It's always a strange sight to see sprinklers running in rain or snow, wasting both water and money. What if there was a better way, where your sprinklers could know what the weather is, and stop pointlessly adding to the downpour?
We have created a sensor suite controlled by three argons to check weather reports, identify local conditions through thermometers and barometric sensors, and to remotely engage and disengage sprinklers at will. It is also linked to a RF-ID reader, to manage permissions and allow for additional security in managing your sprinkler system.
This project was done for MEGR 3171 (Intro to Measurement and Instrumentation) and was completed with three argons with sensors. By integrating the different data collection systems, and setting acceptable weather parameters in the code, the sprinkler system can disengage when an unacceptable certain threshold is reached.
The video below demonstrates the project, and shows each of the components used to control the sprinkler system.
The Argon shown below manages the relays that control the sprinkler system.
The Argon shown above is the component that controls the RF-ID reader, which enables control over the sprinkler system when a card is swiped, and engages the system if all of the sensors determine the current data collected are within acceptable margins.
The Argon pictured above is responsible for identifying water level and the ambient temperature. This component ensures the ambient temperature is not below freezing, and it is not currently raining when the sprinkler system receives the order to activate the sprinkler. Thingspeak was used to corroborate the collected data, and the graphs shown below are tests of the sensors. They represent the temperature, humidity, and water level at a given time, and are used to enable and disable the sprinklers.
These graphs can be found at: "https://thingspeak.com/channels/2031349".
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