Seed Core Processor
I’m lucky enough to have started work with Professor’s Jim Long and Marc Timmerman on what I’m calling a “Seed Core Processor” and what the BEST grant calls “Biodiesel Processing Moisture Control”. Yeah, so the official name is more informative but SO much less fun, so I came up with an alternative.
The idea is to use a microwave-base sensor to determine the moisture content of vegetable seed being pressed for oil for feedstock for a biodiesel processor, and add water as necessary to optimize the mash byproduct and the performance of the presses. It turns out “cheap” (only in reference to their German alternatives) seed presses are picky about the moisture content of seed, and like to clog up if it’s not close to 12%. Of course clogging requires stopping the entire operation while someone spends an hour cleaning it out. Which is where we come in! Simple .NET software running on cheap hardware with a Phidget interface kit for I/O will read values from the microwave sensor and add the appropriate amount of water. Easy! Right?
Already we’re running into difficulties. For starters, the microwave sensor has a digital interface but so far the manufacturer hasn’t released a protocol specification to us. Or even, gasp, a library. Another problem is that while your washing machine can be off a gallon or so when filling up for the wash cycle, our application can’t be and thus is vulnerable to pressure variations. For example, flushing the toilet could clog the seed presses resulting in an hour of down-time. Oops!
In any case I’m really excited about the project, it already has people lined up to use it, and I’ll be getting the chance to work with a variety of technologies while finding solutions and choosing my own direction, other than the loose guidance of Jim.
This entry was posted on Thursday, July 10th, 2008 at 5:05 pm and is filed under Seed Core Processor. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
PreMagination » Blog Archive » Seed Core Processor Progress August 2nd, 2008 at 9:49 pm
[...] fair amount of development has occurred since my last post regarding the Seed Core Processor. After literally weeks of dealing with bureaucracy at OIT [...]