Cloud sensor

[Starlight 1]

Just a little bit on my observatory, I have a LED light unit R/G/B I have the red one on when I am siting in the house in the winter so I can see in ,

I just put a rain sensor in today so when the rain hit the sensor it turn the red light green.

This is the hard bit as I like to add a cloud sensor so it turn the light blue when cloud about.

How do I go about making something easy to do this. The observory is 12v only?

Thanks

les

[Starlight 1]

I do have a plan   is a Arduino with a peltier cooler as the sensor. 

[mboothe]

How would the Peltier cooler work to sense clouds? I was thinking of using a color sensor.

[Gina]

You need an IR detector that measures the sky temperature.  This is one of my many projects

[pete_l]

How would the Peltier cooler work to sense clouds? I was thinking of using a color sensor.

A Peltier effect device can work either way round: apply current and a temperature differential is created - one side warms up and the other cools down. However, it can also be used as a detector: generating current when one side is warmer (or cooler) than the other. You can even use the power generated to run a small electric fan [ ref: http://www.google.es/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCIQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.instructables.com%2Fid%2FDIY-Stove-Fan-for-under-50%2F&ei=cfNzVaX_FoHpUN_6gIgM&usg=AFQjCNGicEGYqjJn3T18XQnSgMpm3z6ULA&sig2=88OY4QUoT1X17WLfl6LNhA&bvm=bv.95039771,d.d24 ]

We know that a cloudy sky is warmer than a clear one. Most cloud detectors work on this basis. If you have a contactless thermometer you can point it skywards at night, it'll read substantially below -40°C. On a cloudy night the reading will be warmer.

I don't know what complications will arise in using a peltier as a temperature sensor but it sounds like an interesting project. I hope it works.

[Gina]

A contactless thermometer uses an IR detector to measure the temperature at a distance.  The Seebeck effect of a "Peltier TEC" detects the temperature difference between the two sides like a thermocouple.  Indeed a Peltier TEC is a stack of dozens or hundreds of thermocouples.

[Starlight 1]

By useing a peltier cooler as the sensor works as Pete-l  have put #5  IR sensor will see stay light .  I am going to use this peltier  tecl-12710  Building a Thermoelectric Cloud Detector

[Starlight 1]

All the parts will be with me by next week end so can make a start.

[Gina]

I am amazed   Good luck with this - I shall be very interested in your results

[Starlight 1]

I am amazed   Good luck with this - I shall be very interested in your results

So will I if it work.

[StuartJPP]

What is the purpose of a cloud sensor? I am not being funny at all, just wondered what the its intended use will be.

Is it to detect thin cloud or thick cloud? Assuming thick cloud by reading above.

Is it to do with automating imaging or just a precursor to potential rain?

Can't you use an all-sky camera and some software to detect when stars are no longer visible? Just a thought...

[Starlight 1]

What is the purpose of a cloud sensor? I am not being funny at all, just wondered what the its intended use will be.

Is it to detect thin cloud or thick cloud? Assuming thick cloud by reading above.

Is it to do with automating imaging or just a precursor to potential rain?

Can't you use an all-sky camera and some software to detect when stars are no longer visible? Just a thought...

Well for me its all about siting in the house in winter  and the computer program is taking the photos . I have a red light on the shed telling me every thing is ok, rain sensor light go green time to close roof and the blue light will tell me its cloud about  then I look at read out on computer .  For hight to low cloud  and stop the camera till its go over. I do not have a warm room but I can see the lights on the shed from the house.

[Starlight 1]

I come by a big post today on the net that was all about the experiment on useing the peltier cooler for the link post , it make you think on how the brain works.

Edit some parts on the way ,

peltier cooler

 chips x2

 Arduino Uno board

 Ethernet Networking Shield for Uno board

  SD card module

  Sensors x3

[Starlight 1]

The more I trying to get my head round this on how to make it  I am thinking about use my old 900mm telecope with a Ultrasonic/distance measurement Motion sensor point down on the mirror to pick up clouds going over . with two sensors on the hot and cold side of the peltier cooler to take reading.
      

[Starlight 1]

I have been spending some time with a digital thermostat taking ground temperature, grass and concrete, sky temps,clear/light cloud/heavy cloud.  Hopefully over the summer and winter

I can create 2 graphs, so I will have a better understanding of setting up my sketch-up for the temperature values for the android.  The android is going to have 3 sensors, one on the main board and one to take the hot and cold side of the peltier cooler.  As I can't find any information anywhere on line to help me, have found lots of info on weather but don't think its applicable

for the application I am trying to build.  Some parts have turned up, so will keep you up to date on progress.

[Starlight 1]

OK  I working on codeing for the set up and taking me 3 days to get my head round codeing , only got the temperature side runing as the peltier cool is still on its way, so with out

this part I can not work out temperature from the ground or sky to do any more on the codes.

[Starlight 1]

Peltier cooler is here , only forgot to add the chip to the list.  This is the plan how it is going to work - the peltier cooler is sandwiched between 2 plates with a reverse polarity

supplying 9v regulated supply to the ground side with a temperature sender and a 10 point adjustment thing.  This is needed to regulate and hold the current  temperature of the bottom plate of ground side.

the peltier cooler to which the sky side will then send the signal to the chip which will then determine if the temperature is going up or down as the clouds roll over.  This is my understanding of it from information I have found on the net.

[Starlight 1]

If anyone trying to work out what I am making , this is the best link I have seen on the net.

[PDF]Peltier Thermopile Cloud Sensor

Then I only go to add the Arduino codes with a photo when done.

[Starlight 1]

How do I chance this , as the 2 sensors are working as one.

#include <OneWire.h>

#include <DallasTemperature.h>


 

#include <OneWire.h>
#include <DallasTemperature.h>
 
// Data wire is plugged into pin 2 on the Arduino
#define ONE_WIRE_BUS 2
 
 
 // Data wire is plugged into pin 3 on the Arduino
#define ONE_WIRE_BUS 3


// Setup a oneWire instance to communicate with any OneWire devices
// (not just Maxim/Dallas temperature ICs)
OneWire oneWire(ONE_WIRE_BUS);
 
// Pass our oneWire reference to Dallas Temperature.
DallasTemperature sensors(&oneWire);
 
void setup(void)
{
  // start serial port
  Serial.begin(9600);
  Serial.println("Dallas Temperature IC Control Library Demo");

  // Start up the library
  sensors.begin();
}
 
 
void loop(void)
{
  // call sensors.requestTemperatures() to issue a global temperature
  // request to all devices on the bus
  Serial.print(" Requesting temperatures...");
  sensors.requestTemperatures(); // Send the command to get temperatures
  Serial.println("DONE");

  Serial.print("Temperature for Device 0 is: ");
  Serial.print(sensors.getTempCByIndex(0)); // Why "byIndex"?
 
   Serial.print("Temperature for Device 1 is: ");
  Serial.print(sensors.getTempCByIndex(0)); // Why "byIndex"?
 
    // You can have more than one IC on the same bus.
    // 0 refers to the first IC on the wire
 
}
 

[Starlight 1]

If I try useing just the one bus ,I get a reading of -127  by trying this way I get 2 the same 24.87 ect. there is something about codeing I not geting my head round.

[NEM]

Since you're printing the same line

Serial.print(sensors.getTempCByIndex(0)); // Why "byIndex"?

twice, you're geting the same result twice.

"byIndex" must refer to the number of the temperature sensor, so I'd try 

Serial.print(sensors.getTempCByIndex(1)); // Why "byIndex"?

to get the result from the second sensor.  (This is just an educated guess.  I've done a lot of programming, but never on an Arduino).

Noel

[Starlight 1]

Since you're printing the same line

Serial.print(sensors.getTempCByIndex(0)); // Why "byIndex"?

twice, you're geting the same result twice.

"byIndex" must refer to the number of the temperature sensor, so I'd try 

Serial.print(sensors.getTempCByIndex(1)); // Why "byIndex"?

to get the result from the second sensor.  (This is just an educated guess.  I've done a lot of programming, but never on an Arduino).

Noel

Still the same , starting to think I may have 2 sensors with the same code.

[Starlight 1]

OK got 2 temp reading , some how it do not like useing pin 2 now work on just pin 4 to get 2 reading.

[Starlight 1]

How am going to get round this ,The Arduino uno set up will not work , I have Arduino uno ,inter-net one. shield kit  with the set -up on , with shield lcd on top  and I run out of pins for the set-up.

So is there a Arduino with more pin outs .

[Gina]

 Yes indeed, the Arduino Mega.  It takes shields just like the Uno but is longer with tons more I/O pins.  All the info is on the Arduino web site.