String Digester - Spring 2019

Kiki Lo, Antonio Martinez, Gaby Sibel, Zsofia Szegletes

Abstract:

The objective of String Digester for the Spring 2019 semester was to continue research on revamping a wastewater treatment system to eliminate problems associated with current trickling filters. To improve consistency in wastewater treatment, experiments were conducted using metallic and plastic chains to optimize surface area. The long-term goal of this team is to create an efficient wastewater treatment system that will perform secondary and tertiary treatment on domestic wastewater. These tests involved testing different chain types and synthetic materials for their hydrophillic properties, fabricating and testing reactors for efficiency, and researching biofilm growth to help define design parameters for the construction of a functioning string digester.

StaRS Filter Theory - Spring 2019

Barbara Oramah, Lainey Reed, Pablo Alonso Alguacil and Ronya Strom

ABSTRACT:

Stacked Rapid Sand (StaRS) Filtration is the last stage in an AguaClara treatment plant. The filters are used to further reduce the turbidity of water to meet EPA standards of 0.3 NTU or less. As a whole, the StaRS sub-team is working to develop a mathematical model to describe sand filtration. This semester, the StaRS Filter Theory team worked towards running experiments with the three newly constructed StaRS filters with varying sand grain sizes. This research will show the extent to which sand grain size has an effect on filter performance.

String Digester - Spring 2019

Kiki Lo, Antonio Martinez, Gaby Sibel, Zsofia Szegletes

ABSTRACT:

The objective of String Digester for the Spring 2019 semester was to continue research on revamping a wastewater treatment system to eliminate problems associated with current trickling filters. To improve consistency in wastewater treatment, experiments were conducted using metallic and plastic chains to optimize surface area. The long-term goal of this team is to create an efficient wastewater treatment system that will perform secondary and tertiary treatment on domestic wastewater. These tests involved testing different chain types and synthetic materials for their hydrophilic properties, fabricating and testing reactors for efficiency, and researching biofilm growth to help define design parameters for the construction of a functioning string digester.

Ram Pump - Spring 2019

Ching Pang, Cheer Tsang, Alyssa Ju, Iñigo Cabrera

ABSTRACT:

The AguaClara Vertical Ram Pump (ACVRP) is an innovation that will enable water to be pumped from lower elevations to higher elevations using the driving force of falling water. The ACVRP improves on a conventional ram pump design by increasing its space efficiency and decreasing its capital cost. Although a prototype had been built, it did not reach its target pumping efficiency. The goal of this semester was to optimize the ram pump efficiency by finding the necessary forces to open and close the valve at the ideal times.

Fluoride Automated System - Spring 2019

Fluoride Auto – Dominic Grasso, Melissa Louie, Desiree Sausele, Emily Spiek

Abstract:

The Spring 2019 Fluoride Auto subteam aimed to determine the optimal dosage of polyaluminum chloride (PACl) needed to precipitate fluoride ions out of influent water to meet the World Health Organization’s drinking water standard for fluoride concentration (1.5 mg/L). The team accomplished several fabrication tasks, including lengthening the flocculator used by the Fall 2018 subteam and constructing a new sedimentation tube. The team tested the new apparatus with PACl and red dye to visually determine that it worked properly and that aggregated particles (flocs) were exiting the tube through the floc weir. The team then aimed to run experiments with fluoride but experienced difficulty calibrating the fluoride probe. Upon acquiring a new probe in the future, the team will analyze fluoride removal efficiency using the Langmuir Adsorption Model.

Sensor Development - Spring 2019

Lois Lee, Lawrence Li, Srilekha Vangavolu, Sonu Kapoor

Abstract:

The Sensor Development subteam’s goal is to develop low-cost sensors with readily available materials to monitor and report water quality in the water treatment processes in AguaClara plants and labs. In Spring 2019, the subteam worked on four different projects. The subteam started developing a calibration curve for the Fluidized Bed Solids Detector that was fabricated in the previous semester, and also prototyped a Sludge Blanket Detector for the upcoming Honduras trip. Additionally, the subteam began developing the Mobile Application-Processed Endoscope. The subteam also started designing a low-cost turbidimeter that would measure both the transmittance and absorbance of light.

UASB - Spring 2019

Cara Smith, Rafael Heryapriadi, and Jahin Aishee

Abstract:

For the past two years, the AguaClara Upflow Anaerobic Sludge Blanket Team, also known has UASB, has been in the works of designing and fabricating a pilot-scale Upflow Anaerboic Sludge Blanket reactor, a system which treats wastewater via anaerobic digestion, producing biogas in the process. UASB's design is completely gravity-powered and is a low cost solution to treating wastewater in rural communities that cannot afford typical wastewater treatment plants.

This semester, the UASB Team divided into the two sister teams of UASB Research (UASB-R) and UASB Design (UASB-D). UASB-R is focused on benchtop testing of a model UASB, researching ways to increase the reactor's efficiency, and test out designs in lab before being implemented by UASB Design.

Humic Acid, Kaolin, Floc/Sed Model - Spring 2019

Matthew Lee, Walter Guardado, Carolyn Wang

Abstract:

This semester, samples of HA at 5 mg/L, 10 mg/L and 15 mg/L and concentrations of clay at 10 NTU, 100 NTU and 100 NTU are tested separately to find the respective absorbances. The individual absorbances recorded are used to compare with the mixture of different concentrations of clay and HA to find the additive aspects of the mixture. The results of these tests will investigate how absorbance and spectrophotometry can be used to quantify the concentrations of humic acid and clay in water mixtures. A mathematical model that relates the concentrations of clay and humic acid to the stream's absorbance and turbidity will be developed. This model will increase the capabilities of AguaClara plants and technology in measuring the dirtiness of nearby water sources. The model will also give insight on how efficient and effective current processes are in removing humic acid from water