Header
Define a problem
We made a gannt chart and divided responsibilities so that we could complete the project within the time constraints and as efficiently as possible.
Brainstorm
List of ideas
1, fine sand and rocky sand
2.charcoal
3.coffee filters/ cotton
4. natural pebbles
5. cloth
1, fine sand and rocky sand
2.charcoal
3.coffee filters/ cotton
4. natural pebbles
5. cloth
Research and Generate Ideas
pros- small and has a lot of thick layers
cons- hard to build, rare materials and also very expensive http://www.lazada.sg/catalog/ |
Pros- unique layers
cons- really weird design and looks complicated to build http://filterbutler.com/blog/make-homemade-water-filter |
Pros- unique layers and can hold a lot of water
cons- looks very big and expensive https://www.pinterest.com/explore/water-purification/ |
Explore Possibilities
This was our fine sand. The sand did not do well by itself. The sand filtered a little bit, however since the sand was by itself the sand got mixed in with most if the water and made the turbidity value stay the same at 337 NTU.
These were our natural pebbles. These also didn't work out well by themselves but we mainly used them to filter out big particles and monitor the water level. The turbidity was still at 337 NTU.
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This was our rocky sand. The rocky sand pretty much did the same as the fine sand except none of rocks in the sand got in the water so it worked a little bit better. However, the filtered water still came out at about 337 NTU since the sand was by itself.
This was our cheese cloth (unique item). We used this to catch any sand that gets mixed in with the water and we also used it at the top to hold the cotton. We did not test the turbidity because we felt it wouldn't change much.
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This was our mix/serve container. We used this to hold all of our materials so that we could measure how much of each material we should put in the cup. We did not test turbidity because the water would just pass through the holes without getting filtered in any way.
Select an approach
Develop a design proposal
Make a model or prototype
Test and evaluate the design using specifications
Initial Turbidity Test: 88.8 NTU
Changes: Added one more piece of cotton under the cheese cloth
2nd Test: 114.6 NTU
Changes: During this test the water overfilled and contaminated the coffee filter
3rd Test: 101.3 NTU
Changes: We mixed in some charcoal with the rocks to help filter the water. Plus we got arid of the inner piece of cotton
Summary: Somehow it ended up getting worse then our first try. I think what I found out that if you overfill the container it will soak in to the coffee filter and continually contaminate the next trials.
Changes: Added one more piece of cotton under the cheese cloth
2nd Test: 114.6 NTU
Changes: During this test the water overfilled and contaminated the coffee filter
3rd Test: 101.3 NTU
Changes: We mixed in some charcoal with the rocks to help filter the water. Plus we got arid of the inner piece of cotton
Summary: Somehow it ended up getting worse then our first try. I think what I found out that if you overfill the container it will soak in to the coffee filter and continually contaminate the next trials.
Refine the design
Design Process:
Define a problem: We made our design brief.
Research and generate ideas: We brainstormed and researched different types of filters and materials
Select and approach: We selected the best idea with a decision matrix.
Test/Build the prototype: We built our filter and tested it for turbidity.
Evaluate the prototype: We went over and corrected our filter multiple times to try and get the best result
Conclusion: We made our weebly and our powerpoint
We had three different variations.
V1: We used simply sand, rocks, and cheese cloth as well as a coffee filter at the top and bottom.
V2: We added another type of sand, more cloth, and some cotton on the top of the coffee filter.
V3: This variation is the same as V2 except it has charcoal mixed in.
Define a problem: We made our design brief.
Research and generate ideas: We brainstormed and researched different types of filters and materials
Select and approach: We selected the best idea with a decision matrix.
Test/Build the prototype: We built our filter and tested it for turbidity.
Evaluate the prototype: We went over and corrected our filter multiple times to try and get the best result
Conclusion: We made our weebly and our powerpoint
We had three different variations.
V1: We used simply sand, rocks, and cheese cloth as well as a coffee filter at the top and bottom.
V2: We added another type of sand, more cloth, and some cotton on the top of the coffee filter.
V3: This variation is the same as V2 except it has charcoal mixed in.
Conclusion
Overall, I really enjoyed this project because it was very fun and interesting to learn about what materials can filter water, it was also a good challenge because we struggled a lot in the beginning. But even though it was challenging and we may not have done the best compared to other groups in terms of turbidity levels, I still had a lot of fun. If I were to do anything differently next time, I would of made our final solution made out of materials that weren't commonly used, in other words I would have added another unique material instead of cheese cloth. The teamwork between me and Anthony was probably the best teamwork I've had for any project in engineering. We communicated very well and we did everything as we planned from the very beginning. It was also very nice to work with someone I've never worked with before. I really wouldn't have anything to recommend for next year other than making it so that the unique material has to be super unique. I think it would be more interesting if everyone had a material that nobody ever thought of but it ended up working really well. Overall, I really enjoyed this project because it was a perfect blend of having fun and also being challenged at the same time.