GreyLess designers hiked to Valldaura for a pre-installation site visit to determine an ideal location to place the phytodepuration system. The ideal location would be adjacent to: crops that need to be irrigated, water tank, and visible from the house. After the site visit we acquired more information about the tanks that can be accessed. Currently, two rain water basins about 2 meters from the back end of house provide the house with clean water. Farther into the forest resides a black and gray water tank that are combined and unaccessable. In the future, the residents of Valldaura plan to separate black and grey water tanks. For this installation we will use the existing water tank to simulate grey water that will flow through our system.

Final Form:
The 4th prototype was a single, linear form incorporating the slow sand filter, algae slide within the high and low pools to create one coherent system. Arriving to our final form, we depart from the single slope design we have used in our past prototypes to developing it in section, giving us a more refined geometry to optimize the water vectors as they flow through the system. In the past each prototype was developed based on discrete paramaters and developments and changes in those parameters. In this prototype we will fully integrate all of the lessons learned from previous prototypes as well as the full scope of parameters into eachother.

[Image below depicts the mapping of parameters for the final prototype, prior to integration and site strategy.]

Parameters:
Post Midterm Review, we stepped back from the prototype to analyze which parameters were successful, need to be improved, and new parameters to be implemented.

What was successfull?
-Increase surface area for hosting biofilm: after extracting contour lines from the digital model surface, the contours of each tooth are distorted from each other by increasing the apex point offset from the centerline of the tooth.

What needs to be improved?
-Using diameter of the teeth to replicate effective aggregate size instead of depending on the Venturi effect to drive the perimeter of the flumes.

-Improve entrance/exit curve oscillation in perimeter of the flumes in order to get the water to reach the outer extents of the slide. This will be done by developing each flume in section.

-Ensure that the profiles of the final contouring of the form doesn’t negatively effect the water pathways.

-Centerline of the water flow in each row needs to be offset from those of the row before and after instead of being aligned. In the upcoming prototype enhanced by using curved interruption vector lines rather than straight lines, this is something we did in the 2nd prototype, and want to re-incorporate in our new form.

New Parameters:
modular structure strategy
water flow vectors superimposed with interruption (curved) vectors as was done in our 2nd prototype.

-Arduino Outputs

Output Ranges:
Converting outputs in ardruino code to get the numerical data in a form we can translate to a projection. In order to do this, we will send the arduino translations to grasshopper via firefly where we will use the data to manipulate the geometry of the water flow vectors for the projection data visualization before being visualized in processing.

Our Design Approach to the Scientific System

Phytodepuration systems are most effective at a large scale. The system’s treatment of water is intrinsically cumulative, and therefore is most advantageous if it includes many iterations in a repetitive module. This repetitive technique will help us reach the level of potability we are aiming for, so our design investigation is focusing on finding one discrete and efficient module for phytodepuration that can be repeated with slight variations (to accommodate different macrophyte varieties). The generation of energy will also be included in the module, in an integrated, nimble technique that requires only lightweight infrastructure.

Balancing Macrophytes + Flowforms: To design a module that takes advantage of a technically efficient system, it is crucial for us to understand the correct process of phytodepuration. A successful system is one that oxygenates water, removes toxins, heavy metals, phosphates, nitrates, and filters out any unwanted fragments while maintaining a neutral ph balance and cool temperature. Certain macrophytes–aquatic plants that grow submerged or partially submerged water–are able to absorb C02 during photosynthesis and give off oxygen simultaneously reducing algae growth. Valldaura’s varied topography, and frequency of steep grade, will allow us to create a site-specific system that incorporates water oxygenation via flowforms. We need to consult a biologist to determine whether we can achieve full oxygenation using only flowforms, and might thereby be able to concentrate primarily on macrophytes that filter and remove toxins.

Our Objective

To construct a “circuit” of modules, comprised of several oscillations between flowforms and macrophyte retention ponds. The system will simultaneously clean water, using macrophytes and flowforms, and intrinsically generate lightweight energy. It is important to create a module system that can repeat, with slight variations to macrophyte type and specific site grade. We would like to create a system that is capable of giving the Valldaura house potable water. We believe a solution can be found that gives the user control over the cleanliness of the water (and the volume of water taken from the site) depending on their needs, in order to create an intelligent system that can save water and generate energy.

First Prototype of the Aeration Form

After completing the first prototype, the team made a series of observations about the effectiveness and design, and analyzed them. The results of this analysis, in the diagrams below, were used to develop the ideas into a second prototype

Prototype 1 & Prototype 2

Prototype 1 & Prototype 2

Moire Patern & Prototype 2

Prototype 1 & Prototype 2

Prototype 2 

Patern & Prototype 2 Details

The following are microscopic images of water, and then for comparison, microscopic images of water with florescence lit beneath a UV lamp. This florescent water was used to visually analyze the movement of water through the second prototype.

Glowing Water Microscope

Some captures from the videos recorded, below, show the differences between how water passes through the different gradients of “tooth” height at different volumes/speeds.

After completing these tests, the team analyzed the form (shown in the diagrams below) to isolate variables affecting the final outcome, and how to proceed with each of those variables in the third prototype. The team also began thinking about how to integrate an overall branching organization in the system.

The third prototype uses these considerations. It embodies a small detail of the system, at 1:1 scale. The detail chosen includes energy collection via lightweight piezoelectric movement in the flow of the water.