Engineering Project: Hydratech System - Case Study Example

ENGINEERING PROJECT Problem at hand According to Health Water Association, more than 12 billion people across the world do not afford clean water for drinking. This triggered the need to develop and implement water filtering system that would provide safe water at lower prices. Hydratech System The idea of developing the household water filtering system was developed from a research conducted in Leeds University by World Health Organization (WHO). For a long time, researchers and water experts had participated in different researches to develop a system that would be affordable to consumers by guaranteeing them clean and safe drinking water. Despite some of their project being successful, they turned too expensive and complicated to be used by non-intellectuals hence not meeting the need fully. Availability of free solar energy was critical in the development and implementation of the current project. About 90% of the bacteria would be inactivated through the system. Based on the sensitivity and the importance of the human health, the initial system did not support a high confidential level for provision of safe water to the system. The projected team decided to improve the operation of Hydratech system through integration of intensive bacteria screening systems that significantly restructured the design to obtain optimum levels of performance. Not only did this alteration realize improved performance from 85% to 99.9%, but also reduced the cost of operation, improved the degrees of implementation, and transfigured other testing aspects. Hydratech system applies modern technology of the Novetich techniques, which incorporates low-cost components and dedicated testing and analysis components to provide safe water for drinking and use in household operations. The implementation of this new technology aspect is gaining niche even in developing countries. Project Metrics Superior performance, high reliability, and mechanical strength compared to the previous Hydratech devices Efficient with a programmed CNT to facilitate automatic testing and analysis of the quality of the water. High availability with a subsidized cost of less than $100. Consistent in its operation with an average filtration capacity of around 99.2-99.9% Under appropriate pressure condition, the Hydratech component has a capability of filtering around 100 litres of water that is relatively enough for household activities in a day. Suitable weight from assembly of low weighing components, making it highly serviceable Incorporated with low cost filter cartridges that are replaceable in any environment without application of any tool. Has an LED indicator to notify the flow of the current. Moreover, this aspect provides low cosy appearance hence increasing the sales and implementation levels of this device. Efficiently filters sediments without slowing the performance of the device. Under correct use, this device can remain in working condition for two months without any maintenance. Project Overall Design The previous projects such as LifeStraw and LifeStreak have not proved efficient and reliable in both developed and developing countries since they filter low volumes of water, high technicalities in their operations, and high cost of maintenance. As a result, there is further need to develop water projects that would meet the household need to consumers at low cost. The project team aimed at developing a system that focused on high rates of bacteria, cheap price, high reliability, low power consumption, and acute ease of implementation. The project team also targeted all manufacturing processes to accomplish the above objectives through application of appropriate methods, risk assessment and analysis strategies, optimum procedures and specifications. Underlying Technology This water filtration and sterilization project is based on modern technology that was initially developed by Chengli Group in Leeds University. The prototype involved applying high voltage positively biased with cotton filter on one hand, a carbon nanotube (for absorbing radiations), copper nanowires (for transmitting current), live cells on the top end, and dead cells on the bottom end. Activation process was done interiorly but external display of result was attained on a flat screen. These aspects also maintained high flow rates. This system inactivated and killed bacteria through the following processes: Electroporation process that breakdown all the membranes Electro-microbial properties of the copper Distillation and the chamberisation of the solution through gravitation and changes in pH levels Figure 1: Distillation mechanism produced from American Water Works Association, Lyonnaise des Eaux, & South Africa. (1996). P.199 Since the primary purpose of this project is to killing bacteria and purity the water for drinking, it requires minimal usage of power while maintaining high-speed flow of water. In the Hydratech system, filtration, inactivation, and killing of the bacteria is attained through Microelctroporation scanning under presence of cotton wool, copper nanowires, and the carbon nannotubes. Figure 2:Cotton wool embedded into filter lining produced from Kawamura, S. (2000): Integrated design and operation of water treatment facilities. P. 466 Copper nanowire extending from the cotton fibre Both carbon and copper nanowires protruding from cotton fibre Figure 3: Schematic and Pictorial flow of water produced from Smethurst, G. (1988). Basic water treatment. London: Thomas Telford.p-287 Functional Characteristics Inactivation of the Bacteria was a key aspect during the development of this project. The project team carried a thorough study on the different characteristics of the bacteria hence facilitating application of the most suitable methodologies of inactivating and killing bacteria. This included inoculation, filtration, and scientific culturing. Optimization process was stimulated by maintaining the following conditions constant: electrode configuration on respective terminals of the system, mode filter fabrication, basin cross-sectional area, and the filter density. Engineering parameters based on specifications, allowance, tolerance and precision. The study indicated that the project was able to attain bacteria inactivation level of at least 99.5%. Cost reduction: Low cost PVC effectively produced a simple design of Hydratech system. Over the project course, the manufacturability techniques were dynamic in order to land to the simplest design of the system. The materials for this purpose were readily available at a low cost, and therefore the project team took a relatively short period to assemble them. After analysis of some prototypes, the final team had a reason to boast of the final system since it was efficient and reliable to use. Device Modularity: the modular for Hydratech system is essential for developing countries because of the ease in its application. The acuteness of the design guaranteed that the device would be efficient in use, turbidity filtering, cleaning and maintenance. The robustness of the Hydratech device was attained by use of highly ductile PVC. Diagnostic system: the Hydratech system has a high-tech device that alerts the user in case the inactivation process is malfunctioning. The low-cost diagnostic system was implemented through connecting the circuit system to red LCD. When the red colour indicates that the system has been powered. When the current switches on the CNT filter, the LCD automatically turns green. Even though the diagnostic system does not provide 100% efficiency, it is the most reliable compared to the designs from previous designs. Figure 4: A simple diagnostic system produced from Gorp, A., Ethical issues in engineering design; safety and sustainability. S.l: 2005, p. 412. Figure 5: The electrical presentation of the entire Hydratech system produced from Kawamura, S. (2000). Integrated design and operation of water treatment facilities. P. 255 Testing Results Figure 6: Nano-filter prototype produced from Kawamura, Susumu. Integrated Design and Operation of Water Treatment Facilities. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley, 2000. P. 320. Hydratech team conducted the framing of Nano-filters in the government’s engineering laboratory. It involved connecting copper wires and carbon nanotubes with cotton textile. Customized copper was applied to every round of inactivating the bacteria based on the parameter required. Notably, the Hydratech team did not have to worry about the weather conditions that would cause multiplication of the bacteria since inactivating and killing them was the main idea of the implementation of this project. Testing Procedure Testing was carried out in five consecutive days in order to check reliability, accuracy and precision of the system. World Health Organization (WHO) recognizes E.Coil strand as the standard for measuring the quality of refined microbial water. During the first day, the project team inoculated the bacteria under suitable conditions in order to facilitate their growth. On the second day, the activated units of bacteria in the bacterial solution were passed through the filtration chamber consisting of the filtering brands to measure the rate of inactivation. The inactivated bacteria were then passed to an incubator to facilitate growth of colonies. After incubating the bacteria over night, they were removed and transferred into UV photographed plates to enhance counting of the colonies. The MATLAB and Photoshop technologies were applied to counter and provide accuracy on the number of colonies. In order to provide the reliable and coherent data on the performance of the device, the number of colonies counted over MATLAB was compared to the number of colonies in the control plate. Configuration and Result Testing Intensive bacteria’s testing was optimized in the filtration based on the key parameters of: filtration density, current configuration, filter fabrication and the cross-sectional area. During the fifth day, the bacteria inactivation reached 99.8%. This was a great achievement from the record obtained from the previous measurement of the prototype Hydrates device. It occurred that the results varied due to substandard filter brands, low water pressure, and compromised electrical analogy and configuration. In actual operation of the Hydratech device, the processes will be in full control and therefore likelihood of errors is minimal. Electrode Configuration The electrical configuration was tested in three different areas that include passing of copper wires electrode in the reservoir just above the filter and then attaching the counter-electrode on the filter. Copper mesh mounted on the filter and the counter-electrode is connected to the base of the filter. The entire electrode system is directed to upper and lower parts of the filter. Optimal arrangement of the entire system gives the results shown below. Note the variation in the colony count under different parameters. Sample labels Colony Count Rate of inactivation Control plate 190 50% Copper wire clipped to Rolling-App 80 11.7% Elec 1 (Top and Bottom clipping) 140 29.1% Elec 2(bottom clipping 122 9.2% Presentation of Fabrication Method Testing of the fabrication method of the filters was conducted as after adding nanomaterials to unrolled gauze and then the combination is rolled. Rolling was subjected to optimal fabrication process in order to attain the scientific and healthy requirement on usefulness and safety of the water. Samples labelled in pictures Colony count Rate of inactivation Control plate 190 N/A Roll App 80 59.1% App Roll 109 32.9% Cross-Sectional Area Checking of cross-sectional areas was categorized into 1/4 “, 1/2 “, and 3/4” and the Hydratech engineering team considered 1/2 “as the optimum cross-sectional area. The results on the performance of the project under these variations of the areas were collected and tabled as shown below. Labelled samples Colonies Count Rate of inactivation Control A 300 N/A Cotton 208 28% CNT Large 98 56.9% CNT Small 205 38.1% CNT Medium 40 54.8% Final Configured Tests on Cross-Sectional Area and Density Both small and medium cross-sectional areas were applied to measure filters densities. The rate of flow was recorded as shown in the table below. The optimum measurement obtained from the three measurements of the bacteria was above 98%. Cross-sectional area Filter Densities Colony count IR% 2 IR% 4 Time (s) Flow rate ( L/h) Small High 0 100% 100% 232 0.786 Small High 0 100% 100% 234 0.534 Small Medium 4 98% 96% 87 0.56 Medium High 70 86% 88% 536 0.352 Medium Medium 34 68% 59% 423 0.563 Medium Low 23 40% 42% 143 0.425 Additional Testing Results Over the remaining part of the year, the Hydratech team conducted additional test in order to determine the working efficient, reliability and sensitivity of the Hydratech device. However, it occurred that results collected did not have significant influence on the final configuration and performance of the device. These results multiplied the level of confidence with the current projects. However, it was noticed that the nature of the current technology is greatly dependent on the series and the lifetime behaviour of key parameters that formed the baseline of the research. Lifetime testing is done by emptying 60mL of water into the reservoir, collecting the samples through the filters and then passing around 320mL of clean water to the external reservoir through the filter nozzle. To gauge of the flexibility and changes on the condition of the water filtered, the process above is repeated for around five times with standard-time base simulation. Different volumes of water have indicated substantial changes in the results but it is encouraging that these results falls in the same range. However, any decrease in the performance of the Hydratech device is attributed to the design errors and experimental inaccuracies. Final Status of the Report Series experimentation involves passing 60ml of bacteria water via the filter. Samples are collected and the filtered water is repeatedly poured on the filter brands. These procedures are repeated for about three times where samples are collected from a single volume of the flowing water. After objective analysis, it occurs that the amount of the bacteria present in the water decreases subsequently with the filtration processes. Lifetime Testing L1 92 34% Adjusted rate L2 114 24% 54.5% L3 124 16% 69% Series Testing S1 24 74% Adjusted Rate of Inactivation S2 63 86% 23% S3 26 81% 32% Proposed Improvements It will involve measuring the rate of flow of larger volumes of water conditioned over extended time. The activation rate will be measured using 150mL of water passed through the filters at each test. This will give projections of the suitability, usability and real performance of the project when application by the end user. To simulate the applicability of the design, it will involve adding large volumes of water to the reservoir since this will symbolize actual utilization water by the consumers. The flow rate of the water will be checked by compression CNT filters vertically hence notifying the end-user on the suitability of the project in achieving the degrees of inactivation. From the previous test, it occurred that the quantity and quality of the cotton applied influenced the inactivation and flow rate. Since previous studies indicated that the structure to accommodate the filter would compress it tragically, it would be advisable to erect the filter at the best angles in order to cut on the possible errors. Compressions occurred from the pushing action of the cotton against the wall membrane of the nylon fixed to hold it at the end. The proposed Hydratech device will be suited to its purpose through filter conformation at fixed density thus preventing unforeseeable vertical compression. The vertical compression will be greatly reduced through incorporating a suitable filter whose top and bottom measurements are linear with the surfaces of the reservoir walls. The solutions used for testing approaches should be cheap, affordable and conforming to simplicity and efficacy aspects. Injection integral tools will be used to reduce the entire cost of input and output nozzles. This recommendation is parallel to the modelled metal attachments. In the current project, simulations of the water seals were achieved through inclusion of the threaded PVC that proved expensive. A better alternative would be use of components developed from injection moulding process. The future project should be in a position to determine the presence of other micro-organisms other than E.Coli. This will include levels of toxicity in the water, acidity, bacteria and viruses. World Health Organization (WHO) regards the determination of E.Coli alone as substandard in comparison to the sensitivity and value of the human life. Even though, the Hydratech team has confidence in this project but the future research should incorporate extensive study of the presence of viruses, other bacteria, levels of acidity and toxicity. The manufacturability of the future research project should constitute use of customized electrodes. The current Hydratech project applies mounts copper wires onto the respective electrodes using alligator clips. Future engineer should improve on the design by ensuring that the copper wires are attached directly to the electrode. Project Compliance Functional Requirement of the Project The current Hydratech device is more reliable and robust compared to the previous projects in the same subcategories. Moreover, fewer components have been used in the current project compared to the previous projects. The use of single filtration chamber in this project controlled the size of the device therefore creating room for portability. The previous projects were large due to utilization of seven chambers. Unfortunately, this aspect did not guarantee the performance of the device since they consistently leaked under high pressures. In the course of development and implementation of this project, the optimization of the CNT filter to obtain efficiency in bacteria testing was attained through pure electrode configuration, optimal fabrication of filters, standard cross-sectional area and moderate filter density. Adequate analysis and precise evaluation of the data provided inactivation rates of over 98%. The current Hydratech project substantially reduced the cost of the device compared to the past device with approximately 36%. With the future plans of using locally available power adapters and other electrical component, this device will be available to the user at as low cost as $20. Achievable flow rate, LED indicator to indicate flow of current, minimal turbidity and proven bacteria inactivation rates. Bibliography Gorp, A., Ethical issues in engineering design; safety and sustainability. S.l: 2005, p. 149. Read More