Project Proposal and Feasibility Study

Team 11: Travis Befus

Josiah Dobson

Brett Nicholson

December 9, 2011

© 2012 Travis Befus, Josiah Dobson, Brett Nicholson, and Calvin College

Ecuador2Water

Team 11: Water 2 Ecuador

Executive Summary

Water 2 Ecuador is a team of senior engineering students at Calvin College. The team is working with

HCJB Global (Heralding Christ Jesus' Blessings), a mission organization in Ecuador, to develop an

elevated water storage and distribution system that will be implemented in two rural villages—Iniayua

and Washintsa, located in the south-east region of Ecuador. The goal is to meet the needs of these sites

and provide HCJB with a design versatile enough to be implemented in any village in Ecuador.

There are several challenges to the design. The water towers must withstand, with limited maintenance,

the area’s harsh weather conditions. The tower must also be designed with adequate storage capacity to

provide for each community’s daily usage demands. Tower construction will be limited to locally

available materials or materials that can be flown in using small single engine aircraft. The structure must

also be simple to construct with local labor and without the use of electricity. Last, the pump failures

HCJB are experiencing with current systems must be analyzed and resolved.

Water 2 Ecuador is proposing a 20ft tall modular, steel tower with a 5000L collapsible storage tank to

meet each site’s demands. The tower will be fabricated at the HCJB base in Shell and flown in 6ft

sections to be constructed at each location. The system will include a Grundfos 2.5 SQF solar pump and

four 80W solar panels. Pressure for the distribution system will be provided by the elevated reservoir and

the system will consist of 10 cm diameter PVC pipe to each household.

The approximate cost for the tower and storage tank is $2,700. This price includes the tank, steel,

concrete, transportation, and installation costs. The pump and solar panels are $5,300 and the piping

distribution system is $500 for a community the size of Washintsa. Total cost for a complete system is

approximately $8,500. Prices will vary depending on the local market, site location, material availability,

and current import taxes levied on the tank and pumping components.

The team will travel to Ecuador in January 2012 to meet with the communities and collect site specific

data for the design. A prototype of the system will be constructed and presented in May, 2012 at the

Calvin College Engineering Design Night. The final design will be submitted to HCJB for construction in

the summer of 2012.

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Table of Contents

Table of Figures....................................................................................................................................... iv

Table of Tables........................................................................................................................................ iv

1. Introduction.......................................................................................................................................1

1.1 Team 11......................................................................................................................................1

1.2 Team Bios...................................................................................................................................2

1.3 HCJB Global Hands –Clean Water Projects...........................................................................2

1.4 Problem Statement....................................................................................................................3

1.5 Project Description....................................................................................................................4

1.5.1 Stage One............................................................................................................................4

1.5.2 Stage Two...........................................................................................................................4

1.5.3 Stage Three.........................................................................................................................6

1.6 Project Management..................................................................................................................7

1.6.1 Team Organization............................................................................................................7

1.6.2 Schedule..............................................................................................................................8

1.6.3 Budget Management..........................................................................................................8

1.6.4 Design Approach................................................................................................................9

1.7 Design Objectives.......................................................................................................................9

1.8 Design Norms.............................................................................................................................9

2. Design Requirements and Constraints...........................................................................................10

2.1 Tower Structure.......................................................................................................................10

2.1.1 Functional Requirements of Tower................................................................................10

2.1.2 Design Requirements of Tower.......................................................................................10

2.1.3 Constraints on Tower Design..........................................................................................12

2.2 Distribution System.................................................................................................................14

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2.2.1 Functional Requirements................................................................................................14

2.2.2 Distribution System Modeling........................................................................................14

3. Pump Design....................................................................................................................................14

3.1 Pump Problems........................................................................................................................14

3.2 Power Source............................................................................................................................15

3.3 Tank..........................................................................................................................................16

3.4 Water Demand.........................................................................................................................16

3.5 Solutions...................................................................................................................................18

3.5.1 Sand..................................................................................................................................19

3.5.2 Maintenance.....................................................................................................................19

4. Design Alternatives..........................................................................................................................20

4.1 Tower Alternatives..................................................................................................................20

4.1.1 Alternative 1 – Steel Structure........................................................................................20

4.1.2 Alternative 2 – Timber Structure...................................................................................21

4.1.4 Alternative 4 – Polymer Construction............................................................................21

4.2 Tank Alternatives....................................................................................................................22

6. Preliminary Design..........................................................................................................................25

7. Trip to Ecuador...............................................................................................................................25

8. Project Budget.................................................................................................................................26

9. Conclusion........................................................................................................................................27

10. Acknowledgements......................................................................................................................28

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Table of Figures

Figure 1: Team 11 (from left): Josiah Dobson, Brett Nicholson, Travis Befus............................................1

Figure 2: Image of Iniyaua's current tower that needs replacing..................................................................4

Figure 3: Map showing locations of Iniayua and Washintsa (Google Maps)...............................................5

Figure 4: Location of Shell, Iniayua, and Washintsa in Ecuador (Google maps).........................................6

Figure 5: Image of the aircraft used to transport materials........................................................................13

Figure 6: Water Demand Curves for Iniayua.............................................................................................17

Figure 7: Drop in tank water level throughout the day using Demand Pattern 1........................................17

Figure 8: Drop in water elevation using Demand Pattern 2.......................................................................18

Figure 9: Steel Tower Design....................................................................................................................20

Figure 10: Wood Tower Design................................................................................................................21

Figure 11: 3000L Open Collapsible Tank..................................................................................................23

Figure 12: Collapsed Size of 10,000L Tank..............................................................................................23

Table of Tables

Table 1: Polymer Properties......................................................................................................................22

Table 2: Decision Matrix...........................................................................................................................24

Table 3: Budget Summary.........................................................................................................................26

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1. Introduction

Water 2 Ecuador is a project focused on providing clean water to rural communities in Ecuador through

the design of an elevated water storage reservoir and distribution system. The team of Calvin College

senior engineering students is working with HCJB Global (Heralding Christ Jesus’ Blessings), a mission

organization dedicated to providing clean water and health care to the people of Ecuador. The design will

meet the specific needs of two communities in southeast Ecuador, Iniayua and Washintsa, but will be

adaptable for any village setting throughout Ecuador.

1.1 Team 11

The team members, Travis Befus, Josiah Dobson, and Brett Nicholson, are all engineering students in the

civil and environmental concentration. Each member brings a unique set of skills and experiences to

create a well-equipped team capable of producing a quality design. All three of the members have spent

extensive time living and serving in mission settings in developing nations. The combined experiences are

ideal for the international and mission aspects of the project. The team members are committed to

utilizing their education in providing a better way of life for impoverished communities.

Figure 1: Team 11 (from left): Josiah Dobson, Brett Nicholson, Travis Befus

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1.2 Team Bios

Travis Befus

Travis Befus was born in Costa Rica and lived in Mexico where his parents served as missionaries. He

currently lives in Wisconsin and is planning to find a job upon graduating from Calvin in May. This

summer, Travis interned with Clearwater Construction.

Josiah Dobson

Josiah Dobson spent the first 18 years of his life in Turkey, where his parents served as missionaries. His

life passion is ministry and mission work and he is planning on attending Moody Seminary in Chicago

after graduation. He currently works as an engineering intern for the city engineer of Kentwood providing

storm water and drainage system analysis. Josiah will be graduating in engineering with a concentration

in civil and environmental engineering and a math minor.

Brett Nicholson

Brett Nicholson was born in Ontario, Canada, but grew up in Papua New Guinea where his parents have

been serving for the past 25 years with Mission Aviation Fellowship. This summer, Brett worked as an

engineering intern and construction supervisor for InterOil Corporation in Papua New Guinea. He will be

graduating with an engineering degree in the civil and environmental concentration and a business minor.

His plan is to gain experience with InterOil in the oil exploration industry before pursuing a master’s

degree in petroleum engineering or geophysics.

1.3 HCJB Global Hands –Clean Water Projects

HCJB Global Hands is the Ecuadorian division of HCJB Global that is committed to improving rural

healthcare and community development. The Water Projects team consists of engineers and healthcare

professions that teach better hygiene practices, design and construct water systems, and educate

communities on the importance of sanitation and safe drinking water. The key to Water Projects

involvement is in teaching the communities to take responsibility of their own sanitation and health.

For HCJB, clean water projects and community development go hand in hand. A community must be

fully committed to taking responsibility for improving their healthcare and hygiene before HCJB will get

involved. Experience has shown that without the community’s involvement in the project, there is no

responsibility and the clean water systems are not maintained. When the community unites together and

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supplies the majority of the labor and resources, there is a pride in the finished project and a desire to

maintain the system.

The method usually employed in a water project is that HCJB will be approached by a community

desiring a water system for their village. HCJB conducts a preliminary feasibility study of the community

and provides training on basic sanitary practices. If the community is fully committed to take

responsibility of the project, HCJB completes all engineering design work for the system and supervises

construction of the project. The system is built, maintained, and managed by each community.

1.4 Problem Statement

The fundamental problem to be addressed is common for many rural communities in Ecuador; there is

limited access to a regular supply of clean water. Waterborne diseases due to unsafe drinking water and

poor sanitation habits lead to high infant mortality rates throughout Ecuador. Many villagers must carry

water by hand to their homes. Children cannot attend school since they retrieve water during the day and

often the water collected from the open springs is contaminated.

Thanks to HCJB, some communities do have a pumping system and water tower to provide clean water to

each home in the community. Unfortunately, these systems experience multiple problems. The first is that

the pumps regularly fail for unknown reasons. The pumps are solar powered pumps that are submerged in

the spring collection basin and pump water into the elevated reservoir for distribution to the community.

Possible causes to the failures are high levels of sand being pumped through the system and electrical

component failures resulting from inadequate voltages from the solar panels.

The second problem is that the tower reservoir structures do not withstand the weather conditions. High

temperatures and rainfall limit the lifespan of the wood structures. The reservoirs also do not meet the

daily demand requirements of the villages. The towers have a maximum capacity of 2,200L while daily

demands regularly exceed 10,000L per day.

Two communities, in particular, are in need of assistance. Washintsa is a 15 home community with no

pump, reservoir, or distribution system in place. Water is transported by hand from the spring up to the

village. Iniayua is a 25 home community with a pumping system in operation. Their water tower is on the

verge of collapse, does not provide adequate capacity, and their solar power pumps regularly fail. The

tower is a safety hazard to the community and the people cannot afford to regularly replace the solar

pumps. Figure 2 is a current photograph of the tower in Iniayua.

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Figure 2: Image of Iniyaua's current tower that needs replacing

1.5 Project Description

There are three stages to the project. Stage One, occurring during the fall and interim semesters, includes

all preliminary research, design, and fundraising. The second stage is the trip to Ecuador in which the

team will visit both Washintsa and Iniayua to meet with the communities and collect data. The third stage

will take place during the spring semester and will include finalizing the designs and constructing the

prototype system.

1.5.1 Stage One

Contact was made with HCJB and a problem statement was defined. The team determined the key

objectives that HCJB wants met and the requirements and constraints for the project. Preliminary research

has been conducted on pumps, materials, sites, and construction techniques. Design alternatives were

considered and compared based on the different materials, costs, ease of construction, and durability.

1.5.2 Stage Two

Stage two of the project will be travelling to Ecuador to complete site surveys of Washintsa and Iniayua.

Information must be gathered on wind loads, topography, and seismic data for the locations. Soil types

will be analyzed as well as the population and water demands for each community. The current water

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systems of the communities will also be evaluated as well as all system components costs in Ecuador. The

team is planning to travel to Ecuador in January, 2012.

Washintsa is a 15 home community with a population of approximately120 people. It is located

approximately 2 km north of the Pastaza River in the Pastaza province at latS-2.171, longW-77.486.

Washintsa has an elevation of 1900 meters above sea level (msl). Iniayua is larger with a population of

200. It is located in the Morona-Santiago province 25 km east of the town of Macuma. Iniayua has an

elevation of 1600msl and is located at latS -2.041, longW-77.569. The two sites are 20 km apart, but are

separated by dense jungle and the Pastaza River. Each community has a small airstrip that is used to bring

in supplies and materials. The flight is 25 minutes from Shell, where HCJB is based. Figure 3 and Figure

4 display local and overview maps of the locations.

Figure 3: Map showing locations of Iniayua and Washintsa (Google Maps)

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Figure 4: Location of Shell, Iniayua, and Washintsa in Ecuador (Google maps)

1.5.3 Stage Three

The third stage will take place during the spring 2012 semester. The team will analyze the data collected

and make any site specific adjustments to the design. The team will construct a working prototype of the

water tower to determine all the construction requirements and to make further adjustments to the design.

The team will need to identify all the maintenance and construction issues that the villagers would face

and develop a maintenance program that addresses those issues.

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1.6 Project Management

1.6.1 Team Organization

Each team member has a specific role on the team and is in charge of one third of the overall project. All

members will work together on all parts of the project with the respective group member leading the other

members when working on their section.

Travis is in charge of the pumps, topography, geography, working with water distribution analysis, and

will be sharing the task of e-mail communication with Brett. In addition to his role in communication,

Brett will be responsible for the structure, design, and materials in the water tower. Josiah is the project

manager and is designing the water distribution system including but not limited to the flow, pipe sizes,

head loss, and computer modeling. He will also be developing a design for the wood tower, the team

website, a feasible budget, and is in charge of the managing that budget.

Team meetings are conducted between four and six times a week. These meetings are usually at least half

an hour and can run as long as five hours, depending on the nature of the meeting. The meetings are

conducted either during designated class periods or upon request of one or more of the team members. A

team meeting consists of the group meeting at Team 11’s workstation, in the Engineering Building, where

the first order of business is generally an oral progress report from each member. The next task on the

agenda is to discuss the topic that the team member(s) who initiated the meeting wanted to talk about.

Any other questions regarding the team are asked after this and the team will then decide whether any

tasks must be done as a group. If the group has group work to do then the team either agrees on a future

time to meet and complete the task or, if each member’s schedule permits, completes the task while

everyone is still gathered for the meeting. The meeting is concluded when the team unanimously decides

to disperse.

All documentation including, but not limited to, meeting minutes, research notes, test results, major

reports, presentations, important email, contact lists, schedule, budget, schedules, web site information,

etc. are stored on Google Docs. A simple word document with html links embedded within it make the

documents easy to navigate to by simple opening an internet browser and pasting the following link into

the in the search tab. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fiysvw4yGCt9nTWWLLMKcxOCsipafyrah-

BKdZJwon0/edit?hl=en_US .

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1.6.2 Schedule

Effective scheduling is critical to project success. The team will attempt to get any major assignment

done at least a week in advance to leave room for editing, miscommunication, technical issue, etc.

Each team member submitted their schedule to Josiah. Josiah then posted the schedules to Google

Calendars. Google Calendars was selected because of its unique feature; like Google Docs the

document or schedule can be manipulated and viewed by any group member who has access to the

internet. This also allows Josiah, who is accountable for scheduling, to update the schedule with ease

because Google Calendar’s only requirement is the internet. In the case of any member of the team

falling behind the team simply has a meeting and determines what the problem is. If the work load is

too great for the group the tasks are split up into more manageable tasks, this allows the other

members to assist each other more readily. If the group as a whole is behind schedule, the team has a

meeting, revises the schedule, and if the problem is internal the group meets with Professor Wunder

and discusses ways to get on schedule. On average, the team works between 13 and 15 hours per week

per person, work load varies slightly depending on each student’s schedule for the week.

1.6.3 Budget Management

Team Ecuador requires a larger than average budget due to the costs associated with traveling to Ecuador

and construction costs associated with modeling. The team is raising money through applying for grants.

The budget is managed by Josiah; nevertheless each member has a crucial role in the budget. Josiah is the

financial manager, Travis is in charge of fund raising and Brett is in charge of the money and helps asses

were the team stands financially. In this way, the budget is managed by the entire team and can be viewed

or updated at any time through Google Docs. This gives any member of the team the opportunity to revise

any aspect of the budget; upon revision the entire team is notified via e-mail. Using this method the

budget acts as a powerful management tool because it gives the team a sense of what can be

accomplished with the funds available, helps the team understand what aspects of the project are the most

important, helps the team value the opportunity they have, and mostly helps the team act as good stewards

of the funds God has provided them. When budgeting issues arise, the team discusses ways in which they

can raise money. If the funds simply cannot be acquired the team considers less expensive and or

different alternatives.

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1.6.4 Design Approach

The approach used for design work is an attempt at finding a method that is efficient, resistant to seismic

activity, economical, meets HCJB constraints, and is feasible for present demand and can fulfill demands

for the projected fifty year design life. The first step to acquiring a design is compiling all of the

constraints placed on the tower by HCJB, nature, and the budget. This allows the team to make a decision

matrix that takes into account the different materials and designs used on the system. Initially the team

narrows down the task of research by considering the design constraints and monetary barriers. Research

becomes more specific and comprehensive as the team specifies design material, structural plans, and

details of the distribution system. To effectively complete the project, communication is vital. For these

reasons it is important that the team maintains transparency with each other and the clients.

1.7 Design Objectives

There are three key objectives that the project must meet. The first objective is to design an inexpensive,

elevated water reservoir that is simple to construct using the local labor force and without the use of

electricity. All materials must be available onsite, or be small enough to transport to the village using a

small single engine aircraft. The tower must withstand the harsh climate and provide adequate storage and

pressure to meet the demands.

The second objective is to design a system that minimizes future pump failures by reducing the amount of

sand passing through the pump and monitoring the electric current supplied to the pump. Objective three

is to design a complete water distribution system for Washintsa. This will include determining the optimal

pump and number of solar panels, tower location and capacity, and piping requirements to each

household.

1.8 Design Norms

Team Water 2 Ecuador is determined to demonstrate good stewardship in Ecuador. The group will

accomplish this by utilizing materials local to Ecuador and cutting back on any unnecessary costs.

Managing resources wisely helps save HCJB resources, which opens the doors for HCJB to work on other

ministry projects. Another design norm that the team considers imperative for this project to become a

success is transparency. Poor communication could lead to loss of time, resources, damaged relationships

between HCJB and Calvin College, or even failure to design an effective water distribution system.

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Therefore the team will focus on providing the client with any and all important information and design

decisions and will maintain open and clear communication with any parties involved.

2. Design Requirements and Constraints

There are multiple requirements and constraints that the project must meet. The tower must meet both

functional and design requirements and is constrained by transportation size, cost, and design simplicity.

The distribution and pumping system must also meet the specific requirements provided by HCJB.

2.1 Tower Structure

2.1.1 Functional Requirements of Tower

The two functional requirements that the tower structure must meet are pressure requirements in the

system and capacity requirements to meet daily demand conditions. The pressure in the system is

determined by the water head provided by the height of the tower. HCJB provides minimum and

maximum pressure constraints and daily demand data for their systems and communities.

The minimum head of pressure at any household node is 5 meters (16.4 ft). The pressure at any household

node may not exceed 80 meters of head (262.5 ft).1 For a community in which the tower is situated at a

higher elevation than the houses, the minimum tower height requirement reduces accordingly. Head

losses due to pipe friction must also be taken into account.

Reservoir capacity requirements are determined by the daily demands for each community. HCJB

requires minimum system storage of 35% of average daily demand, but recommends a minimum of 50%

for any system that lacks a steady power supply for the pump.2 The given daily demand per capita per day

is 50L. Washintsa has an estimated population of 120, which yields an average daily demand of 6000L.

Iniayua, with a population of 200, yields an average demand of 10,000L per day. The minimum reservoir

capacity, based on 50% of average daily demand is 5000L.

2.1.2 Design Requirements of Tower

The design requirements of the tower are based on the mass of water stored in the reservoir and on the

wind and seismic loadings provided by the Uniform Building Code. The structure must support the

reservoir weight as well as the specified maximum wind loads and earthquakes forces. The mass of

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5000L of water, plus the mass of the tank materials (50 kg), is a total of 5050 kg that must be supported

by the tower. This is the vertical load on the tower.

The lateral loading is the combined seismic and wind forces. The wind loads were calculated in

accordance with Section 1615 of the Uniform Building Code (UBC) Volume 2, 1997. The design wind

pressure is calculated using the equation provided in UBC Section 1620, shown below.

Equation 1: P=C e∗C q∗qs∗Iw

“P = Design Wind Pressure

Ce= Combined height, exposure and gust factor coefficient

Cq= Pressure Coefficient for the structure

qs= Wind stagnation pressure at the standard height of 33 feet

Iw= Importance Factor”3

An exposure category C was chosen to represent our sites. Category C is mainly flat land with strong

winds and minimal ground cover or other structures. The average wind speed used for the preliminary

calculations is a 90 mph, 3 second gust wind. Due to lack of site information, 90 mph was chosen for a

basis of design and will be adjusted as more accurate data is collected. For a 25 ft. tall tower, the Ce

coefficient was determined to be 1.19.4

The pressure coefficient, Cq, taken from Table 16-H (UBC), has a value of 3.6 for an open frame tower

and 0.8 for the water tank. The importance factor, Iw, is 1.0 from Table 16-K (UBC). The wind stagnation

pressure, qs, is given as 16.4 psf. in Table 16-F (UBC).

Using Equation 1 and the above coefficients, design wind pressures were calculated for both the frame of

the tower and for the water tanks. The minimum design pressure requirement for the open frame is 89.1

psf. The minimum pressure for the reservoir is 19.8 psf. All wind loads are calculated normal to the

projected surface area of the structure.

The seismic loads are also determined according to the 1997 Uniform Building Code. Due to lack of site

specific data, both sites were designated as Zone 4 (the worst case for seismic loads). Quito, a nearby city

in Ecuador, is located in a Seismic Zone 4. Sections 1629 and 1630 from UBC 1997 were used in

calculating the minimum seismic design forces on the structure. 1629.3 states that “When the soil

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properties are not known in sufficient detail to determine the soil profile type, Type SD shall be used”5

Since soil profiles at the sites have not been collected, the preliminary design is based on a SD soil type.

Total lateral force was calculated using Equation 2 from Section 1632.2 UBC 1997.

Equation 2: F p=4.0∗Ca∗I p∗W p

Fp = Total Design Lateral Force

Ca= Seismic Coefficient

Ip= Importance Factor

Wp= Weight of an element or component

The seismic coefficient, Ca, is given as 0.40*Na in Table 16-Q (UBC). Na, from Table 16-S, is 1.0. The

importance factor is 1.0. The weight used is the total reservoir weight of 5050kg. The total design lateral

force was calculated to be 808 kg (1855.5 plf. at the tower base).

2.1.3 Constraints on Tower Design

Due to the remote locations, Washintsa and Iniayua are only accessible by air. All supplies and materials

are constrained to what is available on site, or can be transported in single engine aircraft from the town

of Shell, Ecuador. The communities are located in the Amazon basin, so wood is an inexpensive,

abundant resource available on site. Sand and gravel are also available to be used for a concrete

foundation. All pipes, tanks, pumps, solar panels, and steel must be flown in.

Each village has a small airstrip that is served by Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF), a mission

organization that provides support to rural communities throughout the world. MAF in Ecuador operate

Cessna 206 aircraft, a single engine, 5 passenger plane. All materials flown in to the site must meet the

weight and length requirements of the plane. The longest piece of pipe or steel must be less than 6.5 ft

long. The size of the plane also constrains the size of water tank that can be used. The largest hard plastic

tank that will fit is a 550L tank. Much larger collapsible tanks can be used due to their small

transportation size.

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The weight capacity of the plane varies with the length of flight and the availability of fuel at the

destination. A one hour flight that is carrying enough fuel for the return trip has a maximum loading of

330kg. If fuel is available at the destination the maximum weight capacity increases to 370kg. The pilot’s

weight must also be included, which will decrease the weight capacity of the aircraft. Washintsa is only a

25 minute flight from Shell which reduces the amount of fuel required. A rough estimate is that the plane

can carry 350kg out of Shell. Iniayua is a 35 minute flight so is approximately the same weight capacity.

These values are rough estimates and accurate capacities must be given by the pilot on the day of the

flight.

Figure 5: Image of the aircraft used to transport materials

The complexity of the construction methods are constrained by both the lack of skilled labor and the lack

of electricity on site. All construction will be conducted by the local community members under the

supervision of the HCJB engineer. The methods must be simple and straightforward with minimal

possibilities for error. The lack of electricity requires that any metal work must be conducted in Shell

before the pieces are transported to the village. All structure pieces must be predrilled, cut or welded so

that a simple nut and bolt connection is all that is required on site.

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2.2 Distribution System

2.2.1 Functional Requirements

The distribution system has three functional requirements that it must fulfill; however, two of these

requirements have already been mentioned as they are controlled by the elevated storage tank. The first

two requirements pertain to the pressure in the system and the capacity in the elevated storage tank. The

third requirement is the minimum diameter of the PVC pipe that HCJB uses in their water distribution

systems. According to HCJB’s standards outlined on their website, the minimum required pipe diameter

for buried PVC pipe is 50mm.6 This will provide enough flow for up to fifty families assuming each

family has eight people in it. The exact layouts of the villages have not been acquired. By travelling to

Ecuador in January, the team plans to map the villages using GIS equipment. Using that layout, the pipe

system will be constructed, and the total length of pipe needed for each village will be determined.

The villages are designed around homes with 8 people in them. Each person needs 50 liters of water a

day. Iniayua is modeled as a 25 home community. Therefore, the total population of Iniayua is 200

people, and the total daily demand is 10,000 liters (2642 gal). Washintsa is modeled as a 15 home

community. Its population is therefore 120, and the total daily demand is 6,000 liters (1585 gal).

2.2.2 Distribution System Modeling

All modeling for the water distribution system will be done using the EPANET 2.0 computer program.

EPANET will be able to model both the existing piping system in Iniyawa and the proposed system in

Washintsa. With this software the team will be able to perform extended period simulations, check for

minimum pressure constraints under max flow conditions, verify maximum head of five meters under no

flow conditions and verify that the three main parts of the water distribution system work together. A

preliminary model has been constructed in EPANET and will be updated as further site data is collected.

3. Pump Design

3.1 Pump Problems

The pumps that were being used in the villages have started failing. The reason for that failure is

unknown. Investigating the cause of pump failure is part of this project. Three possible causes of failure

are being investigated. One option is that the solar panels are not providing adequate power and that the

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control box is not shutting off the pump at the minimum cut-off voltage. A second option is that too much

sand is flowing through the pump and causing failure. A third option is that the people of the villages

have not conducted proper maintenance of the pump.

HCJB use the Grundfos SQF 2.5 solar powered pump in most of the current systems. The team conducted

preliminary research on wind powered pumps, but wind data showed poor wind performance at the two

locations. HCJB recommended using the current Grundfos pump to simplify maintenance and minimize

the amount of different replacement parts for the pumps. All modeling was conducted using the 2.5 SQF

pump.

3.2 Power Source

The villages use four 80 watt solar panels to operate the pump. Solar panels are rated based on how much

power they provide during peak sunlight hours. Therefore, during peak sunlight, the solar panels provide

320 watts of power to the pump. Since the pump requires a power input of 250 watts for full capacity

operation, the solar panels should easily provide enough power for full level operations during peak

sunlight.

According to HCJB, the village is sunny in the morning until 2:00pm when it rains. The EPANET model

assumes that the solar panels receive peak sunshine from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00p.m. During the team’s trip

down to Ecuador in January, a multimeter will be used to verify the amount of current going to the pump

and the time of day the solar panels get the most power.

At full operation level, the pump is expected to deliver a head of 9 meters of water to the water tower.

According to the pump curve, the pump with a 9 meter head can deliver a flow of 2.4 m3/hr (10.57 gpm)

with a power source of 250 watts. Since the solar panels provide 320 watts during peak sunlight, the

pump should be able to run on full capacity for those four hours that the sun is at its peak.

Using a pump flow rate of 10.6 gpm, the villages can expect 2,536 gallons (9,600 L) of water a day. This

is enough water for Washintsa, but it leaves Iniayua short 400 liters (106 gal) of the expected daily

demand. This flow rate is based on the assumption that the pump only operates for four hours during a

day. If the pump operated for another half hour, the demand will be met for Iniayua. If the assumption

that the pump can only operate for four hours a day is accurate, however, Iniayua would need to install a

fifth solar panel, or they would have to find another energy source that lets the pump operate outside of

peak sunlight hours.

15

3.3 Tank

The tank being considered for the villages is a Storage Tank Solutions collapsible tank. This tank can

collapse into a 20 inch diameter cylinder that is 48 inches high. The reason why the team chose a

collapsible tank is so that it would be easier to transport in a five-seater plane to the villages. When the

tank is unfolded, it will have a 7-foot and 6-inch diameter cylinder that measures 47 inches high. The tank

should hold 5,000 liters of water. This is 50% of the daily demand of Iniayua and 83% of the daily

demand of Washintsa. According to HCJB guidelines, the minimum storage capacity is 35% of the daily

demand.7 This tank meets the minimum requirements for both villages.

The tank was used when modeling the distribution network in Iniayua on EPANET. The tank that Iniayua

is currently using only holds 2,200 liters. In Iniayua, the problem is that the pump keeps mechanically

failing. A possible reason for the pump failure is that the pump is trying to pump with inadequate power.

By adding a bigger tank, the pump will not have to pump during non-ideal conditions. Therefore, the

S.T.S tank should be a major improvement to the current distribution network and aid in extending the

pump life.

3.4 Water Demand

Since the pump can only operate during peak sunlight hours, the time of the day that water is being used

has a major effect on the system. Two demand curves options are analyzed on EPANET. The first

demand curve models a village that uses water only during daylight hours and the peak demand occurs

during the peak sunlight hours. The second demand curve models a village that uses water only during the

day, but the peak demand occurs in the morning and evening when the pump is not operating under peak

sunlight conditions. Using EPANET, an analysis of the two demand patterns was completed on Iniayua.

Figure 6 below shows the demand curves for Iniayua. The actual demand rate will be observed during the

trip to Ecuador in January by using a flow meter.

16

1:00 AM

3:00 AM

5:00 AM

7:00 AM

9:00 AM

11:00 AM

1:00 PM

3:00 PM

5:00 PM

7:00 PM

9:00 PM

11:00 PM0123456789

Demand Curves for Iniayua

Pattern 2Pattern 1

Dem

and

(gpm

)

Figure 6: Water Demand Curves for Iniayua

If the demand rate was in sync with pump operation like it is with Demand Curve 1, the water level would

drop a little over one foot by the end of the day. The pump operates on full capacity for the full four hours

of peak sunlight. Therefore, the pump cannot keep up with the demand, and every day the water level will

drop by one foot. In this case, the village would be forced to ration its water. Tank depth is shown in

Figure 7 below. The total tank depth is 4 ft.

Figure 7: Drop in tank water level throughout the day using Demand Pattern 1

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The demand curve that is not in sync with the pump causes the tank to empty over 3 feet by 10:00 a.m. At

10:00 a.m., the demand for water decreases and the pump starts operating. As a result, the tank fills to full

capacity by 11:00 a.m. The pump stops working on full capacity for two hours and turns off at 2:00 p.m.

(hour 14). From 2:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. the tank empties three feet. The tank is one-third full at the end of

the day. If demand continued at this rate, the next day the water tank will be drained.

Figure 8: Drop in water elevation using Demand Pattern 2

As a result of demand 2 analysis, it is essential that the pump operate at a higher capacity during peak

demand hour. Otherwise, the 5000L tank would not meet the daily demands of the village.

3.5 Solutions

One way to make the system work more efficiently is through installing a battery storage system. The

extra energy that the solar panels produce during peak solar hours could be stored in the battery and used

at a different time. HCJB, however, does not want to use battery power because batteries have been stolen

and used for other purposes. HCJB want a system that uses only solar energy to pump water up to the

tank. The only way to store the energy obtained by the solar panels during the day is by sizing the tank.

With a bigger tank size, the pump will be able to pump more water during sunlight hours.

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The next bigger tank size that S.T.S provides is a 10,000 liter tank. This tank, however, does not fit into

the pre-specified tower structure platform. It would also cause too much stress on the tower structure. In

order to use a 10,000 liter tank, the cost of building the water tower structure would increase.

Another way to increase the storage capacity of the tower is by adding 550 liter barrels under the 5,000

liter tank. This design would mean adding another platform under the 5,000 liter tank platform. These

“mini-tanks” would come into operation when the 5,000 liter tank is completely full. They would drain

when the 5,000 liter tank is empty. The mini-tanks cost $200 and are the tanks that HCJB currently use in

their systems.

In addition to adding to the tank capacity, the water distribution system could also improve by adjusting

the water demand pattern. By having villagers use water during pump operation, the tank would not have

to be sized for large storage. One of the objectives during the team trip down to Ecuador in January is to

gather information about the daily water routines of the villagers. The daily water needs will be

documented, and alternative water usage routines will be analyzed. The villager’s preferences will be

taken into consideration when designing the water routine. Water conservation methods will be

investigated as well.

3.5.1 Sand

Sand is an abrasive that wears away at the pump. It goes through the pump and first starts to damage the

lower brushing. Once the lower brushing is compromised, the shaft becomes unstable, and the pump

starts to vibrate. If the problem continues, the pump will develop more internal problems and eventually

fail altogether.8

Grundfos put a sand concentration limit on its pump models. For the pump used in Ecuador, the sand

concentration limit is 50 g/m3.9 On the site visit in January, our team plans to gather a water sample from

the springs where the water originates. These samples will be tested for sand concentration. In addition,

the performance of the pump will also be monitored. The team will pay close attention to the pump’s

vibration.10

3.5.2 Maintenance

Another possible source of energy loss is dirty solar panels. Cleaning off the dirt from the panels could

increase the efficiency of the panels. One of the goals for the trip in January is to check the condition of

the solar panels and see if proper maintenance has been conducted.

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4. Design Alternatives

The team has determined multiple design alternatives to consider. The alternatives make use of various

tower structure materials, tank configurations, and foundation designs to meet the requirements. The

alternatives include a complete steel tower, a timber frame tower, a wood tower with metal bracket

connections, and both solid and collapsible tanks.

4.1 Tower Alternatives

4.1.1 Alternative 1 – Steel Structure

The first alternative is a complete steel structure. The proposed tower is 18ft tall with a 6ft square

platform and base. All steel members are 2.5x2.5x1/4 steel L shaped angles that are 6 feet in length.

Each member is pre-cut and drilled by a local metal shop in Shell, and transported to the site. The tower

will sustain a maximum loading of 5 tons (5000L) and meets the wind and seismic codes provided in

UBC 1997.

Figure 9: Steel Tower Design

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4.1.2 Alternative 2 – Timber Structure

The second design is a tower constructed of local timber. It uses 18ft long hardwood posts that are

8inx8in. The cross pieces and platform members are 4x4 in. The top platform is 8ft x 8ft square. The

wooden tower requires a greater construction time and effort, and does not have the lifespan of the steel

structure. The wooden tower is not limited by material sizes, thus the greater platform area yielding a

larger reservoir capacity. The wood tower can easily be designed to accommodate the larger 10,000L.

Figure 10: Wood Tower Design

4.1.3 Alternative 3 - Timber Structure with Metal Connections

The third alternative is to use the locally available timber but to also fabricate metal connection plates to

brace the structure and aid in bolting the members together. The plates are of 1/4in. thick steel and will be

cut and pre-drilled in Shell. Lag bolts will be used to connect the plates to the structure. This alternative

will save on transportation costs compared to the steel tower, and provide greater strength and ease of

construction than the complete wood structure.

4.1.4 Alternative 4 – Polymer Construction

Using polymers as a construction material is a fourth option that our team is considering. Currently, we

are looking at ABS, PE, PP, PA, and HDPE polymers. According to Interstate Plastics in Table 1, the

strongest polymer is ABS plastics. The values of polymer strengths made by the Interstate Plastics are

21

much higher than normal polymer strengths. A cost comparison of these five polymers shows that the

cheapest polymer is PP and the most expensive polymer is PA. ABS polymer is in the middle of the cost

range. Comparing these polymers to common woods show that they are viable alternatives, strength wise,

to wood structures.

Table 1: Polymer Properties

The four columns must be able to support the 5000L load on the tower. These columns need to be able to

withstand buckling due to 5 metric tons. Equation 3 is used to determine a polymer’s buckling failure.

F e=π 2 EI /(KL)2

From Interstate Plastics, each polymer rod of acetal/derlin costs approximately $1,800 dollars. Four rods

would cost $7,200. From a strength perspective, the polymers are an alternative, but due to the greater

costs than steel or wood, and the lack of polymer suppliers in Ecuador, we have deemed polymers as

unacceptable for our design.11

4.2 Tank Alternatives

HCJB currently use four, 550L plastic tanks per tower. The tanks are the largest solid tanks that can be

transported to the village. The total capacity is 2,200 Liters. The tanks are available in Ecuador and are of

durable plastic with a sealed cover. The collapsible tanks that the team is considering are sold by Storage

Tank Solutions in the United States. They come in 3000L, 5000L or 10,000L capacities and are wire

mesh frames with a thermoplastic liner.12 The cost of the collapsible tank is $900-$1000 depending on

size. Figure 11 and Figure 12 display the open and collapsed tanks.

22

Figure 11: 3000L Open Collapsible Tank

Figure 12: Collapsed Size of 10,000L Tank

23

5. Design Selection

A decision matrix was employed to compare alternatives based on the project objectives. Each of the

objectives was given an importance weighting and the alternatives were assigned a number (with 10 being

the best) on the ability of that alternative to meet the specific objective. Durability and ease of

construction had the highest weightings of 25% each due to the importance of the system lasting for many

years with minimal maintenance and that the system be safely and easily constructed by the local

community members. Cost and storage capacity were each weighted at 20% because they are important

factors, but have some variability due to the different community requirements. Resource stewardship is

the fifth factor used in the comparison. The team is striving to use locally available materials that have a

low impact on the environment. Table 2 displays the decision matrix used.

Table 2: Decision Matrix

Decision Matrix (1-10 scale)

weight%

steel w/ collapsible

tank

steel w/

plastic tanks

wooden w/

collapsible tank

wood w/

plastic tanks

metal connection

w/ collapsible

tank

metal connection w/ plastic

tank

Cost 20 5 5 7 7 6 6Durability 25 7 8 5 6 6 7

Storage Capacity 20 7 5 9 7 9 7Ease of

Construction25 9 9 4 4 5 5

Resource Stewardship

10 5 5 7 7 6 6

Totals 100 6.9 6.75 6.15 6.0 6.35 6.2

The collapsible tanks have a larger capacity than the plastic tanks, but are less durable as is reflected in

the decision matrix. The wood towers are larger so can support larger tanks which yield a greater storage

capacity, and they are less expensive than the steel towers. The wood towers are also more sustainably

friendly for the environment. The draw backs to the wood towers compared to steel are that they are more

complicated to construct and are less resistant to rain, heat, or termites.

24

The wood towers with metal brackets scored better on the matrix than the wood towers did primarily due

to easier construction methods and greater durability. The steel towers had the highest scores. They are

the easiest to construct and the most durable.

6. Preliminary Design

The steel tower with the collapsible tank was selected as the best design option. It has a base width of 6ft

and a top platform that is 7 ft. square (an overhang of 1 ft. on all sides). The 5000L collapsible tank will

be used for the reservoir. The height of the tower will be 18ft tall to the base of the platform.

The pump chosen is the Grundfos 2.5 SQF submersible solar powered pump. It will be powered by four

80W Grundfos solar panels that are attached to the top of the water tower. The preliminary model of the

distribution system will be updated after the team has collected accurate data while in Ecuador.

6.1.1 Foundation Design

The foundations are designed as four individual concrete footings supporting each column. Due to the

lack of site-specific soil data, the soil at the two locations was assumed as having a load-bearing pressure

of 2000 lb/ft2, the average pressure for clay soil. Accurate data will be collected in January and the

bearing pressure will be adjusted accordingly. The load on each column is 1500kg (3307 lb). The

calculated minimum footing size is 1.653 ft2 which yields a square footing with a side length of 1.285ft

(40cm). The thickness of the footing is 12in.

7. Trip to Ecuador

The team has purchased plane tickets to travel to Ecuador on January 21 and return to Grand Rapids on

the 31. Two nights will be spent in transit in Quito, two nights in Shell at the HCJB guest house, and the

remainder of the time will be spent at the two remote locations of Washintsa and Iniayua. Contact will be

made with the HCJB engineers and the preliminary design and project ideas will be discussed.

Since Iniayua already has a water distribution system set up, the team will go to that village first. While

there, the team will gather information about the current set-up, and they will analyze the current pump

problem the village is experiencing. For two days, the team will set up measurement devices to test the

daily operations of the water distribution system. A multimeter will be connected to the solar panels to

monitor the amount of power that the solar panels receive. The weather for the village will be recorded as

well, and the solar power data will be compared to the weather data observed in those villages. A flow

meter will be used to monitor the flow rate of water going through the system. After setting up the

25

measurement devices, the team will map out the layout of the village by using a transit and surveyor pole.

After taking all those measurements, the team will document the types of uses for water in the village.

Since Washintsa does not have any distribution system set up, the team will not be able to take precise

measurements of water consumption or solar energy consumption. The team will document the types of

uses for water in the village and take note of any differences in water usage between Iniayua and

Washintsa. A transit and surveyor pole will be used to map the contour of the village.

All the data that is gathered at the villages will be shared with HCJB at the end of the trip. The team will

suggest certain design options for the villages and discuss any major obstacles that were observed in the

villages. After discussing with the HCJB personnel, the team will fly back to Grand Rapids and begin

Stage 3 of the project.

8. Project Budget

A project budget was composed for the year. The major expenses are the travel costs to Ecuador. The

complete trip cost is $3940. This includes round trip flights for the three team members to Quito, bus

transportation, accommodation, food, and charter flights to the two villages. Testing equipment costs

were not considered as the team is relying on borrowing the necessary equipment from the geography

department and from the HCJB engineers in Ecuador.

The costs for the tower prototype are estimated at $300. Fabrication costs will be minimized by

conducting all metal work in the engineering building under the supervision of Phil Jasperse. The total

senior design cost with a 20% contingency is $5090. Current funding is at $3,590 with $3000 provided by

Innotec and the remaining $500 provided by the Senior Design account. The team has also raised $90

through personal fundraising.

Table 3: Budget Summary

Water 2 Ecuador BudgetTravel $ 3,533.00Accommodation $ 252.00Food $ 155.00Prototype $ 300.00

Contingency 20%TOTAL $ 5,088.00

26

9. Conclusion

The tower design is still in the preliminary stage and many modifications must be made. Research will be

continued on pumping options and the distribution network. Much of the essential information for the

pumping and distribution network will be gathered after going down to Ecuador in January. The

information that is already obtained through research will be tested down in Ecuador.

The team has deemed the project as feasible for three main reasons. The opportunity to travel to Ecuador

is a major factor in making the project feasible. Communication with the HCJB contacts in Ecuador has

been beneficial, but first-hand data collection and interaction with the communities will be the ultimate

factor in the project being a success. The preliminary designs show that the design constraints can be met

at a competitive price for HCJB. The final factor that will lead to the project’s success is that HJCB are

currently raising the funds to construct the tower systems in the summer of 2012. The fact that the tower

will actually be built in the near future provides motivation for the team to provide the best design

possible.

In summary, preliminary designs have been completed for the system and will be adjusted after more

accurate data has been collected in Ecuador. The system will be competitively priced and provide a

dependable, simple, water system for HCJB to implement in rural communities throughout Ecuador. The

system will ultimately improve the quality of life for villages in Ecuador for many years to come.

27

10. Acknowledgements

The members of Team 11- Water2Ecuador are grateful for the guidance and advice of the following

people who have aided in making this project feasible. We look forward to working with you as we see

the project to completion in 2012.

Professor David Wunder, Senior Design Advisor

Alexandra Griffin, HCJB contact in Shell, Ecuador

Roger Lamer, Industrial Consultant

28

Endnotes (see bibliography for citations)

29

1 Clean Water Projects. hcjb global hands.

2 Clean Water Projects. hcjb global hands.

3 1997 Uniform Building Code

4 1997 Uniform Building Code (Table 16-G)5 1997 Uniform Building Code (2-11)

6 Clean Water Projects. hcjb global hands.

7 (Clean Water Projects. hcjb global hands.

8 Finding the Root Cause of Failure

9 Grundfos data booklet

10 Grundfos data booklet

11 Natural Acetal Rod

12

Bibliography

Clean water projects (n.d.). In HCJB global hands. Retrieved December 8, 2011

Ecuador climate guide (2011, July 22). Retrieved December 8, 2011, from

<http://www.prestigepumps.co.uk/data/downloads/SQFlex%20Data%20Brochure.pdf>.

Epanet (2011, December 7). In Drinking water research. Retrieved December 8, 2011, from

http://www.epa.gov/nrmrl/wswrd/dw/epanet.html

"Finding the Root Cause of Failure." Pumps and Systems. N.p., Apr. 2009. Web. 15 Oct. 2011.

<http://www.pump-zone.com/pumps/vertical-turbine-pumps/finding-the-root-cause-of-

failure.html>.

Grundfos data booklet: sqflex (n.d.). Retrieved December 8, 2011, from

<http://www.prestigepumps.co.uk/data/downloads/SQFlex%20Data%20Brochure.pdf>.

Natural Acetal Rod (n.d.). In Interstate plastics.com. Retrieved December 8, 2011, from

http://www.interstateplastics.com/

Nelik, L. (2009, April). Finding the root cause of failure. In Pumps and systems. Retrieved

December 8, 2011

Solar system basics - how solar power works! (2011). In Solar Online Australia. Retrieved

December 8, 2011, from http://www.solaronline.com.au/solar_system_basics.html

Storage tank solutions (n.d.). Retrieved December 8, 2011, from

http://www.storagetanksolutions.com/products.asp

International Conference of Building Officials. 1997 Uniform Building Code. 4th ed. Vol. 2.

1997. 2.7-2.38. 3 vols. Print.