HI everyone,
My first post and project with Arduino Uno.
I want to make a water storage tank indicator LCD that expresses gallonage based on the height of the water from the bottom of the tank. I have the specs from the tank mfg for each inch of tank from the bottom of the tank. I have found other circuits using LEDs and also Arduino circuits that express the level as a % on LCD screen. I don't need a pump circuit or a buzzer circuit and would only check it periodically so that it could be off most of the time to save battery.
I would like to make this a wireless circuit. Do I need two Arduinos that can talk to each other?
I have actually two tanks and would like to be able to do 1. with both tanks.
Are/is the sensor in any way waterproof/resistant and can it be mounted inside the lid of each tank without too much maintence.
This is my sister's house and several years ago had purchased (very expensive) unit that was supposed to do what I have outlined in 1. above except for the fact that the display on the receiver only showed a series of 8 LEDs. The company is in New Zealand and the concept seemed like a good idea but did not seem to work even after several attempts and discussions with Support and receipt of a new unit.
Seems like a doable project, but I am not sure where to start as this is my first project except for a humidity control circuit that worked well.
Thank you in advance. The two tanks are 1700 gal and 1200 gal. Storage tanks from a very unproductive well.
The easiest way to determine water volume is to measure the pressure at the bottom of the tank. Water pressure is directly proportional to water height.
You can attach a pressure sensor to the outlet, but the readings will be correct only when no water is flowing in the pipe.
I have been using Omega PX309 pressure gauges for this for several years. They are expensive, but extremely reliable, with zero maintenance.
One suggestion that periodically gets tossed out for this kind of tank measurement problem is a ping pong ball floating in a vertical PVC tube. A distance detection sensor gets pointed down the tube and the distance from sensor to floating ball read. As the water level changes the distances change and these can be interpreted into volumes.
The catch may be finding a sensor that can read whatever your required distance is (inexpensive ultrasonic sensors may only read out a meter or so).
What I was thinking about the sensor is the one that is commonly used by the Arduino and comes in the typical beginners kit. One that would be waterproof would be best if that one could not be protected.
I found an IR proximity sensor that is waterproof. I have an imago of it, but don't know how to add it to this reply.
It's called at Diymore Ultrasonic Distance sensor. It's on Amazon for about 15 $ and they say its waterproof. I also found a circuit that uses one like it but not waterproof and uses a series of LEDs instead of a LCD.
Know that more than the sensor needs to resist the water. Connectors, cables, all the stuff in that environment must be able to resist the humidity. It is tuff.
Indeed it is tuff. The rarity of these things on the market is probably indicative of how good an idea they are - in view of the lack of reliability and lack of need. There is a common dial/float thing around that came with or without WiFi. The WiFi version has been withdrawn - just as I was about to think it might be a good idea for an underground tank.
chumley:
would only check it periodically
says quite a lot.
If you want to pursue this just as an intellectual exercise, and you use Bluetooth or WiFi, you would not need Arduino at both ends, a phone would suffice. You might also justify the exercise by doing a lot more than merely seeing how full the tank is. You could analyse water-use, rainfall, effectiveness of irrigation trala trala...........
If that diymore ultrasonic distance sensor works it is the only thing in the tank itself. All of the other stuff woud be in a waterproof box outside the tank. They say its waterproof and is designed for just such a purpose. How to hook it up to the Arduino and the LCD is the part (well, actually, its all of it) that I have yet to grasp. Writing or altering the code to account for inches of depth into gallons I have not seen before either.
I am beginning to think that I could just stay with the non technical method of marking a stick and dipping it in the tank. Old school, but effective, cheap. What I don't like is taking the cover off the tank and putting in a possible contaminated stick. I have seen how the guys install the tanks. One guy climbed in with his boots on to hook things up, then dumped a half gallon of bleach in. Does not compute for me. Haha
Is there a way I could d/l an image of what I have found so that you could take a look at what I have in mind?
Thanks again for your thoughts and time. I am a total noob and just like to learn new things. Being 76 y.o. has not slowed my curiosity any.
the JSN-SR04T that you guys are talking about is a simple device. the sensors is rainproof. not expected to be submerged.
the electrionics are just like any other, need to be put in a watertight box.
calibration is up to you if the tank has vertical walls, then one inch at any point is the same quantity.
if the tank is round, then one inch in the middle is a lot more fluid than one inch near the bottom or top.
same goes for the pressure sensor. some calibration for the tank shape is required.
lots of guys use these and the newping library makes it easy.
for the money, a simple board, a power supply, and a JSN-SR04T and you can have some fun testing.
if you can run CAT-5 or some such, you might have enough to use POE power over eithernet.
the beauty is that you can play with it on your bench with a simple bucket and a siphon and a pump.
Any electronics placed in a water saturated atmosphere will corrode and become useless within a month or two, unless conformally coated and in a gas tight box.
