Development of a Simplified Prototype for Wave Generation Using Arduino

Lucas Gouveia Omena Lopes¹; Adriano da Silva Rocha¹; Heleno Pontes Bezerra Neto¹; Romildo dos Santos Escarpini Filho¹

¹ Universidade Federal de Alagoas

doi:10.20906/CPS/CILAMCE2017-0846

Resumo

This paper focus in the development of a simplified prototype for wave generation using Arduino. Small-scale experiments are an important step in the development of engineering projects, such as offshore structures. Test tanks are widely used to predict the behavior of an oil platform in offshore operating environments. They simulate the wave conditions, currents and record the response of the models. These experimental environments are the result of large investments and require large areas for their installation. In virtue of these characteristics, it is difficult to set up and operate a test tank for academic purposes. In this context, the objective of the present paper is the development of a simplified model of an experimental environment composed of a wave generator, a response pickup sensor and a energy dissipation mechanism, using the Arduino electronic prototyping platform.The strategy used in the project could be split into three macro stages: I) development of the experimental environment; II) calibration of the developed environment and obtaining of experimental data; III) validation of the data gathered. Servo motors are used for wave generation and accelerometers as sensors in the test environment. All the devices are connected to the micro-controller Arduino. The final result of the project is a simplified model able to reproduce behaviors of offshore environments for didactic purposes. The system will be used in the Laboratory of Platforms and Automation of the Federal University of Alagoas, being able to constantly evolve and open doors for new projects.

Palavras-chave: Wave Generation; Smal-Scale Experiment; Offshore Environment