Mary Millard's Individual Contribution Page
Throughout this semesterthe fall of 2014, I worked on the enclosed stack rapid sand (EStaRS) filter apparatus to obtain turbidity data and find the limits of its backwashing capabilities. After extensive trouble-shooting to get the filter back to a state of consistent functioning, my team and I ran many trials of forward filtration at a high clay turbidity of ~500 NTU. We recorded the points at which the current filter design needs to be backwashed and analyzed the effectiveness of backwash. On the side, I helped design a new inlet system to allow for multiple EStaRS filters to run in parallel without increasing head loss. I also began designing a filter using inverted U-shaped pipes instead of slotted pipes and explored alternate geometry designs to eliminate the use of slotted pipes and their associated problems with clogging.
During the spring 2015 semester, I worked on the brand-new Grit Removal Flocculator team to investigate a way to increase the capture velocity of grit. Our research may lead to changes in the design of the entrance tank and/or flocculator that would remove large grit particles before entering flocculation and sedimentation.