2026–2027 · Division B · Device + written

Thermodynamics

Test a heat-collection device and connect its behavior to thermal science.

Heat collection · temperature curves

Plan for: a supervised thermal-testing station

2027 · Know before you build

Rules & required-items check

A practical checklist for students, parents and coaches, written from the 2027 Division B manual. Each note points to its source rule.

Get the official manual

30 cm cube

The test-ready collector and cup must fit together.

Rule 3.d

100 mL water

The supervisor provides a clear 9 oz plastic cup.

Rule 4.g; 5.II.c

Impound device + spares

Everything must be at room temperature.

Rule 2.d; 3.g

50 / 30 / 20 points

Written knowledge, heat gain and prediction all contribute.

Rule 6.c–f

Source: printed pages B56–B58 · PDF pages 61–63 · Checked September 13, 2026 (manual); October 25, 2026 (published corrections)

Your team’s packing list

One heat collector and spares
Impound the device and spare parts at room temperature. Setup tools and prepared graphs/tables are allowed but do not need impound.
2027 rule 2.d
Paper references and calculators
Writing utensils, up to two Class III calculators, and an unrestricted-size collection of paper notes/resources are allowed. Binders, books, page protectors, tabs and removable pages are permitted.
2027 rule 2.a–c

At the competition station

Lamp, cup, water and thermometer
The supervisor supplies a downward-facing reflector lamp with an untinted 100–125 W heat bulb, water and a clear 9 oz cup. The bulb cannot be LED, halogen or ceramic. Competitors do not use the supervisor's thermometer.
2027 rule 4.a–b,e–g
Variable lamp height
The bottom of the bulb is 40–50 cm above the surface at Regionals, 40–55 cm at States (both in 5 cm steps), or 40–65 cm at Nationals in 1 cm steps.
2027 rule 4.c

Build to these limits

Collect heat from the lamp
No onboard electrical, chemical or other energy source may warm the water. No part of the device may start significantly warmer or cooler than room temperature.
2027 rule 3.a,f–g

Keep the water untouched
The cup must be removable. Device parts may extend into the cup's space but must not touch the water; do not add anything to the water.
2027 rule 3.c,e

Exclude prohibited materials
No hazardous materials such as asbestos, mineral wool or fiberglass. Thermometers, probes, commercial thermoses/coolers and vacuum-sealed devices are also excluded from the build.
2027 rule 3.b

Rehearse competition dayTiming, setup and what happens during a scored attempt

Separate the setup clocks
You get three minutes to set up or modify the device. After receiving the cup and measured starting temperature, you get up to one minute to insert the cup; no further device changes are permitted.
2027 rule 5.II.b–d
Predict before heating finishes
Heating lasts 10 minutes at Regionals, or 10–15 minutes in one-minute steps at States/Nationals. Submit the final-temperature prediction in Celsius before the heating period ends. Do not touch the device or lamp during heating.
2027 rule 5.II.a,e–f
Prepare the written component
Study systems and temperature, phases and gases, heat transfer and capacity, cycles and thermodynamic laws, and historical contributions. States/Nationals add blackbody radiation, radiant exitance, Stefan–Boltzmann and the third law. Required math excludes calculus and trigonometry.
2027 rule 5.I.c–d

Understand the scoreWhat earns points, what loses them and how teams rank

Scores are relative to the field
Written points scale to a maximum of 50 using the highest test score; heat-gain points scale to 30 using the largest gain; prediction points scale to 20 using the best prediction estimate.
2027 rule 6.c–f
Prediction measures error
The prediction estimate is 1 minus absolute temperature error divided by the actual final temperature in Celsius, floored at zero. It is then normalized against the best estimate; the device is judged on both heating and prediction.
2027 rule 6.f
Protect both device scores
Touching the device/lamp during heating or adding prohibited energy makes heat and prediction scores zero. Each competition violation multiplies those components by 0.9; each unresolved construction violation multiplies them by 0.7. Unsafe/no-device teams may still take the written test.
2027 rule 6.e–i

Confirm with your coach or tournament host

Match the host's test setup
Check impound time, then record the announced bulb specifications, height, heating duration and starting temperatures. The event does not state an event-specific eyewear category; follow the applicable general safety policy and host instructions.
2027 rule 1–2; 4; 5.II.a

Use these preparation notes alongside the authoritative manual, its diagrams, current corrections and the host’s instructions. They are not a complete rule replacement or a certification of your device. Both partners should be able to explain their design and operate it independently.

September 22 national corrections resolve the glider flight period to six minutes and correct Water Quality organism spellings (Phaeophyta, Eucidaris, Octocorallia). October 12 Scrambler kit guidance and form are linked below. Recheck national clarifications and tournament instructions before competition.

Rules corrections Official clarifications Safety & building policies

Kits, stock & delivery

Public seller pages checked October 27, 2026. This is a dated snapshot, not live stock. Prices are advertised USD before shipping/tax; confirm the single-kit option and delivery before paying. An add-to-cart button alone does not establish stock. Kits still need student assembly, testing and rules checks.

No complete ready-to-ship 2027 collector kit was verified. The previously reviewed Ward’s kit was On Order with no public restock date; it is omitted from the purchase shortlist. Build the collector from household materials and borrow the practice apparatus from your coach. The tournament supplies the lamp, water, cup and thermometer.

Build your own

A prototype you can make and improve

Original club build suggestions. Pair these steps with the rule checklist above; they are not an official design or a guarantee of competition compliance.

Parts to gather or borrow

Collector prototype: one 20 × 20 cm stiff base, four approximately 10 × 10 cm lightweight card panels, household aluminum foil, tape or suitable adhesive, ruler and scissors. These are starting dimensions for experimentation, not a tested winning design or official template.
Cup-fit mockup: an empty clear 9 oz plastic cup. Make a removable loose-fitting cradle from card strips; leave the water and the supervisor’s thermometer path unobstructed. The actual host cup shape may differ.
Practice equipment to borrow: a stable downward-facing reflector fixture rated for an untinted 100–125 W heat bulb, a compatible incandescent heat bulb (not LED, halogen or ceramic), stand, thermometer, timer and water measure. Do not buy a red/tinted bulb or an insulated old-season kit as a substitute.

Starter plan: dimensions and assembly

Top-view starting sketch: center the removable cup on the 20 × 20 cm base; place one foil-faced panel outside each side of the cup, leaving space for removal. Begin with a cup-only control, then two opposing panels, then four. Tilt and trim panels to direct lamp radiation toward the cup without shading its opening. Keep every part and cup together within a 30 cm cube.
Make the first layout with paper/card at room temperature to check geometry. Before powered testing, the coach must approve heat suitability, clearances and fixture stability; household card and adhesive are not automatically suitable near a heat source. Replace unsuitable supports before heating. No heated 3D-printed pattern is needed.
Keep all collector parts out of the water and add nothing to it. No powered heater, stored heat, probe built into the collector, fiberglass/mineral wool, vacuum vessel or commercial thermos/cooler. Start every trial at room temperature.
With supervised practice apparatus, use 100 mL of water in the removable clear 9 oz cup. At Regional settings use ten minutes and a bulb-bottom height of 40, 45 or 50 cm above the table. Match the host setting; States/Nationals ranges and times are listed in the rules section above.

Before calling it ready

Log starting water/room temperature, bulb wattage, height, time, panel layout and final temperature. Compare heat gain with the cup-only control under the same conditions; repeat trials.
Change one feature at a time: panel angle, number of panels or absorber surface outside the water. Predict final temperature before a blind trial. The initial layout is a hypothesis to test, not a promised improvement.

3D printing & design files

A printed cup cradle or alignment fixture is a possible construction choice if it meets all material, size and water-contact restrictions. Heat can soften printed plastic: use printing for cool practice fixtures first and have the coach review any lamp-adjacent component. A verified reflector-pattern STL is listed below for room-temperature foil forming only; it is not a tested collector or permission to heat printed plastic. Older insulation-box designs address a different task.

There is no blanket approval of all printed parts. The event’s specific material and construction restrictions take priority. Students should retain file source, license, CAD changes, print settings and test results, and build and explain their own device. Ask an official clarification when a design’s legality is uncertain.

The national general FAQ recognizes modeling a 3D-printed component as part of student design and construction. That answer does not waive an event’s material requirements. Read the national FAQ (opens in a new tab).

Official student-building and mentoring policy

Downloadable 3D files & 2027 use

Model review: October 27, 2026. Separate from the kit-stock review. File access and contents were checked; no physical print, load test or tournament approval is implied.

A verified reflector mesh is available as a room-temperature shaping pattern. It is not a tested heat collector or a recommendation to put printed plastic under the lamp. No verified competition-ready collector or cup cradle was found; older insulation boxes solve a different task.

Use the creator’s Files tab or the exact file link below. If a raw STL/STEP opens as text, use Save link as and retain the listed extension. STEP needs CAD export to STL first. For OpenSCAD source, retain included dependencies, render the main part files and export STL. STL has no unit metadata: confirm millimeters in your slicer. Slice the model for your own printer; do not run someone else’s G-code.

Verified file access · Room-temperature forming tool

Parabolic reflector — foil-shaping pattern

By Abraxas3d repository; source credits Kwikius for the reflector module · ASCII STL · 9,877,144 bytes

parabolic_reflector1_modified.stl

What you can adapt: Print a pattern and, at room temperature, use it to explore shaping a separate foil reflector. Remove the printed pattern before any heated trial. The finished reflector must support its own shape or use separately chosen suitable supports. Compare its measured heat gain with a simple flat-reflector baseline; a radio dish’s geometry does not guarantee it focuses a nearby extended heat bulb onto the cup.
2027 restrictions & required changes: This listing is for a fabrication tool used at home, not a part approved to remain in the heated collector. Do not place PLA or another untested print under the 100–125 W lamp or use the pattern for hot forming. The final student-built device and removable cup must together fit the 30 cm cube. No part may touch the water; do not add substances, electrical/chemical heating or stored thermal energy. Respect all prohibited materials and start at room temperature. Impound the device and spares; follow the setup clock and do not adjust it during heating. The printed pattern is not a competition thermometer, supplied cup or lamp.; Rule checkpoints: Thermodynamics 2.d; 3.a–g; 4.a–g; 5.II.b–f. Rule checks apply to the separately built final collector, not permission to heat this printed pattern.
License & attribution: Repository publishes GPL-3.0. Retain its license and upstream Kwikius credit; provide the corresponding editable source and applicable notices when distributing adaptations. Editable .scad source is in the linked creator folder.

Verification: Downloaded the actual STL, editable SCAD and repository license. Parsed 50,008 triangles; mesh extent is approximately 199.90 × 199.90 × 43.67 mm. The source is radio-reflector geometry, not a Science Olympiad design. No optical, printing or heat test has been performed.

Download reflector-pattern STL Creator & instructions License source

Verified plans, videos & tutorials

Links were read directly or confirmed on the national event page. Video playback, vendor checkout and downloadable model fabrication have not been tested. Historical resources are labeled; an older video cannot set 2027 dimensions.

Official Thermodynamics resources

Current heat-collection overview and physics references. The 2027 resources section still says Coming soon; no current free build video is claimed here.

Plan your practice kit

Suggested supplies, not a mandatory shopping list. Borrow shared equipment first; confirm every competition item against the rules before purchasing.

Prototype supplies

Rules-compatible heat-collection materials and supports
Required container type after coach confirmation

Shared tools

Thermometer or probe, timer and ruler for practice
Coach-approved heat source, work surface and protective equipment

Storage & records

Temperature-curve notebook or spreadsheet
Transport box and a diagram of sensor placement

Your first practice

Make one useful comparison.

1
Confirm that the design addresses the current heat-collection task.
2
Record starting conditions and a temperature curve for one baseline setup.
3
Repeat with one material or geometry change while keeping the measurement method fixed.

Build a record you can learn from

Keep every trial, including failures. Record the conditions, one changed variable, what happened and the next decision.

• Device revision
• Starting / ambient temperature (°C)
• Time and temperature series
• Sensor position / changed variable

Download blank test log

Original club CSV template. Save it in your team’s approved workspace and share it with your coach. It does not upload or sync to student progress, and it does not replace any required official log.

A role for everyone

Students

Own the design decisions. Keep a revision record, learn the relevant rules and be ready to explain how your device works and why you changed it.

Parents

Help obtain coach-approved supplies and organize records. Have an adult supervise heat-source use and allow equipment to cool before packing.

Coaches

Check the current test configuration and compare controlled temperature curves; assess written understanding separately.

Resources for your next step

Official Thermodynamics resource page

The current event overview describes heat collection. Older insulation activities and sample graphs are background, not a substitute for the 2027 task.

Official webinars & event workshops

Find coaching sessions and recordings. Check each resource’s event, division and season.

Open Thermodynamics written practice