Week 9 Update

Prices found for the materials needed are:

1. - [7] $68for a ready steel close headed drum container.

2. - $600 for 300 clay bricks [8] could be possibly found cheaper in Thailand

3. - $34 for a Thermometer to ensure that required temperature is reached and maintained [9]

4.- Unknown costs : Wood fuel for the process,time and labor put into constructing the fireplace and the whole system;Shipping and taxes.


Design Material and Dimensions

Oil Drum -         Length      2.87 Feet
                      Diameter   2 Feet

2 Steel Pipes -    Length     10 Feet  (to be cut in half, to be used as support structure)
                       Diameter  1- 1/4 Inch

Iron Crank-        Lenght  3 Feet            (Possible Insulator for handle - Silicafelx Tape AB)
                      Width    1- 1/2 Feet
                                         

Week 8 Update

We have come up with a design that will allow the Ban Huay Mii villagers to create their own activated carbon which can be used to filter their water supplies.The design is as follows:

Over a fire place built from clay bricks a steel oil drum container will be held by 2 pairs of 2 steel pipes. The container will be filled with Nitrogen gas to ensure minimal Oxygen levels.A device (i.e.a handle) will be installed on one side of the container allowing the container to be rotated around its axis. On the other side of the oil drum there will be a pressure valve for safety reasons.

Ted Talk - Application of Small Scale Filtration

Below is an interesting application of several different types of filtration systems all "bottled" into one. This system was developed by Michael Pritchard and is a very promising application of small scale filtration .




(If the video does not appear click here)

Week 7 Update - Granular Activated Carbon

• GAC or Granular activated carbon is commonly used to absorb organic and inorganic compounds that may cause undrinkable water due to its foul taste, odor and color [4].
• It would be beneficial to the villagers of Ban Huay Mii and their water supply [1]. The physical and the chemical properties of the activated carbon makes it capable of absorbing unwanted substances such as E.Coli.[5],[1] 
• For the purpose of reducing costs due to frequent replacement of the GAC the water should be in contact with the GAC for at least 5 minutes to ensure proper filtration and usage of the GAC's filtrating lifetime. 
• More information and a visual representation of the filtration method can be found at http://www.simultaneouscompliancetool.org/SCToolSmall/jsp/modules/welcome/documents/TECH6.pdf.

Week 6 Update

On the Itinerary for this week:

1) Acquire rice hulls. Because the villagers have to make their own activated carbon we first want to make sure that the material they have is usable for this purpose. We are currently looking to purchase about 10 pounds of either rice hulls or un-hulled/husked rice.

2) Work on physical incorporation of filtration system. Explore Cornell's foam filter system.

3) Design tests to quantify the filtration and purification effectiveness of the filter designed.

Decision Matrix (Explanation of Variables)

Explanation of Variables 

Estimated Cost - The estimated cost of the filtration system is very important to the village Buan Huay Mii. Ideally the filtration system has to be inexpensive due to the economic troubles that the village faces. 

Maintenance - Water filtration system are in need of constant maintenance in order to be working properly. The difficulty of the maintenance varies in between different types of systems, some require 5 minutes of anyones time, while others require professional engineers to maintain it. 

Implementability- Certain water filtration systems are applicable to specific types of villages depending on their terrain, location, and education of the villagers. The village of Ban Huay Mii needs a water filtration system that is easy to use. 

Filtration Effectiveness - A water filtration system is broken down into two components, the cleanliness of the water and the health of the water.  A system with an effective filtration process will produce water that is free of mud, rocks, etc. 

Purification Effectiveness- The second component of a water purification system takes dirty, unhealthy water and turns it into bacteria-free healthy drinking water. The Village of Ban Huay Mii, is concerned about the quality of the water. 

Pre Requisites - Some water filtration techniques require existing technology. The techniques or systems are only an addition to an existing part of a water filtration system. 

Decision Matrix

Filter Type	Estimated Cost	Maintenance	Implement ability	Filtration Effectiveness	Purification Effectiveness	Pre Reqs.		Total
% Weight	0.1734	0.1634	0.12	0.232	0.2312	0.08
Slow Sand Filter	3	1	2	5	5	5	None	3.6396
Ultraviolet Purification	1	1	5	1	3	3	Turbidity Filter	2.1024
Activated Carbon Filter	5	3	1	5	5	5	None	4.1932
Chlorine Powder Tap Box	4	3	1	1	4	3	Turbidity Filter	2.7006
Foam Filter	2	3	5	4	1	5	None	2.9962
							1- least applicable; 5- most applicable