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Operators in Honduras have expressed a preference in operating the earlier-style Linear Dose Controller (LDC) over the Non-Linear Dose Controller. The LDC is an elegantly simple design that requires minimal input and oversight from the operator. The LDC looses its elegance as plant flow rate increase. A new style of dose controller that can operate at high plant flow rates will be evaluated this semester.
Summer 2010
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Contributions
The Non-Linear Dose Controller (NLDC) continued to evolve during the Spring 2010 Semester (of which I was not involved). The NLDC design faced challenges that required further investigation and understanding: 1)errors induced by surface tension as fluid passed through the orifice 2) orifice manufacturing techniques create inconsistent entrance and exit regions. In house manufacturing processes were evaluated to determine the ease and accuracy with which a orifice could be manufactured.
Fall 2009 Contributions
This semester I have been a During the Fall of 2009 I was part of the chemical dosing team. Although I originally started working on the hydraulic design e.g. tube sizing and orifice sizing, my files were compiled with Yoon Choi's MathCad file and he has essentially taken "ownership" of the hydraulic design. I therefore have no significant conclusions or documents concerning this stage of the project.
I have since been working primarily with Harrison and a bit with Akta to design the mechanical end of our doser. We designed a structure and level-arm using components from 80/20 Mfg. This design was drawn in Autocad. Components were ordered, received and assembled. Hydraulic components were attached and function was tested.
Non Linear Chemical Dose Controller Team. We evaluated the feasibility of creating a dose controller which used an orifice to precisely meter control chemicals in our plants.
Specifically, I designed the testing structure for the dose controller. The structure was constructed using 80/20 "The Engineer's Erector Set." This gave the engineers in Honduras the flexibility to modify the structure as we worked toward developing a functional dose controller.
2008 Volunteer Contributions
Prior to starting my MEng program, I volunteered for the AguaClara team. I worked with the Pilot Plant team where we developed a method that allowed for easier adjustment of the flocculator baffle spacing. variable I also worked on compiling our data for the entrance tank design for the Agalteca plant.