Tue, 11 July, 2023
The IMPHORAA project has reached another important milestone as production of the third generation water pump controller units has completed.
Project partner TWI has completed the assembly of five water controller printed circuit boards (PCBs). All components have been hand-soldered and the PCBs have been mounted to the unit’s durable enclosure, which are all fitted with rubber gaskets to keep water out of the unit.
The water pump controller units will be powered by the installed nanogrid controller that Nanoe is introducing and will be used to allow the transportation of water from ground water wells to local communal amenities. The developed water pump controller unit comprises a simple microcontroller which ensures any power reserves in the nanogrid system are never drained during operation. Software on the microcontroller detects the water levels by utilising sensors to avoid running the pumps if the water source is dry. With all these features incorporated, this unit will be a reliable and long lasting method for local communities transporting clean water.
Five functional controller boards have been currently built and will be tested and validated. The first batch of controllers will soon be shipped and installed for in-field trials. All tests are being performed using the same pumps that will be used when installed for clients. The IMPHORAA project approach and solution therefore ensures the system’s performance will be reliable and efficient for many years to come.
Figure 1. Close up image of water controller unit PCB being soldered
Figure 2. PCB Soldering
Figure 3. Finished PCBs
This project is supported by Innovate UKs Energy Catalyst Programme (funding by the Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office through their Transforming Energy Access Programme) and UK aid and was awarded as a “subsidy” under the UK International Obligations for Subsidy Control and delivered under Grant 90935 from Innovate UK
