Update on Project Plan: Fanisi, Hannah, & Ward

Updated Project Plan: Lanterns as a Legacy
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Climate change is expected to amplify extreme weather events, flooding, droughts, communicable disease outbreaks, and natural disasters. It is likely that access to electricity will often be disrupted: natural disasters and floods may disrupt power grids, droughts can spur wildfires and destroy infrastructure, and disease outbreaks may mandate sheltering in place. In anticipation of these obstacles, we want to create a prototype for a solar-powered lantern to help mitigate and adapt to the challenges of climate-related disaster. This item will provide a reliable source of lighting when electricity is disrupted or when power systems fail.
This consists of a plastic bottle filled with water and bleach, which refracts sunlight through the interior of a home. This will be surrounded by a cylindrical lantern made out of recycled plastic with cutout designs to diffract light in a pattern.
Additionally, the aesthetic design and easy portability can turn this into a family heirloom that is passed down across generations. Even if the bottle itself is replaced, the lantern panels can be disassembled, used repeatedly, and saved for future generations. This adds value to the existing ‘Liter of Light’ initiative because it generates aesthetic designs and adds a form of art, rather than just being a plastic bottle in the ceiling.

How to make the lantern:

Light source:
The light source consists of a reclaimed 2-liter plastic PET bottle, filled with water and a small amount of bleach (to inhibit algal growth and keep the light clear and vibrant). This will be fitted halfway through the ceiling to let light into dark rooms during the day.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liter_of_Light#Kenya

Solar Bottle Lamps: Water + Bleach = Light

https://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/brazilian-mechanic-creates-light-bulb-water-bleach-bottle-article-1.1427011
https://www.instructables.com/Day-and-Night-Time-Lighting-for-Developing-Communi/

The lantern will be fastened around the indoors part of the bottle, diffracting light in a pattern throughout the room.

The cylindrical lantern structure:

Method 1:

Create thin rectangular side panels which can later be connected together using a heat gun. Cut out the design using the CNC machine, making the negative space to project designs when the light shines from within it, with the solid portions casting the shadowed parts of the design.

Method 2:

Create the cylindrical panel from heat-pressed plastic bags, then use a cutting knife to cut designs in the method of cutting paper snowflakes. If the material cannot be cut all the way through, make thinner negative space to project designs when the light shines from within it, with thicker portions to cast the shadowed parts of the design.

Method 3:

Create leaf- (or any other) -shaped thin plastic cutouts from recycled/melted/extruded PET panels, then fasten them together using the heat gun to surround a cylinder shape.

Notes:
If CNC on PET: “When programming a CNC router for cutting PET, there are a few considerations that will dramatically affect production, scrap and finish. Entry into the cut should be a ramping and not plunging action. Outside or perimeter sharp corners should be programmed as a loop or exit ramp movement to prevent tool stops or dwells which can cause crack propagation, heat or burning. Spindle speed should be set at 18,000 rpm and feed rates between 200 to 350 inches per minute for 1/4” inch and below diameter tools. PET should be cut as fast as possible with a one pass cut. There is reasonably little experimenting to be done other than finding the fastest speed rate when routing PET materials once the right cutting tool has been selected and proper programming techniques have been employed.” (Plasticsmag)

It could eventually be solar-powered
https://revolve.media/circular/liter-of-light-repurposes-bottles-rural-communities