Project updates
We have begun by collecting everyone’s contact information, setting our availability, setting up weekly meetings, and brainstorming ideas on how to approach our project. We have met our community partner Alrie Middlebrook, who oversees the Middlebrook garden. Middlebrook garden is located in San Jose, and its primary purpose is educational feedback for kids. Middlebrook garden is where my team and I are planning to work on the project. There’s an aquaponics system, a biogas unit, and a greywater collection system. Our goal is to develop a closed-looped system that will connect these three separate units. Grey water will be used for supplementing the fish pond, plants will grow from the nitrogenated fish excrement while also filtering the water, fish will be fed mealworms or algae, solid waste from fish will be extracted and delivered to the biogas unit, the biogas unit will produce methane which will supplement the required system energy. Our first milestone is to connect two units: the aquaponics system and biogas unit. Our second milestone will be to incorporate the greywater collection system. One of the setbacks that we are currently facing is choosing the sensors. We thought on some possible sensors that might be needed such as weight sensors, PH sensors, and mass flow rate sensors. Another setback is figuring how we are going to extract only solid waste from the storage tank and deliver it to the biogas unit.
Articles that you found interesting that can relate to your project
An article called “Grow Your Own Fish Feed” found from plantchicago.org, pointed toward improvements to be made to the current aquaponics system. This article also gave some ideas on how we could increase our efficiency maximizing food output. Eric Weber, the author of the article, talks about how he wants to replace the current food for fish with a more sustainable source like mealworms. Mealworms are a resilient bug that can sustain life on just about anything including coffee chaff, spent grain, spoiled plants from the farm; these are protein-rich animals and provide the essential nutrients for fish (Weber, 2018). These mealworms could be potentially supplemented with duckweed, which can also be used to feed the fish. The overall goal of this project is to create a more autonomous looped system and create more waste to be utilized; in our case, the biogas unit.
Trips to your Project Site
Our team went to visit the Project site called “Middlebrook Garden” and is located in San Jose. We met our community partner and some of the people that work there. Our community partner showed us the three units we’re working on with (aquaponics, biogas unit, and greywater collector) and shared some of the goals she would like to work on with us. Our team took some pictures of the current Aquaponics system and the garden.
Hector Garcia
Team Member Spotlight!
Hector Garcia
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, (SP 2019)
Project Manag
er, Project Archivist.
I was born and raised in Mexicali, Mexico. My hobbies are socializing with my school club SOLES, working out, playing basketball, boxing, playing video games, and watching horror movies. My favorite movie is Toy Story. My favorite subject is Thermodynamics and Heat Transfer. I joined EPICS because I wanted to create something that would help my community. My future goals are to become a certified engineer and open a restaurant with my brother.
Aaron DeMers
B.S. Mechanical Engineering (SP 2019)
Aaron DeMers
Lead Designer, Editor
As a Northern California native, I enjoy the outdoors mostly by looking at pictures of it. Currently, my interests are the impending A.I. takeover and how humans can be useful to our algorithmic overlords. EPICS is a great opportunity to work with a community centered team while learning how to navigate a professional environment. Moving forward, I would like to explore gene manipulation in humans so we can live forever.
Chris Fernainy
B.S. Mechanical Engineering (SP 2019)
Project Financial Officer, Assistant Designer
I have been a Californian since birth thus adopted the stereotypical values one normally associates with a resident of California. I love to surf and spend time outside when the time permits. I am a competitive swimmer turned novice triathlete. My favorite movie is Frozen, I guess I must be a little kid at heart. I joined EPICS because helping out the local community while learning about engineering at a hands-on level seemed like an excellent s
enior project. My future plans are to enter the field of renewable energy, most likely continuing my education to study wave and tidal power.
Chris Fernainy
Lok Hin Yu
B.S. Computer Engineering. (SP 2020)
Tech Specialist/Webmaster
I grew up in Hong Kong and moved to the states during 7th grade. I love to exercise and doing outdoor activities such as hiking and camping. My favorite movie is v for vendetta which teaches me how to stand for an idea. EPICS gives me a way to serve my community to make it a better place and offers a sense of working with people with a real project which have an actual impact to human life. My future plan is to be certificated as a LEED Green Associate.