7/19/2016 AirCoolerWaterPumpGuard

AirCoolerWaterPumpGuard

Compact,submersiblewaterpumpsaremostlyusedonaircoolers,aquariums,andfountains.Ifthepump
runsoutofwaterandcontinuestooperateanissueknownasdryrunningitcanbecomedamaged.
Thiscircuitprotectssubmersiblewaterpumpsfromdryrunningwiththehelpofassociatedlevelelectrodes.
Thecircuitdetectstheabsenceofwaterandmonitorsthewaterleveltopreventdryrunningfromoccurring.

InsideElectronics
Thewaterpumpguardelectronicsconsistoftwolevelelectrodes,awaterleveldetector,anelectromagnetic
relay,andtherelaydrivercircuitry.Supportingcomponentsarenecessarytopreventrestartingifthepump
guardisusedinturbulentwater.Therecommendedsupplyvoltageis5V.Whileitispossibletoruntheunit
offofahighervoltage,minormodificationisrequired.Thefinishedelectronicscanbehousedintoa
minusculecase(thelevelelectrodes,formedfromtwoshortlengthrigidcopperwires,passoutthroughthe
case).Dontforgettowaterproofthecase(andjoints)usinganysuitedepoxyadhesive.

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Asyoucansee,theelectronicsuseareadilyavailableandverylowcost555ICastherelaydriver.Although
the555ICisnormallyusedasatimer/oscillator,itisalsoverywellsuitedforrelaydrivingapplications.The
output(pin3)canbothsourceandsinkcurrentupto200mAandtheinternalflipflopistriggeredbetween
itstwostatesbyinternalcomparatorsconnectedtothetwosensinginputsonpins2and6.Whenthesepins
aretakentoavoltageabove2/3ofthesupplyvoltage,theoutputswitcheslow(0V)whentheyaretaken
below1/3ofthesupplyvoltage,theoutputswingshigh.Asthe555ICcanhappilyworkat5V,itisgoodfor
drivingasmall5Vrelaycoilfroma5Vdcsupplyvoltage.

Dryrunningishighlydangerousforsubmersiblepumps.Motorsofsubmersiblepumpsaredesignedfor
runningunderwater.Theyalsousewaterasaheattransfermedium.Ifthewaterlevelgoesdownandthe
pumprunsdry,themotorgetsoverheatedandburnsout.Forprotectionagainstdryrunning,asensingprod
(levelelectrodes)isusuallyused.Itisimmersedinwater,slightlyabovethelevelofthepump.Whenthe
waterleveldropslowerthanthesensingprod,itisexpectedtotripthepumpguard.Becausethisapproach
hassomelimitations,theundercurrentdetectiontechniqueisoftenusedasanalternative.Itispossibleto
offerprotectionagainstdryrunningbysensingthemotorcurrent,whichchangesduringdryrunning
conditions.Ifsuitabledevicesareusedtosensethemotorcurrent,thenitispossibletoprovidereliable
protectionagainstdryrunning.

TheUndercurrentDetectionTechnique

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Anelectricsubmersiblepump(ESP)isadevicewhichhasahermeticallysealedmotorclosecoupledtothe
pumpbody.Thewholeassemblyissubmergedinthewatertobepumped.Submersiblepumpspushwater
tothesurface,asopposedtojetpumps,whichhavetopullwater.Notethatwecanalsodetectthedryrun
conditionofasubmersiblepumpwithoutusingthelevelelectrodesjustbymeasuringthemotorcurrent.
Sincethemotordrawslittlecurrent(undercurrent)indryrunningsituations,itisnotverydifficulttoriga
circuittoswitchthemotoroffwhenapresetundercurrentvalueisreached.Thegreatadvantageofthistrick
isthatthedesignusesthemotoritselfasasensoranddoesnotneedanyadditionalexternalsensorslike
thelevelelectrodes!

Withalittletinkering,youcanuseanyreadymadeac/dccurrentsensormoduletofollowthisundercurrent
concept.Fortunately,reasonablypricedsimplecurrentsensormodulesandfullfledgedcurrentsensorsare
nowavailablefromvariousvendors.Thefirstone(left)inthenextfigureisafullfledged50Aaccurrent
sensormodulewithanoutputrelay.Thesecondone(right)isabreakoutboardforthefullyintegratedHall
EffectbasedlinearACS758currentsensor.TheACS758outputsananalogvoltage(40mV/A)thatvaries
linearlywithsensedcurrent.Thesetypesofdedicatedcurrentsensorsenableyoutomonitorloadcurrentin
yourwaterpumpguardsystemfordeviceprotectionpurposes.

However,ifyouarelookingforacheapaccurrentmeasurementforthisapplication,hereisawell
documentedprojectbasedontheMCP6282dualrailtorailopamp.TheMicrochipTechnologyInc.
MCP6282operationalamplifier(opamp)provideswidebandwidthforthecurrent.Thischiphasa5MHz
GainBandwidthProduct(GBWP)anda65phasemargin.Italsooperatesfromasinglesupplyvoltageas
lowas2.2Vwhiledrawing450A(typ.)quiescentcurrent.Additionally,theMCP6282supportsrailtorail
inputandoutputswing,withacommonmodeinputvoltagerangeofVDD+300mVtoVSS300mV.

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