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Data Logger for temperature/humidity analysis of materials
This project is under construction and we are testing beta version now.
We are looking for partners, potential users or investors.
Please do not hesitate to contact us.
The pictures presented here are only for the prototype (beta) version of the device. We are designing the final device now. The final device will be 60 mm long and 13mm diameter with no cables or visible connections during data collection.
About the device in general
The device is a small cylinder based on Sensirion termometer/humidity chips, small processor and i2c memory. It contains two temperature and humidity detectors located in the cylinder in distance few centimetres.
The device is equipped with embedded control software. It can be reprogrammed to take measurements at any intervals between 1 min and 255 hours intervals.
It has exceptional one short interval of 4 seconds for debugging purposes. The user can monitor on-line the measurements or store them in the memory for later download in computer.
Potential users
The field of applicability of the device is large and some of the potential users are:
- Measurement of slow thermo/humidity dynamics in hard materials in extreme condition: concrete, asphalt, pavement, bricks, stones etc.
- Repairing industry can measure the quality of repairing and test new repairing materials
- Measuring of new isolation materials
- Control of temperature/humidity in slow motion processes
- Measuring condensation in isolation materials in extreme temperature changes.
- Measuring of new coating materials where BS is not applicable due to specific features of the materials
- Measuring of materials porosity:( stones, synthetic materials etc)
What is unique?
The unique selling point of this device does not lie in miniaturisation or automation in the data collection.
It is the possibility to simulate the environment in order to obtain the dynamics of the temperature and humidity in the area of measurement. This reveals important features for the measured media. In most cases isolation features can be established with high precision.
Most of the devices on the market do not take such measurements in the described way.
In case of repairing in civil engineering, monitoring of the moisture contents is important in order to establish the quality of the repaired patches.
The device gives the possibility to monitor in two close locations for long period of time in programmed intervals in order to establish daily or seasonal changes in different constructions.
For example, this technology allows measuring temperature and humidity on the surface of the road without stopping the traffic and without any cables in every meteorological condition.
Finally the software will allow easy simulation and data transfer in high level programming languages. VB program will allow to store, compare, simulate and plot different data. This way multiple readings can be captured and analysed at any time.
Measuring exact values with high precision allows minimising the device. For example if we have to analyse the same data produced from thermocouples we have to have distance at least 10 cm between them to be able to build and sense small temperature gradient. This is because thermocouples have precision around 0.5 deg C. In some cases using thermocouples is inapplicable approach . For instance we may have media such as stone, where (in case of thermocouples) we have to drill 15cm deep hole with at least diameter 25mm. Also using thermocouple (analogue signal) rises the possibility of having noise or drifted data (most of the thermocouple are calibrated linear only for positive temperature). We are not speaking for electrical consumption because this is irrelevant here. Analogue conversion (in case of thermocouple) will require at least 5mA continuous consumption only for signal conversion. The simulation also will be difficult due to unique calibration point for every thermocouple.
SDL will allow simple, reliable and fast measurement even in cases where the other approaches are not applicable.
Technology
The device is small, and very well temperature compensated.
It can survive temperatures from -50 to +150 degrees Celsius.
The processor is capable of storing 1024 sets of measurements.The size of the device will be diameter 13 mm L=60 mm. The reason for this is
in ability to drill 13 mm diameter with almost any drilling machine on the market.
In comparison to other data loggers, which require special communication software, this prototype has embedded terminal and can communicate with any terminal connected to any serial port. The communication protocol is RS232 and uses parameters: "300,8,1,n".
Also the user can use high level VB program to communicate with the device and simulate the result. All data downloaded in the computer can be stored as file or analysed with Excel.
Pictures
Communication and detectors connectors
High level programming GUI (VB program for downloading and analysing of the data)
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