Apoorv Gupta's Individual Contribution Page

Stock Tank Team

Fall 2013 Contributions

This semester I will be working with Stock Tank Mixing Team. I am supposed to invest my time in finding an appropriate hydrometer that can measure the concentration of the stock and can easily be transported to Honduras. I am also supposed to work on the stock tank centrifugal pump which will ensure that the plant operator can prepare a homogeneous solution in the stock tank.  

Hydrometer

We have already purchased the Krackeler Scientific Hydrometer which is easy to handle and can be transported safely to Honduras. We tested the hydrometer twice with PACl from Honduras for its consistency and once with sugar solution. More testing of the hydrometer is scheduled and once it is complete we will be able to make a conversion chart suitable for the operator. 

Stock Tank Centrifugal Pump

The fabrication of the pump is almost over. We used the design from last year's coagulant management team and improved it. It involved replacing the brass joint at the bottom with 1/2" PVC plate that sits at the bottom of the tank. A PVC t-joint is connected to the plate using two stainless steel screws, this provides the stability to the base of the pump which was a challenge faced by the coagulant management team. We will be using a wooden piece that fits at the top of the tank through which the pump passes; this will make the pump totally stable. This wooden piece is yet to be fabricated. Once the fabrication process is done we will begin testing to gain a better understanding of the pump's performance.