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PHIL - Portable pH Meter for Innovative Lifestyle

As we observe to the happenings around us specially to our surroundings, our natural resources became depleted. Technology helps us to make life easier but it also can be use in sustainable development. Innovation in technology can improve the Media and Information Literacy Society in such ways that it helps us to access, analyze, evaluate, create and act from a new creation. The Owl Scientists wants to inform everyone that sustainable development can be carried out through internet and can be passed easily to anyone for them to be also informed that there are other ways to save our natural resources in our own ways.

What is PHIL?

PHIL is a tool that is composed of portable pH meter at the same time water cleanser that enables a person to check the acidity level of water and monitoring its pollution level.

How to use PHIL?

Steps in activating PHIL:

Open the on button and wait for the light to become yellow

Once the light is yellow, check the fluid’s acidity level using the ring. Wait for the ring to become full. The colour of the ring will turn into blue once the pH meter is done checking it

Look into the bracelet and check whether or not it is safe to drink. If it indicates a happy emoticon, it is safe to drink and when it is sad, it is unsafe.

Drink the fluid when it is safe to drink, if not disregard it and look for another source.

You can connect it to your smartphone also using the app PHIL in the Google Play Store and Apple Store and share it to your social media.

Why is PHIL useful?

PHIL is useful because it is portable and can be used from a day-to-day basis to a research-based instrument. It can also be used for emergency and survival purposes. A person can also connect to other people when using the app PHIL for it contains information regarding the data they gathered. 

Using PHIL, it can change a person’s life and realise the pollution scattering in the world. It also improves the media and information literacy of a society for it shares and gathers data about the pollution level of a fluid. 

PHIL is available online at theowlscientist.tumblr.com and get it at your local supermarkets for $5 or Php 250 

Photos on the bottom layer column 1, 2, and 3 are photos used for visual purposes only. The Owl Scientist doesn’t own the photos. Copyright to its owners.

[theowlscientist-blog]

Shower Regulator

It is a device to limit a person’s shower time

Components and Supplies:

Arduino 101 & Genuino 101

Normally Closed Solenoid Valve

Fittings for Solenoid Valve

Breadboard

Adafruit RGB Backlight LCD - 16x2

Buzzer

Jumper Wires

Power MOSFET N-Channel

Potentiometer

Flip Switch

Battery Bank

Resistor 220 Ohms

1N4007 – High Voltage, High Current Rated Diode

Plastic Container

Velcro Wall Strips

Cheap USB

Optional:

Glue gun

Soldering Iron

Applications:

Arduino IDE

About this Project

It may not seem like it, but the shower is easily one of the most wasteful appliances in a home and expends great amounts of water and energy.

According to Home Water Works, the average flow rate of a shower is 2.1 Gallons (7.94L) per minute; this with an average shower time of 8.2 minutes results in 17.2 gallons (65.1L) used per shower or 51.6 gallons (195.3L) used in an average American household (3 people) per day. This makes it the third largest water user in a home.

The numbers are even more surprising if you look at the energy use. According to Skidmore College, the average shower uses 440 BTUs (0.13 kWh) to heat one gallon (3.78L) of water. This means that about 2.2 kWh are used in a single typical 8.2-minute shower and 6.6 kWh used per household per day! According to the US Department of Energy, this makes up 17% of total home electricity usage.

With the US EPA's estimate of 0.000703 metric tons (1.55 pounds; 0.7 kg) of CO2 per kWh, this results in 3.4 pounds (1.54kg) of CO2 per shower and 10.2 pounds per household.

However, the recommended shower time is only 5 minutes according to Green Lifestyle Changes - this cuts water use by 6.7 gallons (25.4L), power use by 871Wh (That's enough to power 174 CFL bulbs for an hour!), and CO2 emission by 1.35 pounds (0.6 kg) per shower. This is where the Shower Regulator for the Intel Earth Day Challenge comes in which would limit the shower time to 5 minutes or to whatever time the user chooses.

In one 365 day year, this would save 2,455.5 gallons (9,295.1L) of water (enough for a person to drink for about 13 years) and 317.9kWh or 492.7 pounds (223.5kg) of CO2 per person, resulting in 7,366.5 gallons (27,885.2L) of water, 953.7kWh of power, and 1,478.2 pounds (670.5kg) of CO2 saved per household.

How does it Work?

The solenoid valve is closed when the device is powered off so no water can flow if the regulator is not running.

The valve opens when the device is powered on; the user can turn on the water now.

The regulator allows the water to warm-up for 20 seconds (is adjustable) indicated by 1 beep.

After the warm-up, the regulator begins the shower timer for 5 minutes (is adjustable) indicated by 2 beeps.

The regulator will give 1 beep warnings 1 and 2 minutes before the shower is over.

Once the shower time is completed, the device will automatically close the valve, stopping the flow of water. The user can turn off the water and the regulator now. This is indicated by a continuous beep.