UW Sensors, Energy and Automation Lab (SEAL)

A wireless sensor system for detection of air leaks

This student team will work to develop practical system with a minimum of two accelerometers that can communicate wirelessly to detect leaks in air lines. The system the student team will work to create should detect vibrations caused by the leak and send a warning signal to a central unit. The performance goals this student team will work to achieve include: - deviation from a linear response no more than 0.5% across its measurement range, - Noise level less than 20 µg/sqrt(Hz) - Cross-axis sensitivity below 2% . This student team will work to the following project parameters: - The student team will work to source individual accelerometers and wireless communication modules and construct a full system. - The student team will work to add data acquisition and signal processing. - The student team will work to minimize size, weight, and cost The student team will first work to conduct experiments with simulation vibrations (does not have to be an air leak). Next, the student team will work to conduct experiments with actual air leaks to get the base line. Finally, the student team will work to conduct a basic double-blind study to see if the system can detect real-life air leaks.