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This semester, my team and I worked on making improvements to the Low Flow Stacked Rapid Sand Filter based on feedback received from the engineers and operators in Honduras. A major design change was strengthening the connections of the slotted manifolds inside the filter. Also, a sand drain was designed to allow operators to easily remove the sand from the filter. My team and I also built a small-scale LFSRSF for EPA's P3 Sustainability competition. The filter was created as a hydraulically working model with clear acrylic pipe to allow judges and the public see how the filter and cleaning of the filter sand works.
My contributions this semester were both hands-on and managerial. I assisted with the design of the manifolds, the head loss calculations through the small-scale filter to determine adequate sizes of piping, and the construction and testing of the small-scale filter. Additionally, I kept communication flowing within the group and other parties, including EPA, team leaders, and our lead mechanic. I was also in charge of ordering materials for the small-scale filter. The filter at the competition worked very well. There were many people interested in the concept of the LFSRSF.