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Team hard at work assembling their award-winning fountain. Download this photo (1.1 MB)

Undergraduate Biosystems Engineering students wowed the crowd at the annual international conference of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE) in Portland, Oregon in July. They won first place in the student "Fountain Wars" competition.

Fountain Wars is an on-site, timed-challenge to build and test an actual fountain under the scrutiny of a judges' panel. Goals for the 2006 contest were to produce a fountain of modest design and limited expense that would perform a series of challenges including: 1) launch a tennis ball to accurately hit a target; 2) roll a filled 2-liter bottle up a short ramp; 3) knock over six pop cans; and 4) fill a standpipe with water.

Team members credit their innovative design's simplicity and flawless performance as factors in the win. Other entries were more complicated and failed to complete all tasks. Curtis Million noted, "We took the initiative to think outside the box and push the limit of the rules without breaking them." Other members of the winning team were Tammy Cheung, David Foster, Steven Krajewski, and Ken Swinson, and they were mentored by Dr. John Tyner.

This is the third year of competition for a student team from UT's Biosystems Engineering & Soil Science Department. This first place win was the crowning achievement following a third place prize in Tampa, Florida, in 2005 and a second place prize in Ottowa, Canada, in 2004. In addition to the $500 overall first prize for 2006, the team also won the $200 prize for "Innovative Design."

Award-winning smiles all around! Download this photo (1.3 MB)

A prototype fountain was designed and tested on campus prior to their trip to Portland. Contest rules required students to arrive at the site with their fountain design along with materials required for construction – PVC pipe, fittings, valves, and nozzles. Each team prepared a written technical report and presented a marketing-style promotion of the design. The actual fountain construction was limited to 90 minutes followed by testing the fountain's ability to meet the performance challenges. Later, the entries competed in an aesthetic display of the fountains.

The overall score was based on the written report, oral presentation, construction, testing performance, and aesthetics. Of a possible 500 points, UT's team achieved a 433 score. The next highest score was 364.

Ken Swinson agreed, "We won the most innovative design because we stretched our thinking to produce the most reliable apparatus." Being part of the best team in the nation was the highlight of the conference which Tammy Cheung said, "...was a great experience itself. Technical information, discussion of the latest technology, meeting people and making contacts was great!"

Prepared by Darla O’Neill

Contact: Dr. John Tyner, (865) 974-7130