Project:Midomo test kit
Background
[Midomo] is a 3 in 1 water transport, purification and storage device that has been designed to provide a potable water supply to low-income households. It is particularly applicable in rural and urban situations where people have to travel a significant distance to collect water from sources where microbiological water quality cannot be guaranteed.
I have built several prototypes that require testing in the UK before being deployed into field trials in Kenya.
This project aims to develop testing tools that can be used in a ‘lab’ setting in the UK to gather benchmark performance data before being modified to work in a field setting to gather ‘real world’ data.
The project is split into several phases:
- Develop accurate and reliable test equipment that can be used to measure and record pressure (and speed?) data from the running system
- Run tests to gather data to characterise product performance
- Modify the equipment built in (1) to allow it to be used off-grid in a field environment
- Run equivalent tests during field trials to assess the impact of changing environment
Progress
26th April 2011
Work completed:
- Data logger shield built and tested, RTC and SD card both working
- Built 18-bit ADC breakout board
Next steps
- Figure out how to connect the 2 pressure sensors to the ADC
- Test the ADC/Data logger combination with a known analogue input (figure out how much noise there will be on the circuit - what resolution we should expect)
- Write Arduino program to run the test
- Hook up pump/filter and tubing to run first tests
Hardware
For the pressure sensing and data logging:
- Arduino [Uno]
- Adafruit [Data Logging Shield]
- Microchip [18 bit ADC] [MCP3424]
- Omega [Differential pressure sensor]
To drive the filtration system in a lab setting I’ll also need a heavy-duty motor, drive train and a frame to keep it all in place.
Expertise
I'm happy to work with other hackers on this project, especially those with an interest/expertise in:
- International development (specifically water and sanitation)
- Using any of the hardware listed above
- Running field trials/Lab based testing
Future Plans
- Expand the data logger to accept other sensor modules, to enable open-source field data collection
- Development of an open-source water quality (physical/bacteriological) testing kit for field work Project:Water Quality Test Kit
