Challenges for Fall 2009

Subteam Leader: TBD

Number of team members needed: 2-3

Important team member skills:

• Previous experience with Pilot Plant
• Understanding of Process Controller

You should also:

• Have a way to get out to the plant
• Not mind getting messy/working with your hands
• Be ready to deal with constant snafus
  • Leaks, clogged tubing, faulty turbidimeters
• Be fun

Challenges

• More intermediate energy dissipation rates between 0.03 mW/kg and 1.5 mW/kg as well as repeating previous testing to see if results are similar
• Test different baffle configurations with no coagulant to see if similar results are obtained to when coagulant is used
• Investigate at what threshold of influent turbidity coagulant is unnecessary
• Revisit sedimentation tanks using research from Floc Blanket team.
• Investigate using a rapid sand filter and using water hammer to clean it (instead of backwash, which requires pumps), similar to sand filters on FIME plants in Honduras
• Companies in China are producing PAC in powder form. See if you can get your hands on some and experiment with efficacy and how to administer appropriately
• The tube settlers seem to have been forming floc blankets in some cases. This suggests that the velocity in the tube settlers is too high. This should be further investigated, and perhaps the velocity of the pump to the turbidimeters should be lowered.
• The results of Spring 2009 testing are probably only valid over the range of influent turbidities tested (<6 NTUs). More turbidity profiles should be taken when the input turbidity to the plant is much higher, and more reflective of turbidities in Honduras.

Challenges for Fall 2009 and Beyond

Current Subteam Leader: Rachel Philipson

Number of team members needed: 3-4

Important team member skills:

• Fluid Dynamics Background
• Self-motivated
• Curious student
• Eager to learn
• Recommending one team member who's sole responsibility is troubleshooting: This requires extensive knowledge of how process controller and the experimental apparatus work

Challenges

• Continue to improve model of critical velocity with respect to floc roll-up with Matt and Monroe, try to determine what consitutes failure in terms of floc roll up

• Run experiments to test floc roll-up utilizing ramp function for a variety of tube settler sizes and attempting to visualize failure (flow rate/critical velocity at which a majority of flocs begin to roll-up)

• Investigate ways to optimize plate settler performance given changes in influent properties such as natural organic matter, pH, and alkalinity on floc performance and plate settler performance

• Continue to investigate the filter foam

• Begin to write a paper on floc roll up

Challenges for Fall 2009

Subteam Leader:

Number of team members needed: 4

Important team member skills:

• MathCAD
• Process Controller
• Fluid Dynamics

Challenges

Non-Linear CDC

• Determine whether a single or multiple orifices should be used to connect rapid mix chamber and flocculation for optimum energy dissipation, head loss, and float sizing.
  • We have tentative results in the mathCAD file however, we did not have enough time to optimize the functions created.

• Construct non-linear CDC and run experiments to evaluate design and ensure experimental results align with theoretical results.

For additional challenges, see suggested challenges our team did not address this semester.

Challenges for Outreach Fall 2009

Fundraising

Group Leader:

• N/A

Number of team members needed:

• Minimum of 2-3

Important team member skills:

• Good written and oral skills
• Ability to work closely with P.R. when finding Fundraising Contacts
• Good analytical skills for choosing grants and reviewing previous budgets
• Adaptability to the different requests of different organizations when looking at Requests for Proposals (Grant Writing term meaning grant application)

Challenges

• Submit the Ford Foundation Online Form
• Pursue contacts within Ford Foundation and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
• Analyze former AguaClara budgets for the budget update.
• Continue working on the Grant Text Modules Page.
• Update the Grant Short List as grants are submitted

Public Relations

Group Leader:

• N/A

Number of team members needed:

• 4-6

Important team member skills:

• Adobe Photoshop to aid graphics design
• Adobe Illustrator to create brochure layout
• Effective communication skills
• Leadership skills
• Knowledge of advertisement, business, media communications
• Creativity and ingenuity

Challenges

• Get more team members involved with presentations
• Try to pull together a fact sheet for presenter. Those would be good additional info to present other than the ones already on the slides. 
• demo plant suite case maintenance
• Edit the Wiki to weed out outdated information
• Update the brochure with new projects
• Ensure continued bi-annual updates through newsletters
• Enforce the standardized Wiki format by constant updating (not just at the end of the year)
• Translate Wiki into Spanish including navigation menu as well as content
• Assign specific subgroups within PR such that different types of PR can be accessed more efficiently. I.E possibly set up subgroups of PR that deal with local pr, state/national pr, campus pr, student assembly/RSO/greek life/ sports team pr.
• Broaden the medium for pr. I.E. radio, newspapers, magazines, journals, pamphlets, brochures, banners, t-shirts, stickers, posters,etc.
• Establish a calendar of pr events in August that seeks to promote the project itself while incorporating pr events that surround fundraising, presentations, etc.
• Draw in students from business, entrepreneurial majors, marketing, advertising, etc.
• Integrate the PR team with the AguaClara student group by establishing it as a subset of the group itself.
• Work with Partnership for Honduran Health on campus to continue planning their health survey of our technology.