Weekly Updates

This section contains weekly updates.  The descriptions are taken from the tabs for each week.  This page offers a condensed version of what has been done for each week.  Please visit each week's tab to learn more about the progress!

Week 1:

After rethinking our original idea, we came across the concept of a biosand filter. We decided to improve upon an existing filter that uses sand to clean drinking water. Our proposed improvements combine two effective water filtration methods - solar disinfection and sand filtration. By combining the two methods together, the new filter will produce cleaner drinking water at a faster rate than the existing filter design.

Week 2:

After finishing our design proposal we started to look for the materials needed in order to complete our biosand filter and solar disinfection tank. We went to Lowe’s Home Improvement Store to gather more information and pick up some basic materials.

Week 3:

During this week, work on the Solar Concentrator Design was done.  In addition to that, research with regards to the biosand filter was conducted.

Week 4:

During this week we tested the concentrating power of the 50” TV lens. In the video below we are using the TV screen to burn a stick and some cardboard underneath. The TV screen has the ability to concentrate the sun’s rays in order to heat up the stick to the point where it catches on fire.

We also redesigned our solar concentrator system to act as dome that will be made up of multiple smaller concentrators at various angles.

Week 5:

This week was crucial in terms of finalizing the design we wanted to use and gathering all the materials to build that design. We decided to make the shape of the solar concentrator a dome shape, with wood sticks being angled less and less steep until it reaches the horizontal at the top, and then steeper again to reflect the other side.

Week 6:

This week was very important in getting our project closer to completion. By the end of the two-hour work period, we had the final measurements on both pieces of plywood. This allowed us to visit the machine shop to get the plywood cut. Additionally, we had the blocks of wood cut out and ready to hold the lenses. We also had the metal cut to the size of the plywood, meaning that we could attach it to the plywood once the plywood was cut out.

Week 7:

After checking into class this week, the group went to the Drexel Machine Shop to proceed with construction. Most of the shapes needed from the wood and aluminum sheets were already cut up; most of the work involved making slots into the wood for the lenses to fit in and gluing all the pieces together.

Week 8:

Once the solar concentrator was complete; testing was done to determine its effectiveness.  Upon testing we found out that the tea kettle which was made from stainless steel was poor conductor of thermal energy and was not heating the water insider.  In order to fix this problem we substituted a tinted beer bottle that work a lot better and gave us the data needed in order to draw final conclusions.