Sarah Sinclair's Individual Contribution Page

Fall 2013 Contributions

• As a part of the Low Flow Stacked Rapid Sand Filtration team, I contributed to the ongoing construction of a new, 12" diameter filter that will be used to model LFSRSFs currently being built in India. I helped create a simplified, accessible design for the filter hydraulics, and formalized design constraints for the filter through myriad head loss calculations. I helped pioneer a new way of joining filter components using gaskets, stainless steel shim stock, and hose clamps, and applied this method in the construction of a filter column, entrance tank, and exit tank. I led efforts to replace filter inlet and exit piping with flexible PVC, and created a construction method to insert couplings and barbed-to-male adapters through filter column walls. I began construction of the backwash pipe and investigated the uniformity of flow distribution through inlet piping via the flow ratio. I created various schematic diagrams and documented design motivations and procedures that will be helpful when the construction of this filter is eventually replicated.

Spring 2013 Contributions

• As a part of the Small Scale Plant Model team, I contributed to the construction of a portable, scaled model of an AguaClara plant that will clearly represent AguaClara treatment processes and can be used for educational and fundraising purposes. I was responsible for the creation of the majority of our team's Rhinoceros templates representing flattened plant components. I contributed to the later optimization of these templates, and I compiled three-dimensional composite shots of our model's components in order to facilitate future construction. I also assembled our model flocculator, filter, and filter inlet, and worked to cut out our model entrance tank from chipboard.