Inspiration
AmeriGas had a challenge to build a Propane Tank monitor that is more cost efficient than current products in the market. We felt that this project would suit us well and would be challenging, but do able in the given 24 hour time frame.
What it does
It monitors how much propane is left in the tank during it's life cycle. It also indicates when the tank needs to be filled as well as if there is a gas leak. Also it is built ruggedly for everyday weather including rain and snow.
How we built it
The physical design was modeled using Solid Works for a representation of what the product could look like. Xbee is used to represent a wireless communication via internet, to send all data to an application programmed in Java. This application collects and reports tank levels as well as gas leaks. An Arduino was programmed to take readings from a Flex sensor, in combination with a temperature sensor, and calculates how much gas is remaining. A Catalytic sensor is used to detect if there is a gas leak in the relative area of this monitor.monitor.
Challenges we ran into
A main problem was designing a relatively inexpensive device. This was a challenge because our competitors in this industry have been doing this from several years while we are just entering it. Also none of us had any previous experience using Xbee and it took several hours for us to understand how to properly use this device.
Accomplishments that we areproud of
Getting the Xbee running was a major achievement for us. This was a critical part of our design to able to send data cheaply. Also getting a theoretical system designed on paper in such a short time frame as well as doing it uniquely was truly gratifying.
What's next for Propane Tank Monitor
Testing, testing, testing. This is an entirely new concept that can only be fined tuned with testing.
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