Download PRP 17419

Multidisciplinary Senior Design
Project Readiness Package
Project Title:
Rochester Roots Continous Classroom Vermicomposter
Project Number:
(assigned by MSD)
P1742x
Primary Customer:
(provide name, phone
number, and email)
Jan MacDonald, Rochester Roots, jan@rochesterroots.org
585-802-0843
Sponsor(s):
(provide name, phone
number, email, and
amount of support)
Rochester Roots, $500
Preferred Start
Term:
Fall 2016
Faculty Champion:
(provide name and
email)
Sarah Brownell, sabeie@rit.edu
Other Support:
Dr. Dawn Carter (biology) dxcsse@rit.edu
Project Guide:
(assigned by MSD)
Chris Leibfried
Sarah Brownell
Prepared By
7/18/16
Date
Received By
Date
RIT – Kate Gleason College of Engineering
Multidisciplinary Senior Design
Project Readiness Package
Template Revised Spring 2016
Project Information
* Overview:
Rochester Roots, a local non-profit, educates school children about the global food system,
healthy eating, sustainability, resilience, innovation, and gardening through hands-on and
systems focused projects.
The Montessory Academy where Rochester Roots works has 24 small worm bins that are used in
the individual classrooms. A starter group of 75 red wiggler worms in these bins has now turned
into more than 500,000 worms! At the end of the school year, all these bins are returned to the
science room and need to be combined into a larger bin. Currently, there is no easy system for
managing these worms over the summer or for managing larger scale worm composting in the
classroom more generally.
Current worm bins
This team is tasked with engineering a larger-scale, continous worm composting bin for the
Montessori Academy Pre-K--6th grade classroom that uses red wiggler worms to decompose
shredded vegetable, fruit and paper waste from the school. The bin will ideally roll under a
counter when worms are not being fed and roll out for feeding. It should have four levels: 1) red
wiggler worms and worm habitat made from peat moss, shredded paper, soil and nutrients to
which raw food and paper is added as compostable materials, 2) worm castings and worm
cocoon sorting level, 3) final vermicompost product, and 4) drainage. The system should allow
the worm castings to be removed without disturbing the feeding worms and should drain any
excess liquid. Rochester Roots would like to incorporate sensors to notify them if the moisture
level in the bin is too low so that water can be added. Finally, the bin should provide educational
experiences and opportunties for the grade school who use the classroom, for example, allowing
them to see the worms in action under the soil.
* Preliminary Customer
Requirements (CR):
RIT – Kate Gleason College of Engineering
Multidisciplinary Senior Design
Project Readiness Package
Template Revised Spring 2016
Accepts shredded vegetable, fruit and paper waste
Fits under counter
Rolls out from under counter for worm feeding
Rolled and accessed by one adult
Supports weekly feedings
Provides suitable habitat for red wiggler worms
Holds worm bedding
Monitors moisture level and warns if too dry
Provides dark environment inside
Drains excess moisture
Provides continuous composting: castings can be removed without disturbing the worms
Sorts out cocoons from worm castings
Stores final sorted vermicompost product
Collects and stores excess liquid
Allows easy access to each layer of the system for removal of products and/or maintenance
Allows students to see into worm bin while it is in operation
Allows students to see worms in action under the soil
Resists deterioration, durable
Keeps grade school aged users safe
Operates on standard electrical output 110 VAC
*
Preliminary Engineering Requirements (ER):
Specification
Weight of food scraps/paper handled per feeding session (kg)
Number of worm bins that can be consolidated into new
system
Food port opening
Ideal
>
24
Marginal
>
>20
Full surface
Feeding frequency
Total weight of system
Max weight of removable components (with contents)
Range of moisture monitoring
Ideal moisture
Accuracy of soil moisture sensing
Frequency of moisture sensing
Data storage ?
Percent of room where moisture warning is noticeable
Max dimensions (ft)
Component weight
Leachate storage
Time to remove leachate
Frequency of vermicompost removal
Time to remove vermicompost or sorted cocoons
Vermicompost storage
Worms removed in sorting system per gallon vermicompost
<1/week
<
<30 lbs
50-95%
80%
<+/- 4%
Hourly
1 month
>90%
4’x3’x3.5
<30lbs
>2 gallons
<2 min
> 1x/week
<10 min
>3 gallons
<20
>90% of
surface
1/week
<
<35 lbs
60-90%
RIT – Kate Gleason College of Engineering
Multidisciplinary Senior Design
<+/-8%
daily
2 weeks
>75%
<35 lb
>1 gallons
<5 min
1x/week
<15 min
>2 gallons
<10
Project Readiness Package
Template Revised Spring 2016
Cocoons ending up in finished vermicompost per gallon
Light levels in system
Space observable by students
Estimated life of each component
<5
< 3 lux
<10
< 5 lux
>3 years
>3 years
* Constraints:
Fits under counter
Fits through door
Rolls
Utilizes Rochester Roots worm bedding
Allows students to see worms in action
Can be moved by one person
Operates on classroom power
* Project
Deliverables:
Minimum requirements:
 All design documents (e.g., concepts, analysis, detailed drawings/schematics, BOM, test
results)
 working prototype
 technical paper
 poster
 All teams finishing during the spring term are expected to participate in ImagineRIT
Additional required deliverables:
 User manual
 Assembly manual
† Budget
Information:
Include total budget, any major cost items anticipated, and any special purchasing requirements
from the sponsor(s).
$500 or detailed proposal
* Intellectual
Property:
NA
RIT – Kate Gleason College of Engineering
Multidisciplinary Senior Design
Project Readiness Package
Template Revised Spring 2016
Project Resources
† Required
Resources (besides student staffing):
Describe the resources necessary for successful project completion. When the resource is
secured, the responsible person should initial and date to acknowledge that they have agreed to
provide this support. We assume that all teams with ME/ISE students will have access to the ME
Machine Shop and all teams with EE students will have access to the EE Senior Design Lab, so
it is not necessary to list these. Limit this list to specialized expertise, space, equipment, and
materials.
Faculty list individuals and their area of expertise (people who can provide
specialized knowledge unique to your project, e.g., faculty you will need to consult for
more than a basic technical question during office hours)
Dr. Dawn Carter
Environment (e.g., a specific lab with specialized equipment/facilities, space for very
large or oily/greasy projects, space for projects that generate airborne debris or
hazardous gases, specific electrical requirements such as 3-phase power)
Cubicle will be needed
Equipment (specific computing, test, measurement, or construction equipment that
the team will need to borrow, e.g., CMM, SEM, )
Initial/
date
Initial/
date
Initial/
date
Materials (materials that will be consumed during the course of the project, e.g., test
samples from customer, specialized raw material for construction, chemicals that must
be purchased and stored)
Initial/
date
Other
Initial/
date
† Anticipated
Staffing By Discipline:
Indicate the requested staffing for each discipline, along with a brief explanation of the
associated activities. “Other” includes students from any department on campus besides those
explicitly listed. For example, we have done projects with students from Industrial Design,
Business, Software Engineering, Civil Engineering Technology, and Information Technology. If
you have recruited students to work on this project (including student-initiated projects),
include their names here.
Dept.
BME
CE
EE
ISE
# Req.
Expected Activities
Could replace an ME with BME, esp. for controls
1
Focus on ergonomics, safety for children, engineering economy.
Machining, ergonomics, systems design, safety engineering
RIT – Kate Gleason College of Engineering
Multidisciplinary Senior Design
Project Readiness Package
Template Revised Spring 2016
ME
3
One focused on motors/controls/sensors. One focused structure, stability,
access to products. One focused on sorting out the castings and cocoons
from worms and food.
Other
* Skills
Checklist:
Indicate the sills or knowledge that will be needed by students working on this project. Please
use the following scale of importance:
1 = must have
2 = helpful, but not essential
3 = either a very small part of the project, or relates to a “bonus” feature
blank = not applicable to this project
Biomedical Engineering
BME Core Knowledge
Matlab
Aseptic lab techniques
Gel electrophoresis
Linear signal analysis and processing
Fluid mechanics
Biomaterials
Labview
Simulation (Simulink)
System physiology
Biosystems process analysis (mass, energy
balance)
Cell culture
Computer-based data acquisition
Probability & statistics
Numerical & statistical analysis
Biomechanics
Design of biomedical devices
BME Elective Knowledge
Medical image processing
COMSOL software modeling
Medical visualization software
Biomaterial testing/evaluation
Tissue culture
Advanced microscopy
Microfluidic device fabrication and measurement
Other (specify)
Computer Engineering
CE Core Knowledge
Digital design (including HDL and FPGA)
Software for microcontrollers (including Linux
and Windows)
Device programming (Assembly, C)
Programming: Python, Java, C++
Basic analog design
Scientific computing (including C and Matlab)
Signal processing
Interfacing transducers and actuators to
microcontrollers
CE Elective Knowledge
Networking & network protocols
Wireless networks
Robotics (guidance, navigation, vision, machine
learning, control)
Concurrent and embedded software
Embedded and real-time systems
Digital image processing
Computer vision
Network security
Other (specify)
Electrical Engineering
RIT – Kate Gleason College of Engineering
Multidisciplinary Senior Design
Project Readiness Package
Template Revised Spring 2016
EE Core Knowledge
Circuit Design (AC/DC converters, regulators,
amplifies, analog filter design, FPGA logic design,
sensor bias/support circuitry)
Power systems: selection, analysis, power budget
System analysis: frequency analysis (Fourier,
Laplace), stability, PID controllers, modulation
schemes, VCO’s & mixers, ADC selection
Circuit build, test, debug (scope, DMM, function
generator
Board layout
Matlab
PSpice
Programming: C, Assembly
Electromagnetics: shielding, interference
EE Elective Knowledge
Digital filter design and implementation
Digital signal processing
Microcontroller selection/application
Wireless: communication protocol, component
selection
Antenna selection (simple design)
Communication system front end design
Algorithm design/simulation
Embedded software design/implementation
Other (specify)
Industrial & Systems Engineering
1
1
1
ISE Core Knowledge
Statistical analysis of data: regression
Materials science
Materials processing, machining lab
Facilities planning: layout, mat’l handling
Production systems design: cycle time, throughput,
assembly line design, manufacturing process
design
Ergonomics: interface of people and equipment
(procedures, training, maintenance)
Math modeling: OR (linear programming,
simulation)
Project management
Engineering economy: Return on Investment
Quality tools: SPC
Production control: scheduling
Shop floor IE: methods, time studies
Computer tools: Excel, Access, AutoCAD
Programming (C++)
1
ISE Elective Knowledge
Design of Experiment
Systems design – product/process design
Data analysis, data mining
Manufacturing engineering
DFx: manufacturing, assembly, environment,
sustainability
Rapid prototyping
1
Safety engineering
Other (specify)
Mechanical Engineering
1
1
2
2
ME Core Knowledge
3D CAD
Matlab programming
Basic machining
2D stress analysis
2D static/dynamic analysis
Thermodynamics
Fluid dynamics (CV)
LabView
Statistics
Materials selection
RIT – Kate Gleason College of Engineering
Multidisciplinary Senior Design
1
1
ME Elective Knowledge
Finite element analysis
Heat transfer
Modeling of electromechanical & fluid systems
Fatigue and static failure criteria
Machine elements
Aerodynamics
Computational fluid dynamics
Biomaterials
Vibrations
IC Engines
GD&T
Linear Controls
Composites
Robotics
Project Readiness Package
Template Revised Spring 2016
ME Core Knowledge
RIT – Kate Gleason College of Engineering
Multidisciplinary Senior Design
ME Elective Knowledge
Other (specify)
Project Readiness Package
Template Revised Spring 2016