Project Information

If this project is available and you wish to be considered for it, please email the proposer. There is no automatic form for this action and the allocation process is likely to take several days. If you have not heard within a week, please email the Postgraduate Programmes Office on ami@bolton.ac.uk

 
Project Reference: 199 
Title Industrial Digital Flowmeter  
Project Status: allocated  
 
Proposer's Name: Juliana Ruth Namugayi 
Company/University: Synectic Design Ltd 
Phone: 07894457022 
Email: rnjuliana@yahoo.co.uk 
Proposal Date: 07/06/2009 
Brief description
The aim of the project is to develop a digital flowmeter with datalogging feature. The main aspects of the product are either USB or GSM as communication options to facilitate data collection when required. This product is exclusively for concrete batching plants. Currently available products do not facilitate GSM the only product available is not easy to use and it is quite bulky. Aim of the product There are different concrete mixtures and ingredients dependent on the purpose. When concrete has been batched and left for a while it will harden. The usual tendency is to add water in order to use the concrete. When water is added in excess it affects the mixture and so construction regulations are faulted. Previously the site manager had to rely on truck drivers to declare amount of water added to any mixtures but this was not reliable as was found when buildings were later tested for approval. The design of this product is to determine how much water has been added to a particular mixture which is then logged but the data stored should not be easily tampered with by driver or site manager. Secondly there is need to get access to the data easily without having to connect a laptop to unit on a truck therefore; solution required is GSM preferable in range of 100m or USB. For GSM option the data downloaded form the unit should be sent via email to respective site manager or inspector For USB option data should be downloaded to a memory stick in a spreadsheet format. Factors to consider A compact product is required as space is a premium and there is need to take care of any interference both from product and surrounding environment. Product should be able to run on truck battery 
Project outcomes
ASIC to be fabricated No 
Hardware to be produced Yes  
Software to be produced Yes  
Requirements
Dedicated hardware that will be essential for the project. GSM module Some inteface circuits required to be built. A micro processor development kit will be required.  
Specialist software that will be essential for the project. No special software all existing for the microcontroller as well as PCB design  
Staff comments
Allocated July 09, ML appointed supervisor, cannot start officially until fineished PGDip. ADT 

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