It was very windy and chilly today when we visited the Fish Hatchery to present the third version of our prototype and test it out. We met with Mrs. Kerstin Cody and Mr. Jake Osborne, who brought us to the shad pool and let us set up the FISH. Here is the prototype we brought:
We mounted the FISH on a PVC stand that would hook over the edge of the pool, but we quickly discovered that that didn't work since it placed the waterwheel perpendicular to the water current instead of parallel to it.
We then tested out the wheel but found that we needed to mount it on the other side of the FISH or turn the FISH over for the wheel to work properly and be aligned with the downspout. We also found that the speed of the belt was much too fast to dispense the food at a slow, steady rate. At least the raised belt worked to keep the food from getting wet!
We asked a few questions about the shad's feeding habits, and learned that at the hatchery, they are given as much food as they will eat to increase their chances of survival. That's where the FISH comes into play; it allows the hatchery workers to maximize the food dispensed to the shad while minimizing the human labor needed.
After our visit, we found that we definitely need to improve the FISH. Here's a list of things we need to do:
Since we're only a couple days away from States, we'll present what we have and work towards improving the FISH afterwards.
After our visit, we found that we definitely need to improve the FISH. Here's a list of things we need to do:
- Redesign the wall mount to turn the FISH parallel to the current so the waterwheel can turn
- We could also add neoprene to the wall mount for more friction
- Reorient the waterwheel so it is powered more effectively by the water current
- We could also add more waterwheels or widen the current one to take more advantage of the current
- Develop a way to slow down the belt sufficiently while using the same amount of waterpower
- Fix the larger gear to have less friction
- Minimize danger of pool noodles to shad
- Design a hopper that attaches to the top of the FISH and dispenses the food onto the belt
- Design a scraper that helps scrape any leftover food off of the belt
Since we're only a couple days away from States, we'll present what we have and work towards improving the FISH afterwards.