The Plan

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The first phase of the project involves mapping the space, creating blueprints and tabulating the thermal properties of the existing structure.  We will also write a preliminary semester-long plan and project budget.  A data-logger will be installed to regularly record baseline measurements of temperature and humidity. This phase is mostly complete and was accomplished in the first two weeks of the semester.

The second phase of the project involves creating an accurate predictive thermal model of the refrigerator system.  The initial model will be made using spreadsheet software.  Later models will include time-variability and will be made in Matlab.  This will likely be the most academically intensive phase, involving much research into heat transfer.  We hope to be able to validate our model using some measurements from the refrigerator.  The goal of the model is to determine the necessary amount of insulation and stored ice.

The third phase involves using the physical parameters from our model to design the actual layout of the refrigerator.  This will involve creating blueprints of the design, designing the air exchange system and sourcing the materials for the construction phase.  Concurrently, we will be working on a life cycle analysis and environmental impact assessment for our refrigerator as compared to a commercially available model.

The final phase is the construction of the refrigerator.  We will construct the system using our designs.  The material for the construction will be provided by the farm.  In addition to this blog, we plan to document the process and write a how-to guide on Instructables.com so that others can benefit from our design work.  We plan to also offer insights on the feasibility of similar projects in other parts of the country.