R U B B E R R E S E A R C H

Research into synthetic and natural rubber properties looking for the lowest gas permiability and other characteristics suitable for inflation.

Advice and Email from of Nick Crosbie of Inflate ltd.....

http://www.industrial-rubber.com/iqs/sid.04589940078416728106728/Industrial_Rubber_material_selector.html

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The next stage in this process I will be tackling structures that are inflated.

Having worked with the pressurised tennis balls I want to mimic their inflated properties and project them onto new typologies.

• Large scale and interlocking pressurised structures made from various sized rubber innertubes (now obsolete in the car industry)

•Cross sectional cutting of tube sections and rebonding

•High frequency welding of rubber seams

•Intergration and symbiosis with tennis ball felt broad cloth felt.

Went for some advice from chair caner, Kevin Hubbard.

He seemed to think that the project was possible but would require very accurate jigs to make sure the hub if the wheel was dead centre.

The caning might need extra support in the form of a bio resin. The idea being you recreate a biological version of resined carbon fibre.

Triaxial Carbon Fibre

Sunny Memories 2009

These images represent my initial proposal for a solar project using flexible, Dye-sensitized solar cells. The proposal involved large circular sail like structures with their surfaces sliced to follow a spiral pattern. 

Using a screw mechanism behind the panel these solar sails could be deployed, expanded and adjusted to different angles depending on the position of the sun. On the façade of buildings they might also act as sun shields for the occupants within. 

After development of the spiral shape proved too problematic, I altered the concept towards use on cars. A foldable solar sun shield could be unfurled at times when the car is parked in a sunny spot. This would charge a series of batteries that might top up an electric vehicle whilst it is not in use.