Overview

In order to ensure that the buoy self-cleaning system would function at all reasonable air temperatures in the ocean, we tested it in an extreme range of temperatures. To test the lower extreme, the team went outside on a cold day and tested the cleaning system for five cycles. To test the higher extreme of the operational temperature range, the team put the system inside of a sauna and tested the cleaning system for five cycles.

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Analysis

For the low-temperature test, the team tested the cleaning system on a cold day when the air temperature was 40 degrees. Our metric stated that the cleaning system had to function at a maximum of 45 degrees Fahrenheit air temperature for the cold limit. The cleaning system functioned without any complications. The wiper swept across the solar panel in both directions as designed. The second part of the test was to ensure the cleaning system functioned at a minimum temperature of 110 degrees Fahrenheit for the high limit. The system was taken into a sauna which started at 55 degrees Fahrenheit, and sat in the sauna room until the room heated up to 110 degrees Fahrenheit, measured on a handheld thermometer. This was to mimic natural conditions outdoors where the temperature rises slowly. Once the sauna room reached 110 degrees Fahrenheit, the cleaning system was run for five cycles. The cleaning system functioned without any malfunctions and cleaned the solar panel without any problems.The cleaning system has sufficiently met the operating temperature metric.