Entry 28: Testing of Improved Aquaponics System

16 August 2012

Today, we completed the construction of the trays and assembly of the entire invention.

Here is how it looks overall:

Invention fully assembled!

Similar to the last time we ran the previous prototype, there were similar problems faced.

First, the most serious problem we faced was the lack of time. In a duration of only 4 hours, we had to complete the construction of all the trays, assemble the entire set up of the invention and test it, at the same time eradicating any possible faults that might occur. 4 hours was simply, not enough time for a single person to handle everything at the same time, but fortunately, two of us worked together to accomplish all the targets set, hence, we were barely able to complete our planned actions for the day, albeit a few faults left due to time constraint.

Next, we faced the problem of leakage. Even though the new washers on the trays were anti-leak and allowed the tubes to fit in better, because of the lack of water pressure in the tube leading from the tray at the smallest elevation to the fish tank, some trays flooded during the testing, hence making our invention wet, especially the newly made "StairFLOW" system. Fortunately, we managed to clean up the mess in the nick of time. We realised that the faulty tube require a greater elevation, which we would improve on if we had more time. However, we managed to get the majority of the systems working, making the accomplishment of our goals a success.

Finally, the last problem we faced was evident when doing the video shoots in preparation for the Finals tomorrow. When doing the video shoot for certain sections, since we were quite inexperienced in recorded presentations, we felt nervous and made several mistakes along the way. Fortunately, the staff helping us in the Science Research Centre was patient and supported us, giving us the confidence to pull through. Hence, we are extremely grateful to the staff for his patience and encouragement.

Now, all that is left is the Finals Presentation tomorrow! We will put it our utmost effort to be the best we can tomorrow!

Entry 27: Extension System Construction Completed

12 August 2012

By Keven Loo

As Frankie was too busy to be able to help us with the construction of the extension system, we instead turned to my father to help us construct. Unfortunately, he was not as skilled or experienced, hence the workmanship was not as good as if it was done by an expert or a factory. Still, it was more than sufficient to bear the weight of the plant trays (when filled with water).

In the original blueprint, the extension required considerably many materials: 14 wood planks, screws and full-length metal brackets. As a result, this made the construction process tedious and extremely time-consuming. For example, accurate measurements must be made on the areas where the wood planks need to be connected to allow the screw to fasten them together. The fact that I, or none of my other group members, lacked technical skills required for such tasks meant that our help in construction was extremely limited to simpler tasks such as carrying and holding the planks together or rarely, helping to screw the nails into the wood.

We started off building with the smallest stair, and we used the least number of wood screws since the platform was not far off the ground.  The number of wood screws used increased as the height increased, to stabilise the entire structure. We had decided to leave the installation of the metal brackets to the end, since we had a insufficient number of them. In the end, after 3 hours of visiting DIY shops and metalwork shops around our area, we were unable to find any shop selling metal brackets. Thankfully for us, all three of the stairs were able to stand and support weights of up to 5kg each (during our testing), and thus we left out the metal brackets.

However, one problem we had encountered during the construction was the fact that some of the wood would start to splinter or disintegrate into dust as holes were being drilled. Therefore, this posed a danger to us when we tried to shift the wood around as we risked being cut by the splinters. Furthermore, the wood dust was very light and was easily spread around by the wind.

Fortunately, most of the processes went relatively well and we managed to construct the extension set.

The new extension looks like this:

Even though Frankie was unable to help us, we are grateful to Frankie for helping us in our time of need once again (sending wood supplies and ordering them to cut it for us, which was a hassle if we were to do it by ourselves) , even though he was extremely busy. I would also like to give credit to my father as he willingly helped us to construct the extension without hesitation. Hence, we strive to make this project an even bigger success to ensure that the efforts of those who have supported us will not be wasted.

Entry 26: Plans for Extension System

8 August 2012

By Kai Xiang

After going through some rounds of evaluation, I have finalised the designs for the extension which allows for more plants to be grown using the current prototype. 

The name of this structure is StairFLOW.

The design is based on staircases and has 2 main functions:

1. To facilitate the flow of water with gravity

2. To provide support and more stability to the the C-shaped prototype.

Sketches:

The materials to be used for the construction of these are plywood, screws and steel brackets. The plywood and screws are compulsory materials to be used, but the use of steel brackets is tangible, based on its availability and suitability for the extension.

First, it's three different levels of elevation serve to purposes: to provide support for more trays and thus, more plants to grow, and to allow water to flow with the aid of gravity which creates enough pressure to force water through the system and reduces the need for pumping. Water flows down the different level of elevation (through trays) until it returns back to the fish tank, creating a a cyclic process for water flow. The different levels of elevation can also easily be separated, allowing for greater effiiency in storage.

Next, there is a backing plank on one of the ends of "StairFLOW". This is supposedly able to fit into the gap in the C-shaped structure of the initial prototype, hence helping to support the plant tray on the prototype by sharing the weight. This also allows it to be attached to the C-shaped prototype, such that it is slightly more space-efficient and alligned for water flow to be conducted effectively.

We have also made plans for the trays. We have decided to make the input hole of the tray on the cover of the tray, which is the upwards surface, reducing leakages and allowing for greater use of gravity's aid.

We hope to complete the construction as soon as possible to keep up with the current busy schedules that we have.

Entry 25: Meeting with Mr Carl Baptista

24 July 2012

Today, we had a meeting with Mr Carl Baptista from Oracle. Carl provided quite a lot of advice for the progress of our project and offered many opinions which were valuable.

First, we went through our presentation slides with him. Even though we felt that we our presentation slide was supposed to be free of error, Carl managed to point out several conceptual errors and even offer suggestions of information to be added into the slides. He also criticised the design of our project and helped to guide us through improving it. Though our meeting was short, it was definitely inspirational as Carl had presented a very unique viewpoint of our project towards us.

Also, he helped to clarify the validity of a dynamo system to be included into the prototype. He explained that it was not possible to simply "draw" energy from running water as the energy is from the pump, and energy cannot be extracted from such a method. He suggested the use of solar panels, which were both useful as power sources for the prototype and in line with the environmental approach we were using. We will take this idea into consideration and may apply it based on the cost and the amount of funding we currently have.

Next, he offered the idea of using a timer in the system. As we had faced the problem that vegetables do not seem to grow properly after a period of time, we voiced it out and he helped to clarify the issue as simply that the roots occasionally required oxygen from the air in order to stay healthy. This helped to identify the issue in our set-up's tray, which was that the output hole was way too high, hence disallowing the roots to be in contact with oxygen the whole time the system is running. The timer would help as it stopped the water flow consistently per period, for example 10 minutes, to allow the water current to stop and to allow the roots gain oxygen from the surrounding air.

Finally, he suggested to change the tilapia used in our set up to guppies. The nitrate levels of the waste in the tilapia was somewhat to high for plant growth, hence the use of guppies would reduce the concentration of nitrates produce which would be sufficient for boosting plant growth.

All in all, we have learnt much from him and his generosity in sharing his knowledge has inspired us to further improve the Indoor Herb Chinampas. We hope to be able to do as much as possible to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of our prototype.

Entry 24: Meeting with Mentor (10)

23 July 2012

Fortunately for us, we managed to pass the semi-finals. Of course, this meant that there was more work to be done in order to solve the faults of the current system, such as the leakage problem, and the make the extension.

The current plans we have made for the extension are as follows:

a. To include a dynamo system in the prototype. The dynamo will be able to convert kinetic energy from the running water to electrical energy which can be used to power up other things such as the fish tank's pump. This has never been produced in commercial set-ups and we want to try it out.

b. To make an extension system that provides more support for the base. The tray base of the prototype, being supported only at one end, is unstable when handling the weight of the tray (with water), hence, an extension can help provide more support for the C-shaped prototype to make it stronger and more efficient when facilitating water flow.

c. To make another extension system to allow for more plants to be grown with the system. This will include structures that can hold more trays. The current design revolves around the "staircase" design, in which water flows down each elevation with the aid of gravity.

d. To change the position of input and output holes of the prototype. This can help resolve the problem of water leakage in the current tray system. The current plan is to position the input hole on the cover of the tray and the output hold on the bottom of the tray so water is channeled downwards vertically instead of travelling sideways.

We would like to thank our mentor, who guided us through our designs and gave us suggestions for improving our design, Frankie, who helped us greatly with the construction of our prototype and our loved ones who have provided us with emotional support throughout the ups and downs of the invention process.

We promise to do even better for the Finals!

Entry 23: Running of Prototype

4 July 2012

Today, we assembled the new prototype and tested if the aquaponics system could run well on it.

How it looks before fish tank was mounted:

Minimum Length version

1st Extension version

2nd Extension version

When we mounted on the fish tank, we faced several problems and with very little time on our hands, we had to act fast and get cracking.

The first problem we faced was that there was a leakage in the connection point between the tube from the pump to the inlet of the plant tray. As a result, the base of the Prototype got wetter and wetter. To solve this problem, the biology lab assistant and my mentor assisted me with changing the size of the tube used as well as wrapping elastic tape around the tubes to allow the tubes to attach more firmly. After an hour of trial and error, we decided to use a beaker to collect the water as the problem was not with the tube, but rather the hole drilled for the inlet was faulty. Hence, to solve this problem, we would most probably be modifying the inlet to on the cover of the tray instead of by the side to prevent leakages.

The next problem we had to face was transporting the fish tank. The fish tank, being heavy, could not be transported as even if we attempted, it was highly likely that it would break due to its weight and the amount of stress caused on our hands. Hence, to solve this problem, we substituted the original tank with a smaller tank and even it was heavy! Nevertheless, this problem was resolved quickly as it was fortunate that there was a spare tank.

Finally, we faced the problem wetting the wooden prototype with a lot of water. As there was leakages as well as spillages when the apparatus on the base were being transported around, the base got wet easily and as it was made with plywood, I was extremely worried that the wood would rot. Thus, whenever the base came into contact with water, we immediately wiped the area clean and mopped the area around it. Even though we tried our best, some water still entered the base, but as we tried our best, I am sure that there would not be much problems with that.

Finally, when the system was set up, everything was working well.

Picture of the Indoor Herb Chinampas System Running:

Entry 22: Prototype Painting

2 July 2012

Today, we have completed the painting of the prototype. Reflecting over the course of painting the prototype, we realised that painting was not as easy as we inititally thought. First of all, there was the unbearable smell from the paint whenever using it and since there was no way of avoiding it, the only way to overcome it was to bear with the stench. Next, whenever our skin had come into contact with paint, it was a hassle trying to remove it. Hence, to overcome this, we made use of plastic gloves when painting the prototype. Finally, the time in which the paint had to be allowed to dry restricted our flexibility in the time schedule. For this problem, we had no choice but to adjust our own schedules taking into account the drying time for the paint.

We have also applied a lacquer surfacer to ensure that the wood does not rot when coming into contact with water (since this is an aquaponics prototype).

This concludes the construction phase of our prototype.

Here is what the prototype looked like when drying of the paint was in progress: