BiologyThis year in biology we have accomplished a lot. I have undertaken two large projects. One as part of my honors requirement and the other for regular class. My class voted on building a Ferris Wheel planter that will have hanging plants. My honors project was building a hydroponic farm at home.
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Building Hydroponics |
Building a hydroponic farm was not as easy as I initially thought. It seemed simple; connect some pipes and hook up a pump. But I soon realized that I was not able to use large amounts of PVC and had to be mindful of what materials I used. I opted for High Density Polyethylene or HDPE which is a food safe plastic as opposed to regular PVC. I also couldn't use regular PVC cement. I opted for a silicone sealant to keep the system water tight. Once I had the angles correct for water flow I connected two hose barbs to fit the entrance and exit tubes for water. Once those were threaded in I connected the fountain pump and filled the reservoir. The water flows perfectly and is ready for planting.
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Building a
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Our class voted on building a large ferris wheel type planter with hanging baskets for the plants. The teacher assigned me and a group of students to do the engineering for the wheel itself. Using some math we decided on a hexagon shaped wheel with a triangular base. the whole unit should stand roughly 7 feet tall.
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