The University of Alberta is home to the Additive Design And Manufacturing Systems Lab (ADAMS Lab) run by Dr. Ahmed Qureshi. Additive manufacturing is a really interesting topic to study right now, as such I contacted the lab to offer to volunteer in the lab. After volunteering with the lab for a few months, I pitched an idea for a research project to the head of the lab (Dr. Qureshi), and successfully applied to be selected for a Dean's Research Award.
The project involved the hybridization of hollow gyroid TPMS lattices with traditional evaporative cooling that has been used for thousands of years. The project also aims to combine evaporative cooling with a natural moisture sink - moss. After contacting the Curator of Botany at the Royal Alberta Museum (Dr. Richard Caners), I was recommended a specific species of moss (Sphagnum Fuscum) to use for its high moisture absorption properties.
The research project then involved development of CAD models of the gyroid for the design, to use to 3D print and prototype the design (the design was first printed in PLA using FDM printers, then it was transitioned to SLA printing, where a ceramic resin can be used to achieve a permeable surface. Further prototyping will be conducted to optimize this permeable surface.
A thermodynamic model was also constructed in python to model the expected response in experiments.