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Throughout the 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 We also designed a new inlet system to allow for multiple EStaRS filters to run in parallel without increasing head loss.
On the side, as my 4540 capstone design project, I also began designing a an EStaRS 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. The work that I did with Siwei Sun and Hui Zhi on this side project has now evolved into the fully-fledged StaRS FInE research team.
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.Innovative Technologies (GRIT) team with Annie Ding to design ways of removing large grit particles with plate settlers before or during the flocculation process. Our final detailed design for a compact grit removal unit within the first flocculator channel (a "Channel GRU") virtually eliminated the need for an entrance tank, and has been sent to our partner engineers in San Juan Guaritas, Honduras for construction in a 4 L/s plant!