{"id":1262,"date":"2012-06-07T13:15:57","date_gmt":"2012-06-07T13:15:57","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ecm.eng.auburn.edu\/wp\/emag\/?p=1262"},"modified":"2012-06-07T18:21:56","modified_gmt":"2012-06-07T18:21:56","slug":"water-is-the-driving-force-of-all-nature-leonardo-da-vinci","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ecm.eng.auburn.edu\/wp\/emag\/?p=1262","title":{"rendered":"Water is the Driving Force of all Nature – Leonardo da Vinci"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Leonardo da Vinci, also known as \u201cthe Renaissance Man,\u201d was not the only one to recognize that water, in particular, clean water, is essential to life. Auburn Engineering students understand it as well, so much so that several of them have developed a portable water purifying system to prevent water-borne diseases in impoverished areas throughout the world.<\/p>\n

Grant Moore, a senior in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and Business-Engineering-Technology (B-E-T) classmates Lauren McManus, Grant Martin and Sara Yousey developed the water purifiers for a class project that required them to create a business plan and model product. The class was part of Auburn\u2019s B-E-T program which offers engineering undergraduates a minor focused on business.<\/p>\n

The original team developed two products \u2014 the Advanced Liquid Purification System (ALPS), and the Salt and Light Purifier (SaL). Both utilize chemical processes approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to eliminate viruses, bacteria and protozoa by dissolving a small amount of salt in water \u2014 a pinch per pint. Electricity then passes through specially coated electrodes in the water, interacting with the dissolved salt to produce chlorine compounds that sanitize the water. More salt can be added to create a strong disinfectant.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne advantage of this technology\u00a0 is that it is extremely simple, yet successful,\u201d says Moore. \u201cChlorine tablets take four hours to kill Giardia, a hazardous type of protozoa, and the tablets don\u2019t even touch Cryptosporidium, another type of protozoa. The ALPS system eliminates both from water quickly.\u201d<\/p>\n

Watering the world<\/strong><\/p>\n

Moore\u2019s team felt water purification would be profitable in the recreational camping community as well as provide a humanitarian tool for the developing world. \u201cOur research on world water issues was too compelling to ignore. We had to do something,\u201d says Moore. \u201cAfter many long hours and a lot of determination, we created a completely functional water purifier, going far beyond what was required for the class.\u201d<\/p>\n

Similar water purifying systems were originally created for the U.S. military, but required batteries to operate. ALPS is powered by a hand-cranked generator, while SaL is powered by solar cells. \u201cWe didn\u2019t want them to be battery-operated, because batteries are difficult to come by or are often not of good quality in developing countries,\u201d says Moore. Each system is optimized for its geographical area and costs $30 \u2013 $80. Larger components can treat the water faster, but cost more to build.<\/p>\n

With help from electrical and computer engineering faculty member Tom Baginski, the team formed the non-profit group Innovative Humanitarian Products Organization (IHPO) in order to create more devices that will improve the lives of those in need. The organization, which now has 130 members, merged the ALPS and SaL purifiers, creating a hybrid that can be powered by either a hand-cranked generator or a solar cell. It is flexible in terms of which power source it can use to best suit different parts of the world.<\/p>\n

This spring, the organization participated in a contest for nonprofit groups through SlideRocket, a web-based alternative to PowerPoint presentations. The group\u2019s video on its purifiers and initiatives in Uganda earned IHPO fifth place out of 38 participants, as well as $5,000 towards building more purifiers. Winners were determined by the number of views their presentation received.<\/p>\n

IHPO has partnered with people in industry who want to join the fight against the world\u2019s water crisis. \u201cWe want to understand people\u2019s needs and seek consumers’ feedback on our products,\u201d says Moore. \u201cOur partners are testing the purifiers alongside the people who will use them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rodger Qualls, president of the non-profit organization African Children\u2019s Educational Initiative in Huntsville, has taken the ALPS purifier to Uganda to field test, as well as provide clean water for the villages his organization serves.<\/p>\n

\u201cTwo years ago I took an early ALPS prototype to Luwero, Uganda, and had some of my teachers and workmen operate the device,\u201d says Qualls. \u201cI brought recommendations back to Grant on how to improve the purifier, but overall, the Ugandans were very impressed with how simple it was. They remarked how easy the device was to operate and maintain versus other solutions to sanitizing water,\u201d he says. \u201cBoiling water burns up their forests and sand filters are hard to maintain.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last year, Qualls took the improved ALPS purifier back to the village to conduct taste tests. The villagers recommended a concentration of salt per amount of water that they felt produced fresh water they would drink \u2014 creating a collaboration between Auburn Engineering students and the people of Uganda.<\/p>\n

Along those same lines, Emile Ewing, a graduate student in electrical and computer engineering and member of IHPO, is concentrating her master\u2019s thesis on the real-world use of the purification systems. She traveled to Uganda last fall to field test the products and teach local residents how to use the systems.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Uganda, there is an abundance of salt and light for the systems to work,\u201d says Ewing. \u201cThe residents get it! They see the water start to bubble and they understand that it is working. It is important to show the products to as many people as possible to avoid skepticism, and let them know that it is possible for them to use the systems themselves.\u201d<\/p>\n

Wood for boiling water in Uganda is scarce, she explains, so people spend several hours a day carting water back and forth and searching for firewood in order to treat their water.<\/p>\n

To further the usefulness of the purifier, Ewing plans to make a picture book to eliminate language barriers faced in teaching people how to use the water purifying systems.<\/p>\n

\u201cI love helping people, and I see value in a project like this,\u201d she says. \u201cWe don\u2019t think this is the end-all solution to the water issue, but this could be a great solution in a lot of situations.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although simple in nature, the purifiers are offering citizens of the world cleaner, safer water and an innovation that impacts their quality of life \u2014 a trademark of Auburn engineers.<\/p>\n

For her work with the water purification systems, as well as her involvement in a number of campus and civic organizations, Emile Ewing was honored in February by Auburn\u2019s Women\u2019s Resource Center. She received the 2012 Women of Distinction Graduate Student Award for her outreach and recruiting efforts. Ewing has been involved in campus recruiting events, including E-Day and Talons Day, and has also volunteered for several community organizations, including the Humane Society and the Salvation Army. She is an accomplished athlete and has served as captain of Auburn\u2019s Swimming and Diving Team and participated in the Olympic Trials as a semifinalist.<\/p>\n