EPICS Water Filter
From Fall 2020 to Spring 2021, I took on the role of Design Lead for the EPICS Water Filtration Team. My team and I worked with Purdue EPICS under Lab Manager Jorge Martinez, and with Professor Sonia Morales Vélez from the University of Antioquia and her students. Together, we worked to create a direction manual for building an in-house water filtration device that will aid over 700 families in Medellín, Colombia.
During the Spring 2021 semester, I got tons of hands-on experience with testing procedures. My team and I worked with the Purdue Agricultural & Biological Engineering department to conduct many of our water quality tests. From graduate students and professors, I learned how to use lab equipment such as a Ph probe or IDEXX Colilert for detecting the presence of coliform. Additionally, I used MATLAB to write a program that analyzes and graphs our results, as well as used Fusion 360 to create 3D models and animations of our prototypes.
During the Fall 2020 semester, I spent much of my time prototyping possible solutions and testing the same. I was responsible for managing and ensuring the team accomplished goals on time with sufficient quality and creativity. Specifically, this semester we built three biosand filters that incorporated UV-B light and activated carbon. Additionally, I communicated with our project partner in Carpinelo, Colombia and ensured that our design specifications matched community needs.
