Grantee Research Project Results
2015 Progress Report: Development of an Affordable Solar Thermal Pasteurizer for Waterborne Diseases in Rural Guatemala
EPA Grant Number: SU835713Title: Development of an Affordable Solar Thermal Pasteurizer for Waterborne Diseases in Rural Guatemala
Investigators: Song, Ted , Green, Cassidy , Lopez, Ernesto , Haileyesus, Ethiopia , Haileysus, Ethiopia , Vance, Spencer , Desai, lshant
Current Investigators: Song, Ted , Green, Cassidy , Lopez, Ernesto , Haileyesus, Ethiopia , Desai, Ishant
Institution: John Brown University
EPA Project Officer: Page, Angela
Phase: I
Project Period: September 1, 2014 through August 31, 2015 (Extended to August 31, 2017)
Project Period Covered by this Report: September 1, 2014 through August 31,2015
Project Amount: $14,520
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition for Sustainability Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2014) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: Pollution Prevention/Sustainable Development , P3 Challenge Area - Safe and Sustainable Water Resources , P3 Awards , Sustainable and Healthy Communities
Objective:
Most of the fresh water in the area of Escuintla, Guatemala is not apt for human consumption because it contains industrial waste, volcanic chemicals, viruses and bacteria coming from the surrounding regions. This contaminated water is distributed to the local residential area, and unfortunately, due to the low resources of the Guatemalans, people are not able to afford bottled water or any water treatment devices. Moreover, many of the rural areas are isolated from the urban power grid, which makes it difficult to have a reliable energy source that could power water treatment systems. The majority of Guatemalans who live in these regions have no option besides using the contaminated water for cooking, washing, and drinking. This situation causes the local people to get sick, to miss work or school, or even to die due to the bacteria it contains-such as coliform and cholera.
Our objective was to design a scalable, modular, and affordable water purification system that is viable for implementation in the department of Escui ntla, Guatemala. The design we proposed was intended to purify water for a community of 400 people, with minimal usage complexity, cost, environmental impact, size, and maintenance required. The water treatment process we use is called pasteurization-using the heat from solar insolation to disinfect the contaminated water. In addition, the proposed system would use photovoltaic (PY) modules with an energy storage system to provide power to microprocessor controllers and other electrical components-which would be used for controlling the purification process-so that the water treatment system would not rely on the power grid .
The treatment process that is used within these designs is simple enough to be operated with minimal operating costs and maintenance. This was intended so that the local people would be able to operate it on their own after the installation. If the local residents have access to clean water, it will improve the lives of the people since there are adults and children who miss work and schools due to the sickness that comes from the contaminated water. Not missing work would help working residents to improve their income in the short term, and not missing school would help the children to become adults who would then be able to contribute to the development of the community in the future.
Progress Summary:
After assembling the water purification system, a sample of contaminated water was introduced into the system in order to test its performance. The sample water was tested before and after the purification process. The tested results show that the amount of chemicals, sediments, and microorganisms were reduced to an amount that is safe for human consumption. Regarding the amount of water that can be purified, the current system operates at 50% of its potential. Although this number is lower than expected, the team plans to increase this efficiency up to 85% by optimization through additional modifications. The team will implement these improvements in March and April of 2015, and it is expected that the team would have better results as testing in early March was limited due to the unexpected cold weather. The final result will be presented during this year's National Sustainable Design Expo.
With tested results, it was determined that solar pasteurization can successfully be implemented on the medium-sized scale. Solar pasteurization has regularly been used in small scale, for needs of less than five gallons a day. However, there was no record we could find of a medium-sized solar pasteurizer. Nevertheless, this project has proved that the concept of a solar pasteurizer on a medium scale is feasible. As this purification system could be improved in the future through additional mod ificat io ns, the proposed solution could provide a novel and cost effective approach to supply clean water in areas where insolation is relatively high.
Progress and Final Reports:
Original AbstractThe perspectives, information and conclusions conveyed in research project abstracts, progress reports, final reports, journal abstracts and journal publications convey the viewpoints of the principal investigator and may not represent the views and policies of ORD and EPA. Conclusions drawn by the principal investigators have not been reviewed by the Agency.