Sustainable appliances, sustainable life!

Hello everyone! This is my Action Project for my class Urban Planning. This unit was about electricity and how we interact and use it. We met employees from Arup, specifically Dan, Kyle and Tyler. They were super kind and helped us understand circuits and how to improve our projects, which asked us to build a functioning circuit using the materials we were given. We had a circuit kit, and we had to try and include 5 resistors in it, and then represent those resistors as energy-efficient appliances. One thing I’m proud of is my understanding of the material during this unit.

Circuits, Circuits, AR, 2023

  

 

     This is my circuit! It took some time to build, and it's definitely nothing refined, but it's something I'm proud of making!

Math, AR, 2023

This is the math I did to calculate the resistance of each resistor. It might seem complex, but it's deceptively easy.

Diagram of the wires, AR, 2023

 

Different appliances, AR, 2023
 

    A lot of decisions were just rebuilding and modifying the designs we had built. It went from something that barely seemed to work to a circuit that actually functioned fairly well. The switch at the beginning helps control the 4 resistors, allowing electricity to pass through them. The button near the speaker allows the speaker to be turned on or off, though it might not actually make sound when pressed unfortunately.

    These appliances not only work to be more energy efficient in your home, but also cover various needs people may need. The specific goal I want to target was 7.b, which focuses on installing more reliable and sustainable products in developing countries. 7.b.1 specifically wants these countries to be able to generate their own energy, to make sure they can sustain themselves. With the products chosen, I believe we can work towards making sure there’s not only energy to go around, but also make sure everyone can use the things they need in order to live.

    The process of creating this parallel circuit was hard. My partner and I had to try different combinations before we got something that at least functions well and meets the criteria. We had to constantly rebuild, but once we got something that worked, it felt nice. I learned that circuit building anything more complex definitely takes a fair bit of time, so I’m not too beat up over how it took.