DIY Dye Cart

Overview

The Studio for Sustainability and Social Action (S3A) in the PSU School of Visual Arts is a space dedicated to sustainability and a philosophical and moral call to social action through artistic practice. Lead by Professors Kimberly Flick and Helen O’Leary from the Sustainable Studio, our task was to design a full-sized mobile dye cart and a solar panel system that would be the cart’s energy source and have the energy capabilities to boil 4 gallons of water for the Sustainable Studio’s dyeing process.

Objectives

Our main objective was to create models of a full-sized mobile cart and solar panel system that the Sustainable Studio could use to create the physical cart and its energy system that would be used for in class demonstrations of their dyeing process and be used as an aesthetic artifact for the art exhibitions that they participate in.

Approach

We divided the task up into two focused divisions: industrial and solar. The industrial division was responsible for design and creating CAD models for the full-sized cart. Their sub-tasks included the following:
– Create CAD models and 2D drawings of cart design
– Conduct Material and Aesthetic Analyses
– Create Instruction Manual for assembly and disassembly of cart
The solar division was responsible for designing and creating a CAD model or the solar panel system. Their sub-tasks included the following:
– Research solar energy required to boil 4 gallons of water
– Design a one-line diagram of the solar panel system

Outcomes

All sub-tasks were completed, and the models created can be sent to professional services for creation based on the sponsor’s next direction.