Project Overview
For this project, we had to design and build a water filtration system. Fresh water is one of the few actual necessities to be able to sustain life, and yet so many people don't have access to it in their everyday life. We wanted a design that was efficient, cost effective, and enviro-friendly.
Define a Problem
Responsibilities-
Ian- Materials, Design
Grant- Research, Webmaster
Shared- Testing and Building
Ian- Materials, Design
Grant- Research, Webmaster
Shared- Testing and Building
Brainstorming
Our possible directions for our project included: charcoal, cloth, cheesecloth, strainer, purifying tablets, chlorine, iodine, heat, solar still, and pump.
Research and Generate Ideas
1. Reverse Osmosis: Incredibly good at removing minerals, bacteria, and pathogens; however, chlorine, pesticides, and other dangerous chemicals can still pas through. Also, the natural, healthy chemicals are stripped from water in this process. Furthermore, it is rather inefficient; 2 or 3 gallons of dirty water yield only 1 gallon of clean water and is a slow process.
Reverse Osmosis - Pros and Cons. (n.d.). Retrieved September 3, 2014.
2. Physical Barrier Filter ( such as pouring water over a cloth or filter paper): Very simple, cheap, and works well for larger molecules, but is not as effective filtering out minuscule particles of dirt, bacteria, or pathogens, although nicer versions may prevent cholera. It is relatively fast and somewhat efficient.
Moss, J. (2003, January 27). VOA Special English - DEVELOPMENT REPORT - Cloth Filters Fight Cholera. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
3. Solar Still: Cheap, environmentally friendly, relatively simple, and independent, but it has a low yield, takes a long time to purify, is fragile, dependent on sunlight, and is prone to biological contamination during low temperature operation.
Thiesen, S. (n.d.). Solar Thermal Solar Thermal Desalination Desalination for for Rural Rural Applications Applications. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
Reverse Osmosis - Pros and Cons. (n.d.). Retrieved September 3, 2014.
2. Physical Barrier Filter ( such as pouring water over a cloth or filter paper): Very simple, cheap, and works well for larger molecules, but is not as effective filtering out minuscule particles of dirt, bacteria, or pathogens, although nicer versions may prevent cholera. It is relatively fast and somewhat efficient.
Moss, J. (2003, January 27). VOA Special English - DEVELOPMENT REPORT - Cloth Filters Fight Cholera. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
3. Solar Still: Cheap, environmentally friendly, relatively simple, and independent, but it has a low yield, takes a long time to purify, is fragile, dependent on sunlight, and is prone to biological contamination during low temperature operation.
Thiesen, S. (n.d.). Solar Thermal Solar Thermal Desalination Desalination for for Rural Rural Applications Applications. Retrieved September 4, 2014.
Criteria and Constraints
Explore Possibilities
After advanced research, we decided to check out and test everything but tablets, chlorine, iodine, heat, solar still, and a pump. Those items were not effective for our purposes because of their cost and industrial quality.
Develop a Design
Straying from the design process and the order of it ever so slightly, we tested all the materials at once with one big "mega filter". The results were unsatisfactory and are listed below.
Select an Approach
Model & Prototype
Test and Evaluate
After testing the materials out, we had a simple solution. The cheesecloth by itself was the most efficient way because every other material we tested may have killed bacteria, but it stained the water slightly also. The charcoal and gravel both effectively caught and cleaned the water, but the carbon in each made the water have a black tint. Sand particles sometimes escaped into the sample, and the brown fiber from the coffee filters also escaped.
Refine the Design
Our final working model and sketch with just cheesecloth.
Reflection
This project was designed to help prepare and groom us for our final capstone project, and it certainly did. We strayed from the design process like every other team and ended up paying the price in lost time and inefficiencies. We went head on into a complicated design using practically all of the materials without first testing the materials. That design was therefore not good and a waste of time. We also learned that when you are struggling, the simple solution right in front of you is sometimes the best. Our synergy was great for this project, we managed to work well together and also challenge each other to bring out the best in us. Next time, we will certainly follow the design process. This project could be improved upon by measuring something else than turbidity. Water doesn't have to be crystal clear to be clean, and clear water in no way promises safe drinking water, there could be poisonous substances that you can't see in it.