Some SEED For

Food Systems

Mike Rosen Res Assoc. Prof, School of Engineering

Senior Experience in Engineering Design

Required 2-term capstone project course for teams of

ME and EE students

Fourth year, ~80 projects through current year

Primary features

Students work with outside “companies” and faculty

research groups on real design challenges

They design, build, test and present their prototypes

Company engineer and/or consumer mentor students

directly, along with CEMS faculty.

100 students, 26 projects this year

Design Night will take place May 4. You’re invited.

Managing underground atmosphere at

the Jasper Hill Cheese Cave

and

Redesigning the vegetable washing

facility at the Intervale

Two completed SEED projects tied to

Food Systems

Note: most of the slides that follow are based on

students’ own final PPT presentations at Design Night

Development of Climate Control System for Cheese Aging Facility

At Jasper Hill

David McCloskey Evan Johanson

Adam Wood Paul Veselka

Faculty Mentor: Will Louisos, ME Program

Jasper Hill partner: Andy Kehler

5

The Cellars at Jasper Hill

Artisan Cheese Aging Facility

7 Underground Cellars

22,000 square feet

Local Vermont Cheese

Aged in a Controlled “Open Air” Environment

A Nearly Constant Year Round Temperature is Naturally Maintained Below Ground

5

6

A challenges of artisan cheese aging,

and the students solution

Challenge Maintaining The Ideal Atmosphere …

90 – 95 % Relative Humidity

48 – 52 F

Minimal Air Movement

and sufficient Fresh Air

… despite the consequences of Bacterial Growth

Heat Production

Ammonia Byproduct

Our Approach: Ammonia Air Scrubber.

Removes Harmful Ammonia from Cave

Reduces Number of Air Exchanges Required Takes Advantage of Underground construction

Lowers load on Cooling and Humidifying Systems

7

Test Enclosure (in design lab in the

Perkins Building at UVM)

Two Chambers

1: Simulates the Cave

Circulation Fan

Gaseous Ammonia Sensor

Air Pump

Ammonia

2: Simulates the Air Scrubber

Water

Air Stones

Circulation Fan

Lab data justifies further

tests at Cellar

1 2

The University of Vermont 8

Trial Run at Jasper Hill

Time (min)

Concentration of Ammonia in

Water (mg/L)

0 1.1

20 3.4

40 5.2

60 7.4

80 10.4

100 12.6

120 15.5

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

18

0 50 100 150

Time(min)

Concentration

of Ammonia in

Water (mg/L)

Estimated Total Water Volume = 230 Gallons for all 7 chambers, proving that a very modest water volume will effectively scrub ammonia from the Cellar atmosphere.

The University of Vermont

Intervale Vegetable Washer

Henry Black Anthony Gervais

Phillip Gordon Chelsea Stevenson

William Tatro

Faculty Advisor: Michael Rosen Outside Partner: Glenn McRae

10

Our Project Goal

Farmers need to wash their produce before taking it to market to meet consumers expectations.

A number of small farms at the Intervale use a community wash station that can be vastly improved upon.

Off-the shelf washers are available but only for much larger farms.

Two categories at the Intervale: leafy greens and root vegetables.

11

Leafy Green Wash Tubs

Stirring the leaves by

hand took the farmer

away from other tasks,

risked bruised green or

incomplete washing.

New

Old

12

Leafy Greens washed in their net

Test results and changes

Water and bubble

flow pushed leaves to

outside of net

Corrected by adding

outer bubble ring

Force to lift net: 18 lbs

(previously 26 lbs) due

to lighter materials

Draw string allows

easy dump into dryer

13

Previous Root Vegetable Washing

Loader at head

level, had to lift

vegetables up

high. Needed to

keep pushing

them into loader.

Each crate

weighs ~30lbs.

Job needed lifter

and sorter.

14

Root Vegetable

Final Design

Ropes now directed

back to the sorting

table.

Block and tackle

allows gradual

introduction of 10

crates-worth into washer.

Both tasks (feeding

and sorting) at same end

of washer.

SEED in Food Systems this year

Developing and delivering inexpensive robust

transfer system to allow farmer with above-knee

amputation to safely transfer from his truck to two

different pieces of farming equipment.

Working through the UVM Extension Service and VT

Rural and Agricultural Vocational Rehab.

Students work with farmer, and experienced rehab

provider and an Extension Service field worker.

Rosen is the faculty mentor for this one.

15

Issues The Food Systems Spire could incorporate both

fundamental systems research and modeling, and

shorter-term projects emphasizing direct impact on the

practitioners of food systems in Vermont and their daily

operations.

The interests of undergraduate and graduate CEMS

students span the range from fundamental to applied.

They and their faculty can make contributions to the

Spire throughout that range.

SEED is always looking for projects. Call 233-8767