Title: Engineering design and realisation of an automatic real time weather monitoring station using commercial CAD tools

Authors: F.H. Bellamine, A. Melki, A. Elkamel

Addresses: The National Institute of Applied Science and Technology in Tunis, Centre Urbain Nord, B.P. N 676, 1080 Tunis Cedex, Tunisia. ' The National Institute of Applied Science and Technology in Tunis, Centre Urbain Nord, B.P. N 676, 1080 Tunis Cedex, Tunisia. ' Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, Ontario, N2L 3G1, Canada

Abstract: The paper describes the design and realisation of a low cost automatic real time weather station project aimed at significantly enhancing the design, realisation, and testing skills of undergraduate engineering students through the use of industrial Computer Aided Design (CAD) tools. The station measures the following meteorological variables: temperature, humidity, rain, and wind speed and direction. It has a wireless RF module to relay data to a computer, which displays, saves, and archives weather data. During the course of this project, software tools are used to speed up the design process. As a result, such tools allow students to not only design but also to redesign. It is only by redesign and experimentation that students learn how design problems interact and how to trade off competing issues.

Keywords: computer-aided design; CAD; sensors; signal acquisition; weather station; signal transmission; redesign; weather monitoring; engineering design; engineering education.

DOI: 10.1504/WRSTSD.2008.020287

World Review of Science, Technology and Sustainable Development, 2008 Vol.5 No.3/4, pp.334 - 353

Published online: 14 Sep 2008 *

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