Project
| # | Title | Team Members | TA | Documents | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 44 | Self Temperature and Taste Regulating Tea Cup |
Anirudh Kumar James Li Lahiru Periyannan |
Rui Gong | proposal1.pdf proposal2.pdf |
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| Team Members: - zyli2 - lahirup2 - kumar67 # Problem Current methods to brew tea lack ways to handle different tea leaves and maintain temperature. For instance, tea is usually brewed by adding boiling water to a cup of tea leaves. This is effective for tea leaves like black tea, however, for more delicate teas like green tea, this would bring out more bitterness as it burns the green leaves. Adding boiling 100°C water is way over green tea's preferred temperature range of 70-80°C. Temperature is important in brewing tea because different tea leaves require different temperatures to effectively bring out its aromatic compounds. The ability to heat different tea leaves to its optimal temperature and maintain its warmness would provide the best possible tea drinking experience. # Solution We propose a cup that can heat liquid optimal to the type of tea leaf chosen and maintain the liquid to a user-specified temperature. Our system provides a precise temperature control to combat inconsistencies in conventional tea brewing methods. Our cup integrates multiple subsystems to ensure optimal flavor extraction, temperature retention, and ease of use: 1) Sensors: detects and monitor tea temperature and tea bitterness 2) Heating and stirring: maintain uniform temperature and tea taste consistency 3) Power: power source to support other subsystems like heating, sensors, etc 4) Control and communication: receives commands from mobile app and collects data from sensors and transfers to mobile app 5) Mobile app/User interface: displays temperature and tea information 6) Cup: holds liquid for drinking # Solution Component ## Subsystem 1: Sensors Sensors are needed for many functionalities in this project. We of course need to monitor the temperature of the liquid within the cup. Given that our project will be working with mostly water and water - based tea, Campbell Scientific’s specialized sensors for water such as TempVue 50 could be useful here. We also need a way to determine how strong a liquid, such as tea, is. This can be done through a Total Dissolved Solids sensor, such as Seeed Studio’s Grove sensor. ## Subsystem 2: Heating and Stirring These are two features of our project which are of course very important for people who drink tea. The tea needs to be maintained at the user's desired temperature, as having to reheat it can affect the flavor. To maintain temperature, a thermoelectric Peltier Module (PM) can be used; specifically, TEC1-07103 or similar, depending on the size of cup and desired efficiency. As for stirring, we can use N20 Micro Gear Motor mounted on the top of the cup, with an appendage to stir the liquid inside. ## Subsystem 3: Power To power the Peltier module and stirrer, while maintaining portability, the cup will need to be battery-powered. A lithium-ion battery can be used, although bench power supply can be used initially and during early stages. In order to dynamically utilize the PM, which is dependent on input voltage to set the level of heating, a DC-DC Buck-Boost converter/regulator is needed. One potential unit is TPS63070/XL63070, which has a maximum output of 9V (The PM has a maximum rated voltage of 8.5V, so this minimizes potential overvoltage issues of other converter models). A switch is also needed to cut power to the device when necessary; the TPS63070 has built-in functionality to shut off output power while connected to the input. ## Subsystem 4: Control and Communication We can use a microcontroller such as ESP32-S3-WROOM to collect the data from the sensors and communicate it to the mobile app / user interface (Subsystem 5). It will also be able to receive information (user settings) from the mobile application and then control the other subsystems as and when needed. It should monitor temperature and TDS regularly, perhaps every thirty seconds or even more frequently. Stirring will also be controlled by this subsystem and done at a regular interval as well. ## Subsystem 5: Mobile App / User Interface We can either have a mobile app or a web app. Either way, it will display temperature and TDS readings to the user, as well as allow them to control both those values. It should also alert the user when their tea has reached the desired strength or temperature and allow them to provide settings for stirring. This app will communicate with the microcontroller from Subsystem 4 via Bluetooth / Wi-Fi. ## Subsystem 6: Cup In order to best conduct heat from the Peltier module to the liquid, a layer of metal, such as aluminum is necessary on the bottom of the cup. Other than that point of contact, the rest of the cup may be made from ceramic, double-walled steel, or another similarly insulating material. # Criterion For Success - There should be accurate temperature control, within the range of a couple of degrees Celsius of the desired temperature. - There should be accurate measurement of the strength of the tea via the TDS sensor. We will need to correlate TDS readings to categorical strength values (e.g. ‘weak’ or ‘strong’) as most people will not read a TDS reading and know what it means in terms of strength. - The cup needs to be washable, so all the electronics should be waterproof. - The mobile / web application for the user should be easy to use and clearly communicate all the necessary information. |
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