Facilitator:
Define what a success is
Negotiate, make sure it is reasonable/realistic
ECE Side – looking at different control topologies
oAnalog timer (555) vs. microcontroller
oTime or event based?
oPIC simple to program and use
ME Side – Valves
Get on schedule
Operating under ECE rules
ME side may have additional requirements
Find out our budget
oME department ~ $1000
oECE department ~ $500 ?
oSponsor ~ $6000
Sponsor:
Offered 2 different proposals
12 port valve would give flexibility
CO2 – 1mL
N2O – 250mL
Trap may expand when full, blocking flow
Length of flow path most important (8-10 inches in the lab)
Don’t focus too much on the traps
Nafion – good for awhile but doesn’t work over time – perhaps use another cyro
trap here?
Can’t dual wind on a cold finger…
$12,000 in budget ~$6,000 to play with (valves, plumbing, over parts) – Not
enough for coolers yet. The other $6,000 goes to out class
Waiting on NSF funding – Mid - October
10L of liquid nitrogen per day
Check for cheaper coolers to trap water (trap right after GC column (-110 C))
oPressure of Helium doesn’t allow gases to condense
~20 psi for Helium (always need Helium going through system)
Field temperatures will vary
Success:
oIdeally build a prototype by the end of semester
oRealistically we’re short funding – we can mechanically build most of the
system without the coolers
oWe could test the system with liquid nitrogen
oHave electronic controls for the Rikor coolers ready to go
Control system interface: (Create our own or share with mass spec?)
oStand-alone screen or laptop
oNeeds to be rugged
