Grantee Research Project Results
Solar Window for Water Collection and Purification
EPA Grant Number: SU840165Title: Solar Window for Water Collection and Purification
Investigators: Dyson, Anna H , Kim, Jaehong , Pretorius, Mandi , Jeon, Inhyeong
Current Investigators: Dyson, Anna H , Kim, Jaehong
Institution: Yale University
Current Institution: Yale University
EPA Project Officer: Spatz, Kyle
Phase: I
Project Period: December 1, 2020 through November 30, 2021 (Extended to November 30, 2022)
Project Amount: $24,851
RFA: P3 Awards: A National Student Design Competition Focusing on People, Prosperity and the Planet (2020) RFA Text | Recipients Lists
Research Category: P3 Awards , P3 Challenge Area - Safe and Sustainable Water Resources
Description:
This project addresses strategic water and energy management techniques for the built environment through investigating the integration of novel enhanced Solar Water Disinfection (SODIS) techniques into a building envelope assembly, towards increasing the viability of on-site renewable energy based water recuperation. This project merges with ongoing multifunctional building envelope research that investigates the potential for combined collection of solar energy and water disinfection, while also allowing for desirable architectural features, such as transparency to outside views and reduction of solar glare and heat gain for modulated daylighting.
Objective:
For this project, a novel solar-driven water disinfection process (SODIS), that has been developed by team members, will be integrated into an advanced window typology for solar water disinfection, daylighting and heat remediation. The proposed scope of work includes the integration of optical components into a building envelope module that would enhance the effectiveness of multiple biorenewable-based water treatment processes. SODIS will enhance the solar disinfection process by way of additive photosensitization and/or photothermal techniques and optical physics engineering of commodity glazing media (glass or similar).
Approach:
Building on preliminary data that we have been gathering on the incorporation of the enhanced SODIS technique into a window-sized unit, we will develop, prototype and test the viability of integration strategies for SODIS within glass block modules for housing units. The modules will be tested within a Housing Unit test site developed by Yale titled Ecological Living Module (ELM), whereby the system will be evaluated within an ‘ecosystem-of-systems’ context, with all of the other required systems for a house module. Within the context of our collaboration as partners in the Nanosystems Engineering Research Center for Nanotechnology-Enabled Water Treatment (NEWT), we will develop the SODIS interface to be able to integrate and test the comparative performance of multiple emerging material and technologies.
Expected Results:
This proposal is a two stage plan: Stage 1 is laboratory-scale integration testing the viability of the SODIS enhanced water disinfection method in a lab-controlled environment. Stage 2 is the evaluation of a window module prototype and environmental testing under daylight conditions and in conjunction with rain water collection on the ELM building envelope. Progress will be evaluated against a set of project milestones and will culminate with prototypes (Stage 1 - laboratory scale; Stage 2 - device scale) demonstrated at the P3 National Sustainable Design Expo.
Supplemental Keywords:
Environmental justice, sustainable infrastructure design, environmentally benign substitute, resource recovery, design for the environment, holistic design, model for sustainability, environmental education, renewable energy, monitoring resource consumption, green building, architectural design, sustainable construction materials, green chemistry, biotechnology, biopolymers, waste to value, conservation, urban water planning, water purification technologies, drinking water treatment, disinfection, pathogen detection and removal, photocatalyst.Relevant Websites:
Yale Center for Ecosystems in Architecture Exit
Progress and Final Reports:
The 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.