The objective of this project is to design a constrained-rise mold for polyisocyanurate foam insulation which can record measurements of rise height, temperature, gel point, and curation throughout a reaction process.
Sponsored by: Carlisle Construction Materials
Team Members
Jake Spinelli Domenic Niosi Matthew Fabiunke Ethan Duncan
Instructor: Dr. R Allen Kimel
Project Poster
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Project Video
Project Summary
Overview
Carlisle Construction Materials (CCM) is an industry leader in the development and manufacturing of commercial roofing and insulation products. Their polyisocyanurate rigid foam insulation is used as a thermal barrier in commercial buildings. Made by mixing a polyol and blowing agent mixture with isocyanate, the reaction produces a cellular structure that heats up drastically and hardens in a matter of seconds. Because the quality of a polyisocyanurate panel depends on the conditions of the product throughout its formation, Carlisle Construction Materials is interested in developing a constrained-rise mold to measure the fill velocity of the foam as it expands, the time at which the foam gels and cures, and the temperature throughout the reaction.
Objectives
– Create a design for a mold that can detect reaction processes of polyisocyanurate foam.
– Obtain proof of concept by testing final mold prototype with foam made by CCM
– Use dimensions of existing mold given by CCM to develop a 3D model of mold with implementation of sensors and improved practicality
Approach
– First, the team researched the current state-of-the-art in a free-rise application
– An Alpha prototype was constructed out of OSB, an Arduino Uno, an ultrasonic sensor, a force sensor, a K-type thermocouple, and custom-made capacitance sensors
– Arduino script was made for data acquisition
– Alpha prototype was tested using 19x expanding foam in the Learning Factory
– After reflecting on the Alpha test, the team made a Beta prototype with an improved sliding thermocouple, a latching mechanism, and multiple force and capacitance sensors.
– MATLAB script was made to run test for a set time and output a .csv file along with plots of temperature, pressure, rise height, and dielectric polarization as a function of time
– Beta prototype was tested at Carlisle Construction Materials with polyisocyanurate foam
– Detailed SolidWorks model based on existing mold, wiring diagram, and MATLAB script produced
Outcomes
The prototype can track temperature, rise height, pressure, and capacitance over time.
MATLAB and Arduino scripts work in unison to output .csv files and plots of data using simple and cost-effective hardware.
3D CAD file, wiring diagrams, and code were given to Carlisle Construction Materials to allow further development of the project.
K-12 Materials
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