Course:VANT151/2023/Capstone/APSC/Team1

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Welcome

Welcome to the Wiki page of Team 1 of VANT151 - 2023S. Our team consists of 9 people with five sub-teams. In this course, we carried out a project to build a dryer prototype, namely the Energy Recovery Clothes dryer (EneRec dryer). This page documents our design process and the finalized design details of our prototype. The primary goal of the EneRec dryer is to maximize energy efficiency by reusing the exhaust heat (air) from the dryer to reduce heat loss while ensuring that clothes are dried thoroughly.

Introduction

Laundry management evolved with the invention of the clothes dryer, which rapidly and efficiently dried wet clothing. Its idea dates back to the 19th century, substituting practical procedures (e.g., relying on natural resources). Modern dryers are sophisticated as technology develops, with automatic controls, temperature controls, and sensors to effectively dry clothes. They maintain airflow and drum rotations to dry garments quickly, minimize wrinkles, and eliminate the requirement for an outside drying place. However, clothes dryers can use electricity of around 1.8 kWh to 5 kWh, which can increase emissions, including exhaust heat. As a solution to minimize the impact of a regular clothes dryer, a prototype of the energy-recovering dryer is made.

This project is to build a scaled-down prototype of the energy recovery clothes dryer (EneRec dryer) with an overall combined system that maximizes the heat flow inside the drum, reuses the exhaust heat (air), and minimizes the energy used to increase the efficiency of the dryer, using the components and tools provided by the university by June 28, 2023.

This project allowed us to develop possibilities and designs for reducing energy use and having a negligible environmental impact. This project spanned eight weeks, from May 18 to June 28, and our detailed project schedule is available in the Gantt chart in the appendix. To optimize efficiency, we divided our team of nine members into five sub-teams: documentation, electrical, mechanical, structural, and user interface. Each sub-team contributed to specific aspects of the project, which we will discuss further in the following sections. For more information about our team members, please refer to the biographies provided in the last section.

Team Requirements

Functions

The primary functions of this dryer are to:

Dry clothes effectively by eliminating moisture.
Allow the user to set the desired time & temperature of the dryer.
Automatically detect moisture and temperature of the clothes.

Objectives

The objective of this dryer is to improve the overall efficiency of the dryer by:

Drying the clothes with reduced drying times.
Decreasing energy use by reusing the heat from exhaust air.
Employing intuitive operations (e.g., rotary encoder) for the convenience of the user.

Constraints

The constraints of the designs are:

The dryer size should not exceed 250 × 220 × 300 mm.
The maximum allowable electrical power consumption must be 24 V AC, 40 VA.
The capacity of the dryer must be at least 0.5 L and is able to dry a cotton handkerchief with a size of 15 × 15 cm (± 3 cm).
The time needed to dry the clothes must be within 1 hour.
The time given to create this dryer is eight weeks.

Gantt Chart

Here is the Gantt Chart of our team to track down our progress:

Gantt Chart of Team 1

Electrical Design

The electrical sub-team is responsible for connecting circuits and powering all electrical components of the EneRec Dryer. The electrical sub-team also does programming operations of these components. As an extra feature, the electrical team implements the door detection system and servo motor.

Requirements

Functions

The functions of the electrical components are to:

Rotate the drum.
Force air to circulate.
Generate heat to provide hot air.
Measure the temperature and humidity inside the drum.
Detect if the door is opened.
Control the operation

Objectives

The design objectives of the electrical team are to:

Minimize drying time.
Work in precise sequence based on the sensor reading.

Constraints

The design of the electrical team must meet the constraints:

All the circuits must fit into the breadboard.
Must be powered by only 24V AC power supply.
The circuit must connect adequately to avoid a short circuit to ensure the user's safety.
A connection must be made with wire with enough length to place in the dryer.

The Design

Figure 1. Fan, motor, and heater are connected to the breadboard.

Table 1. Electrical components
Component	Description
Fan	9V DC
Motor	DG01D-A130 Gear Motor, 4.5V DC, 90±10rpm
Heater	24V DC
Temperature and Humidity sensor	DHT11, 3~5V
Limit Switch	DS-09005-02 RP, 5V DC

Power Supply

The 24-volt alternating current(AC) power supply is used to power the Arduino board, fan, motor, and heater. As these components, except for the heater, require direct current(DC), AC was converted to DC using a rectifier.

Figure 2. Arduino power supply

To connect each component to the power supply, each power rail is connected to 24V AC directly and 9V DC through a rectifier. A 24V AC power rail is connected to the heater circuit, and a 9V DC power rail powers the Arduino board and fan. The motor is connected to the 5V output pin of the Arduino board.

Figure 3. Closer view of the power supply

Figure 3 shows a closer view of the power supply with each top and bottom power rail connected to 24V AC and 9V DC respectively.

Fan Circuit

A fan is used to control the airflow inside the drum. The component such as resistor, capacitor, MOSFET transistor and diode are used to make the fan work with an adjustable speed. to control the speed, the fan is connected to the Arduino with a working program.

Figure 4. Fan circuit

Circuit drawing	Actual photo of circuit

Drum Motor Circuit

Figure 5. Motor circuit

Circuit drawing	Actual photo of the circuit

The drum motor circuit is powered by a 5V pin on an Arduino board. As shown in Figure 5, the motor is connected through a MOSFET, which means it is controlled by the Arduino output given to the gate terminal.

Heater Circuit

Table 2.
Option 1	Option 2
Always on	Controlled by Arduino
Pros: Provides most heat	Pros: Can conserve electricity Prevent damaging cloth
Cons: High electricity consumpton Risk of damaging cloth	Cons: Complicated circuit

As the heater is the main component which dries the cloth, different types of operating sequences are considered during the designing stage. Option 1 shows the configuration of the heater circuit to power the heater all the time without stopping. It allows the heater to operate at full power for the entire time, possibly reducing the drying time. However, it also has a risk of damaging the cloth as the temperature can rise over the limit. Option 2 shows the heater being controlled by the Arduino. It can turn off the heater to avoid overheating and conserve energy when it is not necessary. However, controlling the heater requires quite complex circuits and code.

Figure 6. Heater circuit

Circuit drawing	Actual photo of the circuit

The heater circuit is directly connected to a 24V AC power supply without being converted into DC, as the direction of flow in the heater does not change its function. The heat generated from the heater is transferred by the wind from the fan. Control of the heater is done based on the temperature and humidity value measured by the DHT11 sensor.

Temperature and Humidity Sensor

The DHT11 temperature and humidity sensor provide temperature and humidity data for controlling the components and to display on the LCD screen. It uses a capacitive humidity sensor to measure the relative humidity and a thermistor to measure temperature. It could measure temperature ranging between 0-50°C, and humidity range of 20-80%.

Figure 7. DHT11 circuit

Figure 8. Placement of DHT11 from back of the drum

DHT11 sensor is powered by 5V DC from Arduino. Pins 1 and 4 are connected to the power rail on the breadboard, and a capacitor is connected between two pins to filter any small fluctuation of voltage. Pin 2, which is a signal pin, is connected to digital input 2 on Arduino. When the dryer turns on and starts the drying sequence, it reads humidity in percentage and temperature in Celsius and Fahrenheit.

Extra Feature

Table 3. Alternative design for the extra feature
alternative design	cost(construction)	effectiveness	heat lost
Weight (%)	33	33	33
alternating drum motor	1	1	3
pause mode (after opening the door)	1	3	2
stop mode (after opening the door)	1	1	3
lighting inside drum	2	1	2

Table 5 shows the options for the extra feature considered during the design stage. The alternating drum motor, door detector and drum lighting were considered, and each design was evaluated using a weighted decision matrix(WDM).

Alternating drum motor

This mechanism works by reversing the rotation of the drum to dry the cloth evenly. However, the difficulties of making DC motor to reverse and similar effectiveness with conventional drum drive gave this feature a low point for the cost and effectiveness.

Pause mode and stop mode

Works by detecting the door opening and either pausing or stopping the dryer. As these options eliminate unnecessary operation of electrical components, it was given high points for effectiveness and heat loss. However, as the dryer should operate for the time entered by the user, the stop mode option was dropped.

Lighting

Installing the LED inside the drum was considered for user comfort. However, limited space available inside the drum due to piping and components such as sensor made it harder to install.

Limit Switch

Figure 9. Limit switch circuit diagram (initial plan)

At the initial stage of the design planning, the limit switch was considered to implement pause mode in the dryer. The flap of the limit switch was placed in a hole in an acrylic wall and pressed by a door to give a return signal to the Arduino, thus, detecting the opening of the door. However, difficulties in soldering small components and the low durability of the limit switch led to the use of different methods.

Figure 10. Circuit diagram of push button

The alternative choice used a push button instead of the limit switch. The basic principle is the same with the limit switch, however, a significantly bigger size prevented it to place inside the whole which was designed to locate the limit switch. Therefore, the pushing mechanism was redesigned so the latch of the door can press the button inside the dryer.

Servo motor

Figure 11. Servo motor circuit

The Servo motor is used for the pop-up control panel mechanism. The servo enables the LCD and scroll wheel to be elevated at a certain angle, which is programmed to 60°.

The servo motor is powered by the 5V DC from Arduino via the power rail in the breadboard. The controlling of the motor is done by the signal pin, which is connected to the analog pin 1(A1)

.

Placement within dryer

Table 4. Design evaluation
Design 1	Design 2	Design 3
Design option 1	Design option 2	Design option 3
Pros: Provide entire back wall for other components Prevent wire falling off	Pros: Provide entire bottom penal for other components	Pros: Can separate the space for circuit Most wires can be prevented from falling off Can change the entire circuit by opening only one side of the dryer
Cons: Piping going over the Arduino can make it harder to change the connection	Cons: Wires can easily fall off	Cons: Risk of wire falling off from the Arduino still remain

To place the Arduino and breadboard inside the dryer, three layouts were considered. Option 1 shows the placement of both Arduino and breadboard on the bottom penal. It provides secure holding of both components and wires but with a cost of difficulties of maintaining. Option 2 has the advantage of allowing the entire bottom penal can be used for different components, however, as Arduino and breadboard are mounted vertically, wires are prone to falling off. Option 3 provides good accessibility to the circuit by placing it all on the left side of the dryer, making it easier to maintain. However, wires connected to the Arduino can fall off easily as it is still mounted vertically.

Control Programs

Revised Flowchart

The flowchart above shows the step of electrical circuit program. a while loop is used to evaluate time remaining, then, the motor, fan, and heater in turned on. the heater is on earlier, so temperature can increase before the the fan blow the wind to the drum. At the end of the time, heater, motor, and fan is turned off.

Performance result

Table 5. Performance evaluation
Component	Performance
Drum motor	Operating
Fan	Operating, installed in opposite direction
Heater	Operating
Limit switch	Not installed, part broken
Servo motor	Operating, overloaded by weight
Electrical code	Operating, Arduino resetting due to overloaded components

Recommendations

Fan

Although the fan is blowing in correct direction, both installed direction and direction of rotation was in opposite, causing inefficient operation. To fix this issue, the fan must be reversed and change the polarity of the circuit to change the direction of rotation.

Limit switch

The limit switch was broken while soldering, and did not have and extra parts. Therefore, it can be improvised using other components with similar function. Currently, pushbutton is being used to detect the door.

Servo motor

As the servo motor does not provide enough power to lift up, stronger motor can be used. If the stronger motor is not available, changing the location of motor can be done to generate stronger torque.

Electrical code

During the test running, multiple components seems to got overloaded by the weight and frictions, causing Arduino to reset while working. To prevent this, the power distribution to components can be coded again.

Mechanical Design

The mechanical sub-team is responsible for air intake, heating it, flowing it inside of the drum and releasing it back to the environment. During this process, mechanical sub-team is also responsible for drying the clothes with changing these variables; speed of the drum, amount of hot air flowed inside of the drum, temperature and humidity.

Requirements

Functions:

Drum: The device to place and dry the clothes
Drum drive: System to rotate the drum, in order to dry the clothes evenly.
Motor support: 3D printed device that used for placing and holding the motor.
Air duct: Mounting the fan and heater.
Designing shape of the lint filter and the heater holes.
Heat Exchanger: Completing the hot air circulation.
Lint Filter: Filter devices to reduce dirty air to the heat exchanger and copper tube.

Objectives:

Drum should rotate fast enough to dry the clothes.
Energy efficiency should be as high as possible.

Constraints:

Temperature sensor should be inside of the drum, so there is limited place to mounting the temperature and humidity sensor
Limited space for putting the motor and connecting it with the drum
The capacity of the dryer must be at least 0.5 L and is able to dry a cotton handkerchief with a size of 15 × 15 cm (± 3 cm).

The Design

Drum Size

In our design drum has been made of metal plate. Measurements of the drum are:

the height is 6.5 cm and the radius is 10 cm. During our design process we have reached the required size, which is 0.5 L.

For calculating the volume we used V = Lπr² . V is volume, L is length and r is radius.

Also, chain and gear design is better compared to the belt system & the helical gear system. One of the reasons is in the chain design, the gear is attached very well to the chain and unlike the belt design, the chain system can not slip around the drum.

Drum Drive Selection

We generated three drum drive designs as shown below:

Table 1. Drum drive selection
Belt System	Helical Gear System	Chain System
Belt system	Helical gear system	Chain system
Pros: - Easy to design - Low Friction	Pros: - No need for much space - Low noise - Low material used	Pros: - Flexible positioning - Less pressure around the drum - High speed
Cons: - Belt can slip - Low durability of the belt - Put pressure on the drum	Cons: - High friction - Need specific angle between gears - Perfectly accordance - Relative number of teeth - Better design required	Cons: - High Noise - Needs high-quality and good designed chain

We used a weighted decision matrix to compare the three designs.

Drum Assembly

Drum Drive Drawing

Table 2. Weighted decision matrix for selection of drum drive
Category	Weight	Belt System	Helical Gear System	Chain System
Rotation motion	0.25	1	2	3
Material used	0.15	3	2	1
Durability	0.35	1	2	3
Simplicity	0.25	3	2	1
Total	1	1.8	2	2.2

The "Chain Sytem" design had the highest score and was selected.

Besides designing the drum assembly, some extra feature such as drum baffles were added to increase the rotary motion of the clothes. This rotary motion may increase the amount of heat that kept in the clothes, resulting in reducing the time of drying.

Motor Support

The final design for motor support has two floor, both of them are rectangular and supported with four columns. All parts are 3D printed. First floor has two holes for screws that can be stabilized to the bottom floor of the structure. Second floor is the stand for motor to rest. With second floor, we have particular height that is helping us to connect the sprocket to the motor. With aid of chain, motor can easily rotate the drum.

Table 3: Design Evaluation
Design 1	Design 2	Design 3
Motor support design 1	Motor support Design 2	Motor support Design 3
Pros: - Able stabilize the motor	Pros: - More flexible space to hold the motor - Provide some space for the rotation of the motor	Pros: - Strong to hold motor in place - Give enough space for motor
Cons: - The stand is too thin to hold the motor	Cons: - The design is still too thin	Cons: - The motor still touches the drum

Motor Support Drawings

The Motor Support

The Top Part of The Heat Exchanger

Heat Exchanger Top

Heat Exchanger is used to control the flow of the heat between two or more air condition. In our design, we use concurrent flow, which is the material flow and the airflow in the same direction.

Temperature and Humidity Sensor

We decide to put the position of the temperature and humidity sensor above the heater holes. So, the sensor can calculate directly the temperature and humidity of the air inside the drum.

The Air Duct

Table 4: Sensor Positioning Decision
Positioning 1	Positioning 2
Sensor mounting design 1	Sensor mounting design 2
The sensor can measure the temperature and humidity of air inside the drum accurately There is a small possibility for a water drop touching the sensor	The sensor can measure the temperature and humidity of the condition inside the drum. The water from the clothes can touch the sensor, causing the sensor reading inaccurate

In the designing the air duct, the holes for heat air flow were modified based on some consideration of some design alternatives.

Heat Air flow holes

The holes of the main air duct need to be designed to make the amount of the heat flowing through the drum.

Design Alternatives of Heat Air Flow
Design 1	Design 2	Design 3
Heater holes design 1	Heater holes design 2	Heater holes design 3
Smallest amount of flow Only providing vertical airflow	Large amount of air flow No air rotation	Large amount of air flow Creating rotation air flow

Design 3 was chosen because the design give the most heat air flow into the drum, which can create more energy efficiency. The designed holes can make the rotation circulation, which increase the drying system inside the drum.

Lint Filter

Lint filter is a device that filter the air that flowing through the copper wire, resulting the clean air flow inside the heat exchanger and copper tube. Additionally, the lint filter also reduces the potential of damages in the machine due to dirty air.

Table 5: Lint Filter Design Alternative
Design 1	Design 2
Lint filter design 1	Lint filter design 2
Pros: - Can collect the dirt from the drum - Removable	Pros : - The design collect the dirt easily - Removable
Cons: - The dirt may be messed by the rotation of the drum	Cons: - Reduce the volume of the drum

Design 2 was selected for the easiness in remove and plug the lint filter for the dryer.

Recommendation

During this process we have faced a lot of problems and limitations. Main problem that we have faced a lot is 3D printer fails. It starts normally but after a while, something breaks it. Most of the time, wrong ".gcode" file, software of the printer, not putting support causing this problem. To solve this problem mechanical sub-team's suggestion is, always check the gcode file, make sure every piece(s) has placed inside of the borders of 3D printer and check the progress as much as possible.

Motor support design:

The motor still have contacted to the drum, which makes the reducing of the rotation speed. This also contribute to the restarting of the arduino uno due to higher load. To solve this, the drum can be smeared with some lubricant or oil to increase the rotation speed.

Chain system:

There are still a lot of friction provided by the chain and the sprocket. In the future, the sprocket can be more thinner and the design of the chain is used to be too fit to the sprocket. This design makes the rotation stuck in the middle and needs to be tight when assembly in the real life.

Air duct design:

The modified air duct design was printed with lots of support, making the lint filter design to be removed. More advanced design is necessary to reduce this fail.

Structural Design

Requirements

The structural team is engaged in developing the enclosure (Aluminum extrusion frame), openings or holes, door and latch, as well as other exterior enhancements for the Energy Recovery Clothes Dryer, in accordance with the specified requirements.

Functions

The structural sub-team's purpose is to design the outside structure for the whole Energy Recovery Clothes Dryer which able to:

protect the inner mechanism of the dryer while effectively insulate the generated heat by utilizing the enclosure.
give access for removing clothes from the drum, proper ventilation for air inlets and outlets, screw holes and space for the pop-up control panel mechanism.
Trap the heat inside the drum while ensuring the clothes remain securely contained.
serves as a convenient and ergonomic user interface for controlling and monitoring the dryer's settings and operations by the use of the pop-up control panel mechanism.

Objectives

Our design objective is to consider the following aspects:

Highly secure frame and structure.
Convenient and user-friendly operation by appropriate control panel positioning.
Effective and optimum heat insulation at the enclosure and door.
Adequate space to collect water.

Constraints

The design of the enclosures for the dryer is limited by its size and the components it need to accommodate:

The dimensions of the EneRec Dryer must not exceed 250 x 220 x 300 mm.
The prototype can only be constructed using either the provided material or 3D printed parts due to limited sources of material.

The Design

Enclosure

Table 1. Enclosure prototypes and final design
Prototype 1	Prototype 2	Prototype 3	Prototype 4
Enclosure Prototype 1	Enclosure Prototype 2	Enclosure Prototype 3	Enclosure Prototype 4
Pros: Ergonomic design	Pros: Ergonomic design Lightweight	Pros: Ergonomic design	Pros: Ergonomic design Retains the maximum dimensions to ensure optimal functionality. Sophisticated and stylish aesthetic, enhancing its overall appeal.
Cons: Decreases the dimensions of the dryer, potentially impacting its functionality. Involves welding and the use of multiple brackets, adding complexity to the installation process.	Cons: Decreases the dimensions of the dryer, potentially impacting its functionality. The printing process for this design is time-consuming. Requires a significant amount of material.	Cons: Disrupts the drum rotation mechanism.	Cons: Requires additional support

Table 2. Weighted Decision Matrix of the Enclosure
Criteria	Weight	Prototype 1	Prototype 2	Prototype 3	Final Design
Functionality	0.3	2	2	1	3
Appearance	0.2	1	2	2	3
Dimension	0.5	1	1	2	3
Total	1	1.3	1.5	1.7	3

Al Extrusions Drawing

After carefully evaluating the weighted decision matrix, Prototype 4 emerged as the optimal choice for our final design. It not only offers exceptional functionality but also maintains the original appearance, enhancing the dryer's overall sophistication. Furthermore, it ensures that the dimensions remain intact, preserving the functionality of other features. Therefore, based on these considerations, Prototype 4 has been selected as our preferred design.

Openings/Holes

The EneRec dryer machine features multiple openings or holes distributed throughout its sides.

Table 2. Different kinds of openings for each panel
Back Panel	Bottom Panel	Side Panel (Place of Water Tray)	Top Panel	Popup Panel
Figure 6. Back Panel	Figure 7. Bottom Panel	Figure 8. Acrylic water tray	Figure 9. Acrylic Top	Figure 10. Popup Panel
Function: The back panel supports the heat exchanger and gives enough amount of circulation for air and provides a power supply cable opening.	Function: The bottom panel securely holds the motor supports and air duct, which were built by the mechanical sub-team and feature 8 screw holes for attachment.	Function: The side panel is designed to provide ample space for the water collection tray, and ensuring proper air circulation.	Function: The top acrylic panel serves the purpose of holding both the servo motor and the popup panel, which are connected by a hinge.	Function: The pop-up panel acrylic is designed for attaching user interface components such as an LCD display, scroll wheel, LED, and buzzer.

Door and Latch

Door

Table 3. Door prototype and final design
Prototype 1	Prototype 2
Figure 11. Prototype 1	Figure 12. Final door design
Pros: Can be used for left and right hand user	Pros: Easy to attach to the acrylic surface, simplifying the installation process. Provides a snug and secure fit when closing, effectively preventing heat loss from the drum.
Cons: Inadequate insulation Both doors need to be opened, which may pose accessibility challenges. The installation requires two hinges to ensure proper functionality and stability.	Cons: Left-handed users may face difficulties in operating the device.

Table 4. Weighted Decision Matrix of the door
Criteria	Weight	Protoytpe 1	Prototype 2
Insulator	0.5	2	3
Accesiblity	0.2	3	2
Functionability	0.3	2	3
Total	1	2.2	2.8

we have determined that prototype 2 surpasses prototype 1 in terms of its exceptional insulation capabilities. The enhanced insulation properties of prototype 2 provide superior thermal regulation, ensuring optimal energy efficiency and temperature control. This is particularly important in maintaining the desired internal environment and preventing heat loss or gain, resulting in reduced energy consumption.

In addition to its functional advantages, prototype 2 boasts an aesthetically appealing round design that closely resembles the appearance of a real-life dryer machine door. This visually pleasing aspect of the design enhances the overall appeal of the product, providing a sense of familiarity and reliability to users. The round shape not only complements the aesthetic of the dryer machine but also contributes to its ergonomic usability, allowing for effortless and comfortable operation.

Considering all these factors, we confidently declare prototype 2 as our final design for the door mechanism. Its remarkable insulation capabilities, seamless integration with acrylic, and visually appealing round design make it the ideal choice for ensuring energy efficiency, durability, and user satisfaction.

Latch

Table 5. Latch prototype and final design
Prototype 1	Final Design
Figure 13. Latch prototype	Figure 14. Latch final design
Pros: Offers exceptional security with a robust locking mechanism Conveniently designed for easy opening from within the drum	Pros: Simple and effortless to open Provides a robust and secure locking mechanism Simple design that is easy to create and does not require excessive materials
Cons: Requires significant effort to pull up, which may be challenging for some users The 3D printed design is not flexible enough, which affects its performance.	Cons: Dependence on latch holes of precise dimensions for proper locking

After carefully evaluating the pros and cons of both design options, Design 2 is chosen as the final design. The secure locking mechanism offered by Design 2 is of utmost importance to ensure the effective insulation of the drum and prevent any hot air from escaping. This is crucial in maintaining the desired temperature inside the drum and optimizing the overall performance of the system. Additionally, Design 2's simplicity and ease of creation, along with its minimal material requirements, make it a practical and cost-effective choice. Although Design 2 relies on latch holes of precise dimensions for proper locking, careful attention during the manufacturing process can address this dependency. Considering the critical need for secure locking to insulate the drum and prevent heat loss, Design 2 emerges as the preferred option for the final design.

Water Collection Tray

Figure 15. Water Collection Tray

The water collection tray design has an ergonomically engineered handle that facilitates effortless and efficient emptying of the tray. This allowing individuals to quickly and conveniently dispose of the collected water. This feature is particularly advantageous for wall-mounted dryers. By incorporating this user-friendly aspect, the design prioritizes convenience, functionality, and independence for users, making it an ideal choice of water collection.

Extra features

Pop-up Control Panel Mechanism

Figure 16. Drawing of Pop-up control panel mechanism prototype

The pop-up control panel mechanism presents an innovative advancement in panel placement, achieved through the collaboration of the structural and electrical sub-teams. It offers an ergonomic design that provides the convenience of easy operation with a simple plug-in of the power cable.

Prototype 1

The functionality of this design relies on a pulling mechanism, wherein a rod is utilized to facilitate movement when the door is opened. As the door is opened, the rod pulls the pipe along a specific path. Conversely, when the door is closed, the rod loses its tension, allowing the pipe to descend. The design incorporates four moving rods, serrated bars, a pipe, a top bar, and various screws and joints.

Final design of Pop-up control panel mechanism

This final design mechanism utilizes a carefully calculated angle, allowing users to effortlessly set up and monitor the LCD and control panel. The panel smoothly elevates when activated and seamlessly lowers itself when the dryer machine starts. It incorporates several essential components, including two pusher bars, a servo motor, a servo motor support, and two hinges, all working in harmony to deliver optimal functionality.

Figure 17. Pop-up control panel mechanism front view	Figure 18. Pop-up control panel mechanism with a bent view	Figure 19. Pop-up control panel mechanism side view

Table 6. Comparison between pop-up mechanism prototype 1 and the final design
Prototype 1	Final design
Figure 20. Pop-up mechanism prototype 1	Figure 21. Pop-up mechanism final design
Pros: This mechanism has a strong pulling tension due to the use of rod	Pros: Offers ample space for accommodating user interface components like LCD, buzzer, LED, etc. Provides an ergonomic design with the flexibility to adjust the degree as needed.
Cons: The available space for UI components is inadequate. There is only a single option for selecting the degree. The application of the servo motor mechanism presents challenges and complexity in implementation.	Cons; The pushing mechanism by the servo motor is not stong enough

After thorough examination and careful deliberation, Design 2 has been selected as the ultimate choice for our final design. The decision is primarily based on several compelling factors. Design 2 excels in providing ample space to accommodate essential user interface components such as LCD, buzzer, and LED, ensuring their seamless integration. Moreover, its ergonomic design allows for convenient adjustment of the degree as per specific requirements. Although there is a drawback concerning the servo motor's pushing mechanism, the overall benefits and advantages offered by Design 2 outweigh this limitation, making it the preferred option for our project's completion.

Recommendations

There are two limitations in our design that need to be addressed. Firstly, the 3D-printed hinge differs from the Solidworks design, highlighting the importance of not relying solely on the Solidworks assembly. Due to variations in the actual printed part, it is crucial to incorporate a small excess dimension to account for these differences. Incorrect measurements can also contribute to a poorly functioning printed design. Secondly, the strength of our pop-up mechanism is insufficient to effectively push the entire control panel. To overcome this, we recommend considering the utilization of DG01D-A130 Gear Motor instead of a servo motor, as it offers superior power and performance. By addressing these limitations, we can enhance the functionality and reliability of our design.

Another important suggestion is to pay attention to the correct drill size when creating holes. Using the appropriate drill size is crucial to ensure that the screws fit properly. If the drill size is too small, the screw won't fit, while if it is too big, the screw won't tighten the metal part securely. Moreover, when working with acrylic and utilizing laser cutting, it is essential to avoid overheating. Overheating can lead to excessively large holes, compromising the integrity of the design. Careful control of the laser cutting mechanism and maintaining the proper heat settings will help ensure precise and accurate hole sizes in the acrylic material. By following these recommendations, we can achieve accurate hole sizes and optimize the overall functionality of our design.

User-Interface Design

The main purpose of the User Interface sub-team is to write the main code for users to interact with the EnerRec Dryer. The program will follow certain instructions given by the user. The hardware used to execute and display their commands are: 1 scroll wheel, 2 LEDs, and 1 LCD.

Requirements

Functions

The functions of EnerRec dryer that the User Interface sub-team should achieve are:

1. That the EnerRec dryer must be able to interact with the user accordingly to choose between drying functions and be able to configure it settings

2. To display the commands and navigate through the commands properly.

Objectives

The User Interface sub-team's objectives are to:

1. Make a function to detect if the door was opened anytime during the drying.

2. Produce a sound when the cycle has started/ended, when the door is opened, and when a button is pressed.

3. Light up different colored LEDs for when the cycle has finished and when the door is opened.

Constraints

The constraints for the User Interface sub-team are:

1. The LCD is limited to a 20x4 screen.

2. There are only two modes (Preset and Manual) allowed.

3. Limited power consumption (24V AC, 40 VA).

4. Constrictions in setting time to 60 min, temperature to 60, and humidity to 80%.

5. Limited amount of materials available in the lab.

The Design

Hardware Layout

Table 1 shows the different hardware layouts that could be used. In layout 1, the LCD screen is placed on the left, the scroll wheel placed in the center, and the LEDs and Buzzer placed in a vertical line on the right. In layout 2, the LCD screen is placed in the center, the scroll wheel placed on the left, the LEDs placed above the LCD screen, and the Buzzer placed on the right. In layout 3, the LCD screen is placed on the left, the scroll wheel placed in the center, and the LEDs and Buzzer placed in a horizontal line above the scroll wheel. In layout 4, the LCD screen is placed on the left, the scroll wheel placed in the center, the LEDs placed in a horizontal line above the scroll wheel, and the buzzer is placed below the scroll wheel in the centre.

Table 1. Different hardware layouts
1	2	3	4

To finalize the final hardware layout, we used three parameters which are: easy to use, aesthetic, and least space. These parameters were then given weights according to its importance with easy to use being the highest, aesthetic the second higher, and least space being the lowest. As can be seen from Table 2, the final hardware layout used is layout 4 because it is the most easy to use, takes up the least space, but is not aesthetic.

Table 2. Weighted Decision Matrix
	Weights	Layout 1	Layout 2	Layout 3	Layout 4
Easy to Use	0.50	3	1	2	4
Aesthetic	0.35	4	1	2	3
Least space	0.15	1	3	2	4
Total	1.00	3.1	1.3	2	3.7

Operating Sequence

When the power supply is connected, the pop-up screen will go up and a loading screen will be shown. Immediately, the screen changes to the Welcome screen and asks the user to press the centre button. After the user presses the centre button, the screen changes to the Menu screen which asks for the user to choose between the two drying functions which are: Preset and Manual. The user can use outer buttons to toggle between the two options. To choose the drying function, the user should press the centre button.

LCD Loading Screen

LCD Menu Screen

If the Preset function is chosen:

After choosing the preset function, the screen changes to the confirm screen which asks the user if they want to continue with the drying. The options given are Yes and No. To toggle between the Yes and No options, the user can press all the outer buttons and to choose the option press the centre button. If the No option is selected, it goes back to the welcome screen. If the Yes option is selected, then the drying starts.

If the Manual function is chosen:

After choosing the manual function, the screen changes to the manual screen where the user can set the temperature, humidity, and time of their choice using the outer button. To select one of the options, press the centre button.

1. If the temperature option is selected, the screen changes to the temperature screen where the user can select the temperature. The different temperature options are Normal, Warm, Hot. To toggle between the three options, the user should use the outer buttons. To select a certain temperature, use the centre button. After pressing the centre button, screen returns to the manual screen.

2. If the humidity variable is selected, the screen changes to the humidity screen where the user can select the humidity. The two humidity options are humid and dry. To toggle between these two options, the user should use the outer buttons. To select a certain humidity, use the centre button. After pressing the centre button, screen returns to the manual screen.

3. If the time variable is selected, the screen changes to the time screen where the user can select the time. To increment and decrement the time, use the scroll wheel. After choosing the time, press the centre button. After pressing the centre button, screen returns to the manual screen.

LCD Manual Screen

LCD Temperature Screen

LCD Humidity Screen

LCD Time Screen

After setting all the variables, the user should press the outer buttons to go the ready option. The user should press the centre button after going to ready option. After choosing the ready option, the screen changes to the confirm screen which asks the user if they want to continue with the drying. The options given are Yes and No. To toggle between the Yes and No, use the outer buttons. To choose the answer, press the centre button. If the No option is selected, it goes back to the welcome screen. If the Yes option is selected, then the drying starts. When the drying starts, the screen immediately changes to the drying screen and continues till the time is finished. After the drying finishes, the final screen is displayed which tells the user that the drying is finished and asks the user to rate the service given by the dryer. To rate the service, the user should use the scroll wheel to change the values. After rating the service, the screen changes depending upon the rating given and goes back to the welcome screen.

LCD Confirm Screen

Program Flowchart

To read the centre button, we have to use an interrupt function to properly detect when the button was pressed. Two interrupt functions that could be used were the attach.Interrupt() function and the MsTimer2. In Table 3, the advantages and disadvantages of the two interrupt functions are shown. Therefore, we have concluded to use the MsTimer2 interrupt function to detect the button presses.

Table 3. Advantages and Disadvantages of Interrupt Functions
	Advantages	Disadvantages
attach.Interrupt()	Reads the value of the certain pin when it changes Only activates at a certain mode	Only reads one pin Only reads the desired value May activate multiple with one button press
MsTimer2	Keeps on interrupting every assigned time Can read multiple pins at once	There is a required time to activate the interrupt function

Program Flowchart

Additional Features

For the User-Interface sub-team, we have used additional features in both Hardware and Software. The features used are listed below.

Hardware

The additional features used for hardware are: Scroll wheel, LED'S, and Buzzer.

Table 4. Hardware additional feature
No.	Features	Purpose and functioning
1	Scroll wheel	The purpose of the scroll wheel is to navigate the LCD screen properly. The scroll wheel has five buttons and a rotary encoder.
2	LEDS	The purpose of using the LEDs is to show when the drying is complete or when the door is opened.
3	Buzzer	The purpose of the buzzer is to play a sound when a button is pressed, play a tune when the drying is complete and play a warning sound when the door is open.

Comparison of the scroll wheel and buttons

Table 5. Advantages and Disadvantages of different user inputs
	Advantages	Disadvantages
Buttons	Does not need a library. Takes up fewer Pin numbers on the Arduino board	Use different buttons to include all of the functions Takes up a lot of space. Limited amount of buttons available.
Scroll wheel	Takes up less space Has multiple functions in one single area.	It takes up a lot of Pin Numbers on the Arduino board Needs a library

The user input that we chose was the scroll wheel since the buttons takes up more space .

Software

Close door function

The purpose of the close door function is to check if the door is closed or not and if the door is open it should give a warning.

Rate our Service

The purpose of the rate our service is to ask the user to input how our dryer was working.

Scrolling text

The purpose of this function is to make the text on the LCD scroll to the left and back.

The code is used from a video. Link to the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbGuXnqwYWU

Performance Results

The table below shows the performance results

Table 6. Performance results
Component	Performance
LCD	Operating
Scroll wheel	Operating, but the solder connecting the pin and the wire of down button came off
LED's	Not Operating
Buzzer	Operating
Overall Code	Operating, but the Arduino kept on resetting due power distribution not done correctly in the code to the components

Recommendations

To make this project into a large scale project, the Arduino board used could have more processing power as the Arduino UNO board tends to heat up a lot, more advanced technology technical equipment can be used, and the equipment used can be more sturdy.

Appendices

PDF Drawings

Assembly Drawing: Assembly Drawing of Team 1.pdf
Parts Drawing: File:Solidworks Part.pdf

Gantt Chart

Gantt Chart - Team 1

Test Drying Video

Arduino Code

File:UI team and Electrical team Code.docx

Rendering Images

Assembly Final Clear 1

Front View Rendering

References

About Us

Sub-Teams Information


Documentation
Raina Arlesti - Documentation Sub-team of Team 1 Name: Raina Arlesti Position: Documentation Sub-team Welcome to our Wiki page! I am Raina, the one and only member of the documentation sub-team of team 1! I am the one who formats the team's main wiki page, assembles all the drawings from the dryer designs, creates the presentation slides and renders the design to make it seems realistic. It might sound complicated at first, but as I learned about things, I realize that I can push my potential over the limit.
Electrical
Delvin Gilbert - Electrical Sub-team of Team 1 Name : Delvin Gilbert Position : Electrical Sub-team I am Delvin, contribute to programming and circuit in electrical part. as an electrical sub team, there is a lot of challenges related to circuit that I met. from this project, I have learn a lot of skills, especially electrical component and work in team. I hope I can implement this skill in the working environment.	Jihyeok Song - Electrical Sub-team of Team 1 Name: Jihyeok Song Position: Electrical Sub-team I am Jihyeok, a member of the electrical sub-team of Team 1. I am responsible for most electrical components of our energy recovery dryer. I contributed to building and maintaining the electrical circuit to function under every condition. Although it was a challenging project, I used it as a chance to expand my knowledge in the electrical field.
Mechanical
Tagmac Dolak - Mechanical Sub-team of Team 1 Name: Baransel Tagmac Dolak Position: Mechanical Sub-team Hello everyone, I'm Baransel Tagmac Dolak. I'm using my middle name, which is Tagmac. In the mechanical sub-team, I have designed some of the components inside of the dryer, motor support, heat exchanger top etc. Mechanical is not what I can do only. I also help user interface sub-team too. My help is mostly ideas. Other than that, I'm dealing with the general problems we have faced during our dryer is working. I'm providing ideas, solutions and helping with the placing the parts inside of the drum.	Dies Haditsa Putra Nursadih - Mechanical Sub-team of Team 1 Name: Dies Haditsa Putra Nursadih Position: Mechanical Sub-team I am Dies, a member of the mechanical sub-team, which basically designs the component inside the drying machine, such as drum drive, motor support, motor sprocket, chain, drum baffles, and sensor mounting. Besides that, I contribute a lot in providing ideas for the structural sub-team as well. I learned that once you focused on something, you will master that field easily.
Structural
Alqeshira Najma Feyza - Structural Sub-Team of Team 1 Name: Alqeshira Najma Feyza Position: Structural sub-team Hello everyone! My name is Alqeshira, a proud member of the Structural Sub Team for the VANT 151 Capstone Project. Being a part of this team was an incredible experience that allowed me to fully utilize my passion and abilities. My main focus was on designing the outer part of the Enerec Dryer, which greatly improved my collaboration skills with other sub-teams, ensuring the seamless integration of all components. In this role, I acquired invaluable knowledge in brainstorming designs, honed my skills in Solidworks, and gained expertise in utilizing engineering hardware and machinery. Furthermore, I came to recognize the paramount importance of creativity and critical thinking in the field of engineering, especially in the realm of design.	Sultan Misbahi - Structural Sub-team of Team 1 Name: Sultan Misbahi Position: Structural sub-team My nickname is Sultan and im the team leader in this group project. Where im basically responsible to arrange group meeting, supervise my group progress, etc. Besides that im also contribute as one of structural team member, where im designing the outer part of the dryer such as door, AI extrusion frame, arranging place for UI display, and also other openings such as water tray.
User-Interface
Sharvari Dhuri - User-Interface Sub-team of Team 1 Name: Sharvari Dhuri Position: User Interface sub-team Hi! My name is Sharvari, and I am part of the User interface sub-team responsible for ensuring smooth interaction between the user and the dryer. One of the tasks that I did was to write the code for the LCD screen. While working on this project, I acquired many new skills, such as soldering. In all, working on this project was an enlightening experience.	Maico Lin - User-Interface Sub-team of Team 1 Name: Maico Lin Position: User Interface I am Maico, one of the two people in charge of writing code for our dryer and designing some of its hardware. I contributed in designing the code to help read the buttons that are pressed and show its commands through the LCD. I also helped in providing ideas and solutions to problems for any failures and resets from the Arduino board. Being part of the User Interface team I have learned to be more adaptable to the different changes that need to be done in case one of the functions don't work, and learned how to observe and resolve these issues. The code designed for the dryer has undergone through a variety of changes from its original contents, and can be seen to have alternative methods or improved functions to make the user experience better.