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Passive Solar Wall
student in 2.671 Measurement and Instrumentation
student in 2.51 Intermediate Heat and Mass Transfer
Cambridge, MA
September-December 2018
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My capstone project in 2.671 investigated an architectural design known as a passive solar wall (or Trombe wall), which is used in energy-efficient houses to heat indoor spaces through passive collection and transmission of sunlight.

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I built a small-scale prototype of a solar wall, placed temperature sensors throughout the system, and used a lamp to simulate incident sunlight.

My results supported literature findings on optimal design parameters. I also demonstrated a cost and time advantage of small-scale modeling in place of the industry practice of running simulations. I presented my work to peers and instructors through an oral presentation, a poster session, and a technical paper.

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In 2.51, I revisited my solar wall as a case study and developed a mathematical model describing the heat transfer of the solar wall.

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Conduction, natural convection, and radiation of the solar wall

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Comparison between my 2.671 experimental results and my 2.51 mathematical model

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