not escape.
It'd hard to understand why other teams had a higher Qnet. Polyisocyanurate is supposed to be one of the best insulators. I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that my insulation didn't exactly fit the box. The other teams must have covered the whole top of the box with their insulation to get a higher Qnet.
It'd hard to understand why other teams had a higher Qnet. Polyisocyanurate is supposed to be one of the best insulators. I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that my insulation didn't exactly fit the box. The other teams must have covered the whole top of the box with their insulation to get a higher Qnet.