Team 02

Team Members

Faculty Advisor

Alexander Zaleski
Milo Barron

Jorge Paricio Garcia

Sponsor

Off Center Farm

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Design of a DIY Ventilation System for High Tunnels

This senior design project aims to address engineering and design challenges associated with creating an efficient, independent DIY instructional ventilation control system for a High Tunnel, also known as a plastic tunnel in farming. High Tunnels are widely used in agriculture to extend the growing season and protect crops from adverse weather conditions. However, during the hot days of summer, maintaining optimal temperatures and humidity levels inside these tunnels becomes a significant challenge. The goal of this project is to design an open-source DIY ventilation control system that can effectively interface with existing agricultural components including fans, motorized louvers, and temperature/humidity sensors. Existing systems are costly and overcomplicated for the needs of lower volume small operations, who need something easily replicable and accessible. The system extracts hot air from one end of the High Tunnel to the other ensuring a stable internal environment conducive to plant growth. This is in response to configured temperature and/or humidity data, leveraging accessible software with a robust expansion potential. ensuring a stable internal environment conducive to plant growth. The final product will be CAD models, component selection, and a thorough instruction set so that any farmer may 3D print their own control system, thus providing a sustainable and energy-efficient solution in an accessible product.