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.