Wildfire temperature probe

About
This senior design project's objective is to create the third generation of the Wildfire temperature probe. The device is buried in the ground before a wildfire passes through. The probe measures the temperature at different depths in the soil. This information is useful because the carbon released by the fire coats the soil and causes it to be water-repellent which can cause several problems.

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External Link

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Design Specifications


Hard2943 (talk)

Temperature Reading Device
Done9948 (talk)

Outer Case Shape Design Decisions
After running experiments with many different shapes and designs we ended up going with the dig and place method for ground installation. There were faster installation times during our experiments from the pound in wedge shape and the screw shape. However, neither of these designs seemed like they would work well. The screw shapes main issue was turning up the soil around the case which wouldn't work well for the probes going into normally packed untouched soil. The wedge shape’s main issue was isolating the internal components from the force of being pounded in. After pounding in a wooden analogue to the case we realized that we were going to have to hit it too hard to keep from breaking it. Another issue with the wedge was not knowing how it affected the soil around it after it was pounded into the ground.

With the dig and place method chosen for the method of installation we then decided that the round cylinder shape for the outer case was the logical choice. With this choice the user would be able to use an auger or a post-hole digger to make a round hole to easily install the probe. Also, using a round digger with a non-round hole would make probe installation difficult.

Hard2943 (talk)

Outer Case Material Design Decisions
We choose stainless steel for our outer case material. We decided to use thin pipe for the reduced thermal conduction with less material. Also the thin pipe could be used because of the dig and place method. Stainless steel was chosen for its relatively low density and low thermal conductivity when compared to the other options. Titanium would have been a better option but was not very commercially available and we couldn’t find something to fit our needs.

Hard2943 (talk)

Future Insulation Experiment
We are planning on running an experiment to test the different insulation materials. We are going to place a thermocouple in a outer case analogue. We will then place insulation above the thermocouple. Finally, we will apply heat to the top on the case. From this we will be able to find the most efficient insulator.

Hard2943 (talk)

Probe Deployment Method
Moor8046 (talk) 18:55, 25 June 2013 (UTC)