Design and Prototyping of an Electronic Circuit Board Controller for an Outdoor Furnace

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SteelTech Incorporated is a Manitoba-based SME and the owner of the HeatMasterss brand of outdoor furnaces sold across Canada. The company manufactures biomass heating alternatives for customers seeking energy independence. The G-series of the furnace, with a capacity for an approximate heating space range of 4,000 to 10,000 square feet, is a relatively new product recognized as the flagship furnace of the industry. This furnace currently uses a digital system primarily based on Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) to operate the sensors and control the furnace. However, the current electronics and PLCs are not scaled for additional sensors and future improvements in the overall control system because of the limited number of input/output (I/O) capability. Improvements in product performance for customers' convenience, ease of use and additional functionalities become limited by the current electronics design. SteelTech is seeking a robust solution for the electronics and control systems that will allow the desired product improvements at lower costs. Achieving this objective would require a significant level of research. SteelTech conducted some initial review in-house and have determined that replacing the current PLCs with a Printed Circuit Board (PCB) would provide the robustness required for additional sensors, standardizing the control system and lowering the overall cost. Meanwhile, the company does not have the in-house research capacity for PCB design and programming, embedded systems and sensors integration, as required. Therefore, SteelTech is collaborating with the Technology Access Centre for Aerospace and Manufacturing (TACAM) at Red River College for the development of a new electronic circuitry that will replace the current PLCs. The overall project objective is to design and manufacture a working prototype of a newly designed PCB with on-the-board controllers that will be suitable for implementing on the HeatMasterss G-series. The TACAM team will deploy capabilities and expertise in PCB design, computing languages (C++ and Python), sensors, programing of human-machine interface (HMI), fabrication techniques and systems integration to deliver this project. SteelTech is a successful Manitoba SME with a significant amount of commitment to innovation. The company has a demonstrated capacity to implement the results of this research through commercialization. Once commercialized, there is capacity for mass manufacturing the PCB locally in Manitoba through organizations such as Price Electronics and Parker Hannifin. The TACAM and SteelTech teams are looking forward to expanding knowledge in embedded systems and electronics. The knowledge gained will be of benefit to students, researchers and faculty working on the project and will be useful for further research.