Challenges for Fall 2009Subteam Leader:Number of team members needed: 9-10Important team member skills:CEE 3310, or equivalent Fluid Dynamics courseCEE 4540 co-requisiteStudents must be comfortable with codingStudents should be familiar with the AguaClara designAutoCAD and/or MathCAD knowledge is a plusWe are willing to train new membersChallengesDesign ToolCheck that all pieces are scaling properlyIdentify design errors and work with the team in Honduras to develop improved design algorithmsUpdate the list of variables that are returned to the user to ensure that all relevant parameters are returned.eliminate variables in the VNG that aren't used.Chemical DoserNeed to develop AutoCAD code to draw this part of the plantNeed to develop the transition from linear dose controller to nonlinear dose controllerEntrance tankA first draft of this code has been created, but it has not yet been reviewed.Rapid mix componentsRequires review and possible upgrade to the first draft of the rapid mix design and then coding of the MathCAD to AutoCAD (MtA) code.
Chemical storage tanksThese tanks need to be drawn. These may be an item that the onsite civil engineer will relocate to fit site conditions, but the design tool should show them at the correct elevation and in a reasonable location.Floc Hopper Drain ValvesNow that the floc hopper has been drawn, we need to code and draw the valves that dumps the flocs from the floc blanket to waste.Horizontal FlocculatorNeed to continue coding the flocculator so change to horizontal flocculation and determine when this transition should occur.Vertical FlocculatorNeed to ensure that the size of the ports between channels does not exceed the size available on the floc tank wall. Also, ensure that the spacing of the baffles in the last channel does not force them into the exit channel space (this may be taken care of by switching to horizontal flow).Flocculator Drain SystemNeed to code and draw the flocculator drain system.Sedimentation Inlet and Exit TanksThe tanks at the end of the inlet and exit channels that hold the pipes leading to the distribution tanks and to the waste no longer need to be as tall as they are currently drawn. Rather they can just cantilever off the side of the sedimentation tank. Also the pipes in these tanks that lead to waste should be drawn as Tee's that connect to one another and then lead to waste.Sedimentation Tank Control PiecesThe pieces that allow the sedimentation tanks to be shut off need to be drawn (caps for the inlet channels, and exit channels). In addition, the caps should have a 1" PVC pipe that extends above the surface of the water in order to prevent air being trapped in the pipes delivering flocculated water to the sedimentation tank, and also to serve as a handle for removing the caps.Material's ListThis list has been started and needs to be edited with input from the engineers in Honduras.DocumentationContinue the effort to create an AutoCAD video that will show the assembly of the plant with descriptions of each part. This video could serve as the documentation that gets sent to a user who designs a plant with the Design Tool that explains the technology behind each piece.
The rapid mix research project's goal is to determine if inadequate mixing in the rapid mix unit is responsible for the residual turbidity at the end of the AguaClara treatment process. This can be accomplished by adding some additional turbidity after the rapid mix process to see if those colloids have a significant effect on the settled water turbidity. If a large fraction of the colloids that didn't go through the rapid mix end up in the effluent, then it suggests that colloids that aren't properly exposed to aluminum hydroxide in the rapid mix process could also end up in the effluent. The next phase of this research would be to experiment with different rapid mix designs.