Small Scale Plant Model
Understanding the layout and processes of AguaClara plants can be difficult if one has never seen a plant. This team will design and create a small scale plant that can be used to demonstrate how the plant is laid out, where each process takes place and how it can be taken apart for cleaning. Potential donors and partners, in particular, will benefit from the small scale plant as they will be able to more easily understand the plants.
- Design and construct a small scale plan that can be used to present the AguaClara design.
- The final product should look like a model from the design tool.
- Include labels and features to distinguish between different processes in the plant.
- Be able to take up square footage of a laptop and be easily portable.
- Can be taken apart in the same way as a full scale plant.
Spring 2013: The Spring 2013 team planned out construction of a scale model of the water treatment plant. The team first established the goals that the model would fulfill - education and motivation for sponsorship - and decided to model the 12 L/s water treatment plant. The team researched laser cutting and found that using the laser cutters in the AAP labs would be free. After converting an AutoCAD drawing of the plant to the software Rhinoceros, the plant parts were then taken apart into individual planes and laid flat in Rhinoceros. These pieces were optimized so that they would fit in 12"x18" templates for laser cutting and had pieces lined up together so that in certain places, only one cut would be necessary, saving time on the laser cutter. The Rhinoceros files were then converted back to AutoCAD drawing files to use the specific template that AAP labs need for laser cutting. The Rhinoceros files were also saved as PDFs so that the team could print out the files and use them for constructing the mock-up model. The mock-up was constructed by using an X-acto knife to cut out pieces in chipboard, which were then taped together. The team finished certain pieces of the mock-up model this semester, including the main base, flocculator, filter, and filter inlet. The team also researched materials for building the final model, including transparent and opaque Plexiglas, museum board, Plexiglas rod and tubing, and Plexiglue. After deliberation, it was decided that the entire model would be built in Plexiglas, and the team ordered and received 3 sheets of 12"x18" transparent Plexiglas, 6 sheets of 24"x24" white Plexiglas, and 1 sheet of 12"x12" blue Plexiglas.
Members
Theresa Chu
Amanda Rodriguez
Sarah Sinclair
Documents
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Challenges |
Tasks |
Teach-In |
Presentation |
Final Report |
Spring '13 |
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