Fabric Enhanced Ceramic Candle Filters

Pete Crosthwaite
Yr. 4 MEng Civil Engineering

Whats Coming Up

Point of Use (Household) based treatment

Problems with ceramics candle filters Fabric Enhancement?
Simple engineering improvement

Millennium Development Goals

Goal 7, Target 10: Halve, by 2015, the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation WHO: 1.1 billion people have no access to any type of improved drinking source of water

Mama Abungu

Photographer: Douglas Tooth

Mama Abungu

Photographer: Douglas Tooth

Water Supply in Bar-Agulu

Photographer: Douglas Tooth

Water Supply in Bar-Agulu

Photographer: Beth Crosthwaite

Obamas Grandmas Water Supply!

Photographer: Douglas Tooth

Back to Statistics
Contaminated water responsible for:

4 billion cases of diarrhoea each year Causing 2.2 million deaths

Mostly children under 5 years old

(WHO 2000)

Definitions

Point of Source

Point of Use

(Household Water Treatment)

Treatment at Point of Source

Household connection
Public standpipe Borehole

Protected well or spring

Rainwater collection

Treatment at Point of Source

Proportional number of faecal bacteria

(Clasen T.F. and Bastable A. 2003)

Problem at Point of Use

Proportional number of faecal bacteria

(Clasen T.F. and Bastable A. 2003)

Why?

Look back at the picture of the well

Treatment at Point of Use

Ceramic water filters

Biosand filters Boiling

Solar disinfection (SODIS)

Chlorination (with tablets or liquid)

Ceramic Filters are the Best!

By contrast [to other interventions] the

clear effectiveness of the ceramic filter

in this analysis would make further controlled trials unethical. Research should focus primarily on how to

increase uptake and sustainability

of the intervention. Paul R. Hunter

Ceramic Candle Filters

Advantages:

Top Lid Top Bucket

Filters 99.9% of bacteria

Candles

Inexpensive & cost effective Incorporates storage

Middle Lid

Bottom Bucket

Viewed as an asset by household

Plastic Spigot

Ceramic Candle Filters

Disadvantages:

Fragile and easily cracked

Requires frequent cleaning (scrubbing) Low flow rate 1-2 l/hour

Or even lower!

Overall Aim

The overall aim is to enhance ceramic candle filter systems using fabric to:

reduce the frequency of cleaning required simplify the cleaning process maintain sufficient flow rate.

Initial Concept

Fabric Enhanced Filters

Initial concept from research on slow sand filters layers of fabric

Applied to ceramic candle like a sock!

Experimental Set-Up
Filters Constant Head

Pump

Fabric sock pre-filter

Results
Candle Flow Rates 6.00E-07 5.00E-07 Candle 1 Candle 2 4.00E-07
Flow Rate (m^3/s)

Candle 3 Candle 4 Candle 5 Candle 6 Candle 7 Candle 8 Expected Avg. Q Expected Max Expected Min Measured Avg.

3.00E-07

2.00E-07

1.00E-07

0.00E+00 01/02/2010 12:00

02/02/2010 00:00

02/02/2010 12:00

03/02/2010 00:00

03/02/2010 12:00

04/02/2010 00:00

04/02/2010 12:00

05/02/2010 00:00

Date and Time (dd/mm/yyyy hh:mm)

Summary
Fabric Enhanced Ceramic Candle Filters:

Point of Use based treatment has a big impact Simple & Creative engineering improvement to ceramic filters Real problem...affecting real people

I represent a small step.

I hope it leads to giant leaps.

Any questions?