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DESCRIPTION
Group: Team Pandora (D2.1)

Project Background: Our client, Mr.  Enendu, holds a patent (Canadian patent 2626472) for a Thermal Heat Exchange Chamber (THEC) which is a low-tech zero emission HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) innovation that extracts energy from the ground into buildings to achieve required thermal comfort using no fossil fuel, refrigerant, or heat pump. We have been requested to build-upon and prototype the system.

Project Statement: Our goal is to improve upon the design by increasing the output temperature during the winter in North America while maintaining the project's initial goal of creating a sustainable and low-cost product.

Solution: We have broken down the prototype into three main sub-systems:
  1. The Heat Exchange Chamber (HEC): Composed of concrete and clay, and filled with water. Inside the HEC will be six high density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes that are connected to our piping network outside of the HEC.
  2. The Piping Network: Six looped piped composed of (HDPE). The looped configuration was chosen to increase the surface area which will promote heat transfer.
  3. The Control System: The control system is a negative feedback cycle that ensures that the desired temperature is maintained by adjusting the fan power as a result of the measured output temperature.

Prototypes and Results:
  • Prototype 1: The HEC and piping network were tested to ensure that the system can reach the client's desired temperature. Results of simulated tests and calculations demonstrated that the prototype is a success.
  • Prototype 2: The control system was tested and our simulation successfully adjusted the fan speed to match the desired output temperature.
  • Prototype 3: Prototype 1 and 2 are combined to see if the entire system is fully functional and if we successfully created a proof of concept for the client. The physical build was a success as the outlet temperature increased however we encountered issues while combining the code and circuit.

Cost: The total cost of the prototype is $175.

Important Details: 
  • The sump pump was excluded from the final prototype design as it would have increased our budget for minimal results.
  • CAD drawings (onshape), circuits (tinkercad) and code can be found in the user manual document.
GNG1103 Team Pandora D21 THEC
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