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This semester, I worked on the Ram Pump team, helping them continue the work of previous teams in improving the ram pump design. Experimentation done over the course of the semester helped determine optimal configurations for the existing ram pump design. At the end of the semester, the team pioneered a completely new design of the ram pump, inverting the orientation of the waste valve to create a less space-intensive design that does not require a horizontal drive pipe or bulky air chamber. The design was tested in the Winter 2015 trip to Honduras, and it worked as well as the traditional design when tested in the Jesus de Otoro plant.
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In the Spring 2015 semester, I am planning on working worked on a newly formed subteam: Grit Removal Flocculator. We will be tackling Innovative Technologies (GRIT). The GRIT Team tackled the problem of grit (sand) build-up in the flocculator (observed in Agalteca and Marcala) when there is too much grit for the entrance tank is not large enough to settle out the large particles. The primary objective of the semester is to determine to handle. Over the course of the semester, the team determined the most effective design for creating a new flocculator/flocculator add-on grit-removal design using plate settlers that will settle out the grit prior to flocculation process and sedimentation. The new design will replace the need for the large entrance tanks that are currently used to settle out large particles, greatly reducing construction costs and plan view area of the plant.