DE29516756U1 - Environmental protection construction and experiment kit with computer connection and board game - Google Patents

Description

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION - CONSTRUCTION AND EXPERIMENT BOX WITH COMPUTER CONNECTION AND BOARD GAME

1. Brief description of the object

Environmental pollution is increasing significantly today. The changes in the atmosphere are having a particularly global impact, i.e. they are spread across the entire earth. The exchange of cold and warm air masses, the so-called atmospheric circulation, as well as the mobility of gas molecules compared to water and solid molecules are the reason for the rapid distribution of pollutants in the air. After a volcanic eruption, the substances emitted can be measured throughout the entire atmosphere within a few weeks. The distribution of lead in arctic ice layers can be traced back several thousand years. Lead salt molecules have the property of being very volatile; they are distributed homogeneously throughout the entire atmosphere, even if they are only emitted at specific points, i.e. locally. The age of industrialization is clearly recognizable in this way by the frozen amounts of pollutants in the deeper layers of the polar ice.

The greenhouse gas carbon dioxide (C02) has a particularly serious impact on the Earth's climate if the current C02 content of the air is exceeded. As is already well known, the average temperature on Earth increases even with a small increase in C02, the polar ice caps melt and the world's sea level rises. Climate experts warn that the increase in C02 could lead to flooding of coastal areas, devastation, increased storm activity and much more on Earth.

Fortunately, people, especially the younger generation, are becoming more sensitive to environmental protection. They want to do something to prevent the threatening scenario. However, children and young people often lack the means to understand the more complex climate processes or to apply the factual knowledge they have acquired.

The modular, i.e. expandable game described in this utility model offers everyone, but especially young people in primary schools, comprehensive schools, high schools, and also universities, the opportunity to learn about the more complex relationships of environmental pollution caused by pollutants and the resulting global effects in a simple, playful way in working groups or at home. A construction and experiment kit is described that is equipped with modern micro-measurement devices for recording gas concentrations, temperature distributions, etc. In the second expansion stage, a computer connection with which the system is equipped ensures a playful dialogue.

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2. State of the art

There are countless computer games available for young and old. An environmental quiz in the form of questions and dialogue with the computer is already well known. In the current construction, game and experiment kit, the installation of ready-to-use micro-measurement devices in the system is an inventive innovation. In order to answer questions about environmental pollution with pollutants and their effects, as well as possible countermeasures to climate change, the use of micro gas analyzers, thermometers, micro heat sinks is an important part of creative freedom. The distribution of the actuators (transmitters) and sensors (measuring devices) is carried out by the player himself.

In the first expansion stage, the questions and answers are distributed and answered using cards. A small graphic display with the most important information completes this set. In the second expansion stage, the playing field can be connected to a personal computer. The playing field and the PC are then connected to each other in series. With all possible countermeasures, the participants can follow the effects on the playing field and measure them themselves. Linked statements and the resulting effects appear on the screen.

3. Detailed description of the utility model 3.1. Mechanical design of the device

A modular construction and experiment kit contains a lower part with the geographical representation of the earth (block representation), with heights and depths formed from thin plastic. The valleys and plains are marked as usual with green, mountain massifs with brown, snow with white and water with blue. The gradation is based on the scaling in geographical and cartographic technology, Fig. 1. Below the plastic form there are heating and cooling devices, such as heating foils in the warm climate zones and Peltier elements at the poles or high mountain ranges, Fig. 2. The trough-like depression of the world's oceans is to be filled with water. When connected to electricity, ice forms on the polar surfaces, heating up the warm climate zones of the earth. This temperature distribution is recorded using a thermal sensor and passed on to the PC via the interface.

The "living" image of the earth (also in block representation) appears simultaneously on the PC screen with temperature distributions and water levels. A hood made of acrylic glass is placed on the earth's crust, which is made of plastic material, Fig. 3. This hood is attached to the lower plastic relief of the earth with a sealing ring. A coupled lamp, which emits infrared and visible light, is placed on top disguised as the sun and slides on a rail. The sun is moved either by hand or with a stepper motor from east to west to simulate the earth's rotation. A blinding device ensures the correct distribution of the rays on the earth's surface.

The movement of the sun results in different light and temperature conditions. These are reported by the sensors and recorded on the PC screen.

Gas can be let into or removed from the sealed model atmosphere through two openings in the hood. The CO2 concentration can be increased from two small compressed gas bottles. The effects of the increased CO2 concentration in the hood space can be read off from the changed temperature conditions and the change in the ice and water heights. A small CO2 analyzer can be installed in the lower foundation unit, which takes samples from the air space and measures them continuously. The analysis data is also displayed on the PC screen. The water vapor distribution (humidity) could also be taken into account later.

3.2. How the game works

A wide range of questions are available to the players. Environmental problems are shown either on maps (Fig. 4) or on the PC screen (Fig. 5). Possible answers, e.g. to certain changes in the atmosphere caused by vehicle exhaust fumes or combustion processes, should first be answered theoretically and then made visible on the model and the PC. The answers are worth a number of points that the player must collect/3.

4. Benefits of environmental gaming

Environmental education of people, especially young people, can have long-term effects on their environmental behavior.

The student learns about the composition (components) of the air in a playful way. Even more complex climate relationships can be partially represented. By adding CO2 concentrations themselves, the student should come to the realization that climate changes can mostly be the result of anthropogenic interventions in nature and that even small fluctuations in CO2 can cause noticeable temperature changes.

The modular design means that the game can be built up step by step to take additional climate elements into account, while the procurement costs remain bearable.

The model could be used not only for private entertainment, but also for school education and teaching purposes, e.g. in physics, chemistry, geography or environmental technology.

Fig. 1 Schematic plan of the plastic earth surface as the foundation of the environmental game

1 Continents

2 oceans

3 contour line of the base

Fig.2 Base plate (cut open on the right) with components for heating-cooling and measuring gas concentrations

4 Base plate

5 Peltier elements for cooling

6 Heating coil for heating

7 power supply and interface connections

8 Gas analyzer

9 Electronic board

Fig. 3 Gas-tight acrylic glass hood with simulated sun and gas connections

10 Acrylic glass hood

11 Rail

12 Sun as a radiation source

13 connections for gas inlet and outlet/3

14 Aperture system, movable

Fig. 4 First expansion stage: game with display and card set ("offline game")

15 Environmental game

16 Keyboard as accessory

17 Graphic display as accessory

18 card set with questions and answers

Fig. 5 Second expansion stage: Serial connection to the PC for menu navigation in the game ("on-line game")

19 PC

20 Connection

Claims (6)

···· Page ·" 4fm 5, CLAIM POINTS 1. Model for the playful determination of changes in the Earth's environment characterized by the fact that/3 a plastic representation of the Earth (block representation) reproduces the geographical formation of the Earth proportionally accurately, whereby the colors of the above formations correspond to the usual cartographic colors. 2. Model according to main claim 1, characterized in that cooling and heating elements are housed beneath the plastic shell, which are heated and cooled according to the climate zones, whereby CO2 (carbon dioxide) is fed into the model atmosphere from small gas bottles, the concentration of which is recorded using micro gas analysis devices. 3. Model according to main claim point 1, characterized in that/3 water is poured into the sea and ocean basins and can be cooled or even frozen in accordance with nature. 4. Model according to main claim 1, characterized in that/3 above the block representation an atmosphere is created under an acrylic glass hood with sufficient CO2 concentration and a radiator with infrared and visible components is housed and moved as a movable sun with a diaphragm system on the ceiling of the acrylic glass hood. 5. Model characterized by the fact that the effects on the Earth can be answered by the measures proposed by the players in map form or on the PC screen, whereby all distributions of temperatures on the Earth's surface, changes in water levels, changes in the C02 concentration in the atmosphere are recorded and displayed. 6. Model according to main claim point 5, characterized in that Extensions in modular form are largely possible, both in the experiment box and in the play set.