Sistema de Monitoreo y Control para el Funcionamiento del Prototipo de la Máquina de Niebla Salina para los Laboratorios de la Facultad de Ingeniería Mecánica

Abstract

The Salt Fog Machine, also called in some sectors of the industry and study of materials as Salt Fog Chamber, is an instrument used for the study of the behavior of certain substances, coatings and surfaces of materials against corrosion in specific environments. This is achieved after the use of a closed chamber where the element to be studied is arranged, which is supplied in the form of salt fog or a chemical agent, the medium to which it will be exposed in its use, resulting in data on the behavior of the object against corrosion or certain chemicals that can provide information in the manufacture of parts and paints for industrial instrumentation and other related professions, even everyday use. The Salt Fog Machine allows to observe the behavior of the surface of different materials and some coatings against harmful agents, such as the simulation of the natural aging of objects, this serves us to be able to catalog and improve manufacturing techniques of materials depending on their intended use. In this way, it is possible to manufacture different coatings or paints according to the surface to be applied, degrees of durability, resistance to climate and exposure, such as the use of certain materials in some specific activities whose degree of affection against corrosion involves distinguishing them, as this property can affect others such as their durability, hardness, malleability, electrical conductivity, magnetoresistance, thermoresistance, permeability, degree of torsion, degree of bending etc; being able to use them in different useful sections. Thus, to help the study of different materials and substances, both by the staff of the institution, the students and third parties to the campus, the Santo Tomas University section Tunja, in the Santo Domingo building, within the Materials Laboratory of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering; a medium-sized Salt Fog Machine was designed, instrumented and developed with which to carry out basic study practices on surfaces and coatings. For the creation of this Salt Fog Chamber, various tasks were carried out which we can separate by phases such as: design and implementation of chassis and mechanical components, instrumentation of electrical wiring, design and coupling of electronic power and digital boards, incorporation of computer instrumentation and development of device operation software. The Salt Fog Machine developed in the Materials Laboratory of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering consists of a chassis that separates the chamber that will contain the study pieces, with a sealing door to keep the acid fog on the material, and a second section that contains the electrical, mechanical and computer instrumentation for its operation. In this section are located the water and acid tanks, along with the gas piping and compressor motor that cause the salt fog, electrical power instrumentation that powers the different implemented components, magnetic power switches with which to control the operation through software to the hardware shutdown, digital and power electronic boards with which to mediate between the computer, its software, and the different physical actuating elements; as well as elements inside and outside the computer chassis that allows the operator to work with the Salt Fog Machine through Specific Software.