On behalf of Group 05 from Engineering 103 Section 066, welcome to our blog!
This is an exciting engineering project focusing on providing assistance to the people of Sub-Saharan Africa. Our group decided to use existing systems and make them better. There are two important components to this project which are explained separately below.
(1) The Biosand Filter
The biosand filter is a device currently available to the people of Sub-Saharan Africa to help purify drinking water. Its advantages lie in killing bacteria, reducing turbidity, and killing some viruses. However, because it is not capable of killing all viruses, the water that comes from this filter still poses problems. This is where the next part of the solution comes in.
(2) The SODIS (Solar Disinfection) Method
Solar disinfection uses PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) bottles. The bottles are left out in the sun for approximately six hours. UV rays from the sun during this time kill bacteria and viruses left in the water. This is an effective method because it is inexpensive. However, six hours is a long time to wait, especially when someone is thirsty. Also, the temperature only reaches about 100 degrees Fahrenheit, meaning that some viruses can still survive.
This is an exciting engineering project focusing on providing assistance to the people of Sub-Saharan Africa. Our group decided to use existing systems and make them better. There are two important components to this project which are explained separately below.
(1) The Biosand Filter
The biosand filter is a device currently available to the people of Sub-Saharan Africa to help purify drinking water. Its advantages lie in killing bacteria, reducing turbidity, and killing some viruses. However, because it is not capable of killing all viruses, the water that comes from this filter still poses problems. This is where the next part of the solution comes in.
(2) The SODIS (Solar Disinfection) Method
Solar disinfection uses PET (Polyethylene terephthalate) bottles. The bottles are left out in the sun for approximately six hours. UV rays from the sun during this time kill bacteria and viruses left in the water. This is an effective method because it is inexpensive. However, six hours is a long time to wait, especially when someone is thirsty. Also, the temperature only reaches about 100 degrees Fahrenheit, meaning that some viruses can still survive.
Each of these water purification methods offer unique advantages. Biosand filtration is an important step for killing bacteria and removing turbidity. SODIS is an important step for removing viruses. Our solution integrates these two methods by using a solar concentrator. Water that comes from the biosand filter will be collected in a container. That container will then be heated by the solar concentrator to a temperature of approximately 190 degrees Fahrenheit. At that temperature, nearly every strand of bacteria and viruses are killed, keeping the water safe to drink. Additionally, the water will reach the desired temperature in about an hour, only 1/6 of the time that the current SODIS method takes.
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