Page 34 - Gi February 2022

igem news – yppc

DEVELOPMENT OF A SMART

CONTROL DEVICE FOR DOMESTIC

COOKING APPLIANCES

By Dexter Hong, Engineer at the Hong Kong and Gas path design and shut-off mechanism
China Gas Company Ltd and YPPC 2021 winner Inside the smart control device, the
gas first enters the valve and passes
HONG KONG’S SMART CITY Blueprint smart stove including connections to through the flow accessory where it is
2.0 was launched with the aim of the gateway via Bluetooth, then to the detected by the sensor. Then, it flows
bringing the benefits and convenience cloud and app by data and WiFi. This across the open diaphragm and exits
of smart city innovation and technology means the device can utilise these same at the outlet.
to residents’ daily lives. platforms to shorten development time When the valve is triggered, the
To participate in the smart city and speed up implementation. diaphragm is pushed down and blocks
development, Towngas has promoted a the opening, which results in stoppage
smart kitchen concept with the launch Main components of the gas supply, thus shutting off
of the first smart stove created with The top of the smart control device the stove. A manual on/off control is
safety in mind. is an ABS case which protects the retained at the top, which serves as an
Three per cent of fire accidents main PCB for control and alternative control to the gas supply and
are related to cooking appliances, communication. The component retains manual control of the device
many caused by users leaving their below this is the shut-off valve, which in case of a system disconnection or
appliances unattended. seals the valve body underneath with device malfunction.
Research has shown that some a diaphragm, which controls the gas
elderly residents forget to turn off their supply. The sensor and flow accessory Sensor selection criteria
stove at least once a week. are embedded inside the body and act Since the stove’s ON/OFF status is
In view of this, the smart stove works as the detection component for the detected by a sensor, sensitivity and
alongside a smart appliance application to stove status. accuracy are the critical criteria for
introduce security monitoring and alerts
for when users leave home. The device FIGURE 1 SYSTEM INFRASTRUCTURE OF CURRENT SMART STOVE AND ADD-ON DEVICE
has been designed with busy urbanites
and forgetful elderly customers in mind,
aiding the prevention of accidents in the
home. An emergency shut-off function
has also been included to allow users to
turn off the stove remotely, anywhere and
at any time, avoiding household accidents
caused by absent-mindedness.
However, there are over 1.9 million
customers in Hong Kong currently
using traditional stoves and it takes
time to popularise and replace an
appliance with a smart version. It will
also take time for the new smart stove
to be developed and commercialised. FIGURE 2A DESIGN OF SMART CONTROL DEVICE FIGURE 2B EXPLODED VIEW OF SMART CONTROL DEVICE

Design principle
With the aim of promoting smart
kitchen solutions and the prevention of
home accidents, a cost-effective add-on
device was designed to retrofit to the
current gas stove. The device complies
to the safety standard GB30597 and
allows users to experience most of the
safety features of a smart stove without
having to buy a new appliance.
Towngas has already developed
the complete infrastructure for the

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