Wow! The internship is already halfway done. I’ve been having such a great time here that time has really been flying by.
This week, I worked on three projects: creating a data map, managing heat for the Picarro instruments on the roof, and creating an apparatus to record some experiments Adriann is working on.
For the data map, I used a library called Bokeh. I chose Bokeh because the built in map features it has allow you to set the boundaries of the map yourself, instead of relying on a few preset maps. The first step was to create a simple map with test data to serve as a proof of concept. Once that was accomplished, I made the map more complex – I added colored rectangles around the dots to make it easier to tell at a glance where the most CO2 was, and added tooltips to show the exact amount of CO2 at a given node.
On heat management, both Andrew and I looked up possible methods to keep the computer cool without affecting the heat or CO2 levels of the air around it. I found what are known as Phase Change Materials, or PCMs, which can serve the same job as air conditioning, but without needing any electricity, and there are blankets made with them, which could simply be wrapped around the computer.
The experiments that Adriann are doing have to do with how fluids flow through pore networks, which would be useful when trying to store CO2 in rock. He has 3d-printed pore networks to test how colored water flows through them, which needs to be recorded from the same place for every trial to be consistent. So, he had me design a model of the apparatus using Autodesk Fusion 360, which would then be 3d-printed.
An early stage of the design for the apparatus. A phone would be inserted in the top, while a pore network would be inserted in the bottom.
Outside of work, I had a lot of fun this week. On the Fourth of July, Andrew and I went to see the Salt Lake Bees play the El Paso Chihuahuas. It was a good game (the Bees won) and a good time. The fireworks show afterward, however, was amazing. The fireworks were set off from right next to the stadium – they had to clear out the lawn seating because they would be too close to the fireworks otherwise. Seeing the show from so close was quite the treat.
The view of the game from my seat.
On Saturday, Andrew’s family came up and we got dinner at a Korean BBQ place. The food was delicious, and I learned how to prepare a shrimp. All in all, I had a great week and a great weekend.
The shrimp, after I removed its head but before I removed its shell.
Great blog this week Sean. Keeping computers cool is really important. Good detail on how you chose the mapping app.