Paul was raised on Oahu in Aiea and graduated from Punahou High School in 2017. He currently attends Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland Ohio and is pursuing a B.S. in Electrical Engineering with a concentration in Solid State as well as a secondary major in Philosophy. During his spare time in college, he likes to explore new things like photography and graphic design, weightlifting, and the Cleveland Museum of Art. In the future, he hopes to discover solutions to renewable energy and nature conservation as well as travel the world.
Home Island: Oahu
Institution when accepted: Case Western Reserve University
Akamai Project: Coolant Monitoring System Installation
Project Site: Subaru Telescope
Mentors: Lucio Ramos, Matthew Wung
Project Abstract:
The Prime Focus Spectrograph (PFS), soon to be installed at Subaru Telescope on Mauna Kea, requires many controlled variables to operate at the highest level of precision and accuracy. Temperature control is one of the most important, as any fluctuations can disrupt and even damage these delicate spectrographs. Therefore, a liquid glycol cooling system has been installed for the instruments and the air in the room they are housed in. The purpose of my project is to install a sensor network to monitor the liquid coolant constantly and remotely, ensuring the flow rate, temperature, and pressure of the coolant remains at acceptable levels. Installation of the coolant sensors starts with determining a wiring schematic, ensuring a design that is flexible and easy to manage in the future. Information must pass from a sensor to a monitor, and then to a computer port, allowing for immediate remote access to the coolant’s status. The prototype was then assembled. By taking voltage measurements of the analog outputs, I confirmed that the sensor recorded data accurately. Detailed documentation was made of the wiring, part inventory, and software setup of the coolant monitoring system for future maintenance. Once the modules were assembled and tested and all details were finalized, I documented a systematic method for assembly and installation and installed all 23 sensors and monitors at the Subaru Telescope on Mauna Kea. Anyone who maintains or duplicates this fluid monitoring system in the future can follow the assembly documentation to ensure working instruments for many years to come.