DEVELOPMENT
PORTF OLI O SUMMARY
PORTFOLIO ELEMENT A
PRESEN TATI ON AN D JUSTI F I CATI ON OF THE PROBLEM
The recommended storage settings for iPhones are between -4 and 113
degrees.
"Keeping IPhone, IPad, and IPod Touch within Acceptable Operating
Temperatures." Keeping IPhone, IPad, and IPod Touch within
Acceptable Operating Temperatures. Apple Inc., n.d. Web. 08 Oct.
2014.
1.Have you ever been unable to run errands because of children or pets in a hot car?
A) Yes, I was forced to do the task on a later date
B) No, I left my child and/or pet in the car
C) No, I brought my pet and/or child inside with me
2.How many times, per week, do you leave you car outside in temperatures of excess of 80 degrees?
A) 1-3 times a week
B) 4-6 times a week
C) 7 or more times per week
3.How uncomfortable do you find getting into a car that has been in the sun all day?
A) Very uncomfortable
B) Uncomfortable
C) Doesnt bother you
4.How do you prevent your car from overheating while its parked?
A) Park in the shade
B) Use of a Sun Shade, a UV Heat Shield or any other sunblocking visor
C) Tinting windows
D) Creative DIY solutions, i.e covering a surface with a blanket or towel
E) I dont, I use manipulation of the AC system and windows when you return
5.Have you sustained any injuries have you sustained after entering a hot car?
A) Physical injury (burns)
B) Breathing problems
C) Heat related Sicknesses, i.e. stroke.
D) None
6.Have you ever sustained an asthma attack after entering a hot car?
A) Yes, severe
B) Yes, mild
C) No, even though I have asthma
D) No, don't have asthma
7.Have you ever returned to your car after it was parked on an extremely hot day and found that certain
systems or property you left inside of the car were either completely useless or very uncomfortable to
use?
A) Yes, damage to electronics
B) Yes, damage to the car
C) Yes, damage to other items
D) Yes, damage to all of the above
E) No
8.How often do you leave electronic devices (phones, tablets, laptops) in your car?
A) Most of the time
B) Sometimes
C) Never
9.Have you ever noticed electronic devices having a significantly shorter battery life after being in a hot
car?
A) Yes, and this has affected me definitively
B) Yes, and this has affected someone I know
C) No, I dont leave devices in my car
D) Im not sure if that is the cause but I have noticed a shortened battery life
10.How many times have you seen a pet or child in a car on a hot day?
A) Never
B) 1-2 times
C) More than 2 times
11.How many dollars has a hot car cost you in reparations?
A) Up to 100
B) Between 100 and 1000
C) Over 1000
Conclusion
We determined that there are many issue that can arise from leaving a car
out in the sun on a hot day. These issues include injury to people and
animals, as well as damage to the electronic devices in the car and the car
itself. This has been identified as a problem by several sources, including
the national cancer society, stanford, and apple. Our survey solidified our
idea by showing that people have been inconvenienced on hot days and
people have indeed sustained some injuries.
PORTFOLIO ELEMENT B
D OCUMEN TATI ON AN D AN ALYSI S OF PRI OR SOLUTI ON
AT TEMPTS
The interior temperature of a parked car can exceed one hundred and fifty degrees in exterior temperatures of ninety degrees. These extremely high
temperatures cause damage to systems and other property inside the car, including cracking the windshield and decreasing battery life of devices. People or
animals in hot cars can experience strokes, or cancer caused by carcinogenic chemicals released from heated plastic in the car. We examined multiple patents
and market solutions in order to narrow done the qualifications for our prototype in the future.
Top 3 Patents:
Instant car cover
https://www.google.com/patents/US8684444?
dq=instant+car+cover&hl=en&sa=X&ei=fDhJVPzuC4aXyQS_zYGwBQ&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAA
Patent Number: US 8684444 B2
Description: This patent covers the windshield and is attached by elastic straps to side mirrors. It is rolled
up to cover the windshield, and then rolled down to allow the user to drive.
Pros: Light, Compact, Easy to Use
Cons: Must be rolled and unrolled for each use. Attachment to the side mirrors could come undone in
windy conditions.
Description: Forces air through an evaporator, which can be cooled much faster and blown from within
the seat of a car.
Pros: directly cools a child, can also be humidifier
Cons: does not directly cool air in car
3 Marketed Solutions:
Kulcar Solar Powered Car Ventilator-Cash
http://www.amazon.com/Kulcar-Solar-Powered-Car-Ventilator/dp/B00J97X2YG/ref=sr_1_10?
ie=UTF8&qid=1413907491&sr=8-10&keywords=car+cooler+fan
Item Weight- 12 ounces
Product Dimensions- 10 x 7.6 x 3.9 inches
Description- Solar panel controls fans that expel hot air and harmful gases. Rubber strips seal the window
when the fan is in
Pros: rubber strips seal window, easy to install, removes gases, easy to install
Cons: does not fit all cars, somewhat expensive
Item Weight
8.8 ounces
Product Dimensions
23.6 x 5.7 x 2.8 inches
Item model number
111106
Manufacturer Part Number
111106
[Max Reflector Standard Accordion Shade]
Other Solutions:
Marketed Solutions
http://www.amazon.com/Kulcar-Solar-Powered-Car-Ventilator/dp/B00J97X2YG/ref=sr_1_10?
ie=UTF8&qid=1413907491&sr=8-10&keywords=car+cooler+fan
pros: decreases temperature of car, easy to install
cons: doesn't fit with all cars, removes gases from car
http://www.amazon.com/Victsing-Solar-Cooler-Ventilation-System/dp/B00DNXJYOY/ref=sr_1_1?
ie=UTF8&qid=1413907639&sr=8-1&keywords=car+cooler+fan
pros: decreases temperature of car
cons: difficult to adjust, does not always work, glass cannot be tinted
http://www.amazon.com/Vktech-Cooling-Vehicle-Cooler-Adjustable/dp/B00L40ZQGS/ref=sr_1_5?
ie=UTF8&qid=1413907922&sr=8-5&keywords=car+cooler+fan
pros: circulates a lot of air quickly
cons: cannot be used while car is off
Patents
https://www.google.com/patents/US20100133883?
dq=car+cooling+system&hl=en&sa=X&ei=6_tHVJz6L8WVyATRiYC4Dw&sqi=2&pjf=1&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAA
pros: directly attempts to cool child
cons: heating of air in the car is still a danger
https://www.google.com/patents/US20070245755?
dq=car+cooling+for+dogs&hl=en&sa=X&ei=3vxHVN7SOMaAygTLhILgAw&sqi=2&pjf=1&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAA
pros: independent of car power, battery does not need to be charged separately
cons: shade or clouds can block solar panel, added to cars system
https://www.google.com/patents/US3305168?
dq=car+cooling+fan&hl=en&sa=X&ei=TwxJVNqDPYqZyQTb_YHwCw&ved=0CCYQ6AEwAQ
pros: circulates air in the car, has a light fixture included
cons: also circulates dust, only affects front seat
Patents:
https://www.google.com/patents/US20100059199?
dq=interior+of+car+cooler&hl=en&sa=X&ei=QgpJVJufA4i0yQTEtYHgDA&ved=0CB8Q6AEwAA
pros: can keep electronics cool
cons: only works while car is on, limited amount of space
https://www.google.com/patents/US3943726?
dq=interior+car+cooler&hl=en&sa=X&ei=4wpJVOStEMuSyATi44KgBg&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAA
pros: Doesnt require the car to be running, cools the entire car
cons: expensive, depended on weather
https://www.google.com/patents/US20110062746?
dq=interior+car+cooler&hl=en&sa=X&ei=TAtJVPXVINiBygSV_YGoCA&ved=0CDgQ6AEwBDgK
pros: Covers the entire car, good for short term
cons: Heat can go through the cover if in heat for a long time, only for convertibles
Market Solutions:
http://www.amazon.com/x2605-Car-Sunshade-Jumbo-Windshields/dp/B00E5OUOCQ/ref=sr_1_2?
ie=UTF8&qid=1414073298&sr=8-2&keywords=sun+shade+car
pros:easy installation, cheap
cons: only covers the windshield, has to be installed for every use
http://www.amazon.com/Classic-Accessories-10-010-051001-00-OverDrivePolyPro/dp/B003DNJ728/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1414073499&sr=8-1&keywords=car+cover
pros: covers the entire car, fairly cheap
cons: installation is a lot of work
http://www.amazon.com/Breathing-Cooling-Chair-Cushion-Cover/dp/B00IV50JTS/ref=sr_1_2?
ie=UTF8&qid=1414073606&sr=8-2&keywords=car+seat+cooling+pad
pros: keeps the seat cool, higher specific heat than leather
cons: expensive, requires car to be on
Patents:
"Car Hat", a portable sunshade canopy for automobiles
https://www.google.com/patents/US20090038766?
dq=automobile+heat+mitigation&hl=en&sa=X&ei=qQxJVLSEHIedygTNxoCYAg&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAw
pros: portable,
cons: small
Multi-purpose seat protector and seatbelt protector
https://www.google.com/patents/US7066535?
dq=mitigating+heat+in+cars&hl=en&sa=X&ei=FzNJVOPkPIX5yATqs4CQAQ&ved=0CDkQ6AEwBA
pros: takes up a minimal amount of space, protects the main seat
cons: doesnt affect the rest of the car interior temperature, only makes it so that skin will not
be burned on contact.
https://www.google.com/patents/US5826435?
dq=better++car+air+conditioner&hl=en&sa=X&ei=aTRJVIygI8mxyATR7YGYCg&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAAt
pros: works when the car is off, runs off solar power
cons: expensive, hard to install
https://www.google.com/patents/US8684444?
dq=instant+car+cover&hl=en&sa=X&ei=fDhJVPzuC4aXyQS_zYGwBQ&ved=0CB0Q6AEwAA
pros: covers entire car, portable
cons: could be cumbersome to use
Market Products:
http://www.amazon.com/High-Performance-Auto-Window-Tinting/dp/B00F8PSWR0/ref=sr_1_1?
ie=UTF8&qid=1414084171&sr=8-1&keywords=window+tinter
pros: 58% heat rejection
cons: expensive, permanent solution, cant roll down windows
http://www.amazon.com/Britax-Pack-EZ-Cling-Shades-Black/dp/B006ZVV0NO/ref=sr_1_1?
ie=UTF8&qid=1414084455&sr=8-1&keywords=sun+shades+car
pros: windows can be seen through, cheap, installs once and easy to remove
cons: not as effective
http://www.amazon.com/Max-Reflector-Standard-AccordionShade/dp/B000CAINDE/ref=zg_bs_15737211_19
pros: easy setup, completely blocks UV rays, cheap, reversible
cons: rips easlly
Platinum shield SUV cover
http://www.carcovers.com/covers/suv/jeep/wrangler/2015/4-door-unlimited/platinum-shield-suvcover.html
pros: protects the exterior of the entire car, controls the exposure to sunlight
cons: expensive, inconvenient (takes awhile to put on and to take off), restricts operation of the car
Over 50% of people were forced to do errands and other tasks at a later
date because they had other passengers in their car during a hot day.
67% of people leave their car out in temperatures above 80 degrees more
than four times per week.
Over 80% of people said that getting into a hot car makes them feel
uncomfortable.
Less than 20% of people used some sort of sun shade device to keep their
car cool in the sun.
Only 2% of people have suffered an asthma attack from being in a hot car.
43% of people have reported damage to either the car or something left
inside the car on a hot day.
49% of people leave electronic devices inside their cars.
15% of people have had shorter battery lives for electronic devices.
All of this data shows that there is a potential market for a product to keep
cars cool in the heat. Furthermore, very few people use a device that is
designed the keep the car cool suggesting that many of the existing
solutions are not very effective, or that they are not effective enough to
warrant their cost. Also, the overwhelming majority of people that leave
things such as electronic devices in their car, have reported damage to
those items. This damage does not generally affect the battery life of a
device. Very few people have suffered from injuries originating from a hot
car.
Conclusion:
During our market research we learned from our survey that the majority
of people are inconvenienced in a variety of ways by their cars being
overheated, this confirms that the problem we are trying to solve is actually
a large one in the community. This is an optimal result, not only because it
confirms that our problem is significant in the community, and it makes it
easy to find out why it
PORTFOLIO ELEMENT C
PRESEN TATI ON AN D JUSTI F I CATI ON OF SOLUTI ON
D ESI GN REQUI REMEN TS
Summary
This page describes what guidelines we wish to follow when designing our
product. This includes what characteristics we want the device to have as
well as challenges we should be wary of. One of the major challenges is we
only have a single forty five minute period per day to work. We could face
other issues if we wish to use some refrigerant in the design because it may
be difficult to acquire and we do not know how to work with it. Some
complaints we have seen about other products attempting to solve the
same problem, is that they are not easy to install, they are expensive, and
they do not actually work as advertised. We also decided that we want the
device to be easy to use and look aesthetically pleasing because people do
not want to put some ugly thing on their car in public. It should also be
portable, and easy to store because if someone needs to remove every
time they return to the car it should not be a cumbersome process that
requires a certain amount of strength.
6. Material- The product must be made out of a material that is cheap, yet
resistant to heat. Furthermore, the material must be easily available in
order for us to do extensive testing.
7. Appearance- The product must not be ugly and unattractive. Many of the
current solutions are ugly and make the cars seem tacky. A solution that is
sleek will make people less apprehensive to use such a product.
8. Size- Small enough to fit in the trunk of a car. This way the product can
easily be transported. Many prior solutions are this small and if ours was
bigger, it would be less popular on the market.
9. Weight- The product should be easily carried by one person. If it weighs
too much, it tends to cost more and becomes much harder to transport.
10. Shape- If the device is left installed while the vehicle is moving, we do
not want the shape of the device to obstruct the vision of the driver and
cause a safety hazard.
Design Constraints
Time- Only have one 45 minute class period everyday. All work that cannot
be completed in class must then be done outside of it.
Materials- We may find difficulty if we decide to use some sort of refrigerant
in our design.
Knowledge- It may be difficult for us to wire a device into the cars electrical
system, and handling refrigerant may be difficult
PORTFOLIO ELEMENT D
D ESI GN CON CEPT GEN ERATI ON , AN ALYSI S, AN D
SELECTI ON
Results:
The Automatic cover systems, that both Chris and Ethan came up with, shared quite a few similarities with
only a few slight differences in approach and were therefore given the same grade by all of the groups
members. In the end this solution was chosen because this solution had the highest results across the
board, meaning that it was not only a well-rounded solution to our problem, but that the automatic cover
system could prove to be the most efficient solution out of the many that were proposed.
Remaining designs:
Ethan's Proposed
Solutions
PORTFOLIO ELEMENT E
APPLI CATI ON OF STEM PRI N CI PLES AN D PRACTI CES
Testing Materials
Airtight Glass Environment (Onyx Airtight Glass Container) (Acquired)-Glass
Shading material (Coolaroo Fabric Wheat, Black) (Acquired)-Polyethylene
Heat Lamp-Phillips 250 Watt Incandescent Bulb
BMP Temperature Sensor
Arduino
Laptop
Timer
A room with a constant temperature
Materials of Mockup
Shading material (Coolaroo Fabric Wheat, Black) (Acquired)-Polyethylene
850KV Brushless Outrunner
Arduino
PLA Plastic
of heat that is radiated. Also, the window is heated and this heat radiates to the cars interior. Covering
the window will mean it is not heated as much, and its main source of heat will be from the heated
cover material.
Source:
Halliday, D., & Resnick, R. (2011).
Temperature, Heat, and The First Law of
Thermodynamics. In
Fundamentals of physics (9th ed., p. 496).
New York: Wiley.
Energy in
Joules
Temperatur
e
Conclusion:
We learned that the rate at which energy is radiated through a material is
dependent on its temperature and it emissivity. Objects that are dense,
have a small number of air pockets, and have a dark color radiate much
more energy due to their high emissivity value. Glass has a high value
emissivity which means that most of the heat that is transferred to the
glass, is transferred to the cars interior. Our test will test the ability of our
material to shade the glass and prevent heat from transferring to the
window. We have an airtight glass container which we will put a
thermometer in and then cover the glass with our material. We will
compare that to our control to see how well the material keeps the interior
cool.
PORTFOLIO ELEMENT F
CON SI D ERATI ON OF D ESI GN VI ABI LI T Y
Obstacles and Solutions: Our biggest challenge for our prototype was
figuring out how to roll and unroll the fabric consistently. We were planning
on using a straight bar, however most cars have a natural slant to their
window that prevents the bar with the fabric from being at the top. Instead,
we now have three bars. We have one at the bottom of the window with the
fabric wrapped around, one at the top with a motor to roll the fabric up,
and one that rolls with the fabric up the window.
Vendor Information:
We used Glenelg Country School, HomeDepot, Sparkfun, and RadioShack
for all of the materials required for our prototype and testing.
PORTFOLIO ELEMENT G
CON STRUCTI ON OF A TESTABLE PROTOT YPE
Introduction
Problem Statement: The interior temperature of a parked car can exceed one hundred
and fifty degrees in exterior temperatures of ninety degrees. These extremely high
temperatures cause damage to systems and other property inside the car, including
cracking the windshield and decreasing batte ry life of devices. People or animals in hot
cars can experience strokes, or cancer caused by carcinogenic chemicals released from
heated plastic in the car.
Testing is an important part of the design process. It is imperative to make sure certain
parts of the product work as we assume they will. In this case the thing we need to test is
the Coolaroo Fabric, to make sure it does indeed block sunlight and keep things cool. We
are using a glass container to act as a car and have created boxes from the fabric that
will fit over that container, as the shade will cover the windows of the car. The sun will
be a stage light shone on the car. We are building a prototype using wooden dowels,
fishing line, a spring, and a motor. The main issue is figuring out how to fasten to car.
Testable Prototype
Cut pieces of the Coolaroo fabric, then sewed it into rectangular prisms to fit over the
glass container that is the car we are using to test the material. Using temperature
sensors hooked up to an arduino we can measure the inside temperature of the car.
We cut a small hole in the container that we can insert the sensor through and seal. The
data is uploaded to an excel spreadsheet.
We stated off by putting the temperature sensors in parallel, but this led to inaccurate
readings. Then we planned on using one temperature sensor on 3.3V and one on 5V.
However this did not work either, for reasons that we did not understand.
Now we are going to use just one temperature sensor. We are going to run two different
tests. One with the sensor in the box with the light shining on it without the cover. A
thermometer will measure the outside temperature. The other will have the sensor
inside the covered box with the light on it, and use a thermometer again to measure
outside temp.
Prototype Construction
Measured the dimension of the back passenger window of a Subaru Forester, 18 x 27 in.
Using these measurements, cut a section of the coolaroo fabric to fit. Left room on ends
to fold over and sew to make a sleeve for wooden dowels. Cut dowels to extend outside
the fabric in order to give room for anything we want to attach, as well as allow room for
sanding.
Conclusion
This section showed our plan for testing the fabric, to make sure that the material does
actually block the sunlight and keep things cool. We have also began building out
prototype. We still need to attach the motor and figure out how the spring will pull the
screen down. Also attaching the device to the car is also an issue, because magnets may
mess with the motor.
PORTFOLIO ELEMENT H
PROTOT YPE TESTI N G AN D D ATA COLLECTI ON PL AN
Prototype
`Problem Statement: The interior temperature of a parked car can
exceed one hundred and fifty degrees in exterior temperatures of ninety
degrees. These extremely high temperatures cause damage to systems
and other property inside the car, including cracking the windshield and
decreasing battery life of devices. People or animals in hot cars can
experience strokes, or cancer caused by carcinogenic chemicals released
from heated plastic in the car.
Default Paragraph
Our test aimed to test the most effective fabric. We tested the high quality
shader, the lower quality shader, and no shader. This test would ensure
that our proposed fabric would actually be effective at keeping the car cool.
Our test heated the glass cover to simulate a car interior. The fabric was
used as a cover that the sun would shine on first.
Test Location: Team Meeting Room Glenelg Country School
In order for the test to successfully run, we needed a few things. We
needed the light to be above the glass at the same height, we had a height
of 2 feet. The sensor in the container must remain connected to the
Arduino, which must remain connected to the comput.
We needed the glass container, the different fabric, a temperature sensor,
PORTFOLIO ELEMENT I
TESTI N G, D ATA COLLECTI ON AN D AN ALYSI S
Default Paragraph
As discussed previously we are testing how well the different fabrics block
heat in our car and sun environment. This is to determine whether we
can get away with using the cheaper cloth while still keeping the car cool.
We ran 3 tests: just glass container, glass container with tan cover, glass
These are the results of the second test with the tan cover. There were
significant changes. The temperatures inside the container reached the
high 70s degrees Celsius.
The final test was over in a few seconds. As soon as we turned the stage
light on over the glass container with the black cover, the cover began to
shrink and was deformed into a non-usable piece of material.
Prototype Testing
Installation time on medium sized car: 40 seconds
Consumer Opinions
We talked to eight different people about the viability of our product and
solution.
PORTFOLIO ELEMENT J
D OCUMEN TATI ON OF EXTERN AL EVALUATI ON
Problem Statement: The interior temperature of a parked car can exceed one hundred and fifty degrees
in exterior temperatures of ninety degrees. These extremely high temperatures cause damage to systems
and other property inside the car, including cracking the windshield and decreasing battery life of devices.
People or animals in hot cars can experience strokes, or cancer caused by carcinogenic chemicals
released from heated plastic in the car.
Some examples of feedback from the Experts:
During our final presentation we were asked
the following:
1. Why did we chose to have our product on
the outside of the car?
2. Why is the folding shade such a popular
solution?
3. Why did we choose to attach the product the
way we did?
4.
Answers:
1. Cars get so hot because the heat gets trapped
inside, our design prevents it from entering the
car in the first place.
2. Because it's cheap, easy to use, and protects
some of the high traffic areas.
3. This is the safest way, any malfunctions would
not obstruct the driver's view.
4.
PORTFOLIO ELEMENT K
REF LECTI ON ON THE D ESI GN PROJECT
Introduction
Problem Statement: The interior temperature of a parked car can exceed
one hundred and fifty degrees in exterior temperatures of ninety degrees.
These extremely high temperatures cause damage to systems and other
property inside the car, including cracking the windshield and decreasing
battery life of devices. People or animals in hot cars can experience strokes,
or cancer caused by carcinogenic chemicals released from heated plastic in
the car.
Reflection is an important part of the design process. Analyzing the
strengths and weaknesses of the product can lead to more development. A
project goes through several stages, and the more reflection after each
part, the better the next step can be.
Element A: Presentation and Justification of the Problem
The first step is to create a problem statement to define the problem the
project will attempt to fix. It was difficult trying to define the problem
without trying to come up with solutions. We all came up with problems in
life that needed a solution. This involved finding data on each problem to
prove that it was indeed a problem. Once we picked our problem we had to
combine all the data showing why heat building up in a car was an issue.
Element B: Documentation and Analysis of Prior Solution Attempts
Once we defined the solution it was time to create a solution. The first step
of this involved finding out what other solutions to the problem already
existed. We each found 3 prior solutions and 3 patents that attempted to
solve the same issue. Based on how these solutions were received we could
determine what worked and what needed to be improved. It also gave us a
chance to make sure that this was in fact a solution that need to be solved,
and that we were not wasting our time creating something that might not
work as well.
Element C: Presentation and Justification of Solution Design Requirements
In this element, we detailed the most important requirements that our
design had to follow. We used our survey and other research to help us
decide which of our brainstormed requirements were most important and
relevant to our problem. Our most important were price, effectiveness, and
ease of use because we felt that these would lead to the strongest overall
product. The last part of this element was stating our design constraints so
that when we compared all of our potential solutions, we could eliminate
the ones that were impossible to do within the boundaries of our
constraints.
Element D: Design Concept Generation, Analysis, and Selection
This element is where the direction of our project really showed itself. Each
of us generated three different potential solutions so we had a total of 6.
After we had created our solutions, we presented them to the rest of the
class so they could give us feedback on our ideas. With these comments in
mind, we turned to a decision matrix so we could objectively determine the
best potential solution. The decision matrix removed most of the bias that
we might have that would negatively affect our selection. We took our
requirements from Element C, and assigned a weight to them based on
importance. Each of us then filled out our own section of the decision
matrix then brought the individual results together. Bringing all of them
together prevented one person overpowering the other two and forcing a
solution upon the group that might not be the best.
Element E: Application of STEM Principles and Practices
Once we had a solution we were going to pursue we needed to see what
principles needed to be tested to prove it would work. The main concepts
that need to be studied were thermodynamic. How does heat get into a
parked car? How can the material block that heat? We spoke to the one of
the science teachers at GCS, Dr. Maranto, to discuss these questions. We
created a test in order to make sure our solution would actually work.This
involved creating a miniature environment that mimicked the car in the
sun. An important part of any project is making sure you understand how
product will fix the issue and making sure it actually works that way.
Element F: Consideration of Design Viability
In this element, we broke down the plan for our design and what its pros
and cons were, and how we planned to address the cons. Since our shade
was based on existing shades, we decided to start there with the cons. We
decided to have our shade on the outside of the car to address the
problem of radiation and heat transfer. Once we decided on that, we had
only a few more foreseeable problems. We would need to devise a system
to attach the shade, roll the shade up and down, and prevent the shade
from covering the window when the car was moving. We decided to use
magnets and a strap to prevent the shade from falling off or moving, a
motor with fishing line and an extra wooden dowel for the rolling up and
down, and we decided to have the shade start at the bottom and roll up so
there was no risk of the entire shade falling down over the car while driving.
Element G: Construction of a Testable Prototype
Once we confirmed our materials worked as we expected them too it was
time to create a prototype. It also allowed us to find the flaws in our original
design for the product. We had many issues with motors and we ended up
switched to a manual crank. We also needed to secure it better including
magnets on the bottom PBC and straps over the top of the car that are
attached to the shade on the opposite window. Many ideas seem good in
PORTFOLIO ELEMENT L
PRESEN TATI ON OF D ESI GN ER'S RECOMMEN D ATI ON S
Problem Statement: The interior temperature of a parked car can exceed one hundred and fifty degrees in
exterior temperatures of ninety degrees. These extremely high temperatures cause damage to systems
and other property inside the car, including cracking the windshield and decreasing battery life of devices.
People or animals in hot cars can experience strokes, or cancer caused by carcinogenic chemicals
released from heated plastic in the car.
Introduction: We received valuable feedback during our presentation to the experts. Part of the purpose
of presenting was to receive information on what we could have done to continue the presentation.
Recommendations:
1. More confidence
We could have been more confident and sure of what we were saying during the presentation. We also did
not appear to be very excited about the work we had done. We could have practiced the presentation
more to be more sure of what we were saying. That would also allow us to focus on how we were saying
things rather than just what we were saying. The manner in which something is presented is as important
as what is being presented.
2. Looking Ahead
As we neared the end of the project we tried to come to a conclusion rather than see what could be
improved in the future. An important part of a project is to see how it can be improved, and we knew we
did not have a finished project. Having a plan for the future creates a good image because it shows we are
organized and ready to continue.
3. Relevance of the Test
One problem of our test was that it was only applicable to our small box. The heat transfer of a car is
somewhat different than the small box that was attached to the ground. While it proved that the fabric
was effective at keeping the box cool in the short term, it failed to prove it would be more effective than no
cover in the long term. Additionally, in a car, there are other ways that heat can enter the car that we
cannot shade. Unfortunately, we were not able to have 6 working prototypes so we could do a complete
test. As soon as we had that many, we could conduct an accurate test.
Conclusion:
The feedback we received from our panel gave us a promising
improvements to make on our project in terms of further development of
our project. Now we know what we can do with our solution to make it
more appealing to the consumer and how to better exemplify its
performance.