Purpose

In order to find the best possible pieces to this BugTorch puzzle the team once again bench-marked.  To set this version apart from that of phase one we employed some new practices.  Once we had achieved a set of feasible concepts we set up a meeting with some experts to discus the fine details and identify some possible vendors. Using this new information in collaboration with what we had already learned from previous analysis like our functional decomposition and morphological chart we had enough to go off of and began some advanced bench-marking.  Below are several charts that detail each portion of this project deemed in need of a solution.  As we are contained by time the best possible solutions currently appear as readily available products that can be made compatible to achieve the overall goal.  Using these products will likely save sometime when it comes to debugging as starting from scratch usually takes well over the time frame we have.

Tiki Torch General Information

This chart shows the most basic characteristics of the system we are looking to map out. To adhere to most of the customer requirements these characteristics should be maintained although by using all readily available parts the cost per torch will likely exceed the ideal price.  It should be noted that infinite time and capacity do not mean they can function forever but rather in comparison to a typical torch they last much longer without need for maintenance.

Oil Level Sensing (General Ideas)

In order to actively detect the amount of oil remaining in a given torch a sensor commonly used for such is the simplest and best solution to this problem.   The below chart features a general list of sensors that the team and our experts decided would be best for achieving our goal of accurately measuring the oil level in not only the torches themselves but also the central tank that stores the bulk of the consumers oil reserves.

Oil Level Sensing (Sensors)

The bench-marking below shows specific sensors the team plans to explore in future prototypes of the system.  Some of these sensors may be too expensive or large to achieve the overall goal but looking into each of these will give the team a proper idea of what to expect in designing this system as well as future ones like it.  This insight will be invaluable for the debugging process in MSDII.

Individual Torch Power

One of the more difficult tasks we have in meeting our customers requirements is providing sustainable power to the torches without running ground wires.  This is one of the most essential goals to meet as not doing so will make the installation process complicated and remove appeal from the marketable system.  The team and our experts came to the conclusions below which outline mainly solar power as the effective solution.

Wireless Connection

Once again to avoid the use of ground wires the next simplest solution to monitoring the torch system is through wireless connections.  Identified below are several options that outline the possible wireless connections that may be used to achieve this requirement.  Designing our own board may be more effective in the long run but in order to have some tangible advancements in the term it is easier to adapt development boards to our needs.

Fuel Maneuverability

Controlling the flow of fuel in this system is very important.  If the pump system ran without check there would be overflow which could be very dangerous considering we are dealing with a flammable substance.  There are two ways the team identified to make sure the correct amount of fuel gets to the right place, without overflow. Much like a gas station pump we plan to use a mechanical valve to halt the flow of fuel in already full torches.  To move the fuel is another issue.  We need a pump that has a very slow flow rate because on average a single torch only burns one to two ounces of fuel per hour.  But, the pump needs to be able to give each torch fuel so it has to be able to apply a lot of pressure.  These two constraints make the pump very unique.  Below are some possible solutions although tests should be run on each to make sure they can achieve these standards.

Stabilizing the System

As stated by the customer this system will need to stand up to the test of time.  Our main concern is that the torches may fall over in acclimate weather causing a slew of issues for the consumer. To make sure this does not happen these simple solutions have been bench-marked.  Provided that these are readily available they will each very easily achieve this goal.

Sealing the System

In the event that the system happens upon damage or falls over we want to make sure everything is sealed properly to avoid unnecessary spills.  There are hundreds of ways to stop a pipe or tank from leaking but the team felt the options below would have the highest benefit to that goal.

Relevant Files