The FSHN lab was a buzz of drilling, coding, filing, cutting, and assembling this week as the DesiGators continued working hard on both the manufacturing and software fronts. The team assembled the air handling subsystem in its entirety, with the exception of the heating element which is still being prepared by the manufacturer.

The team also received the rubber tubing that will be used as a safeguard against the sharp edges of the metal drying trays. The team spent hours cutting the tubing to size and gluing it securely to the edges of the chamber, and now has over 20 finished trays – that is the first part of the assembly that is one hundred percent complete!

The team also talked with FSHN technician, Todd Pritchard, on the best way to assemble the metal components for the dehydrator since they will require precision welding. The team determined that the best idea would be to order all of the metal parts needed, create a test build of the needed components, and then weld everything all at once to be as precise a fit as possible. A mockup of the metal assembly that will be used to combine the load cells and the shelving materials is shown below.

With all the hard work going around, the DesiGators have made sure to keep morale high and enjoy themselves throughout the project. Enjoy the pictures below of the team sharing meals and making the most of their time in the lab!

The DesiGators turned their attention this week towards answering the age-old question – “How many engineers does it take to drill four holes through a 16-gauge stainless-steel tabletop?” Turns out the answer is all four DesiGators! We each took a turn drilling a hole into the stainless-steel surface of the metal table upon which the drying chambers will rest. The holes will allow for the support structures to pass through the table and attach to the interior shelving and load cell components.

The team also faced another hurdle this week when it came to the air handling subsystem. Two of the components we had ordered were sent to us with different thread types which made them incompatible. After reordering the correct components, the team was able to successfully get air flowing through the subsystem as intended!

Stay tuned as the DesiGators prepare to enter the testing phase of the project!

This week was yet another week of great progress for the DesiGators! The team has been working hard to bring all the aspects of the dehydrator to fruition. One major milestone that the team was able to achieve was the purchasing of the air heater which will condition the air entering the food dryer. Upon delivery of this part, the team will be able to begin test runs using heated air to simulate the drying experience the students will have in the lab.

The team also made some major improvements with the development of the GUI. After the team reached a unanimous decision on their favorite GUI layout (top left in the image below), the team presented the options to Dr. MacIntosh. He also agreed and gave the team the green light to begin developing the GUI using this proposed layout. Alex and Virginia have been hard at work on improving the GUI over the last few weeks and its current layout is shown below.

The team also reached a major milestone with regards to the manufacturing aspect of the project. Korynn and Stanley worked tirelessly in the DML lab to manufacture all of the drying trays using the sheet metal the team had purchased earlier. After hours of marking, cutting, and bending the team now has 28 trays that are just waiting on a protective edge liner to be ready for the dehydrator!

The DesiGators took this week to buckle on our engineering helmets and get our hands dirty! As the project swings heavily into the manufacturing stage, it is all hands on board as the team strives to build a fully functional drying chamber. The team is using a piece of plywood to simulate the top of the metal table as a guide before they begin drilling holes into it. This will allow us to make sure we have all of our hole placements exactly where we want them and that we haven’t made any measuring errors in our CAD model. Enjoy the pictures below of the team working on drilling the pilot holes! (All safety procedures were followed – the photos are for staging purposes only).

The team also had a breakthrough in their search for an affordable acrylic drying chamber. The team made contact with Brad Cutting, a local acrylic product manufacturer based out of St. Petersburg, Florida. Brad made a custom acrylic chamber for the team that far exceeded our expectations – it has metal hinges, a magnetic clasp, precision machined holes, and an engraving of the team logo! The team and Dr. MacIntosh loved the chamber and intend to purchase the rest of the chambers from him. Check out his website for a closer look at some of his work (https://www.facebook.com/TBAcrylics/).

The team will be manufacturing even more components for the dehydrator in the coming weeks, so stay tuned for even more exciting updates!

The DesiGators made two massive leaps forward in their project – with the first milestone being the integration of plots into the GUI. The new GUI can now take a data set and produce a plot onto a psychrometric chart. This tool will prove invaluable to the students using the device as they will be able to actively monitor the drying process.

The next big milestone was the delivery of the rotameter used in the air handling subsystem. The team tested the instrument with the Pilot Plant’s compressed air line and soon realized they had succumbed to every engineer’s biggest nightmare – units. Due to an error early in the design process, the units used in some preliminary calculations were incorrect. The result was an airflow that was much faster than desired which would result in a less educational drying lab. Although the setback was not desired, the team adapted quickly and already has plans to rectify the situation and continue pushing strong. As a reminder to engineers everywhere, check your units!

The DesiGators successfully 3D-printed the first version of their….wiffleball? Although similar in appearance, the structure shown below is actually a sensor cap designed for the drying chambers – the part will give the sensor a place to sit inside the drying chamber to record temperature and relative humidity while also ensuring that air is distributed evenly inside the chamber. The team is working on improving the design but is looking forward to beginning preliminary testing on their air handling subsystem as early as next week!

The team has also made some massive improvements on the code aspect of the project. The system can now fully support data input from eight relative humidity sensors and record the raw data appropriately. The team spent their coach meeting primarily going over aspects of the UI and discussing how to configure the layout to best meet the students’ needs.

The team is making amazing progress on all fronts and is currently looking to acquire the parts they need to begin bringing the whole assembly together. Stay tuned for more updates!

The DesiGators showed their dedication to their project by braving a tornado on the first day of class! The team had the opportunity to listen to guest speaker Professor Bill McElroy and learned about engineering character and competence.

The team reconvened at the FSHN lab to go over their progress from winter break and to discuss their plans for the upcoming semester with Dr. Jackson. The team has made some impressive progress on the code, animations for the IPPD deliverables, and CAD models for important parts needed for the chamber sensors. The team is fully confident in their ability to deliver a fully functional dehydrator by the end of the semester and is looking forward to beginning the testing phase as soon as possible. The meeting concluded with the whole team getting to see the rudimentary drying setup built using prototype parts which was used to conduct a preliminary drying trial right before the start of break. Stay tuned for an exciting and eventful Spring semester!