Super Validator

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The first prototype of the rain catchment validator seems fairly successful. We have yet to attach a strain gauge to it, though some testing is being done to see how the evaporation rate compares to water in a 1 L beaker, started by Dr. Selker before he left.

The design was changed to fit to the strain gauges we purchased, though it seemed flimsy and I had concerns about the strain gauge connection bending or breaking under stress, as well as the layers delaminating or the overall form of the device changing over time. I added some structural supports to most aspects of the design (picture 2) and am running a print now. This version should be able to be tested with the strain gauges.

 

 

Isotopic Sampler Bag Cap

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A custom bag cap was necessary to function as a sealed connection between the aluminum foil bag and the fitting on the copper tube that attaches to the checkvalve. The dimensions of the bag’s mouth were measured with calipers and a first prototype was designed based on two pieces: an inner piece that presses against the end of the mouth with an o-ring and that can be tapped to fit to a 1/8 NPT fitting, and an outer piece that screws onto the mouth and forces the inner piece to seal (see picture 2).

The first prototype worked well and was lightly modified over time. Most of the caps were printed in HIPS as we were out of ABS at the time, but both ABS and HIPS print well.

Wind Vane Body with Electronics

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After several designs I finally finished one that looked like it would function well enough.Screen Shot 2016-07-22 at 4.23.34 PM

So far it’s separated into three parts: the tail which also houses the battery, the head which houses most of the electronics, and the front cover which was made invisible in the above picture.

I printed the head first with 30% grid infill but that seems to be too much. I’ll either change the x/y/z distance for support or move that down to 25%, or both. The support was very difficult to get off and took some of the thin walls with it.

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The other side came out very nicely and the humidity sensor and pressure sensor fit perfectly.

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Next I’ll add a spot for the SD card board and try printing the tail. I still need to figure out the rest of the case and how to snap fit the entire thing together, as well as how to snap it onto the fiber optic cable.

Wind Vane PBC Design

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Wind Vane PCB

This is the board layout design using Eagle CAD

Wind Vane PCB Schematic

Schematic of the Wind Vane PCB

The first version of the design was completed 7/15/16. These designs were sent to the fab   7/21/16. The time estimated to arrive back at the lab is about two to three weeks. As soon as the boards arrive we will start the assembly process of all the pieces. Click on the pictures to take you to the github repository.

Water Collection Pouch Cap

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Finished and printed the first design of the rain collector pouch cap. It’s two parts: one that presses against the top of the opening with an o-ring and another that screws onto the pouch’s threaded mouth, which presses onto the first part as it is tightened.

 

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This assembly was designed in Fusion 360 rather than OpenSCAD so I could design it quickly. Designing multiple parts that are dependent on each other can be significantly easier using Fusion360 than it is with OpenSCAD, though OpenSCAD has its advantages.

The threads were made by creating a helix and then sweeping an area through the path of the helix. It added some twisting but prints and fits just fine in both ABS and HIPS.

Soil Vapor Sampler

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Soil Vapor Samplers

Soil Vapor Samplers V52

We have printed working prototypes for the soil vapor sampler! These are the first three. These pieces have undergone an acetone vapor treatment to increase structural strength. The vapor treatment also gives them the shiny finish on outer surface.