An experimental and analytical exploration of the effects of manufacturing parameters on ceramic pot filter performance
Name
861186153-MIT.pdf
Description
Full printable version
Size
19.18 MB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum (MD5)
a4aefbe1dd3eef724ce6302459e12dc9
Author(s)
Servi, Amelia Tepper
Advisor(s)
Susan Murcott and Daniel Frey.
Date Issued
2013
Publisher
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Abstract
Ceramic pot filters (CPF) are a promising low-cost option for household water treatment, providing a barrier of protection against-microbiological contaminants for households with or without reliable piped water supplies. The goal of this thesis is to provide CPF manufacturers with tools to increase their ability to reach performance objectives for CPF flow rate, bacteria removal and strength. This is achieved by experimentally determining relationships between these three aspects of performance and three manufacturing values: percentage rice husk, rice husk size and wall thickness. These relationships are used to run a series of optimizations that result in design recommendations including the recommendation to increase wall thickness to improve bacteria removal and to tightly control rice husk size to maintain consistent flow rates. In addition to the experimental relationships, this author seeks a theoretical explanation of filter performance. Through this process, the author determined that hydraulic head can be increased without decreasing bacteria removal and that incomplete combustion should not be of primary concern to manufacturers. While the results in this study are preliminary, the systematic approach to the CPF design shown here can be used in future studies to further analyze and improve the CPF design.
Description
Thesis (S.M.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, 2013.
Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.
Includes bibliographical references (p. 163-165).
Subjects
Mechanical Engineering.
MIT Department
Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Mechanical Engineering
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