View Single Post
Old 10-01-14, 01:08 PM   #1
SDMCF
Apprentice EcoRenovator
 
Join Date: Jul 2014
Location: Finland
Posts: 125
Thanks: 5
Thanked 35 Times in 34 Posts
Default Price-sensitive device controller

At AC's request, here is a new thread about my controller project.

Copied from the "DIY Sous Vide Temperature controller" thread:

Quote:
Originally Posted by AC_Hacker View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by SDMCF View Post
This is interesting to me because I am working on a temperature controller with design goals that are very different but maybe the hardware could be similar. You want a constant temperature and I want to control or even promote temperature fluctuations.

Initially I am controlling my freezer temperature. Our electric tariff is linked to the wholesale electricity price. This varies hour by hour, with the prices for each hour of each day published on the web around midday the previous day. My controller will grab these prices from that web page and then control the device(s) to minimise costs. So the freezer will run to a lower temperature when electricity is relatively cheap, and allow the freezer to warm up (but still keep it "cold enough") when prices are high. Eventually I hope to apply this approach to control other things, not necessarily temperature-related. Mainly for geek-appeal rather than in anticipation of huge cost savings.

I am creating my own controller based on an Arduino because I couldn't find anything off-the-shelf that I could easily modify for this purpose. When you were searching for a controller did you find any with an internet connection? Or any way of externally (programatically) setting the required temperature?
This is a really fiendishly clever and geeky project. I envy Finland for having daily energy information available for purposes such as you are engaging in. And I admire you for wanting to tackle a DIY project that will optimize energy use by using that information.

Regarding Ethernet connectivity, there are Ethernet shields available for Arduino boards.

In fact, HERE_ARE_SOME for about $10 US.

This looks to be an awesome project, please start a new thread for this and keep us informed of your work (lots of photos, code, etc.).

Depending on how deep or long you want your cycles to go, you might want to consider Phase Change Material (PCM) to chemically store and release energy, at a temperature below your sub-freezing set point.

I have discovered that large pharmacies receive shipments of vaccines in high-quality foam containers and they use PCM material for the duration of the shipping. I have asked for some of the PCM, and they have happily given it away for free... of course, I did flirt with the beautiful girl at the pharmacy counter, which never hurts when you are looking for free Phase Change Material.

Also, it is quite apparent to me that you, SDMCF, are a totally driven energy geek. There is no known cure for this condition, except even geekier projects.

Therefore, you may have SEEN_THE_PROJECT that used Vacuum Insulated Panels (VIP) to build a high efficiency, low energy loss door... If you wanted to ascend to even higher levels of geekhood, you might consider ripping out the outmoded insulation from inside your existing freezer, and replacing it with vacuum panel insulation.

Combining VIP insulated freezer with PCM and a DIY web-based Smart Energy Controller would assure you, SDMCF, a permanent place of admiration in UberGeekWorld.

Good Luck!!

-AC

SDMCF is offline   Reply With Quote