Final Post

Problem Statement
-To create a good insulator of heat energy, that is not only cheap, but portable and can help the poor Indians in fighting the bitter winter

Factors to consider:
 Which part of the body loses the most heat energy?
 Which material is the best insulator of heat energy, which is cheap, light and portable?
 Final cost of product
 Efficiency of our product

Ideas generated:
 Thermal Blanket
 Stuffing Thermal Cloak
 Portable Thermal Tent

Final Idea:
 Thermal CloakCumHome
o Fusion of synergy of all the ideas generated, which functions to serve an all-round coverage of the poor people against the bitter winters, in whatever weather condition.

Details of the final idea:
 Cloak that covers from head to toe, to provide maximum coverage for the least loss of heat energy.
 It comprises of the various layers
o Cheap commercial plastic [to reduce heat energy loss by means of radiation]

o Void place for “Stuffings”, preferably materials that trap the most amount of air
 Crushed Newspapers
 Coconut husk
• Coconut Husk, based on the natural theory of coconuts being able to float, is due to the fact the coconut husk has fibers which trap a large amount of air which is a good insulator of heat energy
• Therefore, we make use of the cheap abundance of coconuts source that is readily available in India

o Black Cloth
 The colour black is used as it absorbs heat energy faster than other colours
 The colour black will not lose heat faster as its nearby immediate covering of cloth and plastic are insulators of heat.



o Inside the Cloak:
 Two triangular shape flaps which have a ring attachment at the ends of the cloak
 Two ring attachments near the neck of the cloak for pitching purposes of the temporary thermal shelter as illustrated in the diagrams.

Physics behind the Idea:
 The maximum possible surface area of skin is covered by the cloak, and heat energy loss via conduction is greatly reduced

 Colours of the Cloak:
o White Outside
o Black Inside
 White reduces the heat energy loss via radiation
 Black absorbs heat energy faster than most colours, rendering the cloak able to absorb heat energy faster than normal cloaks, and hence reduce the time taken to warm up the cloak via conduction

 Thermal Tent:
o Reduces heat energy loss as the warm air is unable to escape from the tent due to the limited loose areas where the warm air can escape
o As aforementioned above, the colours of the tent covering thereby also functions in the reduction of heat energy loss from the tent

Governmental Role in Our idea:
 Set up foundation support for our thermal tent
 Set up anchors for the attachment of our thermal tent
o (For further illustration purposes, refer to the diagrams)

Governmental Providence of Our Idea (Party Pack):
 Seasonal Loans to the poor people of India only during winter for a SUPER CHEAP PRICE
 Targeted throughout India, especially poor regions near urban vicinities
o Reason being: City is overpopulated and the poor often reside in the city areas to scavenge for survival materials

Party Pack Consisting of:
 Thermal CloakcumHome
 Metal poles

Our Proposal!

Presenting: Thermal Cloak !

The jacket would consist of many layers of nylon packed together, with the features as stated in the picture. The flaps inside the cloak and the 2 holes would contribute to becoming the temporary shelter later on.


The 2 sleeves of the jacket can be slid on to the 2 poles provided, with the shoulder covering of the jacket on top of the poles. These poles are able to be opened and closed, and they will be supported diagonally by metal rods placed into the ground by the government in the alleys.


The flaps would make up the side of the shelter, while the holes are for tying to the two weights (such as a stone or any metal weight) to prevent the flaps from flying loosely.

Brainstorming Process 2

After much discussion, we realised that a jacket, blanket
or personal clothing is most practical, apart from that,
shelters can be built for the poor.

Our product had to satisfy the following:

- Cheap (for both citizens and government)
- Durable
- Waterproof
- Able to keep citizens warm
- Easily portable

Since a jacket to keep the citizens warm and a shelter or home for the
citizen to stay in seemed like the most practical idea, we realised that
why not make a jacket which can keep citizens warm, and double up as a multi cloak
to act as a shelter. This product would satisfy both the warmth and housing needs
of the poor, which many of them have to sleep on the streets.

Apart from that, we could implement a governmental policy or system
in the handling of these items that we will plan to make, such that
the poor can pay for this item more easily.

Coconut Husks

Coconut trees are largely abundant in India, and thus a material we realised
could insulate heat energy were the coconut husks. The
husks of the coconut are actually very poor conductors of heat energy as they trap
air within the fibres. Stacking the layers of fibre would increase thermal insulation
capabilities, and it would also be smooth and soft. Hence using it as a material
for clothing might be ideal, and furthermore, the cost is very low.

Materials that are cheap in India

Clay

The cheapest material in India is probably clay. Since ancient times, people living in the Indus valley were capable of producing clay at large amounts, which the skill was then passed down to India. Till today, Indians heavily rely on clay in many areas, such as agriculture or even household work by women. Furthermore, clay is extremely cheap and is easily accessible.

However clay is heavy, hard and fragile. Although it may be a very poor conductor of heat, it is inconvenient to be carried around, hence clay is not a material suitable for someone to carry around during winter.


Plastic

Every year in India, about 2 million tones of plastic waste is disposed. Six percent of the gross domestic product in India is dependent on the large domestic consuming market in India in the purchase of plastic products, thus plastic as a material is very cheaply available and accessible.

Nylon, a form of plastic, is very strong and flexible. Applying this to our problem based learning, this material would be durable to withstand major scratches and mishandling of it by the poor. Its coefficient of thermal expansion is very low, thermal conductivity is 0.24-0.28 W m-1K-1 at 23°C and the specific heat capacity is 1700 J kg-1K-1, showing that plastic is a very poor conductor of heat energy. Since the material is light, durable and also cheap, it would be ideal for the poorer citizens to have them and carry them around, and also expenditure by the government would also not be so heavy.


Wood

Wood in India is slightly more expensive than plastic, but however is much more eco-friendly. However applying to the situation the poor are in, the most important is still the price, where they still can afford.

It is no doubt that wood is a very poor conductor of heat energy. Its thermal conductivity is 0.17 W m-1K-1, even lower than that of plastic. However, wood is easily dirtied and is not as durable and as sturdy as plastic, hence unless we are considering to build certain structures such as homes or shelters for the poor, wood might not be a considerable material in this case.


Metal

Metals are rather cheaply available in India, such as iron, steel, brass and copper, these metals are very commonly used in India. Metals are very durable and hard, and also easy to be carried around. However it will easily rust and thus have to be galvanised, which increases governmental expenditure. Also, metals are very good emitters of heat energy, thus if metals were to be utilised, they have to be used as a support of shelters or otherwise, as it would not be suitable for thermal insulation.

Brainstorming Process1.

Before we embark on what item to construct, we must first know which part of the body one loses the most heat. In the 1950s, people believed that the head is the part of the body that loses the most amount of heat, however many scientists have debunked the myth. This myth was thought to first arisen due to a flawed interpretation of a vaguely explained scientific experiment by the US military. This is because in the experiment, only the head is exposed nakedly while the whole body was covered with clothing. The scientist explained that although the face, head and chest are more sensitive to changes in temperature of the surrounding as compared to the rest of the body parts. In actual fact, the rate where heat energy is lost throughout the body is equal in all body parts.
Next up, we need to find out which type of material is the best insulator of heat and which one is the most affordable for the poor.
As the rate of heat loss is the same in all parts of the body, we therefore come into a conclusion that the piece of clothing that covers the most amount of surface area of the body prevents the most heat loss. Therefore, we derive with the idea to make

The Situation in India

Till date, India remains as the country with the largest number of poor people.
About 350 million of people are below the poverty line, and that is about
one third of its one billion population. More than 40 percent of the population
is illiterate, and is probably due to the rapid increase of population growth,
faster as compared to economic growth. However, experts say that this is a
symptom of poverty rather than a cause.

The other problem with poverty in India is the caste system, which means that
Indians whose parents have no social status, have their future bleak and
would likely have the same fate as their parents.

Current economic status in India:

- low growth rates (Hindu rate of growth)
- closure to trade and investment
- a license-obsessed, restrictive state (License Raj)
- inability to sustain social expenditures
- macro instability

Although throughout the years there have been policies laid out to alleviate the
poverty in India:






The poorest Indians in rural areas earn wages such as US$7 a month.

Furthermore, the over-dependence on agriculture worsens the situation of poverty
in India.

Caption: A rural worker drying cow dung in Bihar, India's poorest state

In recent years, India's economy has shown signs of improvement, however due to the
caste system and economic imbalance, the growth in economy largely, if not totally,
benefits the rich economy, and the poor remains poor.



Hence with such poverty in India, many people are poor and homeless, they
do not have the money to even buy clothes and necessities. Deaths due to the cold
during winter becomes inevitable, and the problem is severe. In February 2003, Nepal
alone has 700 deaths due to a cold wave. Hence it is vital to come up with a
cheap and effective way to help the citizens of India to overcome the winter.




References
http://www.indiaonestop.com/povertyindia.htm
http://www.expressindia.com/news/fullstory.php?newsid=19201
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_in_India#India.27s_