IOT Node Solar Shield

Objective: Develop a simple, clip-on solar shield to lower the internal temperature of an IoT sensor node exposed to direct sunlight, keeping electronics within their safe operating range of 85 °C .

Mechanical Design

Process:    

  • Modeled three thermal-shield concepts in SolidWorks and selected the simplest profile for rapid prototyping.
  • 3D-printed the chosen shield design and performed thermal tests to ensure performance. 

Finished Product

Results, Testing & Validation

  • Positioned the shielded and unshielded sensors side by side in direct sunlight, and logged/compared their internal temperature readings continuously over an afternoon of sun exposure.
  • Unshielded node peaked at 94 °C internally.
  • Shielded node peaked at 60 °C internally, a 34 °C reduction.
  • 60 °C is well below the 85 °C limit and confirms the shield’s effectiveness.