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NCSU Department of Biological and Agriclutural Engineering
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Laboratory Areas - Weaver Labs

Hands-On Engineering... in the Lab

Part of a well-rounded Bio & Ag engineering education consists of learning to function successfully in a variety of biological and environmental laboratory atmospheres.

Weaver Laboratories is a 82,758 sq. ft. building complex having a number of student and professional lab areas. Pictured below are 9 student labs and not shown are several other labs under development. Additionally Weaver Labs has several outdoor areas for student project development and hands-on class activities.

In the course of a student's education they will learn to use concentration specific labs and related lab equipment with an emphasis on safety and protocol. The environmental and agricultural concentration students may find some of their labs held in outdoor university field sites exposing them to portable equipment, environmental sampling and other operations.

Lab Safety Links:

What are BAE university service labs?

Weaver Labs is proud of its two service labs Research Machine Shop and the Environmental Analysis Lab which provide support to government agencies and the wider campus community. Can students use these labs? Students may request parts for their senior design projects or student / faculty research projects from the Research Machine Shop. Student involvement with the Environmental Analysis Lab is restricted to submitting requests for sampling initiated by faculty.

Air Quality Lab

Dr. Wang with several ambiant air samplers.The air quality lab is the newest lab to be established at BAE. By the very nature of the research the air quality lab is located both indoors and outdoors.

Dr. Wang with a student in the air quality lab.Take a photo tour of the Air Quality Lab
This department is proud to have a
state-of -the-art aerosol research lab and an environmentally controlled filter conditioning room for aerosol studies.

Bioprocess Lab

Photo: Work area has long black counter tops light wood counter with many draws it is a u-shaped section withing the lab area.

This lab has been recently renovated with new equipment and the latest technologies.

Photo: Another view of the refrigeration area of the lab

Take a photo tour of the Bioprocess Lab

Soil and Water Lab and University Field Labs

Photo of soil samples being tested for their ability to become saturated by water.Students and faculty use the soil and water lab to test and gather research data. Above sampled soil core slices are being tested to collect water absorbency data for a particular regions soil type. Take a photo tour of the Soil and Water Lab

Photo of two environmental engineering students collecting soil samples with an auger.University Field Labs serve provide hands-on-learning learning for environmental and agricultural students. Students are exposure to equipment like this drilling auger collecting soil samples. Core sampling is helpful in solving problems with land drainage, plant growth, crop rotation and nutrient supplement decisions.

Wet Lab

image students working in Wet Lab 2Engineering students learn to function in a Wet lab area. In this lab biological materials are tested and analyzed. A particular process may require water, direct ventilation, or other specialized equipment like sterilizing units.

image: students working ion a senior design projectThese engineering students are using a laminator flow hood to take advantage of a sterile environment for their project.

Senior Design Lab

image: Senior design room at BAEAbove is a partial view of the work area in the senior design lab. The brown bags seen on the work bench hold the first assignment of the semester. Each bag contains different objects the students will render as 3-D Pro-Engineering drawings.

image: Classroom area of the senior design facilityBiological and agricultural engineering students will be making professional engineering presentations in their second semester of the senior design capstone engineering course. This room is equipped with a ceiling-mounted projector for students to practice presentations.

Photo: Senior Design students are at a workbench in Senior Design classroom they are looking at project items on the workbench.Senior design engineering students are at the workbench in the senior design work area. This lab has areas split between a project work area and a classroom / presentation practice area.

Photo: Senior design students sitting at a long table doing some extra team project work talking togetther.Teaming is an aspect of engineering design today. This group of senior design student's are working out the details of their team project. By participating in teams students learn their strengths and weaknesses.

Main Lab

image: Faculty and students look at the new MTS machineThe department has several hydraulic load frames located in the main lab. These machines are designed for testing specimens under displacement, load, or strain control. The machines are rated from very low to 10,000 lbs.

image: Two bioprocess students work out a lab problem they are using measuring cylinders These two bioprocess engineering students are in the main lab area and are collecting experimental data for a "Properties of Biological Materials" course. 

Photo: A bioprocess student wearing a breathing mask is preforming a plant tissue experiment under the flow hood.A bioprocess engineering student is performing a plant tissue experiment using the labs flow hood.

image: drying ovenThe drying oven above has been carefully loaded with labeled soil samples.

image: Student works in the odor testing area using an electronic-noseThis bioprocess engineering student is using a odor testing "Electronic Nose" which can detect small changes in odors. It can assist in evaluating the true freshness of a food product.

image: student work at autoclave steralizing a solid waste speciment
This agricultural engineering student uses an autoclave to sterilize solid waste samples. Many animal waste management studies are conducted in the department.

Engineering Computer Labs

image: students look up at lab computerLab computers are loaded with high-end licensed engineering software like ANSYS, a data collection and calculation software.

image: students work at a problem presented in lab
In this picture student's work with TK Solver which is an equation solving software used in engineering practice.

Photo of Weaver Labs ComputingWeaver Computer Lab Room 144. This computer lab is used exclusively by our biological and agricultural engineering students. The machines are loaded with software specific to this discipline.

Other Computer Labs

A College of Engineering's Computer Lab is also located at Weaver Labs in DSW Room 122 ( see availability schedule) This lab is very convenient for our students and they frequently use it.

Additionally, a College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Computer lab is also located in an accent Entomology building Grinnell's Room 1105. This lab is used for teaching advanced discipline oriented applications of general computer software. The College also has Open-use Computer labs in other facilities on campus

Metal Working Lab (Student Shop)

A sheet metal projects are underway in the student shop area. Every biological and agricultural engineering student takes this shop class. It's important for engineering students to learn about the proprieties of different materials and how to determine their use and limitations. When an engineer specs out a job this knowledge is invaluable.

image: overall view of the shop at BAE

image: students work in the machine shop

image: overall view of the shop at BAEThis is a rare quiet moment in the
student shop area.

Agricultural Engine Labs

image: large engine lab at BAEStudents in the large engine lab are tooling a tractor. The ability to retrofit existing equipment is often more valuable to a manufacturer or owner than a new piece of machinery.

engine classAET technology students are taking apart a engine then reassembling it from the bottom up. Some students focus on agricultural technologies in the AET Program while others may choose to work with environmental technologies.