Planning, Process, and Analysis

Testing Procedure

Prototype Information

#1

Step 1Step 2Step 3

#2

#3

Graphed Data

Reflection

In conclusion, after many attempts at using various layered thermoses to achieve higher insulation, the goal was attained on the third prototype. The product had to consider three main methods of heat transfer in order to minimize escape. Considering the law of conservation of energy, most of the energy of the boiling water was transferred to heat and changing its form to steam. In order to conserve this heat within the thermos, materials best suited for eliminating heat transfer were used. The styrofoam cup placed inside of a plastic cup with slight air space in between was used in order to minimize conduction of direct heat to escape through boiling liquid to the solids. Styrofoam was the best choice because it contains billions of gas bubbles and large molecules in between them to eliminate heat escape. Foam insulation was used as a layer on the top of the plastic cup with the plastic lid snapping over top, sealing it. This eliminated steam based convection as the water didn’t fill the whole styrofoam cup because gas particles have a hard time bypassing. Finally, aluminum foil was surrounded around the styrofoam cup in order to reflect the final form of heat transfer, radiation. Its properties caused by shiny and metallic materials reflects infrared heat in order to keep it within the cup. These materials were used over the glass bottle and other prototypes because they had no protection against convected heat transfer and minimal protection against conducted heat. Therefore, after all the planning was completed, the product was built in order to sustain heat insulation for the amount of time, concluding with the best results of the tested prototypes.