Design and Prototyping of an Electronic Circuit Board Controller for an Outdoor Furnace - Phase II Heatmaster Furnaces Inc.

Heatmaster公司（原SteelTech Inc.）是一家位于马尼托巴的中小企业，为寻求能源独立的客户生产生物质加热替代品。G系列加热炉的加热面积约为4，000至10，000平方英尺，是一种相对较新的产品，被公认为行业的旗舰炉。熔炉的初始设计使用基于可编程逻辑控制器（PLC）的数字系统来操作传感器并控制熔炉。由于控制器的输入/输出（I/O）能力有限，该设计没有为产品性能的改进留出空间。Heatmaster与红河理工学院航空航天和制造技术访问中心（TACAM）合作开展NSERC Engage项目，以找到解决这一问题的方案。该项目取得了成功，导致开发了新的印刷电路板（PCB）来取代PLC，提供了额外传感器所需的鲁棒性，标准化了控制系统，并降低了生产炉的总体成本。Heatmaster打算在这个新的第二阶段项目中与TACAM合作，以先前的成功和经验教训为基础，推进原型PCB的技术准备，以实现商业化目的。PCB将进一步设计用于COVID-19后公开市场上可用的现成微控制器系统，集成氧气传感器，以提高效率并进一步开发用于趋势数据可视化的人机界面（HMI）。其目的是改善用户体验，提高系统的可用性，并对HeatMasterss G系列电炉进行全面改进。该熔炉将配备物联网（IoT）功能，以实现通信和数据采集与分析。TACAM团队将部署PCB设计，计算语言（C++和Python），传感器，HMI编程，物联网和系统集成方面的专业知识来交付该项目。Heatmaster是一家成功的马尼托巴中小企业，致力于创新。该公司已证明有能力实施这项研究的结果。一旦商业化，就有能力通过Price Electronics和帕克Hannifin等组织在马尼托巴当地大规模生产多氯联苯。所获得的知识将有利于学生，研究人员和教师在该项目上工作。

Heatmaster Furnaces Inc. (formerly SteelTech Inc.) is a Manitoba based SME that manufactures biomass heating alternatives for customers seeking energy independence. The G-series line of furnaces, 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. The initial design of the furnace uses a digital system based on Programmable Logic Controllers (PLCs) to operate the sensors and control the furnace. This design did not make room for improvements in product performance as the input/output (I/O) capability of the controller is limited. Heatmaster collaborated with the Technology Access Centre for Aerospace and Manufacturing (TACAM), Red River College Polytechnic on an NSERC Engage project to find solutions to this problem. The project was successful, leading to the development of a new Printed Circuit Board (PCB) to replace the PLC, providing the robustness required for additional sensors, standardizing the control system, and lowering the overall cost of producing the furnace. Heatmaster intends to work with TACAM in this new Phase II project to build on the previous success and the lessons learned to advance the technology readiness of the prototype PCB for commercialization purposes. The PCB will be further designed for an off-the-shelf microcontroller system that is available in the open market post-COVID-19, an integrated oxygen gas sensor to improve efficiency and further develop the human machine interface (HMI) for trend data visualization. The objective is to refine the user experience, increase usability of the system and provide overall improvements to the HeatMasterss G-series line of furnaces. The furnace will be equipped with Internet-of-Things (IoT) functionalities to enable communication and data acquisition and analysis.The TACAM team will deploy expertise in PCB design, computing languages (C++ and Python), sensors, HMI programming, IoT, and systems integration to deliver this project. Heatmaster 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. Once commercialized, there is capacity for mass manufacturing the PCB locally in Manitoba through organizations such as Price Electronics and Parker Hannifin. The knowledge gained will be of benefit to students, researchers and faculty working on the project.