Development of conductivity sensor for water monitoring

• Main Author: Ho, Yenn Ting
• Other Authors: Tse Man Siu
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2015
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Electrical and electronic engineering
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/64397
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Aqueous conductivity measurement is often used as a control parameter. It is widely used in many applications, not only for industrial purposes, but also in the environmental monitoring field. Through the assessment on conductivity levels of the water bodies, one can keep an eye on the potential chemical and biological threats on the marine ecosystems. This paper presents the development of a low-cost and accurate four-electrode conductivity sensor. The construction of the system uses cheap poly (methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) acrylic sheets with thickness of 1 mm, aluminium sheets and an external water temperature thermometer. The sensor is designed to cater for an extensive range of electrolyte measurements with its flexibility to adjust its cell constant. The paper also explores how parameters such as temperature, salinity and polarization affect water conductivity, as well as the choice of the cell constant for the suitable range of electrolytes to be measured.