Team: 1425
Engineering Design 2021
Engineering Design 2021
Float Valve: Automatic Stop
Pressure Relief System
Globe Valve: Manual Stop
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RO Water Crisis Relief System
The RO Water Crisis Relief Device, RORD, is a specially engineered water filtration unit design to combat the DRCś current water crisis.
In this system, one will find the following:
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Sediment filter
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Carbon filter
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Reverse Osmosis Membrane Filter
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Water storage tank
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Valves
System Sequence
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Polluted feed water is extracted from the Congo River and is introduced into the first filter, the sediment filter (Woodard).
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Water then travels through the carbon filter (Woodard).
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The final filter, the RO membrane, completes the filtration process (Woodard).
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The water is stored in a 3000 gallon storage tank until use.
Sediment Filter
This prefilter is essential for the proper function of the device as it is needed to reduce large solid particles and substances in the feed water (Woodard). Without it, the RO mebrane would quickly become overwhelmed (Woodard).
Reduces (“Natural Materials”):
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Dirt
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Oils
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Grease
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Macro bacterias
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Various large particles
Carbon Filter
The carbon prefilter is used in the RO Water Crisis Relief Device focuses on reducing volatile and non-violitale contaminates in the partially filtered feed water (Woodward).
Reduces ("Drinking Water"):
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Unwanted tastes
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Odors
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Chemicals
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Detergents
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Pesticides
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Additional manmade and
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or organic chemicals
Reverse Osmosis
The RO membrane is a multilayer semipermeable membrane that facilitates filtration using the natural sequence of osmosis (Woodard). The layers consist of a thin aromatic polyamide film, a polysulfone layer, and a non-woven fabric (Ebnesajjad). This combination of layers all works to eliminate a long list of contaminants.
The Sequence of Reverse Osmosis
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Polluted feed water is introduced on one side of the membrane (Woodard).
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Osmosis forces water to travel through the RO membrane (Woodard).
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The Acroscopic pores that prevent all particles, other in the membrane stop all contaminates from passing (Woodard).
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Brine is discarded and the filtered water makes its way to the storage tank (Woodard).
Benefits of the RO Water Crisis Relief Device
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The filtering system removes 99% of all contaminants within contaminated water (Woodward).
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This system has a longer lifespan than other models.
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The RORD system is specifically designed for the DRC's needs.
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The RORD system requires no electricity.
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The filters within the system are sustainable, accessible, reusable, and easy to replace.
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With the uncertainties about the mechanical knowledge of citizen's of the DRC, the development team made the RORD system easy to repair and clean.
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The system is cost effective.
The RO membrane eliminates (“Technical”) (Woodard):
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Protozoa
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Bacteria
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Viruses
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Chemical contaminants
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Metal ions
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Aqueous salts
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Dissolved sediments
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Sediments
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All substances other that water and substances of the same size or smaller