Technical Innovation Proposal: Cloud Seeding Filtration System

Mahfuza Alam

ENGL 21007: Writing for Engineering

Prof. Julianne Davidow

2023 May 23

Table Of Contents

Introduction……………………………………………………………………………………… 3

Innovation Necessity………………………………………………………………………….…3,4

Other Engineering Innovations ..…………………………………………………………..…4,5,6

Technical Description.…………………………………………………………………………6,7,8

Process of the Innovation…………………………………………………………………….……9

Conclusion…………………………………………………………………………………………9

References………………………………………………………………………………………..10

Introduction

Rain is essential for creating a supportive ecosystem. Despite its importance, access to clean water is scarce in some parts of the world. The countries with the highest drought risks are Moldova, Ukraine, Bangladesh, India, and Serbia (Statista, 2021). The lack of water in these countries prevents the full potential of their agriculture businesses. This results in lots of unused land, crop failure, and a loss of time for the hardworking farmers. If we specifically focus on the United States, specific states like Iowa, Montana, and Oklahoma (Stevens, 2020) are also facing drought risks that are getting worse by the year. Overall, this creates an increased need for technology that could provide clean, drinkable water for places in need. Our solution is to use cloud seeding technology and filter the water to create a product that is safer for people and the environment. The first attempts at cloud seeding were made in the 1940s by US scientists at the General Electric Research Laboratory. But this method is not exclusive to the USA. It has now been adapted in various countries across the world, including China and Dubai. Overall, this cloud seeding filtration technology will help improve water accessibility around the world if it’s implemented because it will provide drinkable water to countries that need it for drinking or farming.

Innovation Necessity 

Rain is a necessity for everyone around the world. Without rain, farming is difficult and can lead to crop failure. Rainwater is also used as washing water as well as drinking water once its been filtered in some countries. Rain is versatile, and countries with high drought risks run into trouble with water accessibility in general. Specifically, in India, a country where many rely heavily on agriculture, rain is essential. One of the crops India produces and consumes on a large scale is sugarcane. Shukla et al. state, “Sugarcane is a critical crop for the economy; it accounts for about 10% of the country’s agricultural output and the livelihoods of 50 million farmers and their dependents,” but “the crop needs about 2,000literss of water to produce 1kg of sugar” (Shukla, 2022). This shows just how much India and its farmers depend on sugarcane. The business of sugarcane is in demand, but due to a lack of water, farmers are not able to harvest tons of sugarcane. Shukla also tells readers that “Ammar Zaidi, a former banker, said that when he started farming in 2014, he was able to secure 40,000–42,500 kg of crop per acre. But in the last two years, this has shrunk to about 30,000–36,000 kg per acre due to heatwaves. “We are in the thick of the monsoon season, but if you touch the ground, all you can feel is dust”’ (Shukla, 2022). With Mr. Zaidi, we can see just how much crop per acre was lost over the years. Farmers are facing huge losses. Zaidi continues by saying, “For every investment of 100,000 rupees ($1,230), a farmer is only able to secure 90,000 rupees ($1,100)” (Shukla, 2022). This leaves a profit of about $130. Even if the dollar is worth more in India, that is not enough money to live. Even if farmers are facing huge losses, people in India are tied to farming; it is a special connection. Many immigrants come to the US and start gardening. Growing food is how lots of people stay connected to their roots. So, giving up farming in countries like India is hard. Even if people left farming, that would not address the issue of rain. Countries like India, Bangladesh, and Ukraine that are facing drought risks should not have to give up on water accessibility; they should be able to have enough water for their daily tasks. The need for introducing cloud seeding and creating a filter for artificial rain is high. If it can be done, many people’s lives could be changed. 

Other Engineering Innovations

Filtering water is not a new idea. There are many water filtration systems around the world. One of the filtering systems the United States uses is the Newtown Creek wastewater treatment plant (see Figure 1). It filters out all kinds of harmful microorganisms and bacteria. This includes materials like leaves and litter. This system also has its cons. It is unable to filter out certain harmful chemicals that are added to the water, like gasoline or cooking oil, which are bad for health. This makes the water undrinkable, and the system also becomes expensive to add all around the world. Another filtration system is the Brita water filter (see Figure 2). Brita is a well-known and trusted brand that many Americans use in their households. The Brita filter reduces chemicals like chlorine, mercury, and copper. This makes it a popular choice for parents to buy their kids or take them to work and other places. The bad part is that the filter would not be very effective for artificial rain since the Brita cannot filter out chemicals like silver iodine. Our cloud seeding filtration is better since it will filter out metals, chemicals, organic contaminants, and more. It will filter out silver iodine, which is harmful to the environment and also unhealthy for humans. Our filtration system will also be placed in different “divisions”, whether it’s by district or neighborhood, to be more accessible to people in that country. Our filter also does not require heavy machinery, so it will not take a long time to create. To make it more cost-effective and less likely to be misplaced, the filter will be implemented in each neighborhood. 

Figure 1: NYC Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant (NYC.gov)

Figure 2: Brita Water Filter (heb.com)

Technical Description

Our filtration system will include many different filter pads and chemical compounds to filter out specific pollutants. The main parts are the outside canister, the inflow lid, the micro-filter pads, KDF 55, activated carbon, KDF 85, lead resin, catalytic carbon, calcite, and the filter outflow bottom (See Figure 3). 

Outside Canister 

The outside canister essentially is like a cylinder that holds everything together. 

Inflow lid

The inflow lid is for the liquid being poured into the canister.

Micro-filter pads

The Micro-filter pads separate the chemical compounds from each other and also contributes as added filtration.

KDF 55

KDF 55 is a chemical that is placed at the top of the canister. It reduces bacteria and heavy metals.

Activated Carbon 

Activated carbon is a chemical compound that removes organic pollutents. It is placed under the KDF 55 and a microfilter pad.

KDF 85

KDF 85 is a media that removes chlorine and iron. It is placed after the carbon and a microfilter pad. 

Lead Resin

Lead resin is a material that removes lead. It is placed under a KDF 85 and a microfilter pad.

Catalytic Carbon

Catalytic carbon is a chemical compound that that removes chloramine and sulfide. It’s placed after Lead Resin and a microfilter pad.

Calcite 

Calcite is a carbonate mineral that balances the pH of the water.

Outflow Bottom

The outflow bottom is at the end of the canister and it is where the clean water comes out from. 

Figure 3: Labeled filter 

This filter works well because the microfilter pads separate each filter compound. The microfilter pads also add an extra layer of filtration

Process of the Innovation

The innovation works by pouring water into the inflow lid. Then the water goes through each chemical compound filter. Lastly, clean water comes out of the outflow bottom. Building the innovation does not take long after all the materials are gathered. The cost of the compounds is $24.83 per kilo of KDF 55. $0.45 per kilo of activated carbon. $5.51 per kilo of resin, $8.60 per kilo of catalytic carbon, and $4.41 per kilo of calcite (Mazeed, 2022). People can also make the filter in a larger or smaller case if they choose. So, the labor costs are not that high. The filter is relatively cheaper than the cloud-seeding process. The cloud-seeding process will require planes or any other air transportation. It would take around $1–1.5 million to seed clouds for 1,000 hours (Mazeed, 2022). Although the cloud seeding process is expensive, it would be helpful for those in need of water for drinking, farming, or cooking, especially in times when rain is scarce.

Conclusion 

Overall, our filtration system is important since rain is essential for everyone to live. Many communities rely on rain for farming, cooking, washing their clothes, and more. Without rain, these communities are having a hard time getting food, selling their crops, and performing other duties. Our technical innovation will help nurture these communities by providing artificial rain that is then filtered to be consumable and safe. Our group hopes that countries like Serbia, Bangladesh, Ukraine, and India will continue to thrive, especially when they have more water.

References 

Buchholz, K., & Richter, F. (2021, June 17). Infographic: The World Map of Drought Risk. 

Statista Infographics. https://www.statista.com/chart/25101/countries-by-drought-risk/ 

DEP, N. (n.d.). Wastewater treatment system. Wastewater Treatment Process – DEP. 

https://www.nyc.gov/site/dep/water/wastewater-treatment-process.page

‌Mazeed, A., and Maurya P. (Nov. 2022). (PDF) Artificial Rain Making – Researchgate, 

www.researchgate.net/publication/365427564_Artificial_Rain_Making 

Shukla, A. (2022, December 16). India’s sugarcane farmers struggle to cope with droughts and 

floods. Climate Home News. https://www.climatechangenews.com/2022/12/16/indias-sugarcane-farmers-struggle-to-cope-with-droughts-and-floods/

Stevens, A. The U.S. drought vulnerability rankings are in: How does your state compare? | 

NOAA Climate.gov. (17 Sept. 2020). Www.climate.gov. https://www.climate.gov/news-features/featured-images/us-drought-vulnerability-rankings-are-how-does-your-state-compare