Filtration Fortune

Filtration Fortune
Design Project Supervisor: Avery Olinde

Objective
As the LSU Monopoly renovations are underway, Mike decides he would love
some updates to his habitat! He recommends that you and your team develop a
new water filtration system that feeds into a water feature for his enclosure.

Your objective is to obtain as much water as you can with the highest possible
purity utilizing one or several engineering separation techniques. Then your
filtered water must feed through a water feature that you have designed.

Project Scope and Constraints

● Each team will be provided with 1 bottle of contaminated water to purify
for judging
● Contaminated water consists of tap water, food coloring, potting soil, and
vinegar
● For testing and preparation, every team will get 1 plastic tub, 1 bottle of
contaminated water, and pH strips to test your designs before judging
○ If your team would like more contaminated water, you may turn in 10
water bottles from Geaux Engineering meals to the shop in
exchange for an extra bottle of contaminated water (limited to 1 per
team)
● Each team has a budget of 350 TigerCash to purchase materials at the
Tiger Vault Shop
● Only materials from the initial project packet and the Tiger Vault Shop may
be used to complete the projects
● You do not have to use all of your materials. Bartering and trading
materials with other teams is allowed
● Your purification processes must be contained within your structure, and
your methods must work without any direct contact or aid from a team
member
● Your structure (filter and the water feature) must be mobile. It will need to
be moved to The PFT Commons for judging
○ The plastic tub you are given can help with this
 ● Your filtration structure must have a place to pour in the contaminated
water, a place for the purified water to collect and feed into the water
feature, and an exit from the water feature that feeds back into the filter
or the collection cup
● Follow all lab safety rules. That means gloves and safety glasses on when
handling the water and equipment in the Resource Room, and don’t
actually drink any of the water you “purify”

Engineering Concepts
Separation
Separation processes such as filtration are an essential part of nearly
every engineering discipline. In the chemical and petroleum industry, separation
techniques come into play for the removal of contaminants from raw materials,
as well as the recovery of primary products. Environment conservation efforts are
concerned with separating and removing pollutants from chemical waste, as well
as water purification. Your kidneys even filter up to 180 L of your plasma every
day - that's your blood volume 36 times over!

Before water is sent to your shower or sink and even ponds and fountains, it first
must be purified to remove any contaminants such as unwanted microorganisms,
fecal matter, soil, etc. Different types of purification methods include:

● Filtration = separating components based on their size

● Distillation = separating components based on their boiling points
● Absorption = adhesion of particles to a surface
● Adsorption = movement of particles into the bulk of another phase
● Density separation = more dense substance sinks to bottom of solution

pH
The pH of a solution is something that has to be closely monitored as it can
impact certain chemical reactions, determine the safety of drinking water, and
can indicate certain contaminants. It is measured on a logarithmic scale from 1
(acidic) to 14 (basic) with a pH of 7 being neutral. Most systems such as most of
your body’s organs and water are maintained at a pH of 7. If a solution is
extremely acidic, the addition of a basic component can neutralize it

Fluid Flow
The flow rate of fluids depends on the fluid’s velocity and the cross sectional area
of flow (usually this means a pipe’s inner diameter). In general, the larger the
diameter of flow, the greater the flow rate.
Water systems can utilize forces such as gravity and pumps to move water and
increase the flow velocity. The ancient Romans had a complex series of
aqueducts that utilized gravity and the hilly landscape of Italy to transport fresh
water to populated areas!

As you build your separation structures, keep these engineering techniques in

mind! What properties of the mixture will you use to separate the contaminants
from the water? How can you transport and circulate water between your
structures?

Presentation and Project Judging

One of the most critical parts of engineering is communication. Whether it comes
to pitching a project idea, giving a presentation, reviewing a design, interviewing
for a job, or writing a research paper, communication is a necessary part of an
engineer’s life. Engineers typically work on things that not everyone will see.
When it comes time to share their ideas, engineers must be able to effectively
communicate their design and its purpose so everyone can understand it. As
such, part of this competition is judged on how well you communicate your
project to the judges!

You will be judged by 3-4 people including the design project leader, a group
leader, and an industry professional/faculty member.

In the event of a tie, the winner will be decided based on the team’s ability to
answer a trivia question about any of the following topics: Geaux Engineering,
SPM, or water filtration.

Please prepare the following for judging:

1) Elevator Pitch introducing your project and its operations.

An “elevator pitch” is a short description of an idea, product, or project that

explains the concept in such a way that any listener can understand it in a short
period of time (such as sharing an elevator ride).

Please include the following in an “elevator pitch” for your water purification
project:
● Brief introduction to your team members (i.e. name, major)
● Explain the problem your project will solve - why is this project
important
 ● Briefly walk the judges through your projects concepts and
operations
○ If your project is incomplete, talk about your concept and
planning! This is just as important as operation
● Your pitch should be no more than 1-2 minutes

2) Demonstration of your project’s operations, the water feature design, and

the resulting purified water product.

Every team’s 60 minute demonstration time will start at the same time. As the
demonstrations are all happening simultaneously, the judges will walk around to
speak with the teams and hear your elevator pitches.

This time will be used to filter your team’s bottle of contaminated water and to
circulate the water through your water feature.

You will be judged on water purity (clearness and pH) as well as design creativity,
useability, and economics.

3) Preparation to answer questions from the judges about the following topics
● Application of the engineering separation techniques used in your
project to industrial or research settings
● Safety - what precautions you took during construction and
operation of your project
● Any issues you had during design and building - how did you resolve
them?
● Budget - were you over or under? How did this affect your design?
Materials Available for Purchase in the Tiger Vault Store
Project Budget = 350
Material (Regular Price) Cost per Unit
Activated charcoal (1/2 cup) 8
Alka Seltzer Tabs 8
Aluminum foil (1 sq ft) 2.5
Aquarium rocks (1/2 cup) 8
Baking Soda (1/2 cup) 8
Binder Clip 2
Cardboard (4 sq ft) 10
Cheese cloth 2.5
Circulation pump (1 per team) 24
Clothes Pins 1
Corks 1
Cotton balls (1 cup) 10
Coffee filters 1
Cups 3
Cup lids 2
Duct Tape (1ft) 4
Felt square (1 sq ft) 2.5
Fishing line (1 ft) 3
Florist foam 15
Funnels (any size) 10
Mesh (1 sq ft) 2.5
Miniature plants 3
Miniature sea creatures 4
Popsicle sticks 1
Plastic bags 1
Plastic bowls 10
PVC connectors 3
0.5" PVC Pipes (1ft) 12
Rubber bands 1
Straws (boba) 2
Straws (regular) 1
String (1ft) 4
Spoons 1
Vinyl tubing (1ft) 8
Small water bottles 5
Medium water bottles (0.5 L) 10
Large water bottles (2 L) 15
Wooden dowels 7
Wood shavings (1 cup) 10