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Analyzing and Redesigning Housing for Pressure and Temperature Sensors

In this project a potential leak proof housing was designed for a Blue Robotics Pressure and Temperature Sensor. These sensors are deployed at the ocean during weather events to help measure damage and coastal changes. The previous housing had leaked upon deployment, so no data was collected. The previous housings were put together and tested in a water tank so try and find potential causes for the leakage. When tested in the tank, it was later found that this was due to loose screws between the lid and body, along with the possible use of too much o-ring grease. Since these were easily fixable problems and they weren’t structural issues, the base model housing was kept. A divider was added to the interior of the housing to separate the battery and circuitry compartments. SolidWorks and a 3D printer were used to create non-functional models of the new housing with the divider. The purpose of the model was to see how the two chambers could be connected the best with no way from water to get from one side to the other. In the future to continue this project, a true model could be made out of the materials used in the deployed housings. This would include an acrylic casing, the actual BRPTS, a bulkhead in the divider to connect the two chambers, and o-rings. If successful, this model wouldn’t exactly be less prone to leaking, but if leakage did occur at the top or bottom lid, only one of the internal components (either the circuitry or the battery) would be damaged instead of both of them being compromised. A protective case for the circuitry could also be added internally so that the circuitry wouldn’t get damaged should the housing take an impact from debris when deployed in the field. Overall, the proposition of adding separated chambers to the housing should improve the design, but this has yet to actually be tested.

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