Scope
Project Overview
Our project focuses on developing an innovative solution to reduce water evaporation in SRP reservoirs. The scope includes research, design, prototyping, and testing of a apparatus that measures how much the evaporation can be reduced that can be implemented across multiple reservoir locations.
Key Objectives
- Find an exact percentage that evaporation is reduced by shading
- Develop a system that defines boundary conditions for our application
- Define a solution that is environmentally sustainable
- Determine if the system is economically viable for large-scale implementation
Location
Primary Research Site
Our primary testing location is the Phoenix area, which experiences significant water loss due to evaporation. Due to our location in Flagstaff the team must crreate an apparatus that can immitate typical Arizona climate conditions that one would experience in the valley.
Additional Sites
Similar sites could occur at smaller SRP reservoirs to evaluate scalability and adaptation to different environments. These include:
- Horse Mesa Dam Reservoir
- Mormon Flat Dam Reservoir
- Stewart Mountain Dam Reservoir
Constraints
Technical Constraints
- Must withstand extreme Arizona temperatures (0°F to 120°F)
- ,Must resemble real world Reynolds numbers for wind conditions
- Must classify correct boundary conditions when refereing to dimensionless values
- Test System must be durable with minimal maintenance requirements
Environmental Constraints
- Solution must not change current canal conditions
- Must be mathematically justifiable
Budget Constraints
Total project budget not to exceed $5,000 for prototype development and testing.
Tasks
- Conduct literature review of existing evaporation mathematical models
- Define existing boundary conditions
- Create CAD models of proposed solutions
- Perform material testing and selection
- Build small-scale prototypes
- Conduct laboratory testing of prototypes
- Develop field testing protocol
- Install and monitor field prototypes
- Collect and analyze performance data
- Refine design based on test results
- Create final design documentation
- Deliver results to Arizona State University research team
- Prepare final report and presentation
Concept Evaluation
Evaluated Concepts
We considered three primary approaches to defining evaporation reduction:
1. Climate Controlled System
Physical apparatus that allows the team to directly controll wind speed, temperature, and humidity.
2. Field Experiment
Tests ran in Flagstaff conditions then converted to Phoenix conditions to share data.
Selected Approach
After extensive mathematical modeling, we selected a revised concept 1. This allows the team to directly vcontroll what variabvkes are being tested to define our mass transfer coefficient.
Schedule
Project Timeline
The project will be completed over a 9-month period from September 2024 to May 2025, following this phased approach:
- Phase 1 (month-month): Research and concept development
- Phase 2 (month-month): Prototype design and lab testing
- Phase 3 (month-month): Field testing and data collection
- Phase 4 (Month-month): Design refinement
- Phase 5 (month): Final documentation and presentation
Detailed project schedule showing milestones and deliverables
Budget
Budget Allocation
The $5,000 budget is allocated across these primary categories:
- Materials: $2,000 (40%)
- Testing Equipment: $1,000 (20%)
- Field Installation: $800 (16%)
- Data Collection: $500 (10%)
- Documentation: $400 (8%)
- Contingency: $300 (6%)
Visual breakdown of project budget allocation
Final Design
Selected Solution (IGNORE)
Our final design is a modular floating cover system composed of interlocking hexagonal panels made from a UV-stabilized polymer composite. The system features:
- High solar reflectance to reduce heat absorption
- Micro-perforations to allow gas exchange
- Antimicrobial coating to prevent biofouling
- Quick-connect system for easy installation
- Modular design adaptable to various reservoir sizes
Our final evaporation reduction system design shown in a reservoir environment
Performance Metrics
Initial testing shows our design achieves a 35-40% reduction in evaporation while maintaining water quality and meeting all environmental requirements.