■Milwaukee is often seen as the “silicon valley†of water treatment technology. This is mainly because there is a unique complex called “Global Water Treatment Center†that integrates industrial, academic, and government backgrounds. Stone house Water Technologies is a solution company within the Global Water Treatment Center that specializes in creating water collection, storage, treatment and delivery systems to meet the various needs of domestic and developing countries.
In order to meet the global demand for clean water now and in the future, Stone house Water technologies has introduced a cost-effective, modular and compact water filtration system. Stone house's flagship product, the Water POD, can use a variety of freshwater resources to prepare 3,000 gallons of clean water for cooking and drinking needs. A device can provide drinking water for up to 1,000 people and can be expanded, which means that more devices can be added to serve more people. Water POD can solve the problem of lack of health and clean drinking water in backward areas suffering from water pollution.
The funding for the Water POD is partially funded by the Milwaukee Water Commission pilot project. The plan aims to encourage emerging companies that have scalable, cost-effective technologies to make true social and environmental contributions. “With the help of the Water Board and the Global Water Treatment Center, Milwaukee is developing into an international water purification technology center. With the promotion of these institutions, innovative ideas like Water POD have become a reality,†said Stone House Water Technologies' president. Hensley Foster said.
â– Adopt breakthrough water purification technology
In the water treatment industry, most companies are focused on using high pressure. Whether dealing with waste water or drinking water, high pressure is often used to move large amounts of water. However, if it is to be used in developing countries and areas with poor conditions in the United States, Foster knows that Stone house must find another way. “When designing the Water POD, we had to reconsider the traditional technology solutions and take into account the future conditions and maintenance needs of using the Water POD area,†said Foster.
Foster and his team did not rely on large operators in the water treatment industry to develop a system that was easy to install and operate. Water POD uses multiple processes to remove pathogens, odors, and viruses, as well as reducing heavy metals such as arsenic. “Stone house brings together many different technologies. We tested a variety of solutions until we found the best solution. We are always looking for technologies that are suitable for the low-voltage, low-energy models we have developed. We must choose energy-efficient technologies. Because we expect that the Water POD will eventually use only solar power,†said Foster.
â– Technical solutions based on professional application knowledge
Foster found WAGO North America with his toughest technical challenges. With the help of the WAGO team, Stone house has developed an easy-to-expand modular control system. The central control framework used by the Water POD is WAGO's Ethernet 2.0 controller 750-881. Water POD can flexibly expand or modify system functions through this Ethernet 2.0 controller. With over 500 digital, analog, and special-function I/O modules, the team can quickly adjust the basic design to add functionality, such as adding pumps to move the water through more filter media. Another advantage is the compact size of the 750-881. In order to facilitate the transportation and installation of the Water POD, the small form factor is very important. The volume of the 750-881 is 60% smaller than most existing PLCs, which gives the design team an advantage that cannot be overstated.
Using 750-881 does not require additional network hardware. The controller's built-in Ethernet switch allows linear topology cabling of Ethernet networks. The 750-881 features 1 MB of program memory, 512 KB of data memory, and high-speed processing capabilities to store operational data and transfer it to remote monitoring applications.
â– Web-based management and visualization
The Foster and Stone house teams realized from the beginning that they could not just simply hand over the technology to end users in resource-poor areas and then they would simply ignore it. “Simply handed over systems and technologies to backward countries may cause misunderstandings due to translation, understanding, etc., ultimately affecting system operation. Fortunately, with the help of WAGO controllers, we can remotely monitor the flow into the system, which is absolutely necessary. Because we want to track the operation of the system after it has been put into operation. Once a pump fails, our remote monitoring can help troubleshoot and provide field personnel with the right solution,†said Foster.
With 750-881 web-based management and visualization capabilities, the Stonehouse team can remotely monitor the status of the Water POD through a web browser or an internet-connected smartphone.
With these additional telemetry capabilities, WaterPOD users can ensure that they are always able to drink clean water (bacterial, heavy metal, and odor removal rates of 99.99%). Foster also said, “The point that WAGO has made me trust is the level of expertise they bring to the project. The WAGO team can help us solve any technical challenges that the POD production expansion process may face.â€
â– First application: Dominican Republic
In the near future, Stone house employees will have the opportunity to test their ideas on the ground. The first Water POD will be installed in the Dominican Republic, allowing residents to drink clean, unpolluted water for the first time. Anne Wick, Media Director of Stone house Water Technology, sums up Stone House's vision very well. “We think it's normal to open taps to get clean drinking water, but don’t forget that by 2050, global There will be 5 billion people living in water-poor areas.Across the world, one child dies every 20 seconds because of drinking contaminated water. In Stone house, we are eager to be part of the solution to improve these The statistics of the surprises do their part. We know that there is WAGO as a technology partner in Milwaukee who can help us achieve this goal."
Text: Jennifer Joseph, WAGO USA
Picture: WAGO
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