Erin Loughlin's Individual Contribution Page

Spring 2014 Semester Contributions

I am working on updating the current Demo Plant to overcome existing failure modes. The main tasks for the semester are eliminating the flocculator overflow; increasing the capacity of stock tanks to achieve a continuous run time between 15-30 minutes without intervention; and updating the plant frame for ease-of-use during set-up and break-down.

So far, failure modes within the flocculator of overflow and internal leaking have been identified. There is no longer a water-tight seal between the last and second-to-last baffle within the flocculator, which causes the water to be sucked into the tube connection to the sedimentation tank--resulting in air bubbles that become problematic in the efficient filling of the sedimentation tank. To deal with these issues, a new flocculator has been drafted in Sketch Up and in AutoCAD. The design is based on head loss and collision potential values determined using Mathcad, both for the current and proposed flocculator. After discussions with Cornell's Laboratory of Atomic and Solid State Physics (LASSP) Machine Shop, we have decided to use Computer Numerical Control (CNC) technology for the manufacture of the flocculator.

Additionally, this semester we have been working to make the fluid mechanics of the demonstration plant match more closely those of a typical full-scale AguaClara plant. Mainly, this has resulted in determining the exact lengths of long, straight tubing needed from each constant head tank, as well as from the entrance tank to the flocculator. The results of the tube length calculations have given us additional constraints on the new frame design.

Lastly, I am creating a Mathcad template for use by future teams. The goal of the template is to streamline any calculations regarding plant flow, head loss, and other constraints that may be adjusted in future designs, while outlining our current thought process.