Question

Project: Student Engineer Needed: Houseplant Watering System

Some universities give students the opportunity to solve real-world problems in the community. Northwestern University engineering students assisted with the design of public charging stations for electric vehicles. Students can use their skills to solve big and small problems using engineering principles and designs. You will solve the watering needs for plants inside a home. The homeowner will be away for one month. You will write a problem statement, identify a series of solutions, and choose the best design for a home watering system.

Assignment Directions

The design should include a problem statement, sketches, alternatives, and a final product design including materials needed. Your design should be a minimum of five pages in length.

Assignment Guidelines

Using the information from your research, your requirements should contain the following:

A problem statement for a plant watering system in a home for one month
Research the necessary materials for the system
A design for the system with a sketch
Two alternative designs for the system
A final design with a sketch or computer-generated illustration and list of materials needed

Answer 1

Problem Statement:

The homeowner will be away from home for one month, and there are many houseplants that need to be watered regularly. A solution is needed to ensure that the plants receive enough water to survive during the absence of the homeowner.

Research and Materials:

The system should be designed to deliver a consistent amount of water to each plant, avoiding both under-watering and over-watering. The materials needed may include:

Water reservoir or container

Watering tubes or pipes

Drip irrigation system

Water level sensor or indicator

Pump (optional)

Timer or controller

Design and Sketch:

The system can be designed as follows:

A water reservoir or container can be placed at an elevated position. This can be a large plastic container or a bucket.

Watering tubes or pipes can be connected to the bottom of the water reservoir, leading to each plant that needs to be watered.

The watering tubes can have small holes or emitters to deliver a consistent amount of water to each plant.

A drip irrigation system can be used to deliver water to each plant. The drip system can be attached to the watering tubes and adjusted to deliver the correct amount of water.

A water level sensor or indicator can be used to monitor the water level in the reservoir. This will help ensure that the plants are receiving enough water.

A timer or controller can be used to control the frequency and duration of watering. This can be set based on the needs of each plant.

Alternative Designs:

Two alternative designs for the system could be:

A pump can be added to the system to increase the water pressure and ensure that the water reaches all plants evenly. The pump can be controlled by a timer or controller.

A gravity-fed system can be used instead of a pump. In this system, the water reservoir is placed at a higher elevation than the plants, and the water flows through the tubes by gravity.

Final Design and Sketch:

The final design can be a combination of the original design and the alternative designs. It can include a water reservoir, watering tubes with drip emitters, a water level sensor, a timer or controller, and a pump or gravity feed system.

Materials needed:

Large plastic container or bucket

Watering tubes or pipes

Drip irrigation system

Water level sensor or indicator

Pump or gravity feed system

Timer or controller

Sketch or computer-generated illustration:

[Insert image of final design with labels for each component]