The DesiGators made Dr. MacIntosh’s lab their new home for the week as they geared up to get ready for the FDR. The team picked up the remaining three drying chambers from Brad at Tampa Bay Acrylics last week along with a template to precisely line up the needed holes with the table surface. Using the template, the team spent countless hours drilling holes into the table (stainless steel is no joke!), but the result was worth it.

With the chambers mounted, it was time to get airflow into each of the chambers. The team mounted rotameters on the side of the table which will allow the user to control the amount of air that enters each chamber. The air will get passed through the heating unit, through the rotameters, before entering the chambers to dry the food. To test the completed setup, and to get ready for the FDR, the team started a full-scale drying test utilizing all of the chambers. Stay tuned for an update on how the dryer performed and more updates as the team gears up for their presentation at the FDR!