The problem is that we have been given dirty and cloudy water, and we need the water to be clean so that it measures under 5NTU in the turbidity measurer.
We created a Gantt chart so that we can stay on track for this week. Becoming behind on a project is the best way to failure to failure and mistakes. A responsibility chart was made so that me and my partner and I aren't on top of each other throughout this week. Another reason for making a responsibility chart is because in the duration of the 4 days, I am going to be absent a day and so is Hannah.
Generate Concepts
Possible Materials: Mesh, Sand, Rice, Baking Soda, Water Bottles, Cups, Rubber Band, Coffee Filter, Gravel, Sponges, Screen
Research:
The first site that we used said that different types of sand work best. They said by laying different densities of sand, the water will be purer. A tip that they gave was to wash the materials we use so that debris from them don’t filter into the water. Https://www.motherearthnews.com/diy/how-to-make-a-diy-water=filteration-system/
This website said to layer sand and gravel with a single coffee filter at the bottom of the bottle. They said that the best sand is coarse sand. Https://sciencing.com/make-filter-using-sand-rocks-6314339.html
In the article from the citrus above they thought that it would be best to use a funnel. We don’t need to use a funnel because we are filtering our water into a pint glass. The website also said that charcoal is the best option. Finally, the website says to run water through the filter multiple times to get the best results. Https://sunnysports.com/blog/easy-diy-charcoal-water-filter/
Material testing:
Develop a Solution
Construct and Test Prototype
At first we tried using the design we built with out first sketch. We realized that the baking soda was dissolving and staying in the water that we were using, giving it a turbidity of 338NTU. The next thing we did was test the filter without baking soda, and adding mesh on the top of the filter crumbled up. The turbidity of that test was 227NTU. The final thing we tested was washing the charcoal prior in order to clear it up, and we added sponges on top. The turbidity of that water was 123NTU.
Evaluate Solutions
Above are the two revisions we made on our filter. After designing the top sketch the turbidity went down to 227NTU. We were still far away from the goal of under 5NTU. The next design we added sponges in the top. With the added sponges we got a turbidity of 123NTU. We ran out of time to test anything else. Our final sketch and design allowed for us to get the best results.
Reflection
I feel that the Water Filter project was a very good opener to the year after being online for so long. It was able to lean us into all of the processes that we will be using to complete our capstone project without having us completely dive into it immediately into the process and our grades possibly suffering because of that. As a team Hannah and I failed to meet the goal of below 5NTU's and frankly did not come even close, however regardless it was a much harder task than either of us had anticipated. Which came to our realization when I brought water in from my house and it tested at 4NTU. Hannah and I worked very well together, however with our scheduling conflicts and the loss of time that was caused by that hindered our progress on certain days. With only 1 day to really design and test our prototype we struggled greatly with it, and if we could go back and redo it we would probably make a few changes such as a more effective "filter" than the coffee one, as well as maybe some better variants of materials we had already tested. In conclusion, this project was perfect to get us back in the grove and improve our results for the next project we attempt.