Agricultural Engineering – Â鶹ÊÓƵ Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:38:09 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 /wp-content/uploads/2019/04/cropped-favicon_logo-32x32.jpg Agricultural Engineering – Â鶹ÊÓƵ 32 32 public sewer feasibility study /projects/public-sewer-feasibility-study-2/ /projects/public-sewer-feasibility-study-2/#respond Wed, 01 Nov 2023 03:38:09 +0000 https://portal.epicn.org/case-stories/public-sewer-feasibility-study/ Read More... from public sewer feasibility study

]]> This project is sponsored in part by the Jonestown City Council with Marilee Pfannstiel as the Community Development Director of Jonestown, and in part by Frank Phelan, P.E. from Jay Engineering Company. Mr. Phelan was commissioned by the city to design their public sewer system and is the engineering lead for the students in the Biological and Agricultural Engineering department at Texas A&M University working in conjunction with Mr. Phelan.

]]> The task of the BE 460 students is to document and quantify stormwater challenges at the Cree Manor housing development in Walker Township and to assess and design possible solutions such as: re-design the stormwater outlet structure for the development, investigate whether water could be diverted, and consider whether best management practices (e.g., rain garden, rain barrel) implemented by homeowners would be effective.

]]> The Eco Farm uses a significant amount of cooking oil in its operation and would like to develop a 5 acre parcel for sunflower oil crops which would provide the feedstock to an oil pressing operation. Students are to determine the most viable oilseed crop for the farm, to develop a processing method for the seeds, to produce enough cooking oil for the farm for a year, and to utilize wastes from the pressing process in a viable way on the farm.

]]> The Eco Farm is interested in expanding biodigester inputs to include vegetable and food waste in its current and expanded plans for three biodigesters. Students are to design the system and model input and output efficiencies.

]]> Students will evaluate the feasibility of a methane digester in State College. They will consider whether the project is economically viable under the assumption that the collected methane gas would be sold to electric companies and the left over, nutrient rich fertilizer could be sold to the community.

]]> Students in ASM/ERM 309 will install water monitoring equipment at Halfmoon Creek and Buffalo Run to measure dissolved oxygen, water level, and rainfall. They will create technical maps of land uses in the watershed and create a comprehensive report of the water quality and land use findings.

]]> Students determine why the current stormwater management practices in Huntingdon Borough are not handling the current rainfall, and to offer a practical, long term, innovative stormwater management plan.

]]> Big Spring in the Borough of Bellefonte produces 15 million gallons of water per day. There is a 1 million gallon per day surplus of water which the Borough of Bellefonte would like to bottle to sell to the surrounding area. Students are to design and determine feasibility of such an enterprise.

]]> Two teams of BE 460 students will work on projects for the Bellefonte Borough Composting Facility. One team will design a composting process that will result in a sellable product that can be purchased by residents. The second team will design the site layout of the composting facility by considering several factors and adhering to regulation required for permitting.

]]> Two teams will continue the previous project to mitigate stormwater issues in Park Hills. Students will propose solutions to erosion and flooding problems that are both cost effective and meet the needs of the community.

Read the final student report delivered to the local gov/community partner.

Sustainable Communities Collaborative Contact Info

University Faculty Contact
Megan Marshall
Agricultural Sciences
Associate Teaching Professor
mnm11@psu.edu
814-865-3392

Local Government / Community Contact

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