Grantee Research Project Results

Final Report: Low Cost Portable Percussion Well Drill And Bailer

EPA Grant Number: SU835526
Title: Low Cost Portable Percussion Well Drill And Bailer
Investigators: Sukumaran, Beena , Smith, Brittany , Seckinger, Eric , Baker, Ian , Guglielmo, Jessica , Downey, Pat
Institution: Rowan University
EPA Project Officer: Packard, Benjamin H
Phase: I
Project Period: August 15, 2013 through August 14, 2014
Project Amount: $14,613
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2013) RFA Text |  Recipients Lists
Research Category: Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , P3 Awards , P3 Challenge Area - Safe and Sustainable Water Resources , P3 Challenge Area - Chemical Safety , Sustainable and Healthy Communities

Objective:

The objective of this research is to design and fabricate a versatile manual percussion soil drill made of local and low cost materials. Manual well drilling is an efficient, low-cost solution to provide water supply to under-served people and developing countries. The cost efficiency, portability, and ease of use of manual well drilling techniques can allow water sources to be constructed in more abundance and in areas inaccessible to mechanical well drilling equipment. Percussion drilling uses the force of gravity to operate, making it an effective, low cost, and sustainable option for well drilling. The design of the soil drill includes ease of use and reproducibility in terms of being made from readily available materials, and efficiency in varying soil conditions in all nations. This tool can be utilized by villagers to not only provide access to drinking water, but to produce jobs by using this tool as a business opportunity. This tool is a sustainable option for water development and possible economic development if implemented in developing nations.

Summary/Accomplishments (Outputs/Outcomes):

A percussion drill was chosen for this project due to its ability to effectively drill through varying soil types and conditions. The suitability of percussion drilling ranges from soft soils to harder formations. The original prototype of the percussion drill featured a large, heavy steel shaft composed of steel and a bit with star-shaped teeth. The current model was significantly modified from the original prototype. The original prototype connected the percussive bits to the shaft of the drill by using extruding, horizontal bolts. As percussion drills derive their force of impact from their weight and gravity, it important for the drill to be sleek in design to avoid unnecessary contact with the borehole. Contact with the sides of the borehole will decrease the desired force of impact required to break up the soil. In order to prevent loss of force of impact due to the extraneous bolts, the new design connects the shaft of the drill and the percussive bits internally. The bits are connected to the shaft using two threaded rods, which extend vertically from the bits up through two holes in a plate across the top of the shaft, and are secured using two nuts, one per rod. The connection of the shaft and bits internally allows the drill to remain sleek without extraneous connection bolts. The new design also features interchangeable bits. The shaft, consisting of steel tubing, is able to connect to two different bits: a drilling bit intended to loosen soil and crush gravel and large rocks; and a bailer bit intended to retain and remove loosened soil. Interchangeable bits improve the time efficiency of this type of drilling. This design was found to be effective in practice, although the current design of the bailer was shown to be inefficient in testing.

During testing in Isla Bastimentos, Panama March 15th through March 23rd, the percussion drill was used to create a borehole for the construction of a well. Due to the portability of the drill, it was able to be comfortably travelled with via airplane, taxi, bus, boat taxi, and walking. The area that was drilled in is currently going through a drought and does not have access to uncontaminated water sources. The percussion drill was used in conjunction with a hand auger provided by Hydromissions International that was used to remove crushed soil. The combination of the hand drills created a borehole that had a depth of 22 feet, surpassing the depth to the ground water table by 10 feet in order to create a small reservoir of water for implementation of a well. The well casing was composed of capped PVC piping with filter sheets surrounding slits that were cut into it. The well will use a hand pump that was also created out of PVC piping. The percussion drill was successfully able to crush consolidated grey shale and was able to drill to depths that could not have been done with the hand auger.

The current design of the drill focuses on three key features: versatility, reproducibility, and portability. By incorporating interchangeable bits, this drill has the potential to be able to use a wide variety of bits that will increase the efficiency of the drill in a wide range of soils. The drill is made from materials that are low cost, low maintenance, and readily available in the developing world. This will allow the drill to be reproduced and implemented throughout the developing world. The current design also has strict weight limitations so that it can be transported with ease. The percussion shaft and its bits weigh less than 50 pounds cumulatively. Fabrication of a drill with these three key features in mind has resulted in a very efficient tool that is very easy to use. The versatility, reproducibility, and portability of the new design has the potential to create a greater abundance of clean water sources in areas of the developing world previously unable to do so, as it was proven in Isla Bastimentos, Panama.

Conclusions:

Manual drilling is an effective, low-cost, and sustainable solution to water development in underserved nations. In addition to being low-cost, the most important features of this drill are reproducibility, versatility, and portability. These features are important in maintaining the feasibility of effectively implementing this tool in developing nations. Percussion drilling is the most versatile drilling method due to its ability to be used in varying soil conditions, ranging from soft soils to hard formations. By fabricating this tool from steel, a material that is readily available in developing nations, the percussion drill is low-cost and able to be easily maintained and reproduced. Limiting the weight of the drill assembly to less than 50 pounds, this drill is able to be implemented in areas inaccessible to mechanical well drilling equipment. Given the success of field testing in Isla Bastimentos, Panama, this drill has shown its potential to be successfully implemented in developing nations. With further refinement, the drill will be able to be more widely and more effectively used.

Supplemental Keywords:

Soil drill, well drilling, water development, sustainable design

Relevant Websites:

http://users.rowan.edu/~sukumaran/EIWB/Soil%20Drill/Fall%202013/pages/index.html Exit