Automating an air pump for an artwork/prop

Projects General Guidance
1

Hi all,

So I've been working on an installation for some time. First try was unsuccessful as I had not enough time and didn't do my research well enough. I made an artificial lung prop with plastic bag inside, which has two tiny silicone pipes from both sides. I need it to inflate and deflate on its own to simulate breathing.

I was just learning as I go with some help from a friend who has a little bit more experience with electronics. On first try I went along youtube tutorials (like this, for example https://youtu.be/gGWfbXzR-ow )
I encountered few issues: first was connecting DIY air pump to DC motor, second one was finding a correct power supply to generate strong enough airflow.

I wanted this DC motor turn turn on and off on predetermined intervals. Programming an arduino board was not an issue. We got the arduino/DC motor interface working, just powering DC motor when an air pump was connected and pump's efficiency itself was the main issue. We tried powering 6V DC motor without separate power supply jsut from arduino board.

Now I have another shot to make this work with funding, so I don't have to go totally DIY again.

I have thought of two ways I could go about this project. Since I can just buy an air pump instead of going DIY, I could get either 12V DC vacuum pump or use an AC aquarium air pump.

If using 12V DC vacuum pump ( this is the only one available in my area https://www.sparkfun.com/datasheets/Robotics/Other/spec%20sheet.jpeg), should I power the pump separately from arduino? Would 12V 3A power supply be enough to power it? What kind of switch should I get to successfully power the motor and how to connect it to an arduino?

Or would the option to use aquarium pump and somehow automate it be better?

I need some help from more experienced peers to guide me, as I don't want to waste few weeks on a dead-end project again

Pic of the lung prop: https://ibb.co/QjX1JNn

2

You might want to hang some numbers on your outline spec - volume of air, rate of inflation, ambient pressure - that sort of thing

3

Nope. Don't do that.

Without a doubt. The Arduino is meant to control, not to power. Have you looked at any relays yet?

4

I have a number of those pumps (or similar ones: it's a common design). The easiest way to control them using an arduino is with a relay board, or a FET module

I don't remember exactly how much power they use but I'm pretty sure they are under 2A at full load. Be aware that they are pretty noisy, especially when pressure goes above 40psi or so.

5

sorry, the volume is a little less than 1 liter, I'm not sure about pressure, can't measure it until the end of the month. I would like it to inflate in about 10-15 seconds, deflate a bit slower on itself.

6

yeah, I understood that the idea to power the motor from arduino wouldn't work a bit too late ;D

now I'm looking for relays online in my area, maybe cheap one 3-35VDC 5A would be enough. There isn't english language, but maybe you'd understand the specs DC variklio reguliatorius PWM 3-35VDC 5A

also this one Variklio greičio reguliatorius DC 12V but maybe it'd be too much if I'm using arduino and only need it to turn on and off

7

Wouldn't a motor driver module be appropriate for this application? have a search for "L298N Dual H Bridge " or a general search for "motor driver module" can control DC motors or stepper motors.
You can even make the motor run in either direction.

8

That's not going to happen with those pumps. They are built for pressure, not volume.

9

Your project is crying for a tank to provide the volume of air you need. The pump can slowly fill the tank with air.

1 Like
10

sorry, I'm not very experienced in this topic, but if the pump just pumps air for a certain amount of time into a balloon type thing, it should fill and expand? I can tweak my "lung" design to require less air inside or settle with longer time if it cannot fill up that quick. If I misunderstood something let me know

11

do you mean a tank inside the "lung" I need to inflate and deflate? It is built around a medicinal bag with a flexible built in pipe (turns out it's made for urine collection originally). Physically I tested it with my own lungs lol, I can blow into this pipe like a balloon and it expands, now I'm just trying to automate the process.

12

No, I mean a tank that your little air compressor can fill and then you have enough volume of air to do your project. You need a large volume of air in a rather short time and a rather tiny air pump. The only way to resolve that is to have the pump run most of the time and you take compressed air only when you need it.

13

No, you got it. Some versions of those pumps can produce over 100psi but they are a bit slow. Filling 1 liter with minimal pressure will probably take closer to a minute.

14

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