MoundController

Control a compost pile used to generate hot water

The Data is from a large compost pile which dumps the heat in to a pool.

Changes

2017.11.15

Disconnected pump as part fo the pool winterization process.

September 2018: Moved to "Phase 2" of Project

• Saved old data in "*phase1" directories

• New Pump Algorithm: The pumping algorithm is a loop which does the following:

  • Start the pump (and faster samples on watched sensors)
  • Let the water circulate for MINIMUM_PUMP_TIME_IN_SECONDS .
  • Each time the watched sensors are read, record the output temperature
  • While the temperature is above PUMP_THRESHOLD
    • keep pumping
  • When the temperature is at or below PUMP_THRESHOLD
    • Turn off the pump
    • Return the sampling rate of the watched sensors to the monitor rate
    • Wait REHEAT_TIME_IN_SECONDS
  • Loop back to the top of this sequence

• Problems with current pipe sensors. For now:

  • Inlet is sensor Y
  • Outlet is sensor TBD (broken)
  • pipe sensor W is just hanging out in the air -- will put in pipe at outlet

• Relay for pump is broken.

  • Moved from first to second relay (on 4 relay card).
  • This only involves moving wires, the code still uses GPIO 17.

Source code is now in github

• Documents algorithm details to go with collected data.
• Perhaps someone will find this useful.

2018 Sept 29: Addressed outlet sensor issue (described above)

• Added outlet temperature sensor (sensor W) in to pipe a couple meters after it exits the mound.
• Changed control SW to use this sensor to make pump decisions and set threshold to 50 degrees C.

2018 Oct 2+: Large storm damaged sensors / controller.

• Some data will be missing

2018 Oct 21: Restore missing sensors

• Sensors back on line

2018 Oct 22: Pump less often

• Only pump every 48 hours to see if mound will heat up