DOI: https://doi.org/10.15368/theses.2021.139
Available at: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/theses/2414
Date of Award
8-2021
Degree Name
MS in Mechanical Engineering
Department/Program
Mechanical Engineering
College
College of Engineering
Advisor
Jennifer Mott Peuker
Advisor Department
Mechanical Engineering
Advisor College
College of Engineering
Abstract
An existing water filtration system at the Channel Islands Marine & Wildlife Institute (CIMWI) wastes approximately 25 gallons of water per day rinsing out solid waste under light load. To reduce CIMWI’s water and energy consumption, an automated system was designed and built to recover the rinse water and return it to the existing filtration loop. Models for fluid system requirements, basic energy needs, and photo- voltaic energy generation were created to aid in component selection. Basic sensors and electronics were programmed in Python for use with a Raspberry Pi single board computer to collect and process water recovery data over time. Pump automation and data acquisition energy needs were met with a 100W photovoltaic module, pulse width modulation (PWM) charge controller, and an absorbed glass mat (AGM) battery. A prototype system, $732 in total cost, was installed and was found to recover 19 gallons of water over the initial 30-hour testing period under light load. Models and software developed for this project could be adapted to aid in the creation of similar water recovery systems.