Developing a monitoring and control system for irrigation pumping units

Whittred, Daniel (2006) Developing a monitoring and control system for irrigation pumping units. [USQ Project]

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Abstract

Production of a product with lower expenses is a situation that every farmer wants to
be in and monitoring is an important tool used to provide understanding and a record
of performance of a process. This project provides a way to monitor and log
information about the performance of an irrigation pumping unit over an extended
period of time, thereby allowing the farmer to use this data to make informed decisions
on maintenance and overall efficiency of a pumping unit.
The system consists of two main elements: a user configurable data logging station and
a second element that controls the interaction between the user and the first element.
Furthermore, each of these elements has an extended set of features as follows: The
data logging element is able to log data from a set of separate sensors with outputs
ranging from a 0-5V analogue voltage through to a pulsed signal output. It also is able
to communicate with a PC so that the information that is logged can be downloaded to
a comma-separated-variable file for further analysis in a standard spread sheeting
package such as Microsoft Excel. The interfacing element is made up of a numerical
key pad for input of information into the system and a two by sixteen character liquid
crystal display that presents the user with current readings from the sensors. There is a
system of software procedures that allows these two components be independent and
still communicate with each other thus allowing the input and display element to be in
a separate location to that of the sensors and the data logging element.
Currently, the system is able to read inputs from four separate sensors and store data
for over two months, however, these limits are both easily upgradeable to eight or
more sensor inputs and enough memory to last for over twelve months of data.

Statistics for this ePrint Item

Item Type:	USQ Project
Refereed:	No
Item Status:	Live Archive
Faculty/School / Institute/Centre:	Historic - Faculty of Engineering and Surveying - Department of Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering (Up to 30 Jun 2013)
Date Deposited:	11 Oct 2007 01:03
Last Modified:	02 Jul 2013 22:43
Uncontrolled Keywords:	irrigation; pumping units; motor sensors; microcontroller; liquid crystal display (LCD); picaxe; real time clock (RTC); EEPROM
Fields of Research (2008):	09 Engineering > 0913 Mechanical Engineering > 091399 Mechanical Engineering not elsewhere classified 07 Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences > 0799 Other Agricultural and Veterinary Sciences > 079901 Agricultural Hydrology (Drainage, Flooding, Irrigation, Quality, etc.)
Fields of Research (2020):	40 ENGINEERING > 4017 Mechanical engineering > 401799 Mechanical engineering not elsewhere classified 30 AGRICULTURAL, VETERINARY AND FOOD SCIENCES > 3002 Agriculture, land and farm management > 300201 Agricultural hydrology
URI:	https://sear.unisq.edu.au/id/eprint/2365

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