WEEK 26 (FYP SEM2) 29 OCTOBER 2012

TITLE: Designing portable feeder : Installing solar panel with the bag

OBJECTIVE: To create new design of feeder which is in portable bag : Issue on
                          installing  the Solar Panel

CONTENT/PROCEDURE:

This Auto Feeder has been upgrade into new design which is in Portable bag. All the equipment involve will be install in the portable bag including the solar panel. The feeder has been upgrade into Portable bag to make it more easier to use by the pet owner who wish to bring their pets together during the vacation as well as to make it easier to be locate in any places in the house if the they did not want to bring their pets together during the vacation.  This design enable the user to locate the feeder indoor or outdoor.

ANALYSIS/ RESULT:

The solar panel is attach on top of the outside bag. The solar panel is attach via stand which can be folded in any form of degree position. When the feeder is operating, the solar panel that attach behind the feeder can be fold in 15 degree position. For indoor use, the solar panel can be removed and install outside the house.

solar panel attach on top of the bag

Solar panel has stand that can fold in any position

CONCLUSION

This design serve to add the function of the feeder as portable feeder.


" ...With ALLAH blessing, plus with Supervisor guidance, plus with Family support, plus with Friends advise, I know I will do my best to finish this project, INSYAALLAH..."

WEEK 25 (FYP SEM 2)   29 OCTOBER 2012

TITLE: Testing Timer circuit

OBJECTIVE: To construct and Test Timer circuit for feeder

CONTENT/PROCEDURE:

 The timer Circuit has been constructed based on the diagram below. The component use as shown are PIC 16F84, buzzer, relay, transistor C547, voltage regulator, (10Kohm, 1Kohm,220 Ohm) resistors, capacitors, diodes, switch, 7-segment, 74HCT164 and LEDs.

schematic diagram of Timer

schematic diagram of timer

ANALYSIS/ RESULT:

This timer is design with alarm setting. The timer will display the current clock in hour and minutes and the alarm can be set to eight different time. For additional, this timer also can display days from Sunday to Saturday. This timer circuit has four main button which is T for time adjustment, A for alarm adjustment, + for incremental digit and - for decremental digit. The switch on/off will enable or disable the alarm.

For the circuit operation, the time is adjust to current time using the T button and + and - button. To set an alarm, the A button is pressed and the alarm can be set using + and - button and press T button to end process of setting an alarm. 

Clock display in hour and minutes

Alarm 0 until Alarm 7

Setting day Sunday to Saturday

For this feeder, the alarm is set for eight different time starting from 8:00 a.m, 11:00 a.m, 02:00 p.m, 05:00 p.m, 08:00 p.m, 11:00 p.m, 02:00 a.m, and 05:00a.m. 

Alarm time set

CONCLUSION

The timer circuit is functioning and consider as success.


" ...With ALLAH blessing, plus with Supervisor guidance, plus with Family support, plus with Friends advise, I know I will do my best to finish this project, INSYAALLAH..."

WEEK 24 ( FYP SEM 2)     28 OCTOBER 2012

TITLE: Battery as back up supply and Water pump for pets

OBJECTIVE: To give the feeder backup supply and adding water pump to feeder

CONTENT/ PROCEDURE:

For the backup supply, this feeder use Rechargeable battery GP Power. This Sealed Lead Acid Battery serve 12V with 7.2AH. The time for battery to run the load simply known by dividing the Amp Hour of the battery with the Amp Hour of load use.

Rechargeable Battery

 As for the water pump, the water pump use now is AC water pump. For now, this water pump remain as additional features as it required other sources as the main source of this feeder use DC supply. To be use in DC, an inverter circuit is needed to supply to the water pump using DC supply. For now, the water pump just remain as additional feature and may be upgrade in future with the use of inverter.

AC water pump

ANALYSIS/ RESULT:

The battery serve as backup perfectly. The water pump is submersible pump and when running create little fountain which in turn could attract the pets to use the feeder. The video shows how the pump is working.

 CONCLUSION:

The  part of the Feeder like water pump, blade and motor, battery and supply is running smoothly for now.


" ...With ALLAH blessing, plus with Supervisor guidance, plus with Family support, plus with Friends advise, I know I will do my best to finish this project, INSYAALLAH..."

WEEK 23 (FYP SEM 2)          28 OCTOBER 2012  

TITLE: Designing new blade for Auto Feeder

OBJECTIVE: To create the new blade to overcome the weaknesses of exist blade

CONTENT/ PROCEDURE:

The exist blade before result in many weaknesses and difficulty. When the motor is running, the blade did not run smoothly and having difficulty to push and drop the foods. The first blade which made up from perspex is not efficient as it is easily broken into pieces. The one with pipe design blade is not run smoothly and the metal blade also facing the same problem. 

broken perspex blade

ANALYSIS/RESULT:

So, as to overcome the problem, the blade has been design in auger shape and being attach into the pipe. For this trial, the first auger blade is create using perspex but in the end it turn out to be like before, easily broken and not so smooth.

perspex auger blade

 Thus, the auger blade is design using metal so that the quality is better and can last longer. When the motor is being attach to the metal auger blade, the food dropping process running smoothly.

metal auger blade

metal auger blade inserted in pipe

CONCLUSION:

The dropping process now running smoothly and consider a success.

" ...With ALLAH blessing, plus with Supervisor guidance, plus with Family support, plus with Friends advise, I know I will do my best to finish this project, INSYAALLAH..."

WEEK 22 (FYP SEM 2)          28 OCTOBER 2012  

Title : Changing to a new motor

Objective : The existed motor is being replace by the new capable one

Content / Procedure : 

The existed motor cannot run the blade smoothly as required. This due to quantity of foods that need to withstand when running the blade. The existed motor cannot withstand the weight and thus the dropping process of foods did not achieve the target. 

Analysis/ Result

Thus, the motor has been replace with the new one which is DC Geared Motor as shown below. The DC Geared Motor has high value of torque as compared to the existed one and thus can withstand the weight and when being tested, it run the blade smoothly and perfect the requirement. 

DC Geared Motor

Conclusion

As a conclusion, the high torque motor can withstand the weight better. 

 " ...With ALLAH blessing, plus with Supervisor guidance, plus with Family support, plus with Friends advise, I know I will do my best to finish this project, INSYAALLAH..."
 

WEEK 21  (FYP SEM 2)            19 OCTOBER 2012

TITLE: Designing stand for the container


OBJECTIVE: To design a stand that act as base for the container


CONTENT/ PROCEDURE:

For this Pet Auto feeder, the stand is needed as to place the food container and allowing the dropping process of the foods. Besides, as the motor is being attach at the bottom of the container, the stand is needed to ensure the motor to be running smoothly.

motor attach to container

The rod attach at the motor has been modified to have the screw features in order for it to be attach to the blade. Using this way, the motor will run the blade smoothly and more efficient.

screw features rod

ANALYSIS/ RESULT:

The stand of the container has been design like a tripod stand. This way is chosen in order for the stand to become more balance and can withstand the weight of the container.

stand for container

container with stand

CONCLUSION:

When the blade is attach, the blade did not run smoothly with the motor due to the food's weight factor. Thus, I need to design a new way of dropping food to overcome this problem.


" ...With ALLAH blessing, plus with Supervisor guidance, plus with Family support, plus with Friends advise, I know I will do my best to finish this project, INSYAALLAH..."

WEEK 20 (FYP SEM 2)               15 0CTOBER 2012

TITLE: Testing and Record Result of Solar Panel

OBJECTIVE: To test and measuring the Voc and Isc of Solar Panel

CONTENT/PROCEDURE:

As I am using Solar Panel for my project, I need to record the performance result of my solar panel regarding the voltage and the current measured. For my project, I am using 20Watt solar panel.

solar panel

The solar panel has been located at the field where there is maximum intensity of sunlight. The solar panel has been connected to multimeter in order to measure the voltage and current reading.

measuring voltage and current

ANALYSIS/ RESULT:

The data has been collected at different degrees starting from horizontal, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75 and vertical. For this purpose, the reading is measured from 0900 a.m to 0300 p.m. The reading at 1000 a.m as shown:

reading measured at 1000 a.m

                      
                            

CONCLUSION:

The highest reading obtained at 0100 p.m which at that time the sun expose highest sunlight intensity.

" ...With ALLAH blessing, plus with Supervisor guidance, plus with Family support, plus with Friends advise, I know I will do my best to finish this project, INSYAALLAH..."

WEEK 19 (FYP SEM 2)               15 0CTOBER 2012

TITLE: Construct and Testing Solar Charger Circuit

OBJECTIVE: To construct and testing Solar Charger Circuit

CONTENT/PROCEDURE:

Solar charger circuit is one of the essential part in this project. The function of Solar Charger is to regulate the power flowing from a photovoltaic panel into rechargeable battery.Other than that, it's also help in limiting the energy supplied to the battery by the PV array when the battery becomes fully charged. It is very important as it prevent battery from overcharge or over discharge. For this solar charger circuit, I get the circuit diagram while doing some research on the internet.

Solar Charger Circuit Diagram

ANALYSIS/ RESULT:

The circuit is constructed based on the above diagram. The component involve are heat sink, circuit terminal connector, potentiometer, schottky diode, Lm317T, resistors and capacitor. The circuit constructed as shown below:

Circuit constructed

Unfortunately, as I am testing the circuit, the circuit did not functioning well. In other words, this circuit cant be used and I had to design another solar charger. I try to do some troubleshoot to this circuit and maybe it happen due to the problem while soldering the circuit.

CONCLUSION:

The remaining days is passing really fast and I must finish this solar charger matter within this week.

" ...With ALLAH blessing, plus with Supervisor guidance, plus with Family support, plus with Friends advise, I know I will do my best to finish this project, INSYAALLAH..."