| AVS 65th International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Vacuum Technology Division | Tuesday Sessions |
| Session VT-TuA |
| Session: | IoT Session: Vacuum System Design and Automation & Flash Networking Session |
| Presenter: | Jacob Ricker, NIST |
| Authors: | J.E. Ricker, NIST J. Hendricks, NIST |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
Automation has become a necessary tool for scientists as they are expected to do more with less time and money. NIST is currently utilizing IoT (internet of things) in several applications to evaluate and control processes that benefit from continuous monitoring while simultaneously freeing up staff time. The presentation will feature two examples to highlight how IoT is changing how we monitor sensors and process data for real-time automation of vacuum technology. First, NIST’s utilization of IoT to automatically protect and monitor primary pressure standards, and second, the use of IoT to monitor encasements holding historical documents such as a draft of the emancipation proclamation in Lincoln’s handwriting.
Primary pressure standards require continuous pumping and must be monitored as failures can cause water vapor to contaminate the ultra-pure vacuum systems and monometer fluids. Additionally, it can cause damage to expensive vacuum pumps and cause significant down time of the system. Microcontrollers and circuits were designed and constructed to monitor pressure in the system, rotation of the pump, and to control shutoff valves if necessary. Additional controllers monitor for cooling water failures to protect diffusion pumps from overheating and for compressed air failure which would disable the automated valves. All these systems work simultaneously and report issues back to the operator.
In collaboration with the Smithsonian, Library of Congress, National Archives, and other agencies around the country, NIST has worked to fabricate encasements that protect historical documents such as the Declaration of Independence, US Bill of Rights, and Emancipation Proclamation. All these encasements have featured sensors to monitor gas quality/stability; however recently IoT has enabled real-time monitoring of these readings to prevent operators from having to make manual readings of these sensors. The latest version of the encasement monitors Temperature, Humidity, O2 content, encasement pressure, and barometric pressure which are all reported and processed on cloud data storage. IoT has enabled instantaneous feedback and ensured these documents are preserved for future generations.