At the conclusion of the project, a physical prototype of the automotive greenhouse device will be made. This prototype will be attached to a toy Jeep Wrangler for visualization of the product on an actual car. The prototype will be two parts attached together. The main part is the mini greenhouse, which will encase the English Ivy plants in a clear glass material. The second part is the greenhouse gas mechanism, which will be a tube attached to a portion of the muffler and brought to one of the sides of the mini greenhouse.
Prior to a physical prototype, computer models of the parts will be created. Also, experimentation needs to be done to determine the amount of Carbon Dioxide taken in by the English Ivy as well as the Oxygen released as a result of photosynthesis. Upon completion of the prototype, the device will be tested for accuracy using the same conditions as the real car would have.
Computer models of both the mini greenhouse as well as the greenhouse gas mechanism will be designed using AutoCad as well as Creo Parametric. These 2D and 3D models will serve as the basis for the design of the product.
2.2 English Ivy CO2 & O2 Levels:
Extensive research shows that there has not yet been experiments conducted on the
amount of gases absorbed and released from the English Ivy during photosynthesis. Therefore, it is necessary to design experiments which determine the amount of Carbon Dioxide gas that is being absorbed by the plant as well as the amount of Oxygen gas that is released in ten minutes. This information will allow for the calculation of the amount of gas which can be allowed into the greenhouse in addition to the amount of clean gas being let out into the atmosphere.
2.3 Greenhouse:
The mini greenhouse will be a square compartment made of clear glass similar to the
one in figure 1. This can either be placed on top of or behind the vehicle.The top of the compartment will have open holes for oxygen gas release as well as excess gas release. The inside will contain a mix of soil and clay to serve as nutrients for the English Ivy plants. Specific openings will also be placed on the side to allow for excess water to flow out of the system.
Figure 2. Mini Greenhouse of Two Different Sizes
2.4 Greenhouse Gas Mechanism:
The greenhouse gas mechanism will be a tube which is highly specific to monitor the
concentration and volume of gases traveling up into the greenhouse. It will be attached on the opposite side of where the opening for water is placed. This will monitor and stabilize the amount and concentration of gases going into the greenhouse.
2.5 Experimental Testing:
In order to test the physical prototype, it will be necessary to conduct real experiments using the same amount and concentration of automotive gases going into the greenhouse. Using this information, the experiment will determine if the entire prototype efficiently filters these gases into Oxygen.
