For this weeks project, I'm going to give an update post on my automated mushroom growing system.
I've had some delays due to a lack of necessary electrical components, but I think that is almost over. I started constructing the box with the idea that I would cover one side of each panel with cling wrap, and then secure it with hot glue. However, it was finicky and tedious, so I decided to go with aluminum foil instead, as you can see here:
Once I had wrapped all the panels in tinfoil, I needed to connect them together again, so I used more hot glue as it fills gaps pretty well. I also cut a hole in one of the panels, and glued on a piece of Plexiglas:
Next, I needed to start working on the electronics. I used a website called circuito.io to create a schematic using the components I was going to use. Note that the servo would be used to control a potentiometer that used to be connected to my dads soldering iron, and, with my dads help, I will connect the potentiometer to a hot glue gun I deconstructed. I am using a potentiometer instead of a relay to control its temperature because a relay isn't continuous in how it varies power. This means that the hot glue gun heating element would either be on, or off. This is O.K, but it means that the element would get pretty hot sometimes. In the case of a potentiometer, however, I would be able to right code that keeps the element at just the right temperature all the time, instead of bouncing up and down. This increases the safety of the system. As for the relay in the diagram, it will control whatever device I use to create humidity in the box. I was planning to use my dads old electric kettle, but I am worried about the capacity of the relay I was given by my teacher, Rachel. It has ratings on the front for DC and AC. I would be using the AC part. It says "10A 250VAC" and then "10A 125VAC". This worries me, as the kettle I would be using has a 2500 watt rating. This means that, because wall power is 120 Volts, it must use 20.83 Amps. I'm not sure if the relay can handle it, because the "10 A 250VAC" does suggest it can handle 2500 Watts, but I'm not sure if it's interchangeable like that. If it isn't possible to use that kettle, I will have to find some other device with lower power usage. I just ordered a supersonic humidifier on Amazon for that purpose, but it might not show up in time. Anyways, here's the schematic:
I will continue working on the project, and may have it finished by next week. If not, I will just do something else and work on it in the background.
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