Team:Cornell/testing/notebook/drylab/7

From 2012.igem.org

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Week 7

  • Wednesday, July 18, 2012

    Focus: Re-re-design of Chassis

    Day 1650... there is no light at the end of the design process. Details
    Entry:
    The selection process was unrelenting yet again. Despite moving the opening to above water level, waterproofing would still be a nightmare. What we really needed was a single-piece, solid molded chassis, so we searched online for all kinds of diecast--aluminum, ABS, polycarbonate, etc. However, all materials had their issues, such as size and cost. Along the way though, we came across Pelican cases. After some quick calculations, we found cases that float well and worth the price. Dan also praised them for their badass looks. From the wide online selection, we decided to go with the Pelican 1650. Next time, we need to discuss the modifications that need to be made to the case.

    On the electronics side of the story, Arduino requires a “programmer device” to load the code onto the microcontroller, so we need to get one from Bruce. In the meantime, Lydia was able to get simulations running on her laptop. And as always, Kelvin continued typing away on his disintegrating laptop, programming the server.

    #chassis #electronics #Arduino

    Friday, July 20, 2012

    Focus: Re-re-design of Chassis

    Team shows how to defeat a purpose: drill a hole into a watertight case. Details
    Entry:
    First off, we established that the solar panel should be housed in a polycarbonate prism, external to the Pelican case. We then went on to discuss how many holes we would drill into the Pelican case, which led back to the much debated topic of waterproofing. We decided we would drill one hole and fix a short, large tube through it with epoxy or another sealant. The input, output and effluent water channels and solar panel wires would run through this large tube; any remaining space in the tube would also be sealed. Dan brought up the issue of separating the three water channels so that wastewater does not get pumped back into system. To solve this problem, we looked online for some rigid plastic tube separators.

    Now that most aspects have been considered, the design is as close to complete as it will ever be. It has been a long process, and we are glad to be moving on to the next step. Dan will order the Pelican case soon and we are all looking forward to the manufacture stage.

    #chassis #waterproofing
  • Wednesday, July 18, 2012

    The selection process was unrelenting yet again. Despite moving the opening to above water level, waterproofing would still be a nightmare. What we really needed was a single-piece, solid molded chassis, so we searched online for all kinds of diecast--aluminum, ABS, polycarbonate, etc. However, all materials had their issues, such as size and cost. Along the way though, we came across Pelican cases. After some quick calculations, we found cases that float well and worth the price. Dan also praised them for their badass looks. From the wide online selection, we decided to go with the Pelican 1650. Next time, we need to discuss the modifications that need to be made to the case.

    On the electronics side of the story, Arduino requires a “programmer device” to load the code onto the microcontroller, so we need to get one from Bruce. In the meantime, Lydia was able to get simulations running on her laptop. And as always, Kelvin continued typing away on his disintegrating laptop, programming the server.

    #chassis #electronics #Arduino

    Friday, July 20, 2012

    First off, we established that the solar panel should be housed in a polycarbonate prism, external to the Pelican case. We then went on to discuss how many holes we would drill into the Pelican case, which led back to the much debated topic of waterproofing. We decided we would drill one hole and fix a short, large tube through it with epoxy or another sealant. The input, output and effluent water channels and solar panel wires would run through this large tube; any remaining space in the tube would also be sealed. Dan brought up the issue of separating the three water channels so that wastewater does not get pumped back into system. To solve this problem, we looked online for some rigid plastic tube separators.

    Now that most aspects have been considered, the design is as close to complete as it will ever be. It has been a long process, and we are glad to be moving on to the next step. Dan will order the Pelican case soon and we are all looking forward to the manufacture stage.

    #chassis #waterproofing
  • Wednesday, July 18, 2012

    Focus: Re-re-design of Chassis

    Day 1650... there is no light at the end of the design process.
    Entry:
    The selection process was unrelenting yet again. Despite moving the opening to above water level, waterproofing would still be a nightmare. What we really needed was a single-piece, solid molded chassis, so we searched online for all kinds of diecast--aluminum, ABS, polycarbonate, etc. However, all materials had their issues, such as size and cost. Along the way though, we came across Pelican cases. After some quick calculations, we found cases that float well and worth the price. Dan also praised them for their badass looks. From the wide online selection, we decided to go with the Pelican 1650. Next time, we need to discuss the modifications that need to be made to the case.

    On the electronics side of the story, Arduino requires a “programmer device” to load the code onto the microcontroller, so we need to get one from Bruce. In the meantime, Lydia was able to get simulations running on her laptop. And as always, Kelvin continued typing away on his disintegrating laptop, programming the server.

    #chassis #electronics #Arduino

    Friday, July 20, 2012

    Focus: Re-re-design of Chassis

    Team shows how to defeat a purpose: drill a hole into a watertight case.
    Entry:
    First off, we established that the solar panel should be housed in a polycarbonate prism, external to the Pelican case. We then went on to discuss how many holes we would drill into the Pelican case, which led back to the much debated topic of waterproofing. We decided we would drill one hole and fix a short, large tube through it with epoxy or another sealant. The input, output and effluent water channels and solar panel wires would run through this large tube; any remaining space in the tube would also be sealed. Dan brought up the issue of separating the three water channels so that wastewater does not get pumped back into system. To solve this problem, we looked online for some rigid plastic tube separators.

    Now that most aspects have been considered, the design is as close to complete as it will ever be. It has been a long process, and we are glad to be moving on to the next step. Dan will order the Pelican case soon and we are all looking forward to the manufacture stage.

    #chassis #waterproofing