Date of Award

Fall 2023

Document Type

Open Access Thesis

Department

Mechanical Engineering

First Advisor

Austin Downey

Abstract

Efficient and continuous monitoring of water quality parameters plays a pivotal role in responding to pollution incidents and ensuring the safety of both human consumption and ecological resources. This research introduces an affordable and dependable in-situ water quality sensor package designed for seamless continuous monitoring, providing essential data to facilitate informed decision-making in water resource management. The sensor package enables comprehensive on-site assessment of key water characteristics, including pH, temperature, turbidity (measured in NTU), and total dissolved solids (TDS, measured in ppm). Spatial interpolation techniques, specifically Kriging, are employed to extrapolate variable values at unobserved locations based on nearby measurements. To guarantee the system's durability and reliability, the microcontroller, electronic components, and battery are encased within a sealed transparent PVC tube to safeguard against water exposure. An outer water-resistant cap securely seals the non-submerged portion of the probes, augmented by an additional layer of resilient resin to provide enhanced protection against water ingress during operation. Furthermore, the integration of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) equipped with electromagnetic deployment mechanisms represents a significant advancement in data collection. Embedded within UAV systems, this technology streamlines the deployment of sensor packages in previously inaccessible or challenging terrains. The electromagnetic deployment mechanism ensures precise and focused sensor placement, a crucial factor in Kriging, which relies heavily on accurate data points for spatial interpolation. This innovation accelerates data collection and enhances data reliability, fundamentally reshaping our capacity for informed decision-making in safeguarding the environment and effectively managing resources. To mitigate sinking and simplify retrieval, flotation equipment is incorporated into the package design. Rigorous benchtop testing confirms the precision of the pH, TDS, and temperature sensors. A comparative analysis with industrial sensors, notably those from VIVOSUN renowned for their accuracy, reveals minimal error percentages between our sensor package and these industry-standard counterparts. Specifically, the error percentages for pH, TDS, and temperature sensors are recorded at 1.36\%, 5.26\%, and 0.8\%, respectively, underscoring the reliability and accuracy of the sensor package in field-based water parameter monitoring. Additionally, a comprehensive power management assessment demonstrates that the in-situ water quality sensor package is capable of continuous operation for an impressive duration of 32 hours and 48 minutes. Field testing of the in-situ water quality sensor package involved collecting data from six strategically positioned sampling points within a stationary pond. We employed Kriging for spatial interpolation to generate water quality maps, which illustrated a uniform distribution of measured parameters across the sampled area. Notably, pH values ranged from 6 to 6.7, turbidity varied between 11 and 18 NTU, TDS values spanned from 44 to 51 ppm, and the temperature fluctuated between 22.8 and 24.6 degrees Celsius. These findings highlight the sensor package's potential for monitoring water quality in larger surface water bodies, providing an invaluable tool for environmental stewardship and resource management.

Rights

© 2024, Mohamed Abdelwahab

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