Prototype solar dome designed to function as a solar calendar

• Published in: Journal of Asian Architecture and Building Engineering
• Main Authors: Mojtaba Pourbakht, Yoshihiro Kametani
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Taylor & Francis Group 2025-07-01
• Subjects: solar calendar dome prototype (scdp); solar angle; radiation; reflection
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13467581.2024.2373833

The experiment aimed to create a prototype of a calendar dome that shows the days of the year using solar light passing through specific holes in the dome’s covering. Specific openings are placed on the dome to allow sunlight pass through daily all year round. Clear skies allow radiation to pass through and illuminate months plate. For more precise calculations, lenses can also be placed in the dome body to regulate and calibrate the location and orientation of reflected light. The light is then directed onto specific mirrors, which then reflect it onto a central control plate functioning as a fixed date reader in the center of the room. As bold characters are reversed and placed between the mirror and the central control plate, they display the exact day and time of the year. The date and time will be clearly shown on the control plate as a silhouette. To make it all done, the authors assessed the position, azimuth, latitude, and elevation angle of the sun to accurately determine the direction of solar radiation. This guarantees the precise and effective creation of the Solar Calendar Dome Prototype.