EE-Emerge is a course offered by the University of California, Davis for sophomores and juniors who have an interests in computer science, electrical engineering, and computer engineering. Throughout a year, students organize and manage a yearlong electronic project. None of this is possible without Texas Instruments' sponsorship.
Product Analysis and Validation Team
- Avery Turk
- Katherine Tran
- Vanessa Liera
- Victoria Liera
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The Easy-Breathe mask allows medical workers to work more comfortably and makes working easier through its communication features. To analyze this product, we took a cost analysis of the components being used to build the electronic mask and tried to keep the mask safe, comfortable, and at a low cost. To verify the functionality of our mask, we tested the battery life, the sound (in dB) of each fan at different voltages, and the minimum voltage the fans can run at.
Test and ValidationFan Sound Test
Noise (in dB) of each fan was measured at intervals of 1V over the DC range of 0V-12V. Measurements were used to select a fan with minimal noise over the full range of DC voltages. The large and medium fans produced noise that was found to be impractical for an application in electronic masks due to noise but wrecked over the full range of voltage, while the small and centrifugal fans had a tolerable level of noise but operated only from 5V-12V.
Flow Sensor Test
An experiment to measure the voltage required to maintain a recommended minimum flow rate of (3 L/min, 0.11 cfm).
A relationship between flow rate (standard liter per min-slm) and voltage was measured over the range of voltage 0V-12V. Similarities were measured between the large and medium fan. Small experimental error was found to be due to the experimental setup but was not a significant source of error.
Battery Life
Battery selected for the design has a capacity of 1250mAh. Current consumption was measured experimentally to be: LEDs (Red=2x2.77mA, Green=3x2.34mA), fan (90mA), and microcontroller (3mA). The shortest battery life, calculated as the time the mask will work with all devices running at once, would have the mask operate for 11.8 hours before needing a charge.
Price Analysis
Mechanical Design estimation is $11.50 and PCB+components assembled for QTY 10 = $12.7 each. The total cost of each mask = $24-25.Compared to existing solutions which are $50-$70, we have made Easy-Breathe more accessible.The Easy-Breathe mask is inexpensive to manufacture by costing just $25 per mask when produced in bulk. By selling our product at $40, we receive profit while also keeping our sale price as low as possible.
Future work will be to find methods for reducing the cost of the PCB
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