ECE 110/120 Honors Lab Section : Sous Vide Machine

Statement of Purpose

The sous vide machine is a device meant to accurately heat different types of food, mainly those that need to be cooked for a longer period of time. This device is an immersion circulator that can better cook through the different foods put into the machine, surrounding them with heat so that it can cover the surface area of what is put into the device. The machine will make the process of cooking more convenient, as it will be a portable device that can be dropped into different containers, and will be able to consistently remain within one degree of the desired temperature throughout its use. This accuracy present with the temperature of the food increases safety as it prevents undercooking food as long as directions are followed. A single-board computer will be used to control the device, which will give a user the ability to customize the instance in which they use the device. The container of the device will also be 3-D printed in order to better support and section the internal parts.

Background Research

When doing research for this project, we found a DIY sous vide immersion circulator created by Scott Heimendinger that employed the use of one relay, a heating element, a water pump, temperature controller, and probe, all encased inside an acrylic container. For our project, we wish to modify this initial design by developing a system that employs the use of a single board computer instead of a temperature controller that will communicate with the other parts in order to accurately achieve the desired temperature. We are also planning to use two relays to control the pump and the heating element of the device. We also wish to use 3-D printed material to encase our hardware components to better organize and divide them.

Before choosing this project, we were considering developing an automated card shuffler that would be able to be applied to different games. Compared to our current project, we decided to change the concept from a machine that deals with cards to one that manages cooking food, even though we still wish to employ user-controlled elements and a single-board computer in our new idea.

Block Diagram / Flow Chart

System Overview

User Inputs Desired Temperature: The user chooses what temperature the sous vide machine should heat the water to for their individual recipe.

Turn on the pump to circulate water: Turn on the pump to ensure the water gets heated evenly all throughout the enclosure.

Is temp prove reading desired temperature?: Continuously check if the water in the enclosure is at the input temperature.

No: Turn on the water heater: Turn on the water heater until it matches the desired temperature.

Yes: Turn off the water heater: turn off the heater until the temperature falls below the desired temperature.

Parts

Waterproof Temperature Sensor: DS18B20 Temperature Sensor; $14 https://www.adafruit.com/product/381

Single-board computer: Arduino Nano; $20 https://store-usa.arduino.cc/products/arduino-nano?selectedStore=us

Heating Element: Norapro Immersion Heater; $10 https://www.walmart.com/ip/Norpro-Heater-Imersion-60Hz-120V-300W/21782197

Water Pump: 80 GPH motor; $10 https://www.walmart.com/ip/VicTsing-80-GPH-300L-H-Submersible-Water-Pump-For-Pond-Aquarium-Fish-Tank-Fountain-Water-Pump-Hydroponics-with-4-9ft-1-5m-Power-Cord/157389422

Display: LCD; $10 https://www.dfrobot.com/product-135.html

Button Interface: Waterproof push buttons: $15 https://www.adafruit.com/product/482

Relay: $5 https://www.microcenter.com/product/617949/Single_5V_Relay_Module_for_Arduino?storeid=151

Possible Challenges

One of the challenges we foresee involves the heating element overheating and breaking as we try to use the machine. If one attempts to use the machine while the heating element is not immersed in water, the heating filament would become too hot and stop functioning. Another potential difficulty within the project is waterproofing the sensitive components. If any non-insulated electric component makes contact with the water, it would be in danger of frying itself.

References

[1] Heimendinger, S., 2021. DIY Sous Vide Heating Immersion Circulator for About $75 - Seattle Food Geek. [online] Seattle Food Geek. Available at: <https://seattlefoodgeek.com/2010/02/diy-sous-vide-heating-immersion-circulator-for-about-75/> [Accessed 19 September 2021].

[2] "DIY Sous Vide Machine with Arduino", Maker.IO, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.digikey.com/en/maker/projects/diy-sous-vide-machine-with-arduino/7fe80c05930545f39ae770bc2334f3a6. [Accessed: 19- Sep- 2021].