"Innovate or Die" Pedal Power to Pure Water
Posted by Tony Gilmore
The Ferruary 7th progam was given by two Concord High School Students based on their "Innovate or Die" High School project.
Julia Coffin and Alice Arsenault have recently developed a
pedal-powered water filtration system. They hope to implement their
innovation in developing countries this coming summer. They have
designed a prototype, and are now looking for support. They heard the
Rotary is actively involved in water filtration projects, and they
wanted to speak to Capital City. They will show their two minute video
presentation, a power point presentation, followed by a question and
answer period. Julia and Alice felt this is an perfect time to speak,
because it coincides with Rotary Global Humanitarian Awareness month.
The Concord Monitor explained the workings of the filter:
Roughly, their invention works like this: The bike is made stationary, and the back wheel is attached to a simple pump that looks like a tiny steamboat paddlewheel. The pump is attached to a hose, which sucks up contaminated water when the bike is pedaled. The hose leads to two pieces of PVC pipe.
The pipes, upright in a wooden stand, are where the water is filtered. Inside are pieces of smashed bricks or pottery coated with colloidal silver. The brick particles filter out dirt and sand; the colloidal silver kills bacteria. Colloidal silver is somewhat controversial: It isn't considered safe by the Food and Drug Administration due to possible side effects, but it is an inexpensive way to clean water.
The result is water that's safe enough to drink, made possible by a machine that's easy to build. It took Coffin and Arsenault less than four hours to assemble, and the parts, sans bike, cost about $25.
The Concord Monitor explained the workings of the filter:
Roughly, their invention works like this: The bike is made stationary, and the back wheel is attached to a simple pump that looks like a tiny steamboat paddlewheel. The pump is attached to a hose, which sucks up contaminated water when the bike is pedaled. The hose leads to two pieces of PVC pipe.
The pipes, upright in a wooden stand, are where the water is filtered. Inside are pieces of smashed bricks or pottery coated with colloidal silver. The brick particles filter out dirt and sand; the colloidal silver kills bacteria. Colloidal silver is somewhat controversial: It isn't considered safe by the Food and Drug Administration due to possible side effects, but it is an inexpensive way to clean water.
The result is water that's safe enough to drink, made possible by a machine that's easy to build. It took Coffin and Arsenault less than four hours to assemble, and the parts, sans bike, cost about $25.