Wednesday September 17, 2008
Arrived in Dakar early on the morning and met with Mr. Joohyun Kim and Mr. Je-Min Lee. I rested and traveled to plastic manufacturer to examine possible receptacles for the finished filters. Heidi Kilsby accompanied me from Quesnel, BC. She has volunteered her time to assist with the project set up.
Thursday September 18th, 2008
In the morning we met with KOICA project coordinator at his office and Mr. Kim and I signed the official contract papers. Met Mr. Chou the Korean ambassador to Senegal introduced the project and share lunch together.
In the afternoon Mr. Joohyun Kim and Mr. Je- Min Lee and I traveled to a hardware store and a machine shop to search for project materials. We purchased a hydraulic jack and looked at parts for the propane burner system. We must still purchase plastic bags. Mr. Kim has arranged for steel to be purchased in Ourossogui for the steel plates, and Mr. Lee has arranged for transport of the brick from the brickyards outside of Dakar to Ourossogui.
While we are in Dakar the workers in Ourossogui are organizing the workshop, drying clay and preparing sawdust.
Still to organize-
- drill bit for spigots-
- plastic water pipe for flow testing
- Screens
- Plastic garbage bags
- Digital scale 0-5kg
- 0-20 kg balance scale
- Water pipe for flow tester
- propane tanks
- burners hose and regulators
- brushes
Friday, September 19, 2008
In the morning we Je-Min and Joohyun and I went to the Sandaga market place and purchased most of the materials in the list
Including 6 propane tanks to transport to Matam on Saturday. The truck will be pretty full because we are also taking food because some things are difficult to find in the area.
We were able to find plastic bags- although a little larger then we need. Scales- both digital and a spring were also found first thing. I am concerned about the supply of propane gas in the area- We may need to replenish gas to advance the temperature. To insure that this would not be a problem we chose to purchase 6 tanks. There still may be a problem with pressure drop if gas is withdrawn to quickly from the tanks during the firing. We may have to warm the tanks while we are firing.
Saturday- September 20th 2008
Traveled to Matam all night-
Sunday September 21st, 2008
Woke up after a couple of hours sleep and went to the new KOICA ceramic filter workshop to briefly look at the workshop to meet with the workers see what had been prepared.
There is only about 5 X 25kg of clay crushed and screened. Evidently went the workers attempted to mill the clay it was too damp. There is some sawdust but none of it has been screened.
Monday September 22, 2008
Went from Matam to Ourossogui to with Je-Min and Joohyun Lee to prepare materials for the filters. In the morning we met with the mason and scheduled his work to begin the kiln. We planned the construction on the kiln roof. We assembled the filter press and aligned it.
I looked at the clay and made a shrinkage test then examined the clay’s plasticity and found it to be very plastic.
In the afternoon we traveled with the water district truck and dug and transported clay to the filter project HQ from the village of Oggo. Joohyun contracted for more clay to be transported by donkey cart from the village. The clay that we dug was put outside to dry. Clay that was already in the sun was sacked and transported to the neighboring mechanics shop to be run through the hammer mill. Arranged to make base plates for the filters.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Heidi Kilsby worked with the women potters screening sawdust. (Found a hedgehog underneath the sacks)
Worked with the neighboring mechanics shop. The mechanic welded legs on the ejection rod and made some filter base plates. The hammer mill screen was too small (.9mm). We had a screen with 1.5mm holes put on the hammer mill and set some of the water district workers to mill clay. I think that the screen may still be too small but the clay that is now dry seems to go through. The hammer mill is a fixed hammer design and not quite as noisy as
Flail types.
The first clay was transported by cart and put out to dry,
We prepared a first mix to test the press and realized that the hydraulic jack that had been purchased was too tall for the press. In the afternoon we attempted to find a smaller 20-ton jack but in the end it was easier to purchase a 6-ton and then exchange it with the larger 20-ton to complete each filter. We pressed a filter successfully. Our plan is to now prepare the first batch of filters in the series- this will be the 50/50 mix.
50/50 clay-sawdust by volume equates to- 85.6% clay 14.4% sawdust by weight. This 50/50 mix was given the mark- #1 in iron oxide
Single Filter sample is:
Clay 5992 gr 85.6%
Sawdust 1008gr 14.4%
Total 7000 gr 100%
Water 2500 gr.
This mix was somewhat wet-
We evaluated the cost of the clay based on 160 sacks which will be delivered to the workshop at a cost of 70,000 cfa/$152 – Per sack= 438cfa/. 95cents
Wednesday September 24th, 2008
In the morning I conducted instruction in the mixing and pressing of filters with the team. The team included our two women potters from the village of Ogo.
I taught the two women first and with the help of Je-Min, Joohyun and Heidi we made sure that the women had the first chance to learn the process. Only then did we start the training with the men from the Department of hydrology who are in the filter team.
We formed a total of 15 Mix #1 Filters mostly from 2-6pm.
In the night a torrential thunderstorm came through the area and poured rain. This was unfortunate as most of the clay was outside drying at the time. We also lost clay that had been hammer milled and not covered.
Thursday September 25, 2008
Brought the computer into the workshop and met with the mason to begin on the kiln. I guided him through the construction process step by step until he felt confident.
Heidi Kilsby and Je-Min worked with the filter crew making the next mix- ( #2)
They were able to form the full 15 mixes over the course of the day.
Mix #2 Represents 20% more sawdust in comparison with mix #1
Mix#2-
Clay 5790 gr 82.7%
Sawdust 1210gr 17.3%
Total 7000 gr 100%
Water 2500 gr.
In the afternoon we worked to develop a system to quickly prepare mortar for building the kiln using what clay we have as we don t want to use hammer milled dry clay as it is scarce. We prepared some mortar using a drill with an agitator but the clay was difficult to blend into a mortar. We worked with the mason and lined out the base of the kiln and then set the base bricks in place.
We will need to organize a way to burn waste oil and we will need some wood.
Friday September 26, 2008
This morning I was working with the mason on the kiln fireboxes. We had hydrology workshop workers working with the Je-Min and Heidi Kilsby forming filters. I went to make a brick chisel with the neighboring welder.
In forming one of the filters the male mold caved in at the base. When I looked at the casting it appeared to be turned out too thin but the mix was also quite dry.
We spent most of the rest of the day trying to figure out how to repair the mold and in the end we were introduced to a master welder machinist who just happened to have experience with aluminum. He also had aluminum welding rod. He re welded and then resurfaced the mold. We then cast two inches of cement in the bottom of the mold. Tomorrow we will have the mechanic cut a steel disc to insert in the base weld a 5 cm diameter pipe up right on top and them another larger plate at the top of the mold. This will be a kind of interior support for the mold, which we hope will prevent it from collapsing again.
Saturday September 27th 2008
We spent much of the day repairing the mold. We were able to cast cement in the male mold base and then Joohyun worked with the neighboring mechanic and welded up a brace and installed it inside the mold and we then bolted in to the press. We then cast 6 filters and compared them to the filters before the mold broke and found that they were the same. I bought a radio for the workers at the site.
At the same time I worked with the mason and he completed the base of the kiln. We received all the remaining brick from Dakar, so we are ready to work on the kiln and the press on Monday.
Filed under: Senegal, Water Filter Research
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