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T.A. BROWN MECHANICAL AERATOR
Description:
Students in the Environmental Engineering and Waster Resources capstone design class in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering will undertake a project in conjunction with Serasih Indonesia to develop a prototype mechanical aerator to be used in aquaculture livelihood restoration projects in and around Banda Aceh, Indonesia. On December 26, 2004 a tsunami ravaged shorelines along Southeast Asia, destroying lives, homes and shrimp and fish hatcheries which form a portion of the local economy. As part of the capstone class, students will develop a prototype mechanical aerator which can be used by local aquaculture farmers to oxygenate their shrimp hatcheries or “tambaks”, thereby increasing the economic yield of the harvest. Issues of sustainability in the construction and operation of the aerator will be considered. Specific items to be addressed are the use of locally available materials and construction techniques, ease of maintenance and repair, and simplicity of use. Use of technologically appropriate construction and maintenance will be examined. Additionally, as part of this project, some of the students will visit the impacted area and assist the tsunami survivors with the installation of the prototype aerator and on-site testing of the device.