markgm
12-15-2021, 05:12 PM
After making my barometric pressure compensating temperature probes earlier in the year to calculate the brix of boiling sap, I took some time to create two more devices. The first is for those that recirculate sap through their RO system. The device has a flow sensor that attaches in-line with the concentrate line. As the flowrate drops (due to the membrane fouling), the controller will turn off the pump. The shutoff flowrate is adjustable (down to 0, so it can also be used by folks that don't recirculate). I have a video of it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RCiWZ4yCpJU&t
The second is a programmable sap pump controller. This has two temperature probes, one to measure the outdoor temperature and one to measure the pump box (cooler or sugar shack) temperature. You can adjust the temperature when the pump turns on and off, when the heater turns on and off. You can additionally set delays, so if you set the pump to turn on when it's 33, you can also said wait 45 minutes after it hits 33 (so the lines have a chance to thaw) before turning on the pump. You can do the same with the shut off temperature, so the pump will run another hour after the temperature drops below your shutoff temperature (before the lines freeze completely, since the sap is warmer than ambient temperatures). There is also an optional override to that delay, so the pump turns on (or off) if the temperatures change drastically in a short period of time. I have a video of it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH187eJEe2Q&t
It's been an adventure researching, designing, and building all of these things. Time to start thinking of the next challenge!
The second is a programmable sap pump controller. This has two temperature probes, one to measure the outdoor temperature and one to measure the pump box (cooler or sugar shack) temperature. You can adjust the temperature when the pump turns on and off, when the heater turns on and off. You can additionally set delays, so if you set the pump to turn on when it's 33, you can also said wait 45 minutes after it hits 33 (so the lines have a chance to thaw) before turning on the pump. You can do the same with the shut off temperature, so the pump will run another hour after the temperature drops below your shutoff temperature (before the lines freeze completely, since the sap is warmer than ambient temperatures). There is also an optional override to that delay, so the pump turns on (or off) if the temperatures change drastically in a short period of time. I have a video of it here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rH187eJEe2Q&t
It's been an adventure researching, designing, and building all of these things. Time to start thinking of the next challenge!