Week 3 - More Research

Goal:

We need to emphasis that the purpose of this project is potable water.  This week we are dividing up the work to each group member and then will assign tasks that need to be completed each week.  Each group member is listed below and their corresponding assignments:

Filters and Cleaning of Filter- Patrick
- What kind of filter will be the most effective to filter out the contaminants?
- How expensive will this filtering process be?
- Is there material in this filter that needs to be replaced?
-Does the filter meed to be cleaned?
- Is the material for this filter available in the area that it will be used in?

Solar Panel Option and Circuit Board Creation- Scott
- How do solar panels work?
- Are there different options for solar panels?
- How will you switch from solar power to battery power?
- What size solar panel and battery must be used so that the solar panel is able to charge the battery?
- Does a battery even need to be used?

Tank and Material Research and Design- Alex
- What material would be the best to use for a tank?
- Would corrosion be an issue in the area that the tank will be located?
- How big should the tank be?
- How expensive would this tank be to make?
- What type of material would be a good insulator?

Pump- Fitzy
- Which type of pump would work best with the solar panel and batteries we are using?
- Are there different types of pumps that we may be able to use?
- What are the pump rates of each pump and which would be the best size of the tank that we are using?

Contaminants and Location- Katie and Laura
- Where will our device be located?
- What are the contaminants in this area?
- How are each of these contaminants removed? 

Research: 

Water contaminants in the Nile River
-pathogens
-nutrients (phosphorus, potassium, nitrogen, sulfate)
-oxygen demanding compounds (take oxygen from the water)
-suspended solids
-parasites
-salts
-heavy metals

Possible Tanks:

Material:

Stainless Steel -
·         Less vulnerable to water damage
·         Keeps water cool
·         Generally will not corrode or crack

·         Durable 

·         Resist bacteria and mold growth  

Stainless Steel:

ROUND 3000 PLUS SERIES

Tank Code	Liters	Dimensions	Price
AR-3300G	3,300	1500DIA x 1880H	$880.00
AR-3558G	3,000	1600DIA x 1785H	$880.00
AR-3000G	3,000	1600DIA x 1570H	$880.00
AR-3094G	3,000	1400DIA x 2010H	$880.00
AR-2100G	3,000	1200DIA x 1860H	$880.00
AR-2369G	3,000	1300DIA x 1785H	$880.00
AR-2863G	3,000	1400DIA x 1860H	$880.00
AR-4041G	3,000	1600DIA x 2010H	$880.00
AR-4051G	3,000	1700DIA x 1785H	$880.00

The tank selected would be have the smallest height because that would be less work the done by the pump, which would mean less power and less energy need from the solar panels.  The problem with this tank was it was too large for the amount of water needed to be collected.

Further research needs to be continued on other possible options for tanks that are more affordable and an appropriate size.

Week 2 Lab - More Research

Goal:

Today, we are focusing on researching more in depth about the filtering process and possible pumps that would be used for the design.  The budget will be modified and research will be done about how much water a person uses a day.  Depending on the water consumption, will influence the size tank used to store the water.  One point that was brought up was that even we must take into consideration that these people will be using the water for other needs besides hydration.  For example, one might use water from the tank to drink, do wash, clean dishes, and bath.  The tank will have to be very large to supply around 5 gallons of water per person.

Location - Juba

What contamination are in the water?

              Feces, salt, worms, nitrates, phosphates, lead.

Where is Juba located?

              Juba is a small village along the White Nile River in Southern Sudan.



Group members are focusing on researching the following:

Electric filtering and nano-fibers; softening water - the process of getting the heavy metals out.

Different containment in the water and what filtering methods are best for those contaminants.

In May of 2008, there was no functioning water or sewerage system in Juba.  Millions of southern Sudanese must walk miles everyday to collect water from ponds, marshes, and some will even dig wells with their hands.  The water collected is normally contaminated with parasites and disease-bearing bacteria.  (http://www.waterforsouthsudan.org/)

The people of southern Sudan are unknowable about how to avoid diseases.  They will transport contaminated water with containers that are already contaminated,  making the water even worse (http://www.irinnews.org/Report/78380/SUDAN-Water-contamination-threat-in-South)



http://www.irinnews.org/Report/78380/SUDAN-Water-contamination-threat-in-South

We found a water filter that would kill 90% of the bacteria.  This would be a three-step process.  There are carbon nano tubes with nano-fiber that is hanging on the carbon. First we would get the heavy metals out through a method and then get out the bacteria through the method research online.  The water would also have to be distilled to remove the water because there are still salts in the water.  Even though the distillation process is removing the minerals that give water taste, it would clean the water and be much safer for the Sudanese to drink.

Facts:

5,000 child die a day from dirty water.

Not only does safe water has an effect on one's health, but also his/her education and economic development.

20 millions of people across Southern Sudan lack access to sanitation

17 million have no source of safe drinking water

http://www.irinnews.org/Report/78380/SUDAN-Water-contamination-threat-in-South

Week 1 - Brainstorming Ideas

Water filtration to help with shortage and cleanliness of water:

-  Use a solar panel to pump water from the Nile river and distill this water.  This water would be filtered into a reservoir for public use.

-  Natural filtration from plants - put plants around the reservoir to help with the purity of water.

-  The water from the Nile could naturally run into a holding area, where it would then be filtered and pumped into the reservoir.

-  Our idea is similar to the image below describing the purification of water, but we would use solar panels to supply the energy to pump the water.



-  This idea came from the fact that there are small streams that run through the villages of Africa, which is used as drinking water and domestic purposes.  The process these villagers go through is long and tedious.  By purifying water the water into a reservoir diseases such as malaria and guinea worm can be prevented.

-  After researching different villages along the Nile River, we decided to focus on the southern part of Sudan.

-  There are a lot of factors that must be taken into consideration.  First, the size of the solar panel must be appropriate in order to power the pump.    There would also have to be battery or some type of storage for the power generated by the solar panel.  Therefore, when days it is raining or cloudy, the water pump filtration system can still operate.  A wire would have to be purchased to transfer the energy to the battery.  We would also need a converter to convert the volts from the battery to the the pump, depending if the pumps uses volts or amps.  The amount of volts needed to operate the pump must be taken into consideration.  For example, a converter would be needed to insure the large number of volts supplied from the battery could be used for a 6 volt pump.

-  Instead of having the water filtered into a reservoir, it could be put into a holding tank; in this case there would be a tap that would allow the people to go up and directly get the water from the tank.

-  The water would be pumped up to a place 6 feet off the ground and then gravity would allow the water to run down through the filter and fall into the holding tank.

-  Based on the chart above, in order to get 100 meters cubed of water in one night pumped to 3 meters above the ground, 9.5 to 10 watts of power would be needed to power the pump.  Further research would be done once the pump is finalized about if uses volts or amps.

-  We have to look at the power produced by the solar panel - if it produces AC, we must convert to DC to store in a battery.  Depending on what type of electric the pump runs on, there is a possibility we have to convert the power back to AC to run the motor.  Converters, with specific names, are available for us to purchase.

Solar Powered Water Irrigation System:

-  Irrigation is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and help with the distribution of soils in dry areas.

-  Solar panels would be used to operate a pump for the irrigation system.  This water would not need to be purified because some of the minerals found in the water from the river are useful in irrigation.

Other Uses of Solar Panels:

-  Solar panels pump that would get water from areas underground where there is an abundance of water.  This water would be pumped up from the ground and purified by using a similar process as described above.

-  The size and the amount of energy for each solar panel can produce.

Wind Turbines:

-  Instead of using solar panels, wind turbines could also be used as a form of energy.  This may help with the cost, since solar panels are very expensive.