Obj ID# | Functional requirement | Specification | Metric |
1 | The tank used to store the collected rainwater must be able to store enough water to meet the requirements of the wash and pack station if there are multiple weeks without additional rain. | 750 Gallons | Gallons |
2 | The piping needs to be the proper length to transport the water from the roof to the holding tank and then from the holding tank to the wash/pack station. This metric was estimated using satellite imaging and will be assessed on our next visit to LaFarm. | 200 Yards | Yards |
3 | The maintenance of the system must cost less than the previously implemented system for it to have realistic longevity. | TBD | Dollars |
4 | The instillation and total cost of the system should fit within the budget of the senior design project | $1,500 | Dollars |
- This functional requirement was based on the average rainfall in Forks Township, as well as the specification, taken from the interview with Josh Parr, LaFarm’s head of food and farm. He told us that they use about 29 gallons of water per day. Ideally, the tank should be able to sustain LaFarm’s water usage demand for a month.
- The pipes need to be long enough to move the water from the collection site to the wash-and-pack station as well as to meet irrigation needs. This metric was estimated using satellite imaging and will be re-assessed on our next visit to LaFarm.
- Plan to assess the current finances of LaFarm. Because our system will take over the utility of multiple current systems on the farm, we will need to do a broad fiscal analysis.
- This functional requirement will be determined by how much money the Mechanical Engineering department is willing to allocate to our group, as well as how much, if any, Lafarm is willing to fund this project. The current dollar amount is an estimate from conversations with Doctor Malali.