Enclosure Design

Figure 6: Prototype construction & assembly schematics 
Figure 7: Testing apparatus with final assembly schematic  

Materials

  • (10) Water (45 Oz)​
  • (1) Arduino Temperature Sensor $100-160
  • (10) 18"x2"x1/2" Foam Board 
  • (5) 2'4"x2'4" Plywood $6-30
  • (9) 2"x2"x2' Wood $6-30
  • (1) Indoor Heat lamp (250 W)​
Fasteners:
  • (40) Screws 2" 
Tools:
  • (1) Table Saw
  • (1) Drill & (2) Drill Bit
  • (1) Plywood Sheet Saw
Test Material: 
  • 50 Pounds - Sand $4.58/50 LB
  • 50 Pounds - Gravel $19/50 LB
  • 50 Pounds - Dirt $17.98/50 LB

 Enclosure Construction & Product

Figure 8: Photos of me constructing the testing apparatuses  

Preliminary Testing Errors

Figure 9: Prototype construction & testing errors to be reconciled for final testing
Error: Due to the weight of the sand & not enough fasteners the box has begun to spread apart
Repair: Add more fasteners to the box panels
Error: Removable panels are two tight to be removed when filled with sand
Repair: Add 1/4" Tolerance between 2x2's
Error: No closed seal on roof of the box
Repair: Add rubber seal strip

Controls (electronics)

Electronic controls consist of an Elegoo Uno R3 and a series of wires controlling a DHT Sensor to measure & Log temperature & humidity. Using the Arduino coding software I created a code to use the built-in serial monitor to log data (Code Provided Below).
Figure 10: Arduino wiring diagram & schematics