Hello IPPD, I hope we are all well rested! This week we returned and made strong progress on both the piping systems and supporting components. We assembled a full test layout of the steam piping system, which helped us better understand the overall configuration and identify areas for improvement. In parallel, we completed the initial assembly of the water piping system using solder (see below), marking an important step toward full system integration. We also fabricated thermocouple connectors and developed FEA simulation animations to showcase our work for PID Day.

Looking ahead, we will focus on fixing several known leaks in the water piping system and continuing assembly of the safety system on the blancher. We also plan to reprint updated test shapes and verify thermocouple fit, refine our FEA simulations using experimental data, and build a mounting tray for the thermocouple reader.