Solar Station
Caleb Hallock | Fall 2020 | Year 4
prompt:
Design a product or system that aids victims of natural disasters or other catastrophes during or in the aftermath of these events.
initial design statement:
Research and design a product or system to aid victims of derecho natural disasters.
summary of research:
I chose derecho disasters as my main focus for the prompt. Derecho storms are strong wind storms most commonly found in the midwestern region of the US. The winds are severe (up to 170 mph) and the damage is widespread and devastating.
The main problem that was found from my independent research as well as survey responses was a way to continue to utilize the necessary items for everyday life while main utility systems were damaged or offline.
After narrowing my design prompt, my next steps were to find a renewable source of energy that would be viable for a household object. Solar energy seemed to be the most viable option in the areas that derechos are most frequent.
To gain perspective on the size and capabilities of the product, I looked into “off-grid” living systems as well as doomsday preppers. From this, I learned how best to estimate from my research and their calculations what was required for the user to effectively rely on this device.
While sketching and refining my concept, I found that the single track system that I had initially ideated would leave my device unbalanced and unstable when in use and possibly when not in use as well. Therefore, I decided to continue to ideate different ways to raise the solar panel up out of the device’s main body.
During the form ideation process, I switched to Gravity Sketch VR as a way to quickly develop full scale form models to pick the forms that I would push into a physical space. This saved me time when refining my concept as well as making adjustments prior to finalizing my design.
Solar Station Solution
My solution is a small at home solar system that can be charged in multiple capacities for a variety of situations. Charge can be stored for various situations and in the case where the user does not have access to an electric grid at home, can utilize the solar panel to recharge the system.
