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This semester, I am working on the Foam Filtration team to help design an emergency filtration unit.
On the foam team, I worked on:
- Foam filtration prototype
- Worked with team to design filter with roughing and finishing foam filters in series. Previous team had shown small scale tests were effective with foam as a filtration medium. We created the full scale prototype with adjustable height filters connected with flexible tubing.
- Co-designed "plunger" cleaning method
- Researched foam sources in Honduras at a reasonable price. For prototype, acquired rectangular foam blocks and worked with shop team to create cylindrical filtration medium.
- Configured pump system to circulate water through filter during 2 day exhibition. Ran filter with pump and found that effluent
- successfully met EPA turbidity standards (<0.3 NTU)
- Presented the foam filter prototype, co-wrote an EPA P3 Phase II grant proposal, and created a poster presentation of the project for the EPA National Sustainable Design Conference on the national mall.
- The expo was a result of our Phase II submission to the EPA P3 competition.
- Competition
- Built competition-ready prototype (clear PVC to showcase foam in filtration process, added labels to working filter). Configured pump system and maintained filter operation during expo.
- Compiled summary of findings on poster displaying grant proposal contents. Created diagrams for poster and helped compile information from grant proposal into a concise display of the project.
- Co-wrote grant proposal submission for P3 Phase II proposal. Focused on first section "Summary of Phase I Results." This included the introduction, problem definition, purpose and scope, and previous findings from Phase I team. Contributed and edited other sections. Completed a literature review and researched existing filtration studies, finding that we were the first team to create a filter using polyurethane foam.
- Showcased prototype and poster at 2 day EPA National Sustainable Design Expo on the national mall. Explained and demonstrated filter capabilities to the general public and presented filtration capabilities to P3 competition judges.
- American Collaborated with foam team members to write a conference paper submission to the American Waterworks Association 2012 Water Quality & Technology Conference. Paper was accepted to the conference.
Paper submission: "Multi-Stage Polyurethane Foam Filtration for Emergency Point-of-Use Water Treatment."
Sarah Levine, Rachel Philipson, Michael Adelman, Kelly McBride, Bradshaw Irish, Sarah Stodter, Monroe Weber-Shirk- Responsible for researching and completing Introduction section. Contributed and edited other sections