Carrie Smith's Individual Contribution Page

Spring Semester Contributions

Since last semester I worked on finishing up an AguaClara research project, I thought that it would be an interesting change of pace to work on starting up a new research project! I, along with three others, will be working on making the AguaClara lab arsenic ready. Our detailed task list is available on the Arsenic Research Page .

Fall Semester Contributions

This fall, I and my teammate Jenny Guan continued work on foam filter for deployment in Spring 2013. This device is intended for small communities such as a school.  

This semester we attempted to complete the following tasks.

1. Add a chemical dose controller for coagulant and chlorine to the filtration system. 

• We were able to add a CDC for the coagulant and chlorine to the filtration system. We calibrated them with clean water, so a future team will need to re-calibrate with the correct fluids in case there is a difference in the viscosities of coagulant and chlorine.

2. Communicate with Agua Para el Pueblo about the best method to deploy the technology. 

• We did not communicate with Agua Para el Pueblo as we struggled to create a completed filter device for deployment within the allotted time span.

3. Find an operator friendly way of determining breakthrough

• We were able to develop a Secchi Disk that can be used by an operator at a fairly high turbidity. It should still be calibrated by a future team to establish the best location to place the Secchi Disk and at what turbidity the disk disappears.

4. Find a way to run the filter without electricity. 

• We were able elevate the tank to an appropriate level to allow the system to operate without electricity.

5. Create a user manual in Spanish

• We created an illustrated user manual in Spanish for operators. 

We recommend that a future team investigate the following:

1. Re-calibrate CDCs with the corresponding fluids to reflect the differing viscocities. 
2. Find the appropriate Secchi depth at which the Secchi Disk disappears.

Here is a link to the final paper that Jenny and I wrote on our work this past semester: