Introduction

How can using IR technology improve the design and construction of houses?

Recent advances and improvements to Infra-Red technology has made thermal imagery part of sport, law enforcement and manufacturing a commonplace. The use of thermal imagery cameras allows identification of subtle heat expressions through the transfer of energy and inefficient energy conversions. Students will use the FLIR IR cameras to highlight inefficient energy transfers and understand the thermal properties of common building materials. Students further explore these concepts by designing a dwelling with minimal energy input to maintain a habitable thermal environment.

Program Overview

This program explores the use of FLIR Cameras to investigate the use of materials in housing.

  1. Material absorption and emission
  2. Insulated house design

In this area of study students investigate the thermodynamic principles related to heating processes, including concepts of temperature, energy and work. Students:

  • describe temperature with reference to the average kinetic energy of the atoms and molecules within a system
  • investigate and apply theoretically and practically the First Law of Thermodynamics to simple situations: Q = U + W
  • distinguish between conduction, convection and radiation with reference to heat transfers within and between systems
  • explain why cooling results from evaporation using a simple kinetic energy model
  • describe power radiated by a body as being dependent on the temperature of the body according to the Stefan-Boltzmann Law.

Curriculum Focus

UNIT 1 VCE Physics: AOS 1 – Outcome 1: Thermodynamic Principles