The application of electronics to the study of animal behaviour

1990 ◽  
Vol 1990 ◽  
pp. 99-99
Author(s):  
A B Lawrence
Keyword(s):  
Electrical Activity ◽  
Water Flow ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Animal Behaviour ◽  
Related Activity ◽  
Flow Meters ◽  
Feeding Regime ◽  
Hanging Chain ◽  
Circadian Patterns ◽  
Piezo Electric

Animal behaviour is increasingly seen as a useful tool in animal production. However, behavioural observations are time costly, and it is difficult to ensure precision and repeatability of measurement.An alternative to observation is to use electronics to automatically record behaviour and two such applications are illustrated:The first system developed at Edinburgh records drinker and chain-related activity, two common abnormal behaviours in pregnant sows. Water flow meters record drinker use. Chain behaviour is monitored by supplying each sow with a vertically hanging chain to which is attached piezo-electric ‘wire’. Electrical activity is generated from the flow meter or the piezo-electric wire as the sow manipulates the drinker or the chain, and is read by a micro-computer at 60 seconds intervals. The system estimates water use and circadian patterns of drinker and chain activity for 16 sows. Applications include recording the development of these two behaviours in response to variations in variables such as feeding regime.

scholarly journals Reducing the Excessive Evaporative Demand Improved the Water-use Efficiency of Greenhouse Cucumber by Regulating the Trade-off between Irrigation Demand and Plant Productivity

HortScience ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (12) ◽  
pp. 1784-1790 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dalong Zhang ◽  
Yuping Liu ◽  
Yang Li ◽  
Lijie Qin ◽  
Jun Li ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Stress ◽  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Flow ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Plant Productivity ◽  
Plant Water ◽  
Evaporative Demand ◽  
Plant Water Stress ◽  
Irrigation Demand ◽  
Use Efficiency

Although atmospheric evaporative demand mediates water flow and constrains water-use efficiency (WUE) to a large extent, the potential to reduce irrigation demand and improve water productivity by regulating the atmospheric water driving force is highly uncertain. To bridge this gap, water transport in combination with plant productivity was examined in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) grown at contrasting evaporative demand gradients. Reducing the excessive vapor pressure deficit (VPD) decreased the water flow rate, which reduced irrigation consumption significantly by 16.4%. Reducing excessive evaporative demand moderated plant water stress, as leaf dehydration, hydraulic limitation, and excessive negative water potential were prevented by maintaining water balance in the low-VPD treatment. The moderation of plant water stress by reducing evaporative demand sustained stomatal function for photosynthesis and plant growth, which increased substantially fruit yield and shoot biomass by 20.1% and 18.4%, respectively. From a physiological perspective, a reduction in irrigation demand and an improvement in plant productivity were achieved concomitantly by reducing the excessive VPD. Consequently, WUE based on the criteria of plant biomass and fruit yield was increased significantly by 43.1% and 40.5%, respectively.

scholarly journals Development of a self-rechargeable digital water flow meter

2013 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 888-896 ◽  
Author(s):  
Songhao Wang ◽  
Ronald Garcia
Keyword(s):  
Water Flow ◽  
Water Pressure ◽  
Communication Technologies ◽  
Turbine Generator ◽  
Flow Meter ◽  
Flow Meters ◽  
Pelton Turbine ◽  
Zigbee Technology ◽  
Diameter Pipe ◽  
Water Meters

The objective of this paper is to present the feasibility of a self-rechargeable digital water flow meter (SRDFM) system for water pipes using the latest data processing and wireless communication technologies while causing negligible water pressure drop (head loss). The system uses a Pelton turbine generator to power the electronic circuit, which processes and transmits the signals generated by several flow meters. ZigBee technology was used to process and send wireless signals. Signals from two water meters were acquired, processed, and transmitted with only one control/transmission unit during this study. The new system was assessed experimentally, reaching a maximum of 80 m of wireless transmittance distance at a minimum flow rate of 5 L/min for a 16-mm diameter pipe (self-charged).

scholarly journals Modeling Graywater in Residences: Using Shower Effluent in the Toilet Reservoir

2007 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 109-120
Author(s):  
Xing Wu ◽  
Burcu Akinci ◽  
Cliff I Davidson
Keyword(s):  
Uniform Distribution ◽  
Water Flow ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Water Flow Rate ◽  
Storage Tanks ◽  
Municipal Water ◽  
German System ◽  
And Storage

Use of municipal water in residences can be decreased substantially by allowing “graywater” effluent from showering and other activities to fill the toilet reservoir. This paper considers a system developed in Germany for treatment and storage of shower wastewater for use in flushing the toilet. Based on literature data for distributions of shower duration and water flow rate, the volume of municipal water saved using the German system has been estimated for several usage scenarios. Results show significant savings of water that depend on the size of the treatment and storage tanks used in the graywater system as well as the number of toilet flushes per day. For example, a scenario with four residents each flushing nine times per day with 80 liter treatment and storage tanks shows a 50% chance that the savings in municipal water use for the toilet will exceed 73%. Because the timing of showers and toilet flushes is assumed to follow a uniform distribution throughout the day, the calculated tank sizes may be underestimates.

scholarly journals ULTRASONIC METHODS AND INSTRUMENTS FOR MEASURING WATER FLOW IN HYDRORECLAMATION SYSTEMS

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. P. Vasilchenko ◽  
◽  
A. M. Korenovskiy ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Water Flow ◽  
Flow Rate ◽  
Flow Measurement ◽  
Cross Correlation ◽  
Accounting System ◽  
Pulse Time ◽  
Flow Meters ◽  
Drainage Systems ◽  
Ultrasonic Methods ◽  
Water Metering

Purpose: analysis of existing ultrasonic methods and devices for metering water flow in irrigation and drainage systems. The problem of rational use of water resources exists in all areas, including agriculture. It cannot be resolved without considering the issue of water metering and water distribution. The main task of the water accounting system in irrigation and drainage systems is measuring the volume of water taken from the water intake and delovered to the irrigation network. For these purposes, flow meters – devices that measure the flow of water, are used. Ultrasonic (acoustic) flow meters are flow meters capable of solving complex problems in flow measurement. Currently, there are several measurement methods to determine the water flow rate at reclamation facilities: ultrasonic, radar, Doppler method, cross-correlation method and Transit-Time method. Based on these methods, a large number of modifications of devices for determining water flow rates have been created: level gauges, radar flow meters, Doppler flow meters, submersible cross-correlation flow meters, pulse-time flow meters. Conclusions. Flow meters based on level gauges and radar flow meters are impractical to use in commercial water metering units. They have high flow measurement errors, since level gauges measure only the level, and the speed is taken as a constant value, while radar flow meters measure the flow rate, but this is not the speed of the entire flow, but only of the surface layer. The flow rate measured by Doppler and cross-correlation meters depends on the amount of solids in the flow. But since the water in canals and closed pipelines on irrigation and drainage systems has a large number of solids, these flow meters have a high accuracy of flow measurement. Pulse time meters, as well as Doppler and cross-correlation meters, have high measurement accuracy, but do not depend on the amount of solids in the flow.

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