Today we began working on building a prototype of our fish feeder. Our plan is to build a small raft out of PVC pipes and pool noodles that will hold a hopper with fish food. A waterwheel powered by the water current in the shad tank will turn a PVC pipe axle, which powers a conveyor belt that dispenses the food into the water. Here are some pictures of us designing it:
Today we visited the fish hatchery again, this time to focus on the problem we had chosen to tackle - the feeder for the shad pool. We met with Kerstin Cody again, who showed us the shad and explained the problem more clearly. She demonstrated how she and the other workers have to go to the pool every now and then to sprinkle fish food using a spoon onto the surface of the water so that it won't sink. We also asked her some questions about the dimensions of the pool and how often the shad need to be fed.
Afterwards, we returned to the Magas home to brainstorm some solutions. One simple solution would be to add a ramp to the existing fish feeder to allow the food to drop from a lower height. However, this wouldn't make too much of a project for us. We also came up with the idea of using a floating platform with a conveyor belt or a set of screens that would dispense the food directly onto the surface of the water. We'll develop these ideas more in the following meetings. |
AuthorWe are the Big Red Lightning Crocobots. This is our OFFICIAL blog! Archives
December 2016
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