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Teaching Engineering Principles Using an Aquarium

Teaching Engineering Principles Using an Aquarium. Dr. Kauser Jahan Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Rowan University Glassboro NJ 08028 U.S.A. Introduction to Aquariums.

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Teaching Engineering Principles Using an Aquarium

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  1. Teaching Engineering Principles Using an Aquarium Dr. Kauser Jahan Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Rowan University Glassboro NJ 08028 U.S.A

  2. Introduction to Aquariums • An aquarium is an exquisite combination of interacting systems which can be analyzed using multidisciplinary engineering principles. • Children typically have personal aquariums for their pet fishes and visit some large aquarium as part of a school field trip or as part of their family outing. • While these activities apparently raise the knowledge base in terms of nature and the environment, children seldom make a connection to the engineering principles playing out in the maintenance of a commercial or personal aquarium.

  3. An Aquarium Water Quality Water Treatment Gas Transfer Materials Heat Transfer Fluid Mechanics Fish Health Toxicology Biology Ethics Sustainability Pollution Prevention Online Instrumentation Data Acquisition Digital Imaging

  4. How engineering is applied towards the design, operation and maintenance of an aquarium. • Water quality parameters • Water Treatment • Heat Transfer and Evaporation Outline • Material Properties • Ethics • Pollution Prevention • Biology

  5. Physical Water Quality Parameters • Turbidity • Color • Odor • Temperature

  6. Dissolved Oxygen pH Nitrates Nitrites Ammonia Chlorine Hardness Salinity Alkalinity Redox Potential Conductivity Chemical Water Quality Parameters

  7. Dissolved Oxygen • Dissolved oxygen is one of the most important water quality parameters for aquariums. • DO needs to be maintained at 4mg/L or above in order for fish to survive

  8. Some pictures of diffusers Pad Diffuser Fine Bubble Diffuser Tube Diffuser Wood Diffuser

  9. GAS TRANSFER KINETICS

  10. Salinity • Salinity is the measure of the salt content of water. • Affects the pH and the Dissolved Oxygen content • Measured by the Specific Gravity Freshwater – Specific Gravity of 1.000-1.005 Salt Water – Specific Gravity of 1.020-1.025

  11. Biological Water Quality Parameters Nitrosomonas • Microbes • Beneficial bacteria • The role of sponges Nitrobacter Nitrogen-fixing

  12. Ammonia Nitrosomonas bacteria Nitrite Nitrobacter bacteria Nitrate Nitrogen fixing bacteria Nitrogen Nitrogen Cycle Fish waste and organic material (Nitrogen fixing bacteria convert nitrite to nitrate) (Nitrosomonas bacteria convert ammonia to nitrate) Nitrite Nitrate Ammonia N2 Plants and bacteria

  13. Chemical Mechanical Physical GAC PAC Zeolites Sponge Filters Water Treatment in Aquariums

  14. GAC and PAC • PAC • GAC Granular Activated Carbon Powdered Activated Carbon Scanning Microscopic View

  15. Zeolites A picture of a Zeolite using a scanning electron microscope Granulated Zeolites

  16. Heat Transfer and Evaporation • Surface Area • Volume • Humidity • Pressure • Temperature

  17. Heat Transfer via Convection Students cool hot water in two different types of closed coffee mugs. Uo = overall heat transfer coefficient

  18. Materials Glass – aquariums made out of glass are harder to scratch then acrylic tanks. Glass is also heavier than acrylic and less force is required to break a glass tank. For an equal amount of volume, a glass tank would be much thicker than an acrylic tank. Acrylic – aquariums made out of acrylic tanks are lighter but are easily scratched. Unlike glass tanks, acrylic tanks can be molded to form almost any shape desired.

  19. Material Properties • Elasticity, Stress, Strain, Modulus of Elasticity • Compression and Tension • Refraction and Reflection of Light • Refractive Index

  20. Ethics and Pollution Prevention Empty Oceans, Empty NetsExamines the global marine fisheries crisis and the efforts to implement sustainable fishing practices. Testing the WatersToxic waste in our water - the attempted clean-up of the Niagara River.

  21. Data Acquisition and Imaging • Real time data acquisition via pH, DO probes • Real time image acquisition to post on web R-QUARIUM

  22. Website

  23. Field Trip On April 12 and 13, the Freshman Engineering Clinic Students went on a field trip to Cumberland County College Aquaculture Technology Program to see there Fish Barn and demonstration/training facility. At the facility, the students witnessed first hand the engineering that had been implemented to aquariums on a much larger scale than just a simple home aquarium.

  24. Conclusions • Engineering plays a large role in the upkeep of an aquarium • Aquariums lend life and excitement for students

  25. Acknowledgement Freshman Engineering Class College of Engineering Rowan University Glassboro, New Jersey

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