I am working with a local museum to create an interactive display for how sap flows in maple trees. The museum is the International Maple Museum that is all about maple syrup production. It is located in my rural town and I'd love to help bring in some more interactive and relatable exhibits. After doing some investigating I decided that the sap flow exhibit is something I could create using an arduino and a peristaltic pump. However, I know nothing about how to code an arduino. My coding is limited to simple block coding. I've searched and searched and haven't found exactly what I need to put this together.
What I would like to do is use a rocker switch to adjust the flow of sap (slightly colored water) to go one direction to simulate the flow of sap upward in a tree at night and then switched to go the other direction to simulate the flow of sap downward during the day. The off position of the switch would stop the flow in either direction. I would like the flow to stop completely after 20-30 seconds to account for someone pressing the switch, but not shutting it back off.
I got the general idea of how I want to set up the pump using this video.
switch amperage rating: 20 Amps at 12V DC and 10 Amps at 24V DC
Max Voltage: 250V
And I have all of the needed wires and power supplies.
When the up button is pressed I need water to get pumped out of the bottom of the bucket. The water will be pumped up through the tubing. A tap in the side of the tree will be connected to the tubing which will allow the water to drip out of the tap into the bucket simulating the sap dripping on a warm day.
When the down button is pressed the water will flow down the tubing in the tree trunk and go back into the bottom of the bucket. This will simulate when temperatures drop below freezing.
When neither up or down is pressed (off) the flow will stop in either direction.
When up or down is pressed I need the arduino to stop the flow after a set time to prevent the flow from continuing after a person has walked away.
Is your pump reversible? Some are, some not. You need 2 relays for reversing a DC motor, also, some diodes to prevent "kickback" noise. Would be easier to use an H-bridge motor controller.
Agreed. With the motor reversing rocker switch referenced in post #4, I don't think an Arduino will be needed, unless you wish to limit the time the switch can be held down or vary the flow rate with pwm.
The rocker switch in post #5 is self returning and is a momentary switch which must be held in position.
Well, that switch (DPDT) could be used to start/stop/reverse the pump, no relay needed except for timeout, but the switch would have to be manually reversed.
I would use a off delay timer, when the motor switch is turned on in either direction it starts timing and will turn off the motor power after it times out. It will not reset until the switch is returned to the off position. No Arduino or other parts, just a simple timer.
