Melissa Shinbein's Individual Contribution Page

Fall 2013 Mid-Semester Contributions 

So far this semester, the Foam Filtration team has worked towards completing our task list. First, we began by testing the lifetime of the foam in order to see how long it would take the foam to break apart. During the testing, we discovered that the apparatus itself was extremely unstable. While the foam remained completely intact, the PVC structure fell apart, releasing all the water and subsequently ending the test. To counter this, we are in a phase of redesigning a more stable structure. Additionally, we ordered round foam that would fit better into our PVC pipe structure, thereby forming a tighter seal. Once this seal is obtained, we will begin testing the compression and decompression capabilities of the foam. Currently, the foam is re-expanded by pulling a string after each cleaning compression, a very tedious task. If the foam can naturally re-expand after compression, this would significantly cut down on the manual labor needed to maintain the filter columns.  

Fall 2013 Contributions Page

After meeting with Monroe and having a few initial meetings with the team, the Foam Filtration team is starting to develop a task list for the semester. Currently, the rough outline of such is comprised of: finalizing a stable design which can be easily cleaned and drained, discerning the necessary size of the foam filtration plant at different flow rates, adding a chemical doser for the coagulant and chlorine, and determining background information such as the foam lifetime or performance analysis at different turbidities. These tasks will hopefully be accomplished by the end of the semester so deliverables can be sent to Honduras in the upcoming winter. 

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