Michael Skyler Erickson's Individual Contribution Page
Subteam: Foam Filtration
Spring 2014 Mid Semester Contributions
Thus far this semester, we have designed a pulley system to compress and clean the drum and are in the process of testing it to see if it gives us an appropriate particle displacement velocity. We have just received a straight sided drum, one we hope can be the basis for the project moving forward. In addition, we have taken great steps towards developing a side valve with the new drums potential for welding and also the implementation of a sink drain. We look forward to working on the dosing unit and further testing on different compression techniques. In addition, we are working on a test that measures the impact that compression speed has on the degree to which the foam filter is cleaned
Spring 2014 Goals
This semester, we really want to focus on improving several aspects of the pilot project we sent to Honduras. First and foremost we want to have a full scale model of the filter up and running in the lab. This will help us to test and improve various aspects of the drum. We need to redesign an over designed plunging technique, find an appropriate plunger material, create a side valve, and come up with an LFOM and chemical dosing unit. The team wants to see the foam filter grow to be a sustainable source of water for disaster relief as well as rural areas, positively affecting as many people as we possibly can.
Fall 2013 End of Semester Contributions
As the semester draws to a close, I think it's fair to say the foam team has taken big strides. We have adapted our system to provide a 1 L/s flow rate. The system is now a single 55 gallon drum 23" in diameter with 12" of 90 ppi and 12" of 30 ppi. The biggest challenge that we worked on towards the end of the semester was how to compress this 23" diameter stack of foam. Because it is so large, it is unfeasible for a single person to do it by hand, thus a system had to be developed to provide somewhere between 500 and 1,000 pounds of force for compression. The resulting system consists of a an outer telescoping pipe that is supported above the drum by four triangular steel units. An inner (plunging pipe) runs through the outer pipe and down into the system where it has a steel disk on the bottom. We then use a "come-along" to tighten a cable that pushes the inner pipe through the outer pipe and down into the foam for compression. In addition, we have a complete chemical dosing system that is strapped to the outer pipe. This is the system that will be deployed in Honduras, and we are excited for the feedback we will receive upon its construction!
Fall 2013 Mid Semester Contributions
Thus far this semester, we have determined that the foam is economically feasible from a mechanical perspective. The foam did not fail after repetitive plunging, and it is safe to say that the foam ripping or failing to produce clean water will not be there reason that foam filtration is not feasible. We still need to investigate what the best size of foam is going to be, and what the best way to house and clean this system will be.
Fall 2013 Contributions
Our goal this semester is to improve the design of the Foam Filtration system so that it can be implemented on a larger scale for small communities. We plan to develop a method for a plant operator to easily sponge clean the foam, to research the lifetime of the foam and understand how the foam's lifetime will correlate with different water turbidities, and also to add a chemical doser to the current system for the coagulent and chlorine.