GEEN1128 - Engineering Professional Skills

GEEN1128 Engineering Professional Skills 1 1
ECO-COOLER ENERGY SYSTEM
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................... 2
PROBLEM STATEMENT................................................................................................ 2
DESIGN CRITERIA....................................................................................................... 3
ALTERNATIVE DESIGN OPTIONS.................................................................................6
RECOMMENDED DESIGN............................................................................................. 6
DESIGN JUSTIFICATION............................................................................................... 6
Economic................................................................................................................. 7
Social....................................................................................................................... 7
Environmental......................................................................................................... 7
Cultural.................................................................................................................... 7
LONG TERM SUSTAINABILITY...................................................................................... 8
Energy Usage.......................................................................................................... 8
Recycling of Waste.................................................................................................. 8
Reduce Material Usage............................................................................................ 8
DESIGN IMPLEMENTATION.......................................................................................... 9
Distribution.............................................................................................................. 9
Construction............................................................................................................ 9
Operation.............................................................................................................. 10
Maintenance.......................................................................................................... 10
EXTERNAL SUPPORT................................................................................................. 10
REFLECTION AND CONCLUSION................................................................................11
REFERENCES............................................................................................................ 12

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INTRODUCTION
With the rise in overall temperature across the world and the sweltering heat during summers, it
can be assumed that households are expected to encounter high electricity bills. While the
majority of people in urban areas resort to air-conditioning to escape the heat waves, the people
who cannot afford air-conditioning systems resort to using shades. Air conditioning systems are
expensive devices to operate and purchase and also pose serious challenges when they stop
working hence cannot be afforded by most people of Makers Valley in South Africa
(Kochenkov & Motrev, 2016). This research paper proposes the use of Eco-cooler design as
an air conditioner that needs no electrical energy to operate and it is made by the use of waste
products.
PROBLEM STATEMENT
Currently, the major environmental problem faced by the earth is global warming which has led
to an increase in the overall temperature of the atmosphere of the earth due to the greenhouse
effects. Some of the effects of high atmospheric temperatures have been witnessed in various
parts of the world include wildfires, sea-level rise, glacier retreat, extreme weather events, and
health effects in humans (Patil, 2019). The human response to high temperatures includes
heatstroke, hyperthermia, and heat illness. The human body requires evaporative cooling to
prevent overheating which can be attained through air conditioning systems in households.
However, the majority of households cannot afford the cost of purchase, operation, and repair of
air conditioning systems to assist in the cooling of their houses (Rusakov, 2017). Therefore,
there is a need for developing an alternative air conditioning system known as an Eco cooler
energy system which is affordable and requires no electrical energy to operate. This context
presents the design and implementation of the eco cooler system made from waste plastics and
uses no electricity to operate.

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DESIGN CRITERIA
The design criteria for this project are based on the description above and have been illustrated
below.
(i) The resources available locally were used for the manufacture of the eco cooler device.
These resources were selected in the criteria since in case the resources are not available
locally, the only option would be to physically search for the resources or organize for the
resources to be delivered to them (Mandaliya, 2020). All these are costly and may
discourage people from living in poverty-stricken areas or insecure regions from
manufacturing this device and transforming their livelihood.
(ii) Recycled or waste materials are used preferably in the manufacture of the system since
this criterion ensures that the carbon footing of the device remains as minimal as possible
hence assisting in combating climate change.
(iii) The eco cooler is structurally simple and can be replicated easily even by those who do
not have hands-on experience. In poor regions such as Makers Valley, there is lack of
proper education hence the device must be made in such a manner that the people who
require it most have the capability of understanding the operation of the device and its
manufacture without a need of formal education (Nowshin, 2020). The design is
relatively simple to understand since it is made of holes in cardboards, then placing bottle
halves in the holes, and using the window frame for support.