Power System for the Better Water Maker14418

Problem Definition Review

Agenda● Introduce Team● Project Background● Problem Objectives and Statement● Use Scenarios● Prioritized List of Customer Needs● Engineering Requirements● Draft of Project Plan● Possible Issues and Negative Impacts

Team Introduction & RolesPhoto Member Majo

rRole Contact

Jessica Fuss ME Project Co-Manager

jrf4120@rit.edu

Jacob Kleinberger

ISE Project Co-Manager

jak8013@rit.edu

Erika Correa ISE Ergonomics Research

exc5790@rit.edu

Chris Falanga

EE Power Generation and Storage Research

cjf1533@rit.edu

Kyle Jordan ME Specifications Review

kmj4034@rit.edu

Liz White ME Website Updates and Scribe

eaw5288@rit.edu

Past Better Water Maker Projects

Intent● Reduce manufacturing cost● Reduce effort to use● Improve on previous design

1st Rendition- Senior design team P11412, 2010 ● Resulted in current device2nd Rendition- Senior design team P13417, 2012 ● Resulted in a design which included foot pedals but no prototypeOur Team- Senior design team P14418, 2013 ● Produce a prototype and basic manufacturing plan

Current Product● Hand-crank design● Easy to assemble● Power must be

consistent● Difficult for women and

children to turn● Need for additional

crank

Why Do We Need the Better Water Maker?

● Poor water and sanitation conditions in the developing world cause disease.

● Every 20 seconds a child dies of a preventable waterborne illness.

● Electricity is scarce; BWM provides the ability to disinfect water onsite, without access to electricity.

● Women can benefit both personally and financially.

StakeholdersB9 Plastics

RIT’s MSD Program

People living in developing nations

Problem Objective Current State

● Hand-crank to generate power

● Costs $300-$400● Has 12V battery

hookup● Difficult for women

and children to turn● Recumbent foot

pedal is “uncomfortable”

Desired State● Easier method of

power production● Reduced

manufacturing costs● Utilization of off-the-

shelf components● A product that is fun

and comfortable to use

● Power generated from lower body movement

Problem ObjectiveProject Goals and Deliverables● Working prototype● Reduced effort for user● Fun and easy interface● Instruction manuals that are easy to understand● Confirmation of results from appropriate testingKey Design Drivers ● Cost, Usability, ManufacturabilityConstraints● Durability, Efficiency, Size, Weight, Strength of User

Problem Statement Much of the water available to people in developing nations is non-potable. This leads to disease and death; especially among children in these areas. The “Better Water Maker” water-disinfecting system was developed to alleviate this issue. Currently, the design makes use of a hand-crank and flywheel setup to generate 17 Watts of power. The power is used to pump water to a disinfecting chamber, and to light the UV bulb which disinfects it. This system costs between $300 and $400. Although the water purification process is acceptable, the power generation process has proven to be difficult and tiring to the end users: women and children. It is this team’s goal to decrease the amount of effort required to run the unit. We expect that it will be possible to do this either by increasing efficiency of the current hand crank design or by redesigning the power-generating portion of the unit. We also intend to decrease the cost of the product to make it more accessible. Through utilization of off-the-shelf components, we aim to produce a device that costs around $150. Through testing and benchmarking, we will deliver a prototype which is fun and easy for the end user. The redesign will preserve many features that exist on the current device, including operational-directive lighting, compatibility with 12V car batteries, and the entire water-conditioning process. The result will be a prototype which can be mass-produced more cheaply and easily than the current design and which encourages use by introducing an element of play, decreasing the amount of effort needed to run it, and through inclusion of simple but complete instructions.

Use Scenarios● Children playing and

disinfecting water for the community

● Women disinfecting water as a home business

● Children and faculty in schools and orphanages using it to produce safe drinking water

● Primary users are children (starting at 5 years old) and women

Customer Needs

Engineering Requirements

Benchmarking

● Centrifugal (e.g., Salad spinners) ● Gravity● Gear ratios (e.g., Bicycles)● Cheap ergonomic seating● LED UVC bulb● Voltage Regulators - Zener, grounded, etc.

Similar Products● Hand-crank flashlights● Bike-powered generators● Home UV water purification systems

Predicted Project Schedule

Issues and Risk Assessment● The last iteration of BWM was not successful in

making the unit easier to use.● An immediate design decision is crucial to moving

forward.● Will we improve current design or create a new

design?● More benchmarking will have to be done in the

coming week.● We’ll compare different paths to assess risk in re-

design.

Possible Negative Impacts1. BWM users

a. Reduced manufacturing costs could lead to loss of comfort and a less ergonomic design

b. Off-the-shelf components could limit designc. Reduced manufacturing costs could result in an increase in

required effortd. Durability could be compromised by decreased costse. “Fun” component may lead to abuse/mis-use by children

2. B-9 Plasticsa. Reducing required effort could increase manufacturing costs b. A more ergonomic design could result in an increase in

manufacturing costs3. Our Team (P14418)

a. Satisfying the needs of only one of our customers could produce poor results for our team’s goals and the goals of RIT’s MSD program

Questions?

Picture:http://www.proginosko.com/2013/01/the-most-important-question/

Thank you for your time!