smart air vents that enable equal temperature through air flow control rahul dendukuri, team leader...

Smart Air Vents that Enable Equal Temperature through Air

Flow Control

Rahul Dendukuri, Team LeaderRahol Rajan, Web Master

Siddhanth GanesanJohn McShaneDanny Tibbetts

Georgia Institute of Technology School of Electrical and Computer Engineering

October 29, 2013

Project IntroductionMechanical Design Software Design Market Integration & Current Progress

Project Overview

• The centralized air conditioning system does not always cool or heat different regions of a building uniformly

• Network of Smart Air Vents that facilitates uniform cooling of a building through air flow control

• Owners of buildings with centralized air conditioning

• Cost of prototype: $143.31

Design Objectives

• Design a network of air vents that controls air flow to equalize temperatures in different rooms

• Unit will be comprised of a remote temperature sensing module and the air vent

• Independent of the centralized air conditioner• Easy installation• Automated after installation

Technical Details

• Temperature sensing module is comprised of:– Temperature sensor (TMP36)– Wireless transceiver (XBee Series 1)

• Air vent is comprised of:– Motor and gears– MCU (Mbed)– Wireless transceiver (XBee Pro)

Project IntroductionMechanical Design Software Design Market Integration & Current Progress

Prefabricated Air Vent

Renders of Vent – Side View

MCU Housing

Motor & Gears

Closed Vent Open Vent

Renders of Vent – Front View

MCU Housing

Project IntroductionMechanical Design Software Design Market Integration & Current Progress

Illustration of Design

Communication within the Unit

Alternative Network Topology

• XBee transmits to preconfigured addresses– Not possible to change destination addresses

during execution

Temperature Processing

Motor Control

• Depending on values of X1, X2 or X3 the positions are 0,1,2, or 3

TOP VIEW

Flap Open

Flap Closed

Project IntroductionMechanical Design Software Design Market Integration & Current Progress

Market AnalysisCompetitors:

– Keen Home’s Keen Vent• $40 per vent, $150 one time fee• Requires user survey of schedule

– Pautech’s Click Vent• $30 per vent• IR remote input

– Activent• $50 per vent• Requires target temperature to be set

Smart Air Vents:– $150 per vent– No user input– System response is to temperature comparison between rooms

Prototype Cost

Prototype Total: $143.31

Item Unit Cost Quantity Total

Pololu Mini Plastic Gear Motor $5.49 1 $5.49

NCV70501 Driver Motor $3.56 1 $3.56

Mbed Microcontroller $49.99 1 $49.99

XBee Wireless Transcievers $22.95/$42.95 2 $65.90

6” X 10” Wall Register $8.37 1 $8.37

Miscellaneous (Gears and Wires) $10.00 - $10.00

Milestones Accomplished

• Ordered XBee Pros, motor, motor driver, and the gears

• Built a Styrofoam model for the air vent• Successful communication between the MCU

and the temperature sensing module • Experimented with converting a pre

fabricated vent to meet our design requirements

Task SummaryTask Owner Deadline

1 Ordering Motor and Motor Driver Siddhanth G 10/30/2013

2 Testing of Analog Temperature Sensor Rahul D 11/7/2013

3 Communication of Analog Temperature Values Rahol R 11/10/2013

4 Node Failure Algorithm Rahul D 11/15/2013

5 Temperature Processing and Motor Control Implementation

Siddhanth G 11/15/2013

6 Attach Gears and motor to vent Danny T 11/15/2013

7 Perform Power Calculations - Motor Block John M. 11/20/2013

8 Perform Power Calculations - Sensor Block Danny T. 11/20/2013

9 Determine optimal power Supply John M. 11/22/2013

10 Determine Optimum Constant “K” for Process Rahol R 11/25/2013

Questions?