SOLAR TENr FOR SNOW BOUND AREAS

Abstract

1. Snow bound areas have acute shortage of energy resources during extremely cold weather for ?arming their houses. The situation is further aggravated due to absence of road communication in these conditions. The local population therefore resorts to cutting trees for warming their houses which results in deforestation and associated problems. There living conditions are therefore very bad. A concept of utilizing solar energy to reduce and possibly alleviate the problem of warming accommodation was proposed. 2. A Solar Tent to accommodate 2 to 3 persons has been fabricated out of light aluminum structure and 5 mm window pane glass. The Solar Tiles specially designed for this purpose have been used as the heat absorber material and also as floor of the solar tent. A thermopore sheet below the tent was used to reduce the heat loss through the floor. The tent was initially designed to have two portions i.e. Sleeping Area and Heat Absorbing Area, it was however found that entire tent got very warm and it was not possible to sleep in it in the months of July, August & September. The air temperature inside averaged a 72°C at noon in these months while reducing to slightly above ambient temperatures at night. Additional sensible heat storage was carried out in 65 Kilograms of water placed in plastic bottles. This proved slightly better and resulted in temperatures slightly higher than ambient temperatures at night and at dawn. Covering the entire tent with insulating cover gave better results, however, wind tended to drift the top insulating cover. Considering the heat gain, the tent is now being attached with fiber glass accommodation to as a heat source. It is now proposed to use Phase Change Materials (PCMs) to enhance the utility of the Solar Tent in colder environments and to store the energy for longer periods. 3 . The concept of using solar energy to heat space has been proved and effort is being made to improve the profile, strength of structure and reduce heat loss. The insulating cover also needs improvement and relocation inside the tent to avoid drifting due to strong winds.