Unit Process Analysis pH - Fall 2019

Floc pH — Justin Lee, Jena Rozanski, Rafaella Bruzual

ABSTRACT:

The Unit Process Operations pH subteam wanted to explore the performance of the AguaClara sedimentation tank as a function of pH. Filtration within the sedimentation tank is complex and the performance is often a factor of floc blanket. When the coagulant dosage exceeds a certain amount, the pH probe will be coated with coagulant, leading to inaccurate pH measurements within the plant. Therefore, the team wanted to determine this coagulant dosage and use that value as the constant coagulant dosage for all experimental trials. The team hopes to use this information to uncover new insights on how filtration performance changes in different pH ranges.

StaRS Filter Theory - Fall 2019

Wenjie Lu, Claire Kenwood, Kelly Ly

ABSTRACT:

StaRS (Stacked Rapid Sand) Filtration is crucial to the water treatment process. As one of the last steps in AguaClara’s water treatment, StaRS filters are responsible for removing the last of the unwanted particles. In order to operate effectively under EPA standards, the filters must reduce the turbidity to 0.3 NTU or less. In efforts to better refine the AguaClara filters, variables such as grain size, the height of the active zone, coagulant dosage will be tested in order to increase the failure time. At the beginning of experimentation, the Fall 2019 StaRS sub-team will focus specifically on the grain size.

Fluoride - Fall 2019

Fluoride Auto — Sarah Huang, Cindy Jin, Melissa Louie, Emily Yueh

Abstract:

The World Health Organization estimates that globally over one million people face adverse health consequences due to fluoride contamination of drinking water. The current state of fluoride removal technology is not suitable for water treatment plants, and continuous fluoride removal systems do not exist. The Fluoride team aims to develop a cheap and efficient apparatus to reduce ionic fluoride from contaminated water to a safe level. The Fall 2019 team hopes to redesign the flocculation process to optimize the adsorption of fluoride to polyaluminum chloride (PACl) coagulant and the sedimentation process to minimize PACl-fluoride complexes in the effluent, ultimately producing potable water.

Ram Pump - Fall 2019

Ching Pang, Alycia Storch, Payton Hunter

Abstract:

Previous Ram Pump teams have created mathematical models describing velocities, forces, flow rates, headlosses, etc. in the AguaClara Vertical Ram Pump (ACVRP); performed experiments to learn more about what actually happens in the system; and have made redesigns to the setup and ACVRP itself to further improve its efficiency, likeliness to an AguaClara plant, and to increase the ease of assembly and adjustment. This semester the team plans to fabricate a new lab setup that integrates the setup into the work bench for a redesign of the ACVRP, and to further explore ways to improve its efficiency. The team has decided on a new design that eliminates the bottom check valve of the ACVRP and the threaded rod and compression spring that it housed and instead includes an extension spring that will be at the top of the head tank. The extension spring will be connected to a hook on the top of the plate with metal wire rope. It is expected that the functionality and process of the ACVRP will not change but making fine-tune adjustements to the initial and final forces of the spring will be easier to make because there will be easier access to the spring. The team created a materials list for the new parts needed and is currently updating the CAD model to reflect the changes. The team plans to construct the new lab setup and ACVRP design and then to perform experiments as well as improve theoretical equations to further optimize the ACVRP.

Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) - Fall 2019

Francesca Bard, Katrina Chen, Shania Fang, Kyra Frederick, Dominic Grasso, Ahad Ishfaq, Lydia LaGorga, Emily Liu, Cara Smith, Valentine Starnes, Emily Wood

Abstract:

Since spring 2017, the AguaClara Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket (UASB) team has been working on designing and fabricating a gravity-powered wastewater treatment system for communities looking for an alternative to releasing waste directly into streams and rivers. During fall 2019, the team installed a Pulsated Flow Reactor (PFR) at the Ithaca Area Wastewater Treatment Facility (IAWWTF), fabricated a Continuous Flow Reactor, and began construction on a third reactor. Different design parameters in the reactors will help determine which features optimize reactor efficiency. Finally, the team conducted a set of laboratory tests in order to better characterize the influent quality, effluent quality, and site characteristics which may impact reactor efficiency.

Unit Process Analysis: Coagulant - Fall 2019

Ada Lian, Sarah Paquin

Abstract:

The Fall 2019 Unit Processes Analysis Coagulant (UPAC) team’s objective is to reduce capital and operating costs and improve particle removal efficiency for the AguaClara water treatment process, specifically by analyzing the response of the system to varying coagulant dosage. To analyze the system response, we will run a series of trials on a treatment plant sedimentation model, varying the coagulant dosage and recording observations regarding the effluent turbidity, floc formation, and floc blanket formation. Through this experiment, the team will be able to establish a minimum coagulant dosage, which could lower operating costs, and to learn valuable information about the interactions between coagulant and the primary particles of the influent water at high coagulant dosages.

Sensor Development - Fall 2019

Sonu Kapoor, Saul Bernaber, Rishik Zaparde

Abstract:

Sensor Development's goal is to develop affordable sensors with readily available materials to monitor and report water quality in the water treatment processes in AguaClara plants and labs. In Fall 2019, the subteam worked on two different projects that were slight modifications from the previous semester. The subteam worked on a second prototype of the submersible Sludge Blanket Detector. Additionally, the subteam also started designing a low-cost turbidimeter that would measure the amount of dissolved organics as well as turbidity.

Humic Acid, Floc/Sed Model - Fall 2019

Lawrence Li, Maya Shanti, Carolyn Wang

Abstract:

The Fall 2019 Humic acid subteam seeks explore the relationship between optimal coagulant dosages and effluent absorbance. Past teams have tested optimal concentration for removing HA. Based on previous work, the optimal coagulant concentration appears naround 1.5 mg/L. For this semester, the team plans to test more coagulant concentrations and humic acid concentration and find the optimal dosage to lower the absorbance of the effluence. The AccuView spectrophotometer will be used to measure the effluent absorbance and measure the efficiency of removing color. The concentrations of HA and coagulant is set based on the data collected from water plants.