Electronic Kite Inflator
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The electronic kite inflator, which we sometimes refer to as the kite Inflation Management System (IMS), is now ready for additional field testing. The device is designed to monitor and regulate the pressure of inflated kites. A Zigbee radio link is used to transmit pressure and status to the ground and to receive pressure setpoint commands. The inflator is integrated into the web-based logger interface, which allows us to monitor and control the kite pressure from any smartphone.
The latest version of the inflator uses a smaller and more robust PCB, and has a pressure release valve. Previously, the device could only inflate the kite, and had no way to release air if necessary. With the new release valve, the kite pressure can be diminished to maintain a pressure setpoint as the air temperature rises, which could prevent a kite explosion in the most extreme cases.
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