CAPSTONE BIOLOGICAL and AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING
AGRICULTURAL SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT
2015
Department Head Remarks
Howdy! This year marks the centennial anniversary of the department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering. Throughout the past 100 years we have seen many advances in agriculture through this department, and can only see an even brighter future yet to come. We are excited about this year, but we are even more excited about telling our story. The capstone event is certainly one of the ways where we have that chance to tell our story. The Capstone Event is an occasion that we all look forward to in the Biological and Agricultural Engineering Department. This event is an annual event at the end of each spring semester where we have the chance to gather with faculty and sponsors, learn, and celebrate our seniors’ hard work on their projects. This publication is a showcase of the projects and sponsors who helped make this event possible. Both majors in our department, Biological and Agricultural Engineering and Agricultural Systems Management, have a capstone course that is the culmination of their curricula. These courses are designed so that a team of students are paired with a company, client and problem to solve. Students are required to research, analyze, write a report, and present their work to their clients throughout the semester. The 2015 Capstone courses were taught by four of
our faculty members. Dr. Ron Lacey and Dr. Rabi Mohtar taught the Biological and Agricultural Engineering 480 course, and Dr. Gary Riskowski and Col. Russell McGee taught the Agricultural Systems Management 440 course. We also could not have done this without our academic advisor and project corrdinator, Ashlea Schroeder and Stormy Kretzschmar. This year we had 19 projects, 14 sponsors outside of the university and 75 students take part in this course. The projects ranged from designing a wetlands system, making a data logging application for a smartphone, to systems analysis of greenhouse aquaponics production. These projects demonstrate the wide variety of applications that graduates of our department are prepared for when they enter in the work force. We are very excited to watch these seniors go out into the world and not only be examples of what this department produces, but what Texas A&M University truly stands for.
Thanks and Gig’em!
Steve Searcy
Ron Lacey BAEN 480 Professor
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Rabi Mohtar BAEN 480 Professor
Gary Riskowski AGSM 440 Professor
Russell McGee AGSM 440 Professor
Agricultural Systems Management
PROJECTS
Tree Town USA Data Logging Project
Shelby Gilstrap, Lyndee Park, Brendan Jones, Morgan Terrell.................................................. 3
David Junek, Brandon Behrens, Philip Cantu, Colton Meinke................................................... 5
Garet Box, Paul Mathy, Craig Musslewhite, John Rockwood............................................. .........7
Raising Broilers on Pasture Land Aguamiel Harvest Improvement
Avocado Orchard Pruning Ross Weishuhn, Zachary Zant, Aaron Beaman, Luis Arriaza..................................................... 7 Reducing Plastic Contamination in Cotton Bales Zackary Skrabanek, J. Matt Parker, Christian Bellini, Wesley Patek..........................................9 Simpson Drill Field Irrigation Upgrades Yunbo Zhao, Bryan Menke, Caleb Midkiff, Agaghul Huseynzade...............................................9 Sand Creek Farm’s Aquaponics Lettuce Production John Lenderman, Amanda Driewer, Brandon Montgomery, Jacob Bosse.................................11 Improving Cotton Bale Handling in the Warehouse Bradley Haba, Kelton Bredemeyer, *Heston Heller, Ethan Brown.............................................11
Biological and Agricultural Engineering Wetland Design for the Helton San Antonio River Nature Park
David Wolff, Travis Davis, Wren Robinson, Zak Stephens.......................................... ................4
Cameron Dorsett, Stephanie Ruiz, Annamarie Cowart, Matt Sanner......................................... 6
Tim Armstrong, Kaitlynn Graham, Caleb Shaw, Anthony Mendez.............................................8
Thomas Marchetti,Natalie Luhutsky, Amy Molina, Niao Yan.....................................................13
Air Quality in Vellore, India
Development of the Cardamom Value Chain
Cuenca Remediation Plan Garrett Gunn, Clint Tevebaugh, Matthew Mendoza, Troy Franklin............................................8 Desalination of Brackish Water Taylor Moore, Victoria Garibay, William Hartlage, Elizabeth Sturges....................................... 10 Precision Agriculture Using Unmanned Vehicles Francesca Moss, John Ermis, Craig Kondoff...............................................................................10 DROP: Rainwater Solutions Kyler Stoner, Jaclyn Hodges, Selina Brandon, Cody Wainscott..................................................12 Cotton Bale Handling Chayce Chamblee, Reid Hudson, Brian Anderson, Trevor Haechten......................................... 12 The City of Jonestown: Wastewater Master Plan Kayla Rejcek, Andrea Saaverda, Cassian LaDue, Aaron Dunavant Over the Guardrail Mower David Delgadillo, David Arthur, Juan Perez, Homar Munoz........................................... ............13 *Capstone 2015 was designed and edited by Heston Heller ‘15. Heller is an Agricultural Systems Management major in the Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering and completed the senior level capstone course in the Spring of 2015.
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AGSM Poster Presentation: Gold Award Team Members Shelby Gilstrap Lyndee Park Brendan Jones Morgan Terrell Clients Brad Abrameit Jason Cowham Company Tree Town USA
Tree Town USA Data Logging Project Tree Town USA is a tree farm with locations in Florida and Texas. Their Glen Flora location in Texas is a 1200 acre facility which employs approximately 200 workers. These employees primarily work in crews of three to eight. Within each crew is a leader who is responsible for recording the hours worked by each employee. These hours are tracked on sheets of paper, and turned in each day. A data clerk must transcribe these written hours into excel so they may be used for payroll purposes. Due to the nature of work performed at Tree Town, these paper sheets are prone to loss, damage, and inaccuracy. Tree Town USA is looking for a data logging program to track the time and attendance of their employees. They would like to use handheld devices which automatically
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upload the data for use by managers. After comparing several different software solutions, we recommend the use of TSheets, a web-based time and attendance program. The mobile application allows for crew leaders to track labor hours of their entire crew, and gives managers the ability to view labor productivity at any time. With our system, each crew leader will be provided a smartphone with TSheets installed. The leader will continue their duties as previous to this system, but will instead use the smartphone to track labor hours of their crew. This labor data will be automatically uploaded from the phone, and logged in cloud-based storage. Managers and payroll staff can then download the data for use in their respective jobs.
BAEN Poster Presentation: Gold Award Team Members David Wolff Travis Davis Wren Robinson Zak Stephens Client Aarin Teague Company San Antonio River Authority
Wetland Design for the Helton San Antonio River Nature Park In this design project the San Antonio River Authority (SARA) contacted the senior design class (BAEN 480) at Texas A&M University to find a group of students to design a wetland for their John William Helton San Antonio River Nature Park that would filter storm water runoff and double as a recreational fishing amenity to local families and youth groups. Four students formed the Brazos Valley Wetland Design (BVWD) team for the design process. To begin the process, design constraints for the project were laid out and include: permitting, cost, water quality, impact on the protected pecan trees, accessibility, aesthetics, rainwater runoff (topography), ecological impact, soil, and retention time. When deciding upon a final design, the BVWD team considered four separate options. One completely
online wetland, one offline wetland that pulls water from and releases water back into Calaveras Creek, and two completely offline wetlands that do not receive water from the creek but do discharge water back into the creek. It is an offline wetland which means that it will collect rainwater runoff from the surrounding land and will include a spillway to release water into Calaveras creek. Additional amenities will be put into place along with the wetland. These include a pier, fish to stock the wetland, vegetation, and informational signage near the wetland. The total cost for the wetland comes out to $37,048.00 which includes the construction of the wetland and the above mentioned amenities along with additional overhead costs.
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AGSM Poster Presentation: Silver Award Team Members David Junek Brandon Behrens Philip Cantu Colton Meinke Client Ben Godfrey Company Sand Creek Farms
Raising Broilers on Pasture Land The client, Mr. Godfrey, has approached the consulting group needing a solution regarding the most efficient way to raise organic broilers on pasture. His farm, Sand Creek Farm, is located in Cameron Texas on 169 acres with adequate forage. Pasture raised broiler operations need to be moved often in order not to kill the forage permanently. Without pasture (forage/grass) there would be no way to market them as pasture raised. Since mobility is a key component, the chicken tractor method has been determined as the most effective in successfully raising organic broilers on pasture. The client will be repurposing a greenhouse that is 20 ft by 36 ft. This size chicken tractor will be adequate in providing enough space for the targeted cycle size of 600 broilers. The entire cycle is within the chicken tractor for 4 weeks after being in the brooder house for the previous 4 weeks. Within a growing season, Mr. Godfrey should be able to produce 7 cycles. The tractor will need to be moved every day in order for the birds to receive enough forage. The broilers will also be given a supplemental, non-GMO and soy
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free, feed from Cargill. Starting at the end of week 8, and every 4 weeks after, the broilers will need to be processed and readied for selling. There is a processor in Coupland Texas that will process whole carcass at $2 per bird. At this price processing costs for 7 cycles will be $8,400. The birds will be sold by Mr. Godfrey at his preexisting storefront on site. He can also ship the birds to his customers that are members. The existing clientele of Sand Creek Farm will be the targeted consumers. The operation will be profitable the first year with a 5-6 lb bird sold at $5.50 per lb. A consistent cash flow can be ensured with the meat being sold to existing clientele by the farm itself. The combination of supplemental feed and forage will provide more than adequate food for the broilers. When applying this chicken tractor method and the aforementioned selling techniques, there is a potential max profit of $81,042. This solution will satisfy the max payback period and presents the highest return with manageable practices.
BAEN Poster Presentation: Silver Award Team Members Cameron Dorsett Stephanie Ruiz Annamarie Cowart Matt Sanner Client Sayeed Showkath Company Progessive Vellore
Air Quality in Vellore, India The quality of the air humans breathe has become a premiere issue of our day and age, especially in the urban regions of India. Over 600,000 lives per year have been lost in the country due to air pollution alone (Clark, 2014). The purpose of this study is to present project sponsor, Sayeed Showkath, with a list of feasible options for the monitoring of air quality in Vellore, India – taking into consideration the cost and operation details for effective and efficient emission monitoring. First, the group Micron Managers researched various criteria pollutants present in the air in India and learned of the health threats they posed to the general population. Currently, the most revalent pollutants are suspended particulate matter (SPM), respirable particulate matter (PM2.5, PM10, and PM-Coarse), nitrogen oxides, and sulfur dioxide. In the United States, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has established National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS), determining the maximum allowable levels for certain criteria pollutants in order to maintain public safety and environmental health. While there are NAAQS established in India, they are not well enforced and are almost always exceeded. At the outset of this design project, the Micron Managers posed the question, “Which criteria pollutants present the biggest threat to human health,
and given a specific budget, which pollutants absolutely need to be monitored within this design? Using the data found during the duration of the project, a prioritized list of pollutants and their respective health effects was compiled in order to help define the focus of the overall project. Through this means, the group determined respirable particulate matter would be the concentration of the study. Through continued research, these three types of PM all proved to pose serious detrimental effects to the human respiratory system. By deciding to narrow the project scope to monitoring PM, the group was able to find an effective and accurate PM monitoring device. After considering several options, the Beta Acceleration Monitor (BAM) 1020 manufactured by Met One Instruments was chosen because it contained all of the necessary qualities required for the project design. Some of these qualities included: the ability to be left unattended for operation for extended amounts of time, cost-effectiveness, and ease of use and maintenance. The BAM-1020 is also considered a U.S. EPA equivalent method for measurement of PM2.5, PM10, and PM-Coarse. Because of this fact, the Micron Managers were confident that the pollutant level data collected and results obtained from said data could be considered accurate and believable.
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AGSM Aguamiel Harvest Improvement Team Members Garet Box Craig Musslewhite Paul Mathy John Rockwood Client Dr. Alfredo Marquez Company Universidad de Guanajuato
Partnered with the Universidad de Guanajuato, our team was tasked to update the current harvest method of Aguamiel from the Maguey plant. Dr. Alfredo Marquez wanted to mechanize the harvest process while staying within the constraints. The constraints include a sanitary harvest method, a decrease in labor input, and cost effectiveness. To develop a system within the given constraints, a gravitational flow system used to extract sap from maple tree will be applied to the maguey plant to extract the nectar from the center of the maguey plant. The recommended solution to extract the aguamiel from the maguey plant will utilize electrical power to allow for an efficient harvest process with minimal labor requirements. The recommended solution imitates the maple sap harvest with adaptations so it can be applied to the maguey plant.
First, a spindle will be inserted into the cladode of each plant to allow the aguamiel from inside cladode to flow into the tubing line. A tubing line will be connected to the spindle of the maguey plants in each row. A small food grade pump will be connected to the end of tubing line that will displace the aguamiel from all plants in the row into a storage container. The pump will be connected to the tubing system to allow for daily harvest of the aguamiel. This system will greatly expedite the harvest process. In the case study of a 200-plant maguey operation, the recommended solution was more effective and cost effective than the traditional harvest method. The recommended solution had a fixed cost $683 and it reduced overall harvest costs by $6,416. The new solution was able to reduce cost by eliminating 8 laborers from the harvest process due to the increased harvest rate of the accomplished by the implementation of the recommended solution.
Avocado Orchard Pruning Team Members Ross Weishuhn Aaron Beaman Zachary Zant Luis Arriaza Client Luis Naranjo
For Agricultural Systems Management 440, students worked on improving pruning operations for an avocado plantation in Guanajuato, Mexico. Luis Naranjo is the owner of a 100 acre plantation in Guanajuato, Mexico. Pruning for this plantation has to be done within the time frame of a month in which the avocado trees are dormant. Mr. Naranjo currently utilizes pole pruners as the main equipment to finish the task in four weeks. Mr. Naranjo desires to improve the rate at which his plantation is currently pruned. He also wants the solution to this problem to cost him no more than $7100 and to be an alternative that can utilized repeatedly. The limited budget and little yearly use of the equipment represented a major constraint for this project. For these main reasons, the solution to the project had to be one that would require little capital investment and maintenance costs. The solution AGSM students propose is to utilize the same pruning method with an increase in equipment and labor force. After analyzing alternatives that would complete the pruning operations in the desired time frame, it was concluded that purchasing two extra pole pruners and adding two extra workers would be the most economically feasible solution. This solution requires a small capital investment of $1319.98. This
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solution is also advantageous in that it does not increase labor costs for Mr. Naranjo since he will need the labor for a shorter period of time. This solution is convenient for Mr. Naranjo since he will not have to make major changes to his current operation. The methodology used to prune the trees remains the same as well as the training the workers need. The two extra pole pruners will utilize the same maintenance equipment currently utilized. Mr. Naranjo will be able to predict the kind of breakdowns to be expected from the new equipment. To implement this solution into his operation Mr. Naranjo will only need to buy two extra pole pruners, hire and train two extra workers, and run the same kind of operation as he currently is running. Mr. Luis Naranjo should consider implementing the solution proposed by AGSM students for the following reasons; the solution proposed is one that both fulfills the completion time and budget requirements, this solution is also one that best suits Mr. Naranjo’s circumstances since little investment capital is needed and little changes have to be made to the current avocado pruning operation.
BAEN Development of the Cardamom Value Chain Team Members Tim Armstrong Caleb Shaw Kaitlynn Graham Anthony Mendez
Guatemala has become the leading exporter of the Cardamom and exports mostly to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Singapore, and the United States. The Department of Alta Verapaz in Guatemala accounts for 70% of the national harvest. The objectives of the project were to design processes to raise income value for farmers and those willing to fund large scale co-ops and to address ways in which the rapid deforestation can be minimized. The scales of the process were based on a single farm for the small scale and on sixty farms for the large scale. The decided upon method for the drying of the cardamom for the small-scale process was sun drying, which is done out of direct sunlight and takes around 48 hours to complete. The method for drying in the large-scale process is a large belt dryer ranging from 100-200 kW and with a 1 to 12 hr drying time. The sorting and grading process for the small scale design is done by hand with an average throughput of 100 kg per employee in an 8 hr workday. The large scale grading and sorting process will be done using an industrial sized gravity separator
and a color sorter. After the seeds are sorted and graded, they are dehusked by hand in the small-scale process and with an industrial sized dehusker in the large-scale process. It was assumed that 80% would be sold whole. The other 20% would be sold as ground product or used for essential oil extraction. The ground product and whole pods are stored in jute bags in order to prevent moisture contamination. It was 4 determined to be economically viable to use 75% of the 20% for essential oil with the remaining 25% left as ground powder. The method used for essential oil extraction at the small scale is water and steam distillation. This involves boiling water through ground plant material sitting on a grate, then condensing the vaporized water and oil. Instead of wood, a gasifier may be used to heat the water to boiling. At the large scale, direct steam distillation will be used.
Cuenca Remediation Plan Team Members Garrett Gunn Matthew Mendoza Clint Tevebaugh Troy Franklin Clients Andres Alvarado, Universidad de Cuenca Sanitation is a right and a necessity that is required for communities to function properly. However, this is not always available for most communities around the world. According to a published report by the World Health Organization, approximately 2.5 billion people worldwide do not have access to improved sanitation (WHO, 2012). This implies that these communities do not have the ability to properly dispose of wastewater and excreta. Due to the lack of the facilities drinking water sources become contaminated leaving communities susceptible to diseases such as cholera, typhoid, infectious hepatitis, polio, cryptosporidiosis, and ascaris. The WHO estimates that 2.4 million deaths are caused by the diseased with nearly 2 million of these deaths consisting of children (WHO, 2002). Cuenca is one of the largest cities in Ecuador containing the country’s largest wastewater treatment facility. However this treatment facility only treats the wastewater for the municipality of Cuenca. This poses an issue with rural areas outside of the city that must establish their own means of treating wastewater generated within the community. To mitigate this issue, these small towns are subsidized funds to build a local wastewater treatment facility. The town then allocates an area in the community to build the facility and the Municipality of Cuenca, Empresa Publica Municipal de
Telecomunicaciones, Agua Potable, Alcantarillado y Saneamiento (ETAPA EP), establishes the treatment facility. The currently used system for primary and secondary sewage and wastewater is a septic tank followed by two subsurface wetlands that are lace in parallel. These areas are poorly maintained and neglected resulting in a poor treatment process. Additionally, damaged manhole covers and system piping upstream of the wastewater treatment facility in each community are creating a drainage point for rainwater runoff and infiltration. The reaming influent is from infiltration runoff, and irrigation. The end result is the currently installed septic that is designed for approximately 66,105 L/day is treating approximately 545,000 L/day at peak flow rate. This in turn reduced the required retention time of a minimum of two days to below two hours within the septic tank. The cascading effect is reduced operational effectiveness of the wetland. Coordination between students from both Texas A&M and the University of Cuenca are attempting to resolve this issue. The end result is to develop an effective and cost efficient method of treating wastewater in these communities that would require minimal maintenance and still meet the standards of their governing authority.
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AGSM Reducing Plastic Contamination in Cotton Bales Team Members Zackary Skrabanek Christian Bellini J. Matt Parker Wesley Patek Client Kelley Green Company Texas Cotton Ginners Association The introduction of the John Deere round module picker in 2007 and the round module stripper in 2014 has led to concerns of increased plastic contamination in cotton. The United States has a great reputation for high quality cotton. The contamination of plastic, however, poses a serious threat to that reputation. After cotton is harvested from the field, it is wrapped in plastic. Its primary purpose is to hold and protect the bale while it is delivered to the gin. Unfortunately, some of this plastic ends up in the cotton when cutting the plastic off at the gin. Once cotton is run through a gin, it is virtually impossible to remove the plastic contaminants. However, plastic module wrap is not the only source of plastic contamination. Plastic can also be littered throughout cotton fields and harvested by the picker. A good example of this is plastic
shopping bags that can be blown into cotton fields. In order to keep The United States’ reputation for high quality cotton, plastic contaminants must be reduced before the cotton is ginned. Using risk and uncertainty analysis’s and extensive economic analysis, our team found that there were only two viable options to solve the plastic contamination at this time. The first is to implement an education program partnered with the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service to inform cotton ginners and producers about the negative effects plastic contamination has on their cotton and the whole US cotton market. The second solution the team chose is to continue research of the Ion Mobility Spectrometer (IMS) detection system for later implementation into the US cotton gins.
Simpson Drill Field Irrigation Upgrades
Team Members Yunbo Zhao Caleb Midkiff Bryan Menke Agaghul Huseynzade Client SSC Service Solutions Simpson Drill Field is currently in mediocre shape due to the distribution of the water from the irrigation system. It is recommended to replace all of the current sprinkler heads with Hunter I-25’s because this will fix a number of issues that have been identified. With two types of sprinkler heads with different specifications currently being used, SSC Service Solutions is experiencing inconsistencies in the overall performance of the system. The control system that is installed on Simpson is a reliable system that performs the basic necessities. However, due to its limited capabilities it requires on site manipulation. There are a number of controllers available now that allow the appropriate personnel to remotely manipulate the irrigation system at any time and at any location. With the recommended solution, SSC Solutions will be able to control the system via: smart phone, PC, and tablet. This controller also comes with the capability of
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alerting the client of any abnormalities with the system which in turn will avoid excess amounts of water being pumped onto Simpson. Mother-nature is an inevitable factor that affects SSC Solutions everyday operations. By installing a weather sensor that reads wind, freezing temperatures, and rain, the controller will be able to shut itself off in order to avoid wasting water and further damaging the turf. This will potentially eliminate the factors that have continuously affected the overall health of the field. Finally, with the above factors and solutions, the amount of time saved will greatly benefit SSC and allow them to focus on less issues. In other words, with more tasks being accomplished in a shorter time frame, the overall status of Simpson Drill Field will be able to move up into that next tier becoming an even more pivotal center piece for Texas A&M University.
BAEN Desalination of Brackish Water Team Members Taylor Moore William Hartlage Victoria Garibay Elizabeth Sturges Client Dr. Arun Srinivasa Our main design consideration is the alleviation of global water shortage using a thermally driven membrane distillation system to desalinate brackish water to a level fit for human consumption. After careful consideration of alternate designs, we ultimately proceeded with a cylindrical model, utilizing the microporous hydrophobic membrane in a fundamental application of air gap membrane distillation. We conducted theoretical analyses to provide the framework for a fully operational design and concluded that our experimental prototype yielded results satisfactory for proof of concept. Critical parameters of the design were identified through the theoretical analyses. Our data analyses reflect a positive relationship between mass flux through the microporous membrane and temperature of various aspects of the environment, such as the temperature difference between the hot saline feed and the cold internal condensing surface. Theoretical calculations reinforce this conclusion and show that the maximum achievable temperature difference is approximately 20°C. Our study also indicates that maximizing desalinated water production
is highly dependent upon the thickness of the air gap between the membrane and condensing surface. We found out that the ideal thickness for the air gap is 0.001 m, but we were only able to achieve a 0.003 m air gap. The mass flux of desalinated water through our design’s membrane surface area of .0911 m2 is 0.973 L hr-1 under optimal conditions, and assuming eight hours of sunlight per day, use of this desalination filter model will produce 7.78 L day-1. The prototype is theoretically capable of meeting its constraints, producing 111% of the required 7 L day-1 without the use of pumping or electricity. The experimental data we recorded reveals that the membrane is approximately 99.69-99.98% effective at removal of dissolved solids from the brackish feed water solution from approximately 8000 parts per million to less than 30 parts per million. Our experimental prototype resulted in a total approximate cost of $439.55 including the retail cost of all parts and labor.
Precision Agriculture Using Unmanned Vehicles Team Members Francesca Moss John Ermis Craig Kondoff Clients Bob Baughman & Ben Williams Company HUVR Data
There is new demand in the agricultural world for technologies capable of offering data relating directly to crop health and translating these factors into methods to maximize yields and efficiencies. HUVR, a company that utilizes unmanned aerial systems, UASs, to perform precision agriculture flights over fields for customers, approached Texas A&M Engineering students to determine the factors of rice that are imperative to maximize growth and to translate this information into programs that can be run through imaging technologies mounted on a UAS which will relate knowledge back to customers concerning their field health. The BAEN team, HUVRCrafters, has designed an experiment which, paired with the imaging instrumentation provided by HUVR, will collect images for eleven plots of rice which have altering factors. These eleven plots will be manipulated in a way that will invoke a measurable change in the multispectral, thermal, and HD images. These plots include three “control” plots, which will contain optimal levels of nutrients and irrigation as well as being pest, weed, and disease free. Two plots will focus on deficiencies and toxicities of nutrients, while focusing more specifically on nitrogen. One plot
will have low water levels, one plot will have high water levels, and one plot will have high salinity levels. The remaining three plots will represent rice infested with pests, weeds, or diseased rice. Utilizing the imaging technology HUVR uses on its UASs, appropriate measurements of crop health based on chlorophyll and other image parameters will be correlated to agronomic indicators of rice health. The goal of this experiment is to determine how to calibrate imaging instruments in order to detect the factors imperative to rice growth so that proper agronomic management may be implemented. Once the appropriate factors are determined, proper imaging measurements can be identified in order to provide crop health information via stitched imaging and comparative analysis. The idea is to have a good handle on what to look for so that the information captured by the UAS can be processed and understood and mediating efforts can be relayed to the farmer. This type of management allows for pre-planting investigation to be completed as well as constant monitoring during the growth phases in order to acquire the highest yield as well as maximize efficiency of inputs.
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AGSM Sand Creek Farm’s Aquaponics Lettuce Production Team Members John Lenderman Brandon Montgomery Amanda Driewer Jacob Bosse Client Ben Godfrey Company Sand Creek Farm & Dairy Our client, Ben Godfrey, owns Sand Creek Farms in Cameron, Texas, which produces a variety of different products. Among the products produced are organic vegetables grown in an eco-friendly, low-density aquaponics system. In order to make Mr. Godfrey’s operation as time and cost efficient as possible, we will be analyzing the planting, harvesting, and marketing aspects of the Sand Creek Farms aquaponics system. The first solution to be implemented is the installation of a raft/tote washer and a wash/dry rack. The next solution to be introduced would be the application of the super-hydrophobic coating Ultra Ever Dry to the rafts in the grow bed area. The third solution, a vacuum seeder, is a solution that
requires very little setup and it can provide great time savings in this area of the operation. The final solution to be installed is an overhead trolley system above each grow bed. This solution has the highest cost and takes the longest to install. The team has found that these solutions can provide a reduction in labor hours used for Ben Godfrey, allowing for the workers to perform other task. Overtime with more experience with these solutions production will increase. Despite having to pay for the initial investment for materials, the potential to boost the profit through less labor is substantial.
Improving Cotton Bale Handling in the Warehouse Team Members Bradley Haba Heston Heller Kelton Bredemeyer Ethan Brown Clients Bill Norman Dale Thompson Company National Cotton Council of America
In the cotton warehousing industry there is an ongoing problem with bale packaging damage. This damage can occur from a bale hook being used to break out the bales from row formation, when bales are turned from their upright position to their side with the use of bale clamps, and when a forklift operator grazes or simply mishandles the bales. For this problem several solutions were considered to achieve the different deliverables, but due to the large variability of warehouse size, layout, and profitability in the industry, no one solution works for all. Therefore the solutions presented will be implemented either in part or in whole depending on each individual warehouse. The first solution proposed is the implementation of a rotating forklift attachment equipped with a bale clamp. This attachment would replace the bale hook in bale breakout and could also be used for general bale handling throughout the warehouse, giving it multiple uses. Superior Engineering Technologies Inc. quoted the attachment at $17,000 to $30,000 depending on specific dimensions and capacity. The second solution is to adjust aisle width to reduce bale package damage due to forklifts grazing bales while traveling
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down the aisles. To help warehouses determine the best aisle width, a spreadsheet was built so that each warehouse can enter their current and proposed aisle widths to determine loss in storage capacity, the spreadsheet can then calculate loss in revenues based on the warehouse’s capacity and storage rate. The spreadsheet can be an important tool in helping warehouses determine maximum aisle width while still meeting capacity requirements for expected bales. The third solution consists of the implementation of a forklift operator training program. This program will help to ensure that each operator has the skill and ability to operate the machinery properly. Also included will be a list of best practice techniques to be used when lancing the bales from the vertical to horizontal position. The three solutions described can be implemented in combination to help reduce the amount of bale packaging damage that occurs in cotton warehousing industry. The training program solution should be implemented in all warehouses while the other two solutions, forklift attachment and aisle width adjustment, will be implemented on a case by case basis depending on warehouse size, layout, and profitability.
BAEN DROP: Rainwater Solutions Team Members Kyle Stoner Selina Brandon Jaclyn Hodges Cody Wainscott Client Texas A&M University Facilities The objective is to create a green solution for the Texas A&M University campus that will serve as a low-impact green infrastructure. Along with being able to harvest and reuse rainwater, the goal is to implement an amenity and educational aspect with the system. This is especially important because it will involve the student and faculty body, and help them realize that this process is not only beneficial, but it can be done at their own homes. There are many different types of low-impact green infrastructure available today. A green roof is a smart alternative to use as much rainwater as possible from the roof, but it has expensive upfront and maintenance costs. Sand filters are another way to ensure that all the water coming from the roof is rid of any harmful contaminants to the environment. But, the process cannot be seen since the sand filters are located in the gutters. A rain garden would be able to clean and reuse the rainwater to sustain itself, and
provide an amenity of a beautiful landscape complete with places to sit and enjoy. With the location being the P&M building located on west campus of Texas A&M University, it is determined that the rain garden would be the best alternative for the area and objectives stated. The objectives are met with this design because it not only uses rainwater, but it will be an amenity for the student and faculty body to enjoy. It will be complete with areas to sit and relax. The bioswale, rainwater harvesting tank, and the rain garden will serve as an educational tool for the Biological and Agricultural Engineering department and others to learn from. By also getting the student body involved with the construction of the area, it will decrease cost and help the student body feel a part of the steps
Cotton Bale Handling Team Members
Chayce Chamblee Reid Hudson
Brian Anderson Trevor Haechten
Clients Bill Norman Dale Thompson Company National Cotton Council of America The design created by Cotton Handling Innovators (CHI) is a modification to common bale clamps used in the cotton warehousing industry. This modification uses a rotary plate assembly that attaches to the interior of each clamp jaw. The rotating disk assembly reduces shear forces imparted on cotton bale packaging when reorienting cotton bales from vertical (upright) to horizontal (lance) positions and vice versa. Reduction of these shear forces helps prevent damage to the plastic wrapping of the cotton bales. The rotary plate assembly, an exploded view of which is shown in figure 1, is composed of an axle, an inner and outer bearing, the hub and plate backing, and the rotary plate. The axle attaches to the
inside of the clamp jaw by welding and provides a support shaft for the other components. The inner bearing and a section of the outer bearing are contained within the hub and plate backing. Having the bearings housed within the hub allows for free rotation of the hub and rotary plate. The hub serves as the connecting member between the rotary plate and bearings. The hub attaches to the rotary plate by welding to the non-contact surface of the rotary plate. The end of the axle is threaded and bored with a hole in order to attach a hex castle nut and cotter pin that keep all components securely attached to the axle. A grease cap then covers the axle end and is press fit into a recess on the clamping face of the rotary plate.
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BAEN The City of Jonestown: Wastewater Master Plan Team Members Top Photo Bottom Photo Kayla Rejcek Thomas Marchetti Andrea Saavedra Natalie Luhutsky Cassian LaDue Amy Molina Aaron Dunavant Niao Yan The City of Jonestown is committed to responsible planned development, economic vitality, public service improvements, continued park expansions, and overall improved quality of life for its residents. Developing and maintaining a citywide wastewater collection system is an important step in creating a clean, safe environment for the public, especially as the city looks forward to a blooming commercial and residential sectors. The main design objectives were to develop city population projections, a vulnerability assessment map, a wastewater collection system design with manageable phases, an effluent disposal plan, and a cost estimate. The final wastewater collection system design consisted of gravity lines, force mains, low pressure system (LPS), lift stations, wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), and drip irrigation fields. In order to make the overall construction of the
Client Frank Phelan Company City of Jonestown
wastewater collection system more manageable, it was divided into several phases. These phases represent incremental development of the City of Jonestown over the next 10 to 20 years. First, wastewater collection service will be provided to the northern half of the commercial corridor through construction of wastewater lines, a chain of lift stations, and the LPS in the downtown area. This area will be serviced by an existing WWTP in the city of Leander. Second, the southern half of the corridor will be serviced through the construction of wastewater lines, lift stations, and a new WWTP. Additional residential developments throughout Jonestown will be serviced through the construction of further wastewater collection networks and two additional WWTPs. In order to give the City of Jonestown an initial idea of the expenses of the overall project of each phase, a cost estimate was developed. It did not include contingency costs or soft costs, but only the costs of WWTPs, drip irrigation fields, lift stations, gravity lines, force mains, and the LPS. The total of estimated costs are just under $16 million, with the two phases in the corridor totaling $3.5 million. This initial estimate should give the City of Jonestown material from which to continue conversations on funding options and project feasibility.
Over the Guardrail Mower Team Members David Delgadillo Juan Perez David Arthur Homar Munoz Clients Mark Hamann & A.J. Sjolander Company Alamo Industrial The AMPD Engineering design team have analyzed and reviewed our design alternatives and concluded that “Design Model B” best meets the requirements, constrains and deliverables for this project. “Design Model B” is a telescoping boom mower capable of elevating 90° above and 30° below the horizontal plane. The telescopic feature enables the mower to reach brush 9ft from the outer edge of the tractor tire without requiring a re-design of the Alamo tractor saddle. The saddle retains the ability to rotate 90° to stow the mower boom to facilitate transportation. A Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was conducted and confirmed that all components designed by AMPD had a 2.54 Factor of Safety value at the point
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of hydraulic breakaway. The telescoping function of the boom is actuated by an externally mounted hydraulic cylinder to better facilitate the manufacturing process and reduce maintenance costs. As Alamo Industrial retains a stock of common components, AMPD decided to construct the boom from 5”x5”x-3/8” structural tubing for the outer section, and 4”x4”-1/2” structural tubing for the inner telescoping section. Components that require fabrication are constructed of material that is readily available and economic to purchase. Using cost factors from Alamo Industrial’s operations the estimated manufacturing cost per unit is $7344.75.
Thank You Sponsors!
Thank you Ashlea and Stormy for all of your support and work for the 2015 Capstone Event!
Ashlea Schroeder Senior Academic Advisor
Stormy Kretzschmar Program Coordinator
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Department of Biological and Agricultural Engineering Dr. Steve Searcy, Department Head 2117 TAMU College Station, TX 77843 (979) 845-3685