National Science Centre 1
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"Changing Parameters" Interactive
John Banikos testing the model in our workshop. John was responsible for technical design and production of the electronics and software, Lloyd Morcom for the construction of the model.
"Changing Parameters" interactive consisted of two mirror image models of a landscape. Each featured a river with:
Irrigation fields
Factory with waste treatment plant
Dam and hydroelectric generating plant
Town with water supply
Operation
Each of these items had a gate which controlled water flow from the river. The river could be set to have a monsoon flow, or a drought flow. The object was to select a flow condition and then set the gates to their correct position for such a flow.
If the correct choices were made, the control board would display a message in English and Malay congratulating the operator for their water management skills.
If the correct choices were not made in a preset time, the PLC unit (Programmable Logic Controller, a type of computer used to control industrial equipment) controlling the model would automatically set the gates to their correct postions.
The model would then return to its default gate settings for normal flow.
Construction
The model base was a wood and epoxy fabrication, reinforced with fibreglass.
The gates were PVC fabrications operated by solenoids.
The water flow was produced by a small fountain pump located in a tank under the model. The different water flows were controlled by a set of solenoid valves.
The PLC unit, and a power supply for the solenoids, were mounted underneath the model.
The control panels (one for each model) consisted of a series of light boxes with a graphic overlay depicting the model layout, with buttons controlling the gates mounted at the at the appropriate positions on the graphic.
Delivery
The model was constructed and tested in our workshop, then packed into a container and shipped by air to Malaysia. Lloyd then flew to Malaysia and fitted it into the cabinet which had been constructed for it on site.
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