Challenges for Fall 2009

Subteam Leader: TBD

Number of team members needed: 2-3

Important team member skills:

• Previous experience with Pilot Plant
• Understanding of Process Controller

You should also:

• Have a way to get out to the plant
• Not mind getting messy/working with your hands
• Be ready to deal with constant snafus
  • Leaks, clogged tubing, faulty turbidimeters
• Be fun

Challenges

• More intermediate energy dissipation rates between 0.03 mW/kg and 1.5 mW/kg as well as repeating previous testing to see if results are similar
• Test different baffle configurations with no coagulant to see if similar results are obtained to when coagulant is used
• Investigate at what threshold of influent turbidity coagulant is unnecessary
• Revisit sedimentation tanks using research from Floc Blanket team.
• Investigate using a rapid sand filter and using water hammer to clean it (instead of backwash, which requires pumps), similar to sand filters on FIME plants in Honduras
• Companies in China are producing PAC in powder form. See if you can get your hands on some and experiment with efficacy and how to administer appropriately
• The tube settlers seem to have been forming floc blankets in some cases. This suggests that the velocity in the tube settlers is too high. This should be further investigated, and perhaps the velocity of the pump to the turbidimeters should be lowered.
• The results of Spring 2009 testing are probably only valid over the range of influent turbidities tested (<6 NTUs). More turbidity profiles should be taken when the input turbidity to the plant is much higher, and more reflective of turbidities in Honduras.