Smart City Water Sustainability

The goal of the project is to create and implement a real time data acquisition system in a cooling tower at the University of Idaho, Moscow Campus. The system consists of a variety of sensors and a master device. The sensors are be collecting data on air temperature, humidity, water flow rate and water accumulation.

=Problem Definition= There is no way to measure water loss from evaporation from inside a cooling tower. It is crucial now, and only becoming more so, to know how much water is lost by way of evaporation in a tower. The products of someones efforts attempting to optimize a cooling tower would be unknown unless there is a way to measure its water loss.

Background
Water scarcity is becoming a serious issue. According to the UN, by 2025 1.8 billion people will be exposed to absolute water scarcity, and two thirds of the world will be living under water-stressed conditions. This makes it a top priority to conserve and save water in every application. Implementing a system that allows the user to view how much water a cooling tower is losing and how efficient they are at diminishing water loss is a crucial step towards water conservation.

Deliverables
 System that pulls data from cooling tower sensors including humidity, air temperature, and water flowrate. Web service that allows user to view data from sensors in human-readable form.  A series of steps with full documentation that explains how one could install the same system and acquire the same results. 

Specifications
 All hardware that is to be installed in the cooling tower must be able to withstand a harsh environment. Sensors should report data within a .5% range of error. Sensors should report data within at least a range of once per 30 minutes. Web service should allow user to download data in spreadsheet form.</li> </ul>

=Design Considerations= The overall design should be simple and easy to duplicate. It should also be easy to understand provided accurate documentation. The system should lend itself to upgrades/updates as new/better hardware is chosen to be installed. The system should also lend itself to expansion, specifically in this case, the ability to be expanded into a system that allows for automated controls or manual controls.

=Project Learning=  The creation and operation of a web service.</li> The inner workings of a cooling tower.</li> Professional relationships with clients/vendors/peer associates.</li> Formal documentation.</li>

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=Final Design=

=Validation=

=Team Members=

=Additional Documentation=

Project Schedule



Meeting Minutes

Presentations



Client Interview