Hydroponic Greenhouse Water and Nutrient Recycle
Project
Dr. Greg Ogden (CHEE) and Dr. Gene Giacomelli, Ag
& Biosystems Engineering
The goal of
this project is to demonstrate the feasibility and economics of recycling
the effluent from the 1/8 acre hydroponic greenhouse. Effluent flow
rates are estimated at 30% of the feed rate. Thus installing a
recycle process represents not only a significant savings in water
consumption, it greatly reduces the nutrient requirements. The
recycle system consists of a preliminary filter, fine filter and UV
sterilization process, storage tank and recycle pump to transfer the
recycle water back to the greenhouse feed system. The recycle system
was designed by a multi-disciplinary team of engineering students as part
of their senior design project. A team of middle school teachers
from Flowing Wells High School installed and tested the equipment during
the Math & Science Institute hosted by the ERC Center for
Environmentally Benign Semiconductor Manufacturing. Support for the
project was provided by SARA and CEAC.
Project Directors: Dr.
Gene Giacomelli and Dr. Greg Ogden (CHEE)
Senior Design Team:
Kristina Hernandez and Elizabeth Swanson (CHEE), Christian Valera and Brad
Bantel, (ABE)
Teacher Interns: Janet Slingerland, Julie Stapleton
and Kirsten Fulgham, and Misty Erhman
Completed
2004 |
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