Good morning,
I'm new to the forum and I'm here specfically to ask for your advice and/or suggestions. I'm trying to design a system to control a flow of very slightly vacuumed air to a sensor through filters. This is to measure air quality in the ecosystem local to my device to quantify the presence of gases.
Currently there is only one filter in the system and I'm trying to figure out a way to introduce 3 or 4 filters in a 'bank' of sorts to be switched in and out as the previous filter degrades to extend the time between maintenance.
I've designed a kind of circular labyrinth of sorts that will be 3D printed that will guide air from the intake to an output towards a filter, and when rotated will then guide the intake to another output (and then again to a 3rd output) without any 2 outputs being used at the same time.
Where I'm struggling is to consider a component to rotate this labyrinth to allow the active output to change.
My system is powered by solar power and has a limit of 12V DC, the entire system without a motor uses about 8-10W of power and I'd like to use a motor or actuator that can be powered up to rotate the device and then be powered down. The output would be changed roughly every 6 months or so and to that end having a continuous current draw for 6 months isn't ideal when it's not being utilised.
Originally I was looking at 12v latching solenoid valves to switch the air in and out as that would avoid contamination of the air through leaks however there isn't any kind of product that can meet the needs I'm looking for.
I'm aware this is very niche so again any advice would be appreciated. I've attached 2 crude drawings to show what I'm trying to design. Any suggestions at all on ways that it could be done using very low voltage (12V DC or less), latching solenoids/pinch valves or motors or anything would be great.
Thanks,
George
I'm new to the forum and I'm here specfically to ask for your advice and/or suggestions. I'm trying to design a system to control a flow of very slightly vacuumed air to a sensor through filters. This is to measure air quality in the ecosystem local to my device to quantify the presence of gases.
Currently there is only one filter in the system and I'm trying to figure out a way to introduce 3 or 4 filters in a 'bank' of sorts to be switched in and out as the previous filter degrades to extend the time between maintenance.
I've designed a kind of circular labyrinth of sorts that will be 3D printed that will guide air from the intake to an output towards a filter, and when rotated will then guide the intake to another output (and then again to a 3rd output) without any 2 outputs being used at the same time.
Where I'm struggling is to consider a component to rotate this labyrinth to allow the active output to change.
My system is powered by solar power and has a limit of 12V DC, the entire system without a motor uses about 8-10W of power and I'd like to use a motor or actuator that can be powered up to rotate the device and then be powered down. The output would be changed roughly every 6 months or so and to that end having a continuous current draw for 6 months isn't ideal when it's not being utilised.
Originally I was looking at 12v latching solenoid valves to switch the air in and out as that would avoid contamination of the air through leaks however there isn't any kind of product that can meet the needs I'm looking for.
I'm aware this is very niche so again any advice would be appreciated. I've attached 2 crude drawings to show what I'm trying to design. Any suggestions at all on ways that it could be done using very low voltage (12V DC or less), latching solenoids/pinch valves or motors or anything would be great.
Thanks,
George
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