Does anyone know how to utilize a flow sensor as a flow switch that turns on a heater when flow is detected and turns it off when there’s no flow
Hello! I’m an intern for a startup and I’m currently working on hacking an in-line heater for a larger project. The heater itself is connected to 2 temperature sensors, an LCD, and a relay. The relay closes and turns the heater off when the heated liquid detected by the outlet temperature sensor goes above the set temperature. When the liquid falls below the set temperature, the relay opens and turns the heater on. This keeps the liquid temperature relatively stable. The heater remains on though when no liquid is flowing and becomes a hazard when it gets too hot. I’ve added a 90 C thermal link so the heater turns off after reaching a certain temperature so it doesn’t overheat. I initially melted the heater case and blew an heating element so I’m trying to prevent that from happening again. As my second backup safety plan, I want to add an in-line flow sensor that turns on the heater when flow is detected and turns off the heater when there’s no flow. I’m not 100% sure how to go about doing this so I would really love some help.
Do post more details on the heater in question.
Power, liquid type, application.
It’s the heater element taken out of an aquatic in-line heater. Here’s a link to it:
The liquid type is water right now and the power is 150 W. A peristaltic pump will pump liquid into the heater.
How is the persitaltic pump controlled? Same Arduino? That would be the most obvious connection: if pump is off, heater is off.
The pump is connected to a separate arduino
So connect the output that controls the pump to an input of the heater-controlling Arduino and you know the pump runs, or not.