WhirlpoolDispenserCup

MichiganStateUniversity
SeniorDesign
ECE480,Team8
Spring2015

ProjectSponsor
Whirlpool

ProjectFacilitator
DeanAslam

TeamMembers
DanielSun
GaoXin
HongYiShen
ConnorGrossman
DanielGomez

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TableofContents

ExecutiveSummary
1. Background
2. DesignApproach
TechnicalSummary
1. CustomerRequirements
2. Microcontrollers
3. PowerSupply
4. Sensors
DesignStages
1. 3DModeloftheDispenserCup
2. ActiveBandpassFilters
FastDiagram
ProjectManagement
1. TechnicalResponsibilities
2. NonTechnicalResponsibilities
3. GanttChart
Budget
Conclusion/Recommendation
References
Appendix

1.ExecutiveSummary

1.1Background

WhirlpoolCorporationisoneofthelargestwashingmachinemanufacturers.Its
headquarteredinBentonCharterwhichisatownshipinMichigan.TheCompanywas
foundedonNovember11,1911.Attheverybeginning,itwasasmallcompanythat
producedelectric,motordriven,wringerwashers.Withthescienceandtechnology
developingrapidly,mostfamilieschoosetouseawashingmachineathomeinsteadof
doinglaundryoutsidewashingbyhandordrivingtothelaundromat.Sotherigid
demandofhavingahouseholdwashingmachineincreasedrapidly.Whirlpoolgrowing
fastandbecomingoneofFortune500company,havinganannualrevenueofabout
19billiondollars.Theyhavemorethan70manufacturingandtechnologyresearch
centersintheworld.Howeverathenewproblemalsocameup,whichishowtouse
theleastenergytowashtheclothclean.Beingenergyefficientandtobe
environmentallyfriendlyaretwobigproblemsforthemanufacturer.Inaddition,with
thefossilenergybeingscarce,thegovernmentandmanyenvironmentalprotection
organizationsarepressingthisissue.EnergyStarisaninternationalstandardfor
energyefficientconsumer,itwascreatedin1992bytheEnvironmentalProtection
AgencyandtheDepartmentofEnergy.Itaimstoencouragethemanufacturerto
designthemostenergyefficientproduct.WecanseetheEnergyStarlabelonmostof
whirlpoolproductsonthemarket.Thelabelshowshowmuchenergyandmoneyitcan
saveacustomereveryyear.Forthecustomer,theytakethisintotheirconsideration

whentheychoosetheproduct..Now,manycompanieslikewhirlpoolarewillingtofund
theresearchtofindamoreeconomicallyfeasiblewaytoreduceenergycost.

1.2DesignApproach

Theaimofthisprojectistoprototypeacompletelyfunctional,yetindependant,
dispensercup.Theindependenceofthissystemmeansthatnocontactpadsor
harnessescanbeusedinbetweentheapplianceandthedispensercup.Ourdesignwill
notbestreamlinedintothemarket,butrather,itsaproofofconceptthatthe
requirementssetbyWhirlpoolarefeasibleandcanbeusedinfutureworksrelatingto
ourproject.
BycombininganLEDandaphotoresistorsensorwecandetectwhenaliquidis
placedinoneofthecupsonthedispenser.Alongwiththesensors,therewillbea
bandpassfilterthatisdifferentforeachcupsensorforincreasedaccuracyandmore
reliability.Itisleftuptotheusertopourthecorrectcontentsintothespecifiedcuporthe
systemwillnotwork.Inadditiontothesensor,thesystemmustprovideitsownpower
sinceitmustbeindependantfromtheappliance.
Asolarcellontheoutsidefaceofthedispenserwillalwaysbeexposedtothe
environmentandconvertlightinthesurroundingareaintoenergyusedtochargea
battery,whichinturn,powersthesystem.Anotherfeatureistomakethesystem
independant.Thiscanbedonebyimplementingwirelesscommunicationbetweenthe

applianceandthedispensercup.Usingawirelesstransceiver,theapplianceand
dispensercupcancommunicatewitheachotherwithouttheuseofcontactspadsor
harnesses.
Thelastfeatureofthesystem,isuserfriendlyLEDstoindicatewhichcupsneed
tobefilleddependingonwhatcycletheuserselects.Thistiesintotheconceptof
wirelesscommunication.Theuserwillselectacycletheappliancewillthenwirelessly
communicatethatcycletothedispensercupandfromtheretheLEDslightupthe
appropriatecups.

2.TechnicalSummary

2.1CustomerRequirements

Thecustomerhasafunctionaldispensercupwithcontentdetectionthatuses
LEDsandsensorstodetectwhichdispensercuphasaliquidorpowderinit.Fromthere
theywishtodeterminetheactualsubstancebasedonwhichcupwasfilled.Tomake
theappliancelowercostandmoreefficient,thecustomerhasaskedustoimplement
wirelesscommunicationsbetweentheappliancecontrolunitandthedispenser.The
dispensersaremostlyusedinwashingmachineapplianceswhichtendtovibratealot,
makingwirelesscommunicationakeyfactorforthedispenserandappliance.Another
taskistoimplementLEDstolightupwithcertaincyclesofthewashingmachineare
selectedsotheuserknowswhichcupneedstobefilledinordertoperformthatcycle.
Wirelesspowerisanotherfeaturethatmustbeimplementedinthedispenser.Allofthis

istomakethedispenserphysicallyindependentfromtheappliancecontrolunitsothat
thedispensercanberemovedandcleanedifneeded.Overalltherearethreetaskwe
needtoaccomplish:
1. Tohavetheappliancecontrolunittellthedispenserwhichcupsneedto
befilledandhaveittelltheuserviaLEDs
2. Topowerthedispenserindependently
3. Wirelesscommunicationbetweentheappliancecontrolunitandthe
dispenserforfuturefeaturesofthesystem

2.2Microcontrollers

Themicrocontrollerthatwillbeusedfortheinitialandtestingstageisthe
EZ430RF2500.Thismicrocontrollerconsistsoftwoseparableboardsthatconnect
togetherwhentheyarebeingprogrammed.Bothboardsareidenticalandcanperform
thesametask,soeachboardcanactasatransceivertosendinformationbetween
eachother.Thismicrocontrollerwasselectedforthetestingphasebecauseofitsease
ofuseanditswirelesscapabilities.Oneoftheboardswouldbeplacedinthemain
systemwhiletheotherisplacedinthedispensercup,allowingforeasyandreliable
communicationbetweenthetwo.However,oneofthedesigngoalsistokeepcoststoa
minimum,toreducecostsitwouldbenecessarytochangemicrocontrollersasthe
EZ430RF2500provestobeveryexpensive.
Onewaytoreducethecostisbyusingacheapermicrocontroller.Amicrocontrollerthat
meetsthiscriteriaistheMSP430G2553.Theonlyproblemwiththismicrocontrolleris

thatitdoesnothavethewirelesstransceivertocommunicatewiththemainsystem.
Thereforetheteamhasimplementedanewtransceiver,CC2500.Thiswillimplement
thewirelesscommunicationpartofthesystem.Theteamwillhavetocodethewireless
communicationofthedeviceswhichisoneofthedisadvantageswhencomparedtothe
EZ430RF2500.

2.3PowerSupply

Oneofthemaincustomerrequirementsisforthedispensercuptobe
selfpowered.Aspreviouslymentionedtheremustbenocontactpadsorcables
betweenthemainsystemandthedispensercup.Oneofthefirstsolutionstheteam
cameupwithwastoflowcurrentthroughacoilinthemainsystem,thenthiscoilwould
propagateanelectromagneticfieldthanwouldbereceivedbyacoilplacedinthe
dispensercupthiswouldinducedvoltageontothesecondcoilandwouldwirelessly
powerupthedispensercupsystemwithouttheneedofcontactpadsorcables.
However,themorevoltagethatwasneededinthesecondcoilthenthebiggerthecoils
wouldhavetobe.Thisprovedtobeaschallenge,astheproposedcircuitryneedsa
decentamountofvoltageandcurrent.Anotherdisadvantageisthedistancethatthe
voltagecanbetransferredisreallyminimal,whichmayormaynotbeanissueinour
design.Insteadofthisidea,theteamoptedforadifferentmethod.
Thenextmethodwillaccomplishedthetaskbyusingasolarcell,thissolarcell
wouldnotbethemainsupplyorthesystem.Itwouldbeusedtochargeabatterythat
wouldactasthevoltagesupplierfortherestofthecircuit.Thenthemainvoltageinthe
supplywouldbesteppeddowntogetthevoltagesthatarenecessaryinthecircuits

shownon(figure231),thesearethe3.3Vtopowerthemicrocontrollerandthevoltage
dividerand5VtopowertheLEDusedinthesensorand9VforthebankofLEDsthat
wouldlettheuserknowwhatcupstofill.

Figure231

2.4Sensors

Theoverallgoalofoursensorsystemistodetectthecontentsthatareplaced
insidethecups.WeplanonusingaphotoresistorandanLEDtoaccomplishthis.On
onesideofthecuptherewillbeanareafortheLEDtoshineandtheothersidewill
haveanareaforthephotoresistortobeexposedtothelightoftheLED.Oncethe
photoresistorisexposedtothelighttheresistancechanges.Indarkness,theresistance
isreallyhighandviceversawhenexposedtobrightlight.Withcontentsinthecupwe
canmeasurethevoltageacrosstheresistor(figure241)atthattime,thenusea
microcontrollertodetectthisvoltageandtellthedispensercupthattherearecontents
init.Thisvaluewillbedifferentdependingonthematerialthatsisthecup.

Figure241

3.DesignStages

3.13DModeloftheDispenserCup

TheDispensercuphasthreelayerswithdifferentfunctions,whenassembled
togetheritcreatesthedispensercup.Thedispensercupcontainsthreecupsfor
detergent,bleachandsoftener.Also,therewillbethreeLEDsbesideseachcupinthe
firstlayer.Inordertodecreasethewasteofdetergent/bleach/softener,aunflatcup
bottomhasbeendesignedasthesecondlayer.Thebottomlayeristostorethe
microcontroller,batteryandothercircuits.Thereisalsoacommonpathfor
detergent/bleach/softenertogothroughtothewasher.


Figure3.11FirstLayer


Figure3.12SecondLayerTop

Figure3.13SecondLayerBottom


Figure3.14BottomLayerTop

Figure3.15BottomLayerBack


Figure3.16AssembledDispenserCupTop

Figure3.17AssembledDispenserCupRight

3.2ActiveBandpassFilter

Anactivebandpassfilteristobeimplementedwiththesensors.Thesensorsin
ourdispensercupareusedtodetectwhencontentsarepourintothecups.Aresensors
willbesensitivetolightduetothephotoresistorinthesensordesign.Thismeansthat
ambientlightfromtheenvironmentaroundthedispensercupwillcontinuouslybeaffect
thevalueofthephotoresistors.Tosolvethisproblemwearegoingtointegratethree
differentbandpassfilters(figure321),oneforeachcup.Thisshouldmakeoursensors
lesssensitivetoambientandoverallmakethemmorereliable.
Thereasonweneedthreedifferentbandpassfilterisduetothefacttheeach
liquid(detergent,bleachandfabricsoftener)willrefractthelightofthebrightredled
differently,whichyieldadifferentwavelength/frequencyforeachliquid.Aftercalculating
howeachliquidchangesthelightwecanstartdesigningthefilters.Allabandpassfilter
isahighpassfilterandalowpassfilterinseries.Youfirstdesignthehighpassfilterto
takecareofthelowendofyourfrequencyrange.Afterchoosingalowendfrequency
(f1)andavalueofC1useequations321,322&323tosolveforallotherunknown
values.

R1 = 1/(2 * * C 1 * f1)
Eq.321
R2 = 1/(22 * * C 1 * f1)
Eq.322
C1 = C2
Eq.323

Thenextstepistodesignthelowpassfilterbypickingthehighendofthefrequency
range(f2),pickC1,anduseequations324&325.

C2 = C1 * 2
Eq.324
R1 = R2 = 1/(22 * * C 1 * f 2)
Eq.325

Finally,thelastthingtodoistofigureoutCoutbutthatiseasilysolvedbytakingavalue
thats1001000timeslargerthanC1.

Figure321

4.FastDiagram
Thefollowingfunctionanalysissystemtechnique(FAST)showstherelationships
betweenselectingawashingcycletoactuallystartingthecycle.Eachboxrepresentan
actionthatshouldhavehappenedandeachboxbeforeandafteritaretheactions
beforeandafter.

5.ProjectManagement

5.1TechnicalResponsibilities

Name

Responsibility1

Responsibility2

Responsibility3

SelectionofParts
andOrdering

Research

Prototyping&
Refinement

DanielSun

Photoresistors

DesignApproaches

Building/Testing
Prototype

ConnorGrossman

RGBLEDS

ActiveBandpass
Filter

Building/Testing
Prototype

DanielGomez

Microcontroller

PowerSupply/
VoltageDivider

Programming
Microcontroller

HongYiShen

Rechargeable
Battery

Background
Material

Programming
Microcontroller

GaoXin

SolarCell

Detergent/Softner/
Bleach

Building/Testing
Prototype

5.2NonTechnicalResponsibilities

Name

Responsibility

DanielSun

ProjectManager

ConnorGrossman

DocumentationPreparation

DanielGomez

LabCoordinator

HongYiShen

PresentationManager

GaoXin

ProjectWebmaster

5.3GanttChart

6.Budget

Parts

Cost

20pieceof50100kohmphotoresistors

$4.22

9VBattery

$9.65

SolarCell

$6.95

RGBLEDS

$9.95

Microcontroller

Varies

Detergent/Bleach/Softener

$40~

3DModelprinting

Varies

Total

Varies

7.Conclusion/Recommendation

TherecommendationthathasbeenprovidedistousetheEZ430RF2500
microcontrollerthroughthetestingstagesalongwithourdesign.Ifcostneedtobe
furtherreduced,WhirlpoolwillneedtoconsiderusingtheMSP430G2553alongwiththe
CC2500Transceivers.

8.References

9.Appendix