Testing procedures

            The Simulated Horseshoe Crab Habitat project is a habitat that will be created to rear up to 100 six month to one year old Horseshoe crabs. My part of this project is to design the water flow system, which includes the filtering system, water care, and environmental requirements. This system must integrate with the tank that will be designed by Miss Synek, and will have features to prevent the Horseshoe crabs from being harmed by the filtering system.

            The final solution for this project must be thoroughly tested in order to ensure the success of each system. The filtering system is an integral part of the project, as the water must be filtered in order for the Horseshoe crabs to be healthy. The other systems that will need to be tested for this project are the environmental requirement system and the water care system.

            Miss Synek will be in charge of testing all of the systems related to the tank structure, such as the partitions, adhesives, and other materials that will be used to construct the walls of the tank. For my systems, I will be administering the tests, however I will be reporting the results of these tests to my mentors. My mentors can examine these tests, and depending on the results, will tell to either proceed or try again.

 

Testing Type: Exploratory

Testing Stage: Preliminary

State of Solution: Off

Condition of Testing Stage: Preconstruction

Tools and Equipment required: Prior knowledge, Assistance from mentors

Testing Procedures:

1. Go through filter information with mentors.
2. Using information provided by mentors, choose best way to maintain filters

Testing Type: Assessment

Testing Stage: Preliminary

State of Solution: Off

Condition of Testing Stage: Preconstruction

Tools and Equipment required: Prior knowledge, environmental control devices, mentors

Testing Procedures:

1. Place water chiller in tank with 1 gallon
2. Record different temperatures that water can reach with single water chiller unit.
3. Speak with mentors about whether more chillers will be necessary.

Testing Type: Validation

Testing Stage: Secondary

State of Solution: Off

Condition of Testing Stage: Preconstruction

Tools and Equipment required: Pipe system, Prior knowledge

Testing Procedures:

1. Set up pipe system above tank.
2. Send water through pipes, recording the speed at which the water can be transferred.
3. Record any and all leaks.
4. Should any leaks occur, fix in design

Testing Type: Assessment

Testing Stage: Preliminary

State of Solution: Off

Condition of Testing Stage: Preconstruction

Tools and Equipment required: Prior knowledge, mentor contacts

Testing Procedures:

1. Speak with mentors about different inorganic materials to be introduced in to environment
2. Set up sample group in small tank
3. Test reaction with separate inorganic materials
4. Record results 

3D Autocad rendering

Front view

Side view

 Top view

Rationale

I designed four alternate solutions for the water flow system in the Simulated Horseshoe Crab Habitat project. These solutions all must fulfill the task of filtering all dangerous or unwanted objects from the water, pump the saltwater throughout the tank at a constant rate, and control the temperature, oxygen level, and salinity level inside the tank environment. The final design will be integrated with the architectural design of the tank that will be provided by Miss Synek, and will allow for a group of 100 six month-one year old Horseshoe Crabs to live in this environment for six months.

            The first solution that was designed involves a pipe and drainage system in the tank that leads down a pipe underneath the actual tank. Inside the drainage pipe lays a layer of small gravel rocks which is supported by a small net. These rocks will allow for the water to filter itself naturally while moving through the gaps, and will stop any large pieces of debris from flowing down the drainage pipe into the reservoir tank. The remainder of the filtering system is located within the reservoir tank. A fine mesh net is placed a half inch under the rim of the tank, but is still above the water. This will allow for easy access to clean the net when required. The water will flow down to the bottom of the reservoir tank, where a pump will push the water through a pipe system that will deliver the water to each part of the tank. A bacterial solution will be circulated through the water to get rid of any harmful pollutants that are left over at the end of the process. Air stones will be placed in each compartment to allow for an acceptable amount of oxygen, and a water chiller will be attached to the tank in order to keep the temperature at 57 degrees Fahrenheit.

            The next solution contains all of the elements required for filtering inside the actual drainage pipe. A gravel net is located near the bottom of the drainage pipe, with a fine mesh net attached directly to the end of the pipe. In this solution, no bacterial solution will be introduced to the water, so this solution is less efficient than some of the others. The newly filtered water enters the reservoir tank, where it is delivered to the rest of the tank in the same way that was used in the previous solution. The environmental control features will also be the same in this solution.

            In the third solution, the drainage pipe has been kept clean of any additional equipment and all filtering takes place within the reservoir tank. This change was made so that there less of a chance for blockage to occur in the narrow spaces of the drainage pipe. The same gravel and mesh net combination will still be used, however this process will take place in the reservoir tank, where there is more space and maintenance would be simpler. The pump would send the water from the bottom of the reservoir tank to the rest of the tank through the same pipe systems. Environmental controls features will still be the same in this solution.

            My final solution involves filtering equipment in both the drainage pipe and the rest of the tank as well. Inside the drainage pipe, a single mesh net will be placed at the end of the drainage pipe. This change was made because this net will catch the same pieces of debris that the gravel layer would have caught, except this would require less material. While, this change would also mean more maintenance would have to be performed to clean the single filter more frequently, the benefits outweigh the consequences. The water flows from the drainage pipe into the reservoir tank, where the pump will take the water from the top of the reservoir tank to be delivered through the pipe system. A bacterial solution will be introduced into the water, which will clear out any harmful pollutants in the water. As with the other solutions, the environmental control features will be the same in this solution.

Design Matrix

	Design 1	Design 2	Design 3	Design 4
Aesthetic appeal	3	4	3	4
Amount of maintenance	3	3	2	4
Quality of filtration	4	3	3	4
Integration with tank	3	2	3	3
Chance of blockage	2	2	3	4
Energy required	3	4	3	4
Total	18	18	17	23

Reflection:

            The content of my presentation was to show to the audience how my part of the Simulated Horseshoe Crab Habitat project would supply the Horseshoe Crabs with saltwater as well as how it would keep the tank’s water at an acceptable oxygen level, temperature, and salinity. My focus was to point out the tank’s pump system and filter system, which were depicted in all of my alternate solutions, as the two systems are essential to the overall success of my part in this project.
             Although a large part of my presentation was hindered by my nervousness, I was still able to present some parts of the project well. My background information for the project accurately portrayed how I went about researching the information that I needed to design my systems for the project, and my introduction explained exactly why this project is so important. My design brief, both the personal and the group ones, properly depicted what the total project is all about, as well as how my systems fits in to this project.

            The strongest part of my presentation was when I showed the background information for this project. The background information is a crucial aspect of a project because without this piece of information, the reader does not know why the project is important. In my background information, I spoke about why my partner and I were doing this project and how the horseshoe crab population was steeply declining. While I said that the main reason for the recent decline was from humans destroying the habitats that the horseshoe crabs live in, I did not neglect to mention that many are also eaten by the Red Knot, a type of bird that feeds on horseshoe crab eggs to give them the nourishment that is required for their long migration. Due to the large amount of information that I provided with my background information, I believe this to be the strongest part of my presentation.

            Given the chance, I would definitely improve almost every aspect of my presentation. The rubric stated that I should be dressed to impress, however, I accidentally left my suit in the room from the day before, and did not realize this until after my presentation. I most likely lost points for not being dressed up, so next time I would make sure that I have my suit with me the night before I present. Another part of my presentation that I would like to improve are my alternate solutions. When I presented these solutions to the class, they resembled brainstorming sketches more than any kind of formal drawing. These drawings also lacked any detail regarding how I would control the environment's temperature, oxygen level, or salinity, which also took points off of the total grade. While watching the video that Reuben Keller took of my presentation, I also noticed a problem in the way that I presented. I kept my eyes on the projection throughout almost all of the presentation instead of making eye contact with the class,  and my speech was full of "Uhms", "Uhhs", and long pauses, including when I accidentally exited out of my blog. Overall, I believe that my presentation could have been significantly better had I taken more time to look over what had to be done.
            The weakest part of my presentation, as stated in the previous paragraph, was my lack of preparation. I believe that I was lulled in to a false sense of security by the fact that this presentation was not going to be graded and that I was under the impression that I understood by project well enough to present at any time. While I did know enough to talk about everything that was required, I lacked information on some of the finer details of the project, and my lack of preparation led to pauses in my speech and a flood of "Uhh"'s. Had I prepared more for this presentation, I would have practiced my speech enough to go through the whole presentation without pausing, and consequently would have realized that I lacked some of the finer details of the project.
            As I have mentioned in my previous paragraphs, I will be preparing much farther in advance for my next presentation. By preparing more than I did for my first presentation, I can learn from my mistakes and provide data for all of the areas in which I was lacking during the first presentation. I can also practice saying my speech in front of a mirror, so that I memorize parts of the speech and would no longer have to rely on pauses to get my thoughts together.
            From watching my presentation on the video that Reuben Keller took, I noticed one very important fact. Instead of standing confidently in front of the class, I tended to stand behind a desk or a chair, and lean on that. The way I was standing made my presentation feel significantly less formal, and made me look unprofessional. I also noticed that my hands tend to shake while I am presenting, so for my next presentation, I may choose to not hold anything in my hands, so that this is not as noticeable.
            Overall, I feel that this first presentation was a learning exercise for me. While this presentation could only be described as "decent", my failure in this presentation showed me how important proper preparation is for the success of a presentation. Had I not gone back and watched the video from my presentation, I may not have realized these facts for a while, and my next presentation could have turned in to a repeat of my first presentation. This reflection has given me the opportunity to fix my mistakes so that my future presentations will be better as a result.

 

Log entry 9/30/13-10/4/13:

Monday: Re-designed alternate solutions to fit with new tank solutions.

Tuesday: Researched time that water would take to fully run through different filter systems. Fixed outline for presentations.

Wednesday: Started writing out testing procedures. Investigated possible alternate solutions for controlling oxygen level other than air stones. Air stones found to be most efficient. Presented in class

Thursday: Started drawing top, front, and side views of alternate solutions and detailed pipe and water flow system. Spoke with Alex Van Heest after school to talk about aerating systems as well as possible mentor contacts.

Friday: Discussed alternate solutions with Alex Van Heest. Compared filter systems and salinity measuring devices. Created log #3

Alternate solutions:







In this solution, the drainage pipe leads directly to the reservoir. A fine mesh net filters out all detritus coming through the drain, and bacteria in the reservoir tank rids the water of unwanted microorganisms. The pump will bring the water out from the top of the reservoir tank to be delivered to the rest of the tank through the pipe system.


In this solution, the drainage pipe leads down in to the reservoir tank. Upon entering the reservoir tank, the water runs down a layer of gravel, which filters out the larger pieces of debris. The water then flows through a fine mesh net, which filters out the remaining smaller objects. The water delivery pipe system is located at the bottom of the tank in the scenario so that the filtered water on the bottom is transferred to the rest of the tank.
















In this solution, the filter is placed in the actual drainage pipe. The water is sent through a layer of gravel as well as a fine mesh net. The gravel blocks all large pieces of debris while the mesh net filters out the smaller objects. Once the clean water enters the reservoir tank, it is sent through the pipe system using the pump to be delivered to the rest of the tank.


In this solution, the filter is placed in the drainage pipe as well as in the reservoir tank. The filter in the drainage pipe is made of a layer of gravel, to filter out the larger objects. A fine mesh net as well as a bacteria culture are in the reservoir tank to filter out smaller pieces of debris and to get rid of unwanted microorganisms. The water delivery pipe system is located at the bottom of the reservoir tank to make sure that only clean water is sent to the tank.

Week 2 log:

Monday: Meeting with Mr. Cuttrell and Ms. Green regarding model. Flaws with design integration with Megan's model brought to light.

 

Tuesday- Confirmed design changes to design with Megan. Looked through alternate solutions to decide whether a different solution would work best with the new design changes

 

Wednesday: . Fixed problems with design brief. Finished presentation outline.

 

Thursday: Presentations were held all throughout the class.

 

Friday: Started testing procedures, Convened with alternate horseshoe crab group, Alex Vanheest and Reuben Keller, to discuss designs. Reorganized blog layout so that pictures and information match. Updated log.

Specifications and limitations:

Specifications:

• Solution must have features similar to natural environment
• Solution must be constantly drain and fill with water
• Solution must have filtering capabilities 
• Solution must control nutritional requirements such as salinity, temperature, and oxygen levels

Limitations:

• Solution is limited to a 3' by 2' by 1' space
• Solution is limited to non-corrosive materials
• Solution is limited to having pipes that are smaller than the width of a 1 year old horseshoe crab
• Solution is limited to using the saltwater provided by the NOAA lab
• Solution is limited the amount of space available in the NOAA lab

The design brief for this project is as follows:

Team design brief- To design, model, and build a simulated horseshoe crab habitat that will mimic their natural environment in a laboratory setting for the purpose of raising 100 six month to one year old horseshoe crabs and to allow for scientific research.

Personal design brief- To design and create a water flow system that provides the tank with all of the environmental requirements that horseshoe crabs need, as well as filter and cool the water.

Work cited:

Britton, Barrie. Red Knots and Spawning Horseshoe Crabs. 2012. Photograph. N.p.
Britton, Barrie. Horseshoe Crabs Spawning in Mispillion Harbor. 2012. Photograph. N.p.
Horseshoe Crabs on a Rocky Shore. 2009. Photograph. N.p.
Habitats of Horseshoe Crabs. 2006. Photograph. N.p.
Juvenile Horseshoe Crabs on a Sandy Beach in Lantau Island. 2006. Photograph. N.p.
Singular Horseshoe Crab. 2012. Photograph. N.p.
Red Knot Eating Horseshoe Crab. 2012. Photograph. N.p.
Associates of Cape Cod. Bleeding Horseshoe Crab. N.d. Photograph. N.p.
Associates of Cape Cod. Collecting Horseshoe Crab. N.d. Photograph. N.p.
Millard, Mike. Horseshoe Crabs Were Over-harvested for Food, Fertilizer, and Fish Bait. 2006. Photograph. N.p.
Gerhard, Dale. Juvenile Horseshoe Crab. N.d. Photograph. N.p.
Hagan, Dawn. Horseshoe Crab. Declining Numbers of a Shorebird Called the Red Knot Have Been Linked to Bait Use of Horseshoe Crabs. 2009. Photograph. N.p.
Horseshoe Crab Flipped on Its Back. 2011. Photograph. N.p.
Horseshoe Crabs Being Brought in by the Tide. 2011. Photograph. N.p.
Juvenile Horseshoe Crab in Wellfleet Marsh. 2011. Photograph. N.p.
Tiny Juvenile Horseshoe Crab Netted. 2011. Photograph. N.p.
Underside of Tiny Juvenile Horseshoe Crab. 2011. Photograph. N.p.
Horseshoe Crab Crawling in the Sand. N.d. Photograph. N.p.
A Spawning Horseshoe Crab Pair in a Tank. N.d. Photograph. Taiwan Academia Sinia, Institute of Zoology, n.p.
Reynolds, Joe. Juvenile Horseshoe Crab. N.d. Photograph. N.p.

Background information:

In recent years, the Horseshoe crab population has been quickly dwindling. While this is in part due to the local animals who use them as a source of food, the horseshoe crabs never faced any real danger of extinction until humans began interfering, such as using them for medical purposes and as bait. The drop in the Horseshoe crab population is also beginning to affect the birds who rely on the Horseshoe crab as food so that they can survive their migration. If this problem is left unchecked, even more species could be affected.

Our project is to design a habitat for Horseshoe crabs to see if it is possible to raise them in captivity and then release them in to the wild. The conditions in the habitats must mimic the conditions that they would be faced with if they were living in their natural environment. The construction of the habitat will be split in to two sections. I will be in charge of building the water flow systems and the environmental requirements while my partner will be responsible for the structure of the habitat. This habitat will be set up in the NOAA laboratory on Sandy Hook and will house 6 month to 1 year old horseshoe crabs.


Red knots and spawning horseshoe crabs, Mispillion Harbor, Delaware Bay


Horseshoe crabs spawning in Mispillion Harbor, Delaware Bay


Horseshoe crabs on a rocky shore

Habitats of horseshoe crabs


Juvenile horseshoe crabs on a sandy beach in Lantau Island


Singular horseshoe crab


Red knot eating horseshoe crab


Bleeding horseshoe crab


Collecting horseshoe crab


Horseshoe crabs were over-harvested for food, fertilizer and fish bait


Juvenile Horseshoe crab


Horseshoe crab. Declining numbers of a shorebird called the red knot have been linked to bait use of horseshoe crabs.


Horseshoe crab flipped on its back


Horseshoe crabs being brought in by the tide


Juvenile Horseshoe crab in Wellfleet Marsh


Tiny Juvenile Horseshoe crab netted


Underside of tiny juvenile horseshoe crab


Horseshoe crab crawling in the sand


A spawning horseshoe crab pair in a tank


Juvenile horseshoe crab

Working calendar:
Below is a basic schedule that I will be following in order to finish all work in a timely fashion.

Marking Period 1 Schedule/Calendar

Due dates:

Calendar- 9/13/13  

Background information- 9/16/13

Design brief- 9/16/13

Specifications and limitations- 9/16/13

Summer research/brainstorming- 9/16/13

Informal presentation- 9/18/13

Rationale report- 9/23/13

Model- 9/23/13

Testing procedures- 9/27/13

Developmental work- 10/25/13

FPU presentation outline- 10/30/13

FPU presentation- 10/31/13

Mentor contacts- 11/2/13

Presentation reflection- 2 days after personal presentation

Log sheets- Due weekly starting on 9/20/13

Working dates:

9/13/13-Finalize calendar on blog

9/14/13-Work on final design brief

9/15/13-Work on finished specifications and limitations

9/16/13-Reorganize alternate solutions

9/17/13- Preparation for informal presentation

9/18/13- Informal presentation and start rationale report

9/19/13- Work on rationale report

9/20/13- Construct model pump system

9/21/13- Construct model aeration system

9/22/13- Construct model heating system

9/23/13- Finishing details on model

9/24/13- Study NOAA heating tank systems

9/25/13- Work on math for pump system

9/26/13- Finalize testing procedures

9/27/13- Post testing procedures on blog

9/28/13- Search for pliable, clear tubing to be used in pump system

9/29/13- Work on alduino system for pump

9/30/13- Research power dampening effect on pumps

10/01/13- Practice programing alduino on pump

10/02/13- Finalize alduino programing research

10/03/13- Rule out separate air stone models

10/04/13- Research effects on air stones under sand

10/05/13- Discuss aeration of tank with mentors

10/06/13- Find proper location for tank cooler

10/07/13- Make sure tank cooler can keep tank at constant(or near constant) temperature

10/08/13- Find place to buy proper nutrients for horseshoe crabs

10/09/13- Make sure that the required amounts of nutrients can be purchased

10/10/13- Check that filtration system won’t reduce amount of nutrients

10/11/13- Find way to join filtration and pump systems

10/12/13- Make sure measurements of systems fit with tank design

10/13/13- Calculate math on drainage time

10/14/13- Check pump system so that more water is being produced than being drained

10/15/13- Talk to mentor to make sure of proper salinity

10/23/13- Finish developmental work

10/28/13- Write outline for presentation

10/29/13- Prepare for presentation

10/31/13- Make sure mentor contacts are recorded

11/1/13(Tentative date)-Write presentation reflection

Log sheets will be worked on each week.