Affordable Air Conditioning System

Introduction and Problem Definition

This report discusses the need for affordable air conditioning systems for low-income residents of Southern Ontario during high temperature seasons. The system should be cost-effective, energy-efficient, self-sufficient, produce minimal waste, and constructed from recyclable and off-the-shelf materials. The report details various types of air conditioning systems available on the market, including mechanical vapor compression, absorption and adsorption, indirect evaporative cooling, geothermal HVAC, terracotta cones, and eco-coolers. The report provides information on the cost, efficiency, and maintenance of each type of system. Finally, the report discusses the impact of high temperatures on individuals' health and the need for federal aid to assist low-income households in obtaining air conditioning systems.

Preliminary Design

The section of the report is about the preliminary designs for an affordable and sustainable air conditioning system. The designers used various techniques to generate ideas, including the sticky-note method, a mind map, and the SCAMPER tool. They also conducted research into different types of air conditioning systems and used supplemental tools to build and critique different ideas. After considering various ideas, four types of AC systems emerged as candidates for an affordable and sustainable system, complying with the problem statement and scope. The four systems were geothermal HVAC, indirect evaporative cooling, terracotta cones with a water pump, and eco-cooler with a window-mounted fan. The designers provided a detailed summary of the advantages and disadvantages of each design solution.

The designers classified the benefits of each design solution into seven categories: cooling capability, power intake, installation, property considerations, waste and footprint, longevity, and government regulations. These criteria were weighted based on predicted expectations from all stakeholders, and then the rankings were totaled and normalized. The largest adjustments were lowering the values of ‘Safety’ and ‘Government Regulations’. Finally, all seven criteria were broken down into a scoring system to determine which of the four systems would be the best solution. The report provides a detailed summary of the results, including the scores for each criterion for each system, and how the designers arrived at their final decision.

Design Considerations

The design of the air conditioning system involves considering social, environmental, and economic factors. Environmental factors include waste reduction and a small footprint, while social factors involve the safety of users and compliance with government regulations. Economic considerations include affordability, the use of lower-cost materials, and noise pollution. The system needs to be affordable for low-income residents and comply with government regulations. The selected design options should use renewable energy, be safe, and minimize harm to the environment. The final design chosen must be affordable to low-income residents while being viable to manufacture. The cost of the components used in the system, installation costs, and the cost of operation are important economic considerations. Noise pollution is also an important consideration when choosing the final design.

Final Design

The final design of an air conditioning system was chosen using three key metrics: environmental impact, cost, and property considerations. An evaluation matrix was used to choose the eco-cooler solution, which satisfied the need for a low-cost system, sustainable qualities, and easy implementation in a user's home. The final cost of the product would be between $350-$400 with the most expensive component being the solar panel. The eco-cooler uses an array of re-purposed bottles to recreate the effect nozzles have on air-flow, and a box-fan with 18’’ diameter blades to boost airflow. The device is coupled with a solar panel for power, and no toxic waste is released by the system. It has been designed to meet environmental and legal standards.

Conclusion

The conclusion of the report outlines the steps taken to model an affordable air conditioning system that meets the needs of low-income citizens during high temperature seasons in Southern Ontario. The report details the research, techniques, metrics, and evaluation matrices used to arrive at the eco-cooler system and the window-mounted indirect evaporative cooling unit as the best solutions. The eco-cooler was found to be the most suitable due to its environmental and economic benefits, made from recycled materials, and low-cost components, and its efficiency can be increased by incorporating a solar-powered fan. The cost analysis concluded that the window-mounted eco-cooler was the best option, with the fan and solar panel being the most expensive components. The report recommends building a full-scale prototype and physically testing the system to validate it or find flaws in the design, allowing for improvements.