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gas sensing circuit help!!!!

E

ed_keropi

Jan 1, 1970
0
hi~ i'm doing one of my fourth year course projects in EE, i need to
design a transducer that can measure the CO2 level in the ocean, and it

needs to be from raw matrials, but the main problem now is that i
cannot even find the gas detector or CO2 detector in the first place,
all the things i can find on the web is already packaged, can someone
help me to identify the sensor or detector for me? it must be a raw
material~ thanks alot!! ps.. need to hand the project in in two weeks
time....please help!!
 
C

Chris

Jan 1, 1970
0
ed_keropi said:
hi~ i'm doing one of my fourth year course projects in EE, i need to
design a transducer that can measure the CO2 level in the ocean, and it

needs to be from raw matrials, but the main problem now is that i
cannot even find the gas detector or CO2 detector in the first place,
all the things i can find on the web is already packaged, can someone
help me to identify the sensor or detector for me? it must be a raw
material~ thanks alot!! ps.. need to hand the project in in two weeks
time....please help!!

Calcium carbonate (limestone). Check a tropical fish store for
materials. Offer a chem student a six of their favorite brew, and
they'll explain it to you in detail.

You might want to also google pH meters.

Possibly you can arrange to get an extension.

Chris
 
B

Bob Masta

Jan 1, 1970
0
Calcium carbonate (limestone). Check a tropical fish store for
materials. Offer a chem student a six of their favorite brew, and
they'll explain it to you in detail.

You might want to also google pH meters.

Possibly you can arrange to get an extension.

Chris

Is there different IR absorption versus CO2 level,
at a particular IR wavelength passing through the
seawater? (I seem to recall that's the principle
behind the gas-type sensors.) Then the "raw
material" could be the seawater itself. Or is there
some qualification on what constitutes a "raw material"?

Best regards,


Bob Masta
dqatechATdaqartaDOTcom

D A Q A R T A
Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis
www.daqarta.com
Home of DaqGen, the FREEWARE signal generator
 
S

Simon Scott

Jan 1, 1970
0
ed_keropi said:
hi~ i'm doing one of my fourth year course projects in EE, i need to
design a transducer that can measure the CO2 level in the ocean, and it

needs to be from raw matrials, but the main problem now is that i
cannot even find the gas detector or CO2 detector in the first place,
all the things i can find on the web is already packaged, can someone
help me to identify the sensor or detector for me? it must be a raw
material~ thanks alot!! ps.. need to hand the project in in two weeks
time....please help!!

2 weeks? How long did you have in the first place?
 
G

Greg Neill

Jan 1, 1970
0
Bob Masta said:
Is there different IR absorption versus CO2 level,
at a particular IR wavelength passing through the
seawater? (I seem to recall that's the principle
behind the gas-type sensors.) Then the "raw
material" could be the seawater itself. Or is there
some qualification on what constitutes a "raw material"?

I think he means that he needs to build his unit from
scratch using discrete parts, rather than purchasing
ready made assemblies (such as a complete commercial CO2
meter).
 
E

ed_keropi

Jan 1, 1970
0
ya, that's what i mean~ cos the problem is, i just need to find that
one part!! that sensor or detector part!!! without that, i can't do
anything....
 
B

Bob Masta

Jan 1, 1970
0
ya, that's what i mean~ cos the problem is, i just need to find that
one part!! that sensor or detector part!!! without that, i can't do
anything....

Ahh, now I think I understand: You want the sensor, but not
the whole packaged CO2 measurement instrument. Just
Google for "CO2 sensor" and you'll find plenty of hits.

Best regards,


Bob Masta
dqatechATdaqartaDOTcom

D A Q A R T A
Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis
www.daqarta.com
Home of DaqGen, the FREEWARE signal generator
 
C

Chris

Jan 1, 1970
0
Engineering Degree Jeopardy!

Category: Senior Projects for 3 semester credits and a required
course, Alex.

ed_keropi said:
hi~ i'm doing one of my fourth year course projects in EE, i need to
design a transducer that can measure the CO2 level in the ocean, and it

needs to be from raw matrials, but the main problem now is that i
cannot even find the gas detector or CO2 detector in the first place,
all the things i can find on the web is already packaged, can someone
help me to identify the sensor or detector for me? it must be a raw
material~ thanks alot!! ps.. need to hand the project in in two weeks
time....please help!!

Alex: The answer is, "You need a ____ sensor to measure CO2 levels in
salt water."

Question: Uuuh.

ed_keropi said:
ya, that's what i mean~ cos the problem is, i just need to find that
one part!! that sensor or detector part!!! without that, i can't do
anything....

(Sorry about not top-posting, Mr. Fields)

C'mon. What happens when CO2 dissolves in water? If you don't know,
ask anyone who's taken a high school chemistry class. Possibly you
might want a sip of Pepsi while you're thinking, it might help you come
up with an answer. Obviously, to measure it you'll need a ____ meter,
and to make one of those, you'll need a ____ electrode.

It's amazing that you've gotten to T-minus two weeks in your senior
project class, and you still don't know what you're going to do. More
amazing that with two weeks left, you still don't even know what you
don't know. And most amazing, you're burning literally days on a
newsgroup trying to get a clue when you've got only three hundred hours
or so (less than two weeks) left.

There comes a time when it's cruel to let someone keep suffering -- you
really should ask for an extension, arrange for some kind of
unavoidable, unfortunate, unverifiable event to happen (no clues from
me -- try alt.slacker.undergrad for advice) that will require the
department head to give you an incomplete, or just submit to the
inevitable and take your medicine as prescribed. There are worse
things in life than having to take senior projects over again. Like
getting a degree in engineering without being able to marshal
information, develop project timelines and milestones, and discipline
yourself to get things done, putting it in overdrive until you know
you're ahead of the ball, and turning the afterburners back on whenever
you get stuck. The real world of engineering will crush you. That is,
unless you have a government job lined up or are planning on working in
your daddy's firm.

It's kind of a shame -- the project could be a fairly simple and
straightforward one, based on your ____ electrode, a couple of high
input impedance, low drift op amps, a chopper for stabilization, and
the analog front end tied to a good resolution A-D conversion and a
neat digital end with a good uC to take care of the display and
housekeeping functions. Nothing bleeding edge, but definitely worthy
of an A, especially with a good manual and writeup. But less than 2
weeks just isn't enough time.

Well, you might just be able to get a proof-of-concept up and running
in that time if you don't sleep, anyway. And there's always hope for
an extension. So, against my better judgment, fill in the blanks by
looking at this:

http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/CO2/test-kits.html

and then enhance your knowledge by buying a six for a chem major today
and having them enlighten you.

By the way, your message string has umich.edu in there. Tell me you're
not from the University of Michigan. Please.

Good luck
Chris

p.s. -- When you get the thing you're looking for, buy two or three
good ones -- they die at the most inconvenient times. No cheapies or
freebies here. And buy or borrow the additional things you need and
follow the instructions for ____ electrode care and feeding. They
want to be bad, but like any good cat, they'll treat you barely
adequately if you pamper them. But also like most cats, they spend a
lot of their time wondering if there's a way to make your life
miserable when you ignore them, especially if you need both accuracy
and precision. And you will. You will. So watch out.

p.p.s -- I hope I've done you proud, Mr. Fields.
 
C

Chris

Jan 1, 1970
0
Hi, Mr. Fields. Usually not, but these are troubled times, no?

Should have read "Sorry about mixing up the posting order".

Guys like this who need someone to do their senior project for them
tend to get me irritated, and the umich.edu sent me over the edge.
That's too much -- Michigan has a first rate engineering school, and
several of the best engineers I've had the privilege of working with
and for have matriculated from there.

Either that, or it's just another troll.

There are times when you have to turn up the heat a little, if for no
other reasons than to improve the breed and to impress upon them that
their education means something. They have no business wasting it
grooving to their iPods in seminar, then coming to a newsgroup of all
places and whining with multiple exclamation points and caps when
there's two weeks left that no one is helping them.

They're needy ones, alright. Once upon a time, the needy ones were
weeded out by second semester, and shunted into beery, fun-filled
journamalism majors or back to Junior College. Especially at Ann
Arbor.

It's always a pleasure reading your posts. I just thought you might
have found it amusing that someone else had gotten ticked off here,
especially after the last few days.

Cheers
Chris
 
C

Chris

Jan 1, 1970
0
Chris wrote:
<A continuation of his diatribe and a humorous apology to Mr. Fields,
who he did not wish to offend>
Cheers
Chris

And what do you think the odds are the troll/needy one posts back and
says he still doesn't get it? ;-)

Cheers
Chris
 
B

Bob Masta

Jan 1, 1970
0
C'mon. What happens when CO2 dissolves in water? If you don't know,
ask anyone who's taken a high school chemistry class. Possibly you
might want a sip of Pepsi while you're thinking, it might help you come
up with an answer. Obviously, to measure it you'll need a ____ meter,
and to make one of those, you'll need a ____ electrode.

Chris, he doesn't need "first principles" here, he just needs to buy
a ready-made sensor from TI or somebody. The whole problem was
apparently a language issue: He was saying "raw materials" but
he really meant "sensor". Simple task with Google... why, in MY
day we had to thumb through huge "IC Master" volumes and call reps and
plead for special consideration to get a sample, or lie and say it
was for a prototype before we hit volume production. Kids have
it SOOO easy these days! ;-)

Best regards,




Bob Masta
dqatechATdaqartaDOTcom

D A Q A R T A
Data AcQuisition And Real-Time Analysis
www.daqarta.com
Home of DaqGen, the FREEWARE signal generator
 
M

Michael A. Terrell

Jan 1, 1970
0
Bob said:
Chris, he doesn't need "first principles" here, he just needs to buy
a ready-made sensor from TI or somebody. The whole problem was
apparently a language issue: He was saying "raw materials" but
he really meant "sensor". Simple task with Google... why, in MY
day we had to thumb through huge "IC Master" volumes and call reps and
plead for special consideration to get a sample, or lie and say it
was for a prototype before we hit volume production. Kids have
it SOOO easy these days! ;-)


Phone? You had a phone? I had to write letters and wait, and
wait...


--
Service to my country? Been there, Done that, and I've got my DD214 to
prove it.
Member of DAV #85.

Michael A. Terrell
Central Florida
 
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