Our earths resources are not endless, so it is important to avoid wasting our planets natural resources. Recycling metal saves 95% more energy than producing new metal from ore, which is why it is necessary to reuse metal. Waste sorting is very important in today’s modern society as the demand for metals is increasing at a rapid rate. Landfills are overfilled, lots of energy is required to mine ore and produce metal’s, thus metals should be used sparingly and recycled. Considering all these aspects, we felt an urgent need to look into other methods to make recycling metal easier. The most common way waste sorting is done in today’s society is manually. We are trying to make it automatic to have a higher percentage of correct sorts and to make it easier and faster for consumers to sort their waste. The purpose of this project is to construct a prototype which will automatically sort metal and non-metal waste. By using an inductive proximity sensor, the prototype will be able to distinguish if the object is made of metal. Using a stepper motor, two waste bins, one for metal objects and the other for non-metal objects, will rotate depending on if the inductive proximity sensor gives a signal or not. Ultrasonic sensors were used to detect if an object was present and needed to be sorted. Two ultrasonic sensors gave an increase of 118% accuracy in comparison to using only one ultrasonic sensor. The purpose of the project is achieved, resulting in an automatic waste sorter that is user-friendly and can assist the user in daily waste sorting. However this prototype is limited to objects smaller than 65 millimeters in diameter, and in future work the prototype could be expanded. / Vår planets resurser är inte oändliga och därför är det nödvändigt att undvika slöseri av vår planets naturresurser. Att återvinna metall sparar 95% mer energi än att producera ny metall från malm, därför är det nödvändigt att återanvända metall. Avfallssortering är mycket viktigt i dagens samhälle då efterfrågan på metaller ökar i snabb takt. Deponier är överfyllda, mycket energi krävs för att bryta malm och producera metaller, därför bör metaller användas sparsamt och återvinnas. Med tanke på alla dessa aspekter kände vi ett akut behov av att undersöka andra metoder för att göra återvinning av metall enklare. Det vanligaste sättet att sortera avfall i dagens samhälle är manuellt. Vi försöker göra det automatiskt för att få en högre andel korrekta sorteringar och för att göra det enklare och snabbare för konsumenterna att sortera sitt avfall. Syftet med detta projekt är att konstruera en prototyp som automatiskt sorterar metall- och icke-metall avfall. Genom att använda en induktiv närhetssensor kan prototypen urskilja om föremålet är gjort av metall eller inte. Med hjälp av en stegmotor kommer två avfallskärl, en för metallföremål och en för icke-metallföremål, att rotera beroende på om den induktiva närhetssensorn ger en signal eller inte. Ultraljudssensorer användes för att upptäcka om ett föremål fanns i behållaren och behövde sorteras. Två ultraljudssensorer gav en ökning på 118% noggrannhet jämfört med att endast använda en ultraljudssensor. Syftet med projektet har uppnåts, vilket har resulterat i en automatisk avfallssorterare som är användarvänlig och kan hjälpa användaren i dens dagliga sopsortering. Denna prototyp är dock begränsad till föremål som är mindre än 65 millimeter i diameter, och i framtida arbeten kan prototypen utökas.

[pt] Este trabalho apresenta resultados do comportamento do sensor de proximidade indutivo em medição de oscilação de geradores hidroelétricos do sistema de geração de FURNAS CENTRAIS ELÉTRICAS S.A. Para o desenvolvimento deste estudo, foram utilizados dois (2) sensores de proximidade indutivos. A metodologia consistiu em calibrar estaticamente e dinamicamente o sensor de proximidade indutivo. Para isto, foi utilizada a giga de teste: um sistema composto por um motor com velocidade variável e tendo acoplado a seu eixo um disco com excentricidade variável e controlada. Ajustou- se a excentricidade da giga de teste e foram marcados pontos no disco de 30° em 30°. Foi feita a calibração estática da giga de teste, medindo o deslocamento em cada um destes treze (13) pontos com um relógio comparador calibrado. Para a calibração estática do sensor, este foi posicionado à frente do disco da giga de teste a uma distância conhecida, deslocou-se o eixo manualmente para cada um dos pontos e obteve-se o sinal de saída do sensor com o analisador de sinal calibrado. A curva de calibração estática foi então determinada com a respectiva incerteza de medição. Para a calibração dinâmica, o mesmo sistema foi posto em rotação nas velocidades nominais dos geradores hidroelétricos de FURNAS CENTRAIS ELÉTRICAS S.A. (90 rpm, 120 rpm, 150 rpm e 180 rpm). A resposta do sensor foi então comparada nas diferentes rotações, com o que se determinou a atenuação do sinal devido ao aumento da freqüência de operação. Os dados obtidos estaticamente e dinamicamente foram avaliados, e as incertezas determinadas. As calibrações estáticas realizadas pelo procedimento de FURNAS e deste trabalho produziram os mesmos resultados, considerando a faixa de incerteza de medição. Para reduzir a incerteza de calibração do procedimento de FURNAS, propõe-se que seus resultados sejam ajustados por um polinômio do segundo grau. A calibração dinâmica realizada em várias freqüências mostrou que não existe diferença entre os valores obtidos estaticamente e dinamicamente, muito embora esta tenha uma incerteza mais elevada. Para simplificação da calibração dos sensores, propõe-se que ela seja, portanto, realizada estaticamente. / [en] This work presents the results of the behavior of the inductive proximity sensor at the measurement of oscillation in hydroelectric generators from the generation system of Furnas Centrais Elétricas S.A.. To develop this study, two (2) inductive proximity sensors were used. The methodology consisted of calibrating statically and dynamically the inductive proximity sensor. For this, it was used a test mockup: a system composed by an engine with variable speed and a disc with variable and controlled eccentricity connected to the axle. The eccentricity of the test mock-up was adjusted and thirteen (13) points were marked on the disc, every 30°. The static calibration of the test mock-up has been made, by measuring the displacement in each one of these thirteen (13) points with a calibrated dial indicator. For the static calibration of the sensor, the sensor itself was positioned in front of the test mock-up disc at a known distance, the axle was dislocated manually for each one of the points and the output signal of the sensor was measured with a calibrated signal analyzer. The curve of the static calibration then was determined with the respective uncertainty of the measurement. For the dynamic calibration, the same system was run in the nominal speeds of the hydroelectric generators from Furnas Centrais Elétricas S.A. (90 rpm, 120 rpm, 150 rpm and 180 rpm). The response of the sensor was then compared at the different rotations, being determined the attenuation of the signal due to the increase of the operation frequency. The static and dynamic data were evaluated, and the uncertainties determined. The static calibrations carried through by the procedure of FURNAS and by this work produced the same results, considering the range of measurement uncertainty. To reduce the calibration uncertainty of the FURNAS procedure, it is proposed that its results be adjusted by a polynomial of second degree. The dynamic calibration carried at several frequencies showed that there is no difference between the static and dynamic values, even though the dynamic calibration has a more elevated uncertainty. To simplify the calibration of the sensors, it is proposed then that it is carried statically only.