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Sociedad de Historia Natural Niparajá, A.C. |
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Technology
The UV Bucket
The design of the UV Bucket is the result of a process of prototyping in the lab and experimenting on site in the rural communities so as to obtain a water purifying device that is efficient, low-cost, durable, easy-to-use and pleasing to the users in the rural communities. The process of dialogue between Niparaja and the users to improve the design of the system will be on-going over the two-year period of the project and over the long term.
The UV Bucket consists of a 15L bucket on top of which are placed a disinfection chamber with an ultraviolet lamp and an upper reservoir where the user pours the water to be treated. The lower 15 liter bucket has a faucet for dispensing the disinfected water. The mode of use is printed directly on the bucket.
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>>> Know more technichal characteristics Upper container
The upper reservoir is a simple cylindrical part with a parabolic shape coated with a reflective surface on the bottom. The silver-coated mylar allows reflection of the rays from the ultraviolet lamp down onto the water in the disinfection chamber. The upper reservoir receives 3 liters of water to be treated. The water flows down into the disinfection chamber at a rate of 3 liters per minute, the user can pour water in the upper reservoir several times, so as to reach the 12 liters to be stored in the lower bucket.
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Desinfection chamber
The water entering the disinfection chamber from the upper reservoir flows around three baffles (plastic divisions), and exits the chamber down onto the 15L bucket. The water flows at 2cm below the germicidal lamp. The water height in the chamber is 3.5cm.
The
water spends one minute in the chamber, which allows
bacteria, viruses, protozoa and other waterborne
pathogens to be
The chamber is equipped with a small siphon integrated in the wall of the final baffle, to allow the water to drain out completely after each use.
The lower bucket has a drain in case the user pours more water than the bucket can hold, so as to avoid flooding the lamp in the disinfection chamber.
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Electronic box
The electronic box unit consists of the lamp, ballast, switch and cable encapsulated with potting compound to form a solid, insulated unit that is easily inserted in the disinfection chamber. This design was adopted to facilitate the replacement process by the user, who will simply need to remove the lamp unit and obtain a new one at the closest rural store.
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This unit currently functions with 110V electric power and will be distributed in agricultural camps and low-income neighborhoods around the cities of Baja California Sur, where 110V is available. The next generation of UV buckets will function with 12VDC power to work with the solar panels of the rural families of Baja California Sur. The electronic engineers at Meridian Designs, met during the Development Marketplace event at the World Bank, developed a special 12V ballast optimized for the UV bucket which was finally completed in December 2006. |
Design of the 12V ballast for the UV Bucket by Meridian Designs |
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 Mode of use
1. Turn on the switch and verify the UV lamp turns on (blue color of uv rays is visible through the plastic). 2. Pour the water in the upper reservoir 3. Wait until the water reaches the lower bucket 4. Turn off the lamp 5. Serve yourself at the water dispenser |
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Last Update, May 2007
Sociedad de Historia Natural Niparajá, A.C. (C) 2005
