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• toasty waffles

  helge • 01/22/2021 at 13:52 • 0 comments

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  Initially, I saw this project by Vince float by on twitter which describes how to rework a sandwich toaster reflow oven. Useful, but currently I'm sure more people need to re-use their more expensive FFP2 masks. This build is close, but I'd like to turn it into something that's safe and that one can instruct other people to build without breaking certifications safety mechanisms that the appliances already come with. Preferably one would also want to use them again for their original purpose after the pandemic, creating no, or only a minimum of additional e-waste.
  
  

  https://twitter.com/MicrochipMakes/status/13486757525569617
  
  

  
  Temperature controllers
  
  Industrial PID controllers that have temperature sensor inputs and relay outputs can be purchased for 15 to 500 €, which is outside the scope of this endeavor. Even if you come by them as surplus parts like the Jumo DICON ones below, they're not quite as handy. With them being intended for panel mounting, they may have exposed mains terminals at the back, and you wouldn't want to set up something like that with kids around.
  On the other hand, current microcontrollers usually only lack the RF section to send commands to radio controlled mains switches which are usually sold in supermarkets in packs of 2 or 4. Temperature sensors can be NTC, PT100, PT1000, and with a little more effort (dedicated front-end chips or additional analog circuitry) also k-type thermocouples. So why not implement the temperature control in a microcontroller and send ON/ OFF commands by using one of the popular sub-1 GHz transceiver solutions. When in doubt, one can even repurpose the original remote control for the switch and make the microcontroller board emulate button presses.
  
  
  
  I'm currently working on a little add-on PCB for OtterPill, Arduino Nano and compatible PCBs, but I feel that it's more important to get the idea out there and to get started than to finish the project before publishing it.
  All I ask from you in return is to not buy all stock for some relevant ICs and leave me with 26 week lead times :D
  
  Target Specifications
  
  The German Paul Ehrlich Institute has published recommendations for FFP2 mask sanitizing for reuse. They comment on the bimetallic thermostat devices as insufficiently accurate and intend to update their recommendations when better methods are found.
  
  80°C for 60 min was found to completely inactivate SARS-CoV-2 contamination. The Microcontroller board should preferably also provide the option to heat up to > 120-200°C to sterilize the device, killing off other pathogens so multiple people in a household can use one mask toaster.
  
  If you found this helpful and get some results out of this project, please share your build. Thanks :)
  
  https://www.fh-muenster.de/gesundheit/images/forschung/ffp2/01_ffp2_info11012021_doppelseiten.pdf
  
  
  
  
  

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