Agricultural Engineering Student Projects Focus on Practical Solutions
A low-cost secondary containment system for mini-bulks. A sprayer for your ATV. A blower to
keep the feederhouse clean on a combine. A way to evenly apply pesticides to grain going into a
bin. These were just four of the ten Agricultural Systems Management senior capstone projects
displayed at Purdue University last week.
“My goal was to develop something that had utility for a farmer,” said Ross
Chapman, regarding the feederhouse debris cleaning system he and colleagues
developed. “Compared to older models, the
feederhouses on later, bigger models are wide,
allowing plant residues build up—the accumulation
blocks your view, and it becomes a safety hazard.
Anyone who has ever worked around a combine
knows how slick those surfaces can become.”
Feederhouse Debris Cleaner. Chapman and
classmates tried three different fan systems—ones
that could be powered mechanically, hydraulically,
and electrically. Each engaged with the header
control, and was designed to withstand the tough
environment that would be present at the interface
of the combine and the header. The electric fan
option, moving 400 cubic feet of air per minute
proved to be the least expensive with materials
costing less than $200, and was adaptable to
multiple makes and models of combines. There were complications with rigging up the mechanical
and hydraulic options, with parts pricing in the $500 range.
Pesticide Containment. This team was charged with designing an inexpensive structure to contain
an accidental spill from a mini-bulk pesticide container. Commercial containment tanks are
available but can run $1,000 or more. In the future, secondary containment structures may be
mandatory equipment for certain pesticides.
The design specifications were that the
containment structure must be made from readilyavailable
materials, be portable, have the capacity
to hold 700 gallons of a potentially corrosive
liquid, and a life span of at least ten years.
Designs using grain bin rings, hay rings, metal
stock tanks, and wooden boxes made of 4 x 4’s
and plywood all proved quite workable. But all
of these systems depended on a chemical-resistant
36 mil polypropylene liner costing $350 to $450,
making the overall cost prohibitive. If a cheaper
liner were available, all but the bin ring design
could be built for less than $500.
Utility Sprayer. Revamping a sprayer to be
mounted into a John Deere gator was the goal of
this team. The group started with a three-point,
PTO driven sprayer with manual controls to one
that could be easily moved into and out of a gator,
for maximum utility.
The finished sprayer unit was wired through the
cigarette adapter and featured a 5 GPM, 45 PSI
12-volt pump, ten-foot boom and a 50-foot
retractable hose and gun on a reel. Other features
included a spray monitor with pressure control,
solenoid controlled valves for the boom and spray
gun, and quick and easy cleanout.
Grain Pesticide Applicator. Pesticides applied
to grain going into a bin are often treated with a single nozzle mounted above the auger hopper,
often resulting in poor distribution on the grain. The purpose of this project was to convert a rotary
screen grain cleaner into a rotating pesticide applicator, in hopes of converting potentially unused
equipment into an inexpensive way to evenly apply pesticides.
The original screen enclosure of the grain cleaner was replaced with a Plexiglas enclosure for
observation, but sheet metal could be used as well. Nozzles were selected to apply a rate in step
with the rate of grain flow into the cleaner, and then videos were taken to see how grain flowed
through the cleaner. A variable rate controller was tested to adjust rates for variances in grain input.
After the judges left and the ballots were counted, the team with the utility sprayer had won.
According to Gaines Miles, Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering and advisor to
these students, “this was an especially hard-working
group—and resulted in some of the most innovative
projects that we have ever had.” Other projects included
a convenient trailer for ATVs, the relative precision and
accuracy of GPS receivers, and a sweet corn harvesting
system.
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