Category Archives: Engineering

SSCDS Student Engineer Team Wins First Prize at MSU Design Day!!

The final SSCDS concept developed by the SSCDS Mechanical Engineering team was awarded first prize in the Mechanical Engineering section of MSU Design Day! Our engineering team was up against projects ranging from home appliances to automotive¬†systems. You can read more about MSU Design Day in the 2015 program which can be downloaded here:¬†http://designday.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2015/12/DesignDayFall15.pdf The… Continue Reading SSCDS Student Engineer Team Wins First Prize at MSU Design Day!!

Progress from SSCDS M.E. Team

The MSU Mechanical Engineering student team have come up with an initial concept for reducing the volume of material needed to fill the SSCDS system. Their solution is to separate the liquid delivery from the air delivery. Liquid enters the SSCDS reservoirs at the base of the canister while air enters from the top. A… Continue Reading Progress from SSCDS M.E. Team

Engineering Students Begin Working on Improved SSCDS

Five MSU Mechanical Engineering students (Mark Taylor, Tyler Finses, Michael Hilk, Scott Burek, Dylan Etheridge) have taken on improving SSCDS material handling efficiency as their capstone project. The task the students are faced with is to reduce the amount of “waste” material used by the system to carry agrichemicals to the spray nozzles. The basic… Continue Reading Engineering Students Begin Working on Improved SSCDS

SSCDS Featured in New York Fruit Quarterly

Our research was featured in the summer edition of the New York Fruit Quarterly. The article summarizes the first two years of data collected in Michigan with an emphasis on canopy cooling and pest management. You can access archived NYFQ issues at: http://www.nyshs.org/fq.php

SSCDS Featured on National Public Radio

NPR ran a story on utiilizing solid set canopy delivery for mist cooling of Michigan orchard crops. Dr. Jim Flore and Dr. Matt Grieshop were interviewed as part of this story. You can read about it and listen to the program at: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2015/04/23/401531585/fruit-growers-try-tricking-mother-nature-to-prevent-crop-damage

Year Two SSCDS Newsletter

We’ve just released our year two newsletter. This provides an overview of our accomplishments through the 2012-2013 year of the project. We will release one more newsletter in 2015 that provides an overview of all project activities. Download the newsletter here: https://canopydelivery.msu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/2013_SCRI-Report.pdf

Year 1 Report!

We’ve completed a full color report on our first year activities. 2012 was a year full of challenges but our team has fabricated test systems in all three project states and has made some interesting findings. The report can be downloaded here as a .pdf. You will need a pdf reader such as Adobe Reader… Continue Reading Year 1 Report!

SSCD at MSU Clarksville Station

Here is a short video of the MSU prototype SSCD in action at the Clarksville Research Station. The video was produced and edited by Ron Perry, Professor of Horticulture.  

June MSU Apple Spray Coverage Trial

In order to record and compare the delivery deposition efficiency of the solid set canopy delivery (SSCD) system and the conventional airblast sprayer, 26 √ó76 mm water and oil sensitive paper cards (TeeJet¬Æ, Spraying Sytems Co. Wheaton, IL) were strategically placed in semi-dwarf Rubinstar Jonagold apple trees at the Clarksville Horticulture Research Center in Clarksville,… Continue Reading June MSU Apple Spray Coverage Trial

Solid Set Canopy Delivery System Demonstrated in Prosser WA

4 June 2012 – A solid set canopy delivery (SSCD) system was demonstrated¬†to about 150 participants¬†at Washington State University’s annual Cherry Field Day in Prosser. ¬†Growers had an opportunity to see and comment on an experimental setup that will be used to compare a novel fixed application system vs. standard airblast application technology. ¬†Research at… Continue Reading Solid Set Canopy Delivery System Demonstrated in Prosser WA