Updates

What a journey it has been!

When we first started this project, I did not expect the work that we put in was going to be rewarding, but I was wrong. The team grew in chemistry and skills throughout the semester, and I am proud to say we finished with a bang!

We tested our prototype with different types of debris and trash and recorded the rate that the pieces get through the lines. Through our 6 tests, the prototype recorded a 98% filtering rate of all debris and trash. I would say that is an improvement!

The end of this journey has been reached, with the EPICS Exhibit happening yesterday. We did our final report, estimated the cost of the actual solution, and practiced our presentation. The Exhibit went smoothly, and we were proud to present our work.

Goodbye and thank you to all who supported us.

Sincerely,

-AquaRes Team.

We finalized our ideas and turned it into a buildable design, we which are fairly certain will improve the overall solution. The only thing for us to do is build a prototype. Since the solution incorporates the last team’s design, we want to build our add-on onto the existing prototype of last semester.

The team hurried through the lab training in order to access the UTDesign lab. We ordered the materials that we need such as PVC pipes, fishing line, net and bobbers. At first, the building was slow as we were getting used to the lab and how to access equipments as well as coordinating our availability. We accelerated our pace late in the month, and right now, we have a functional prototype! It definitely needs some testing though.

With the new plan in place, we hastily put together some designs that we envisioned at the beginning of the project for the mid semester presentation. Since the project changed directions several times in a short time span, we struggled to lay out the semester plan.

After the presentation, we wanted to research more on our potential solutions. The team took time to discuss possible advantages and disadvantages of each design, and eventually we settled for the buoy line columns, which will be built into the last team’s solution to improve it.

After changing the project scope and thinking of a new solution, the AquaRes felt stuck and unsure what to do. We met with the project partner to discuss our theory and our proposed solution. She ensured us that no littering was taking place at the pond because it carries a heavy fine since it is Dallas park’s property. We also talked to Dr. Bennett, who advised us to research more about the root of the problem and build a physical solution. After we reevaluated the project based on the inputs from our stakeholders, we decided to go back to original plan of building a filtering structure to stop the debris.

The visit at the pond gave us different expectations about the scope of the project. We saw that the pond’s water level was very low, combining with the fact that trash were found very far away from the pond, led us to believe that the accumulation of trash is not only due to the rain. We thought that littering could be in play because the debris area is next to a parking lot as well as many sport fields.

We shifted our focus to design a solution that solves the littering problems. Ideas such as having caution signs, provocative trash cans, and raising awareness of the problem were considered. The team felt misguided by the project description, since the pond was very small and the school seems to not know that it exists. However, we will press on and tackle this problem no matter what it is!

We were excited to see the pond as well as Conrad High School for the first time since receiving the project. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is also the first time that the AquaRes team members get to meet each other in person! We came to pond when there has not been rain recently, so the water level of the pond should be low.

We found the pond at the corner of the school, with vegetation surrounding it. We went into the debris area and noticed an increasing dip of elevation the closer we are to the pond. There were debris and trash all around the pond, ranging from plastic bottles to giant logs. We documented the types of trash and took photos which you can see below. We wanted to stay longer to investigate the sources of trash and debris and study the geography of the location, but the freezing temperature prevented us from staying any longer. The visit was a success. We get to see the magnitude of the problem, as well as discussing the solutions and plans to tackle it. We plan to visit the pond again soon.

According to our partner, the issue of the pond needs a long-term solution. We started the design process by reading the last team’s final report and try to understand their solution. The Pond Pack has a great solution of having rows of teeth unevenly aligned to filter the debris that comes into the pond. From the report, we also identified the source of the problem. When it rains, the debris are collected at the pond along with unwanted trash, which are stranded there when the water level falls back down. The report of the Pond Pack gave us great insights and direction for where we should go next in our design process.

We then brainstormed potential solutions that could be better than the teeth. The team looked at standard solution for filtering or reducing waste such as nets, trench lines, and flow diversion. We settled for a few designs that looked to be best fitted for the pond, but we still have to visit it to see the pond for ourselves.

After our meeting with Mrs. Chadha, we had an internal meeting to work on the project charter. We get to introduced ourselves to each other, as well as getting to know the strengths and weaknesses of one another. The roles of the team are filled, with me as the Project Leader and Webmaster, Cuong as the Project Partner Liaison, Macie as the Financial Officer, and Zainab as the Document Manager. We came up with AquaRes as our team name, and our team member Zainab was talented enough to create a logo for our team. AquaRes was born and ready to take on this project!

Our group first met on January 21^st in the lab session. We introduced ourselves and created a group chat for communication. Mrs. Chadha, our partner, was unavailable that day because she was teaching. We scheduled the meet up on Tuesday, January 26^th and Mrs. Chadha gave us an overview of the pond and its problems. We looked at the last team’s report and their design, as well as discussed potential designs that we were thinking about. Overall, the meeting gave us a good idea what the project is about and what needs to be done.