Water scarcity is projected to affect 1.8 billion people in the world by 2025. Due to the dramatic population growth of urban areas, the imminent water crisis demands efficient greywater treatment in new housing solutions. To address this need, we are developing a prototype of Solar Optics-based Active Panels (SOAP), which allows us to test the photocatalytic treatment of greywater using sunlight and immobilized titanium dioxide nanoparticles. The expected outcome of this research will be a prototype SOAP reactor that demonstrates fast inactivation of representative contaminants of greywater (e.g., coliform bacteria and organic pollutants). The SOAP reactor's optical, thermal, and thin-film flow performance will be experimentally characterized across critical reactor design parameters. Those parameters producing optimal photocatalytic treatment kinetics in a variety of simulated solar conditions will be identified. The prototype SOAP reactor will present a promising platform for integration of nano- and micro-technologies into point-of-use water treatment in global urban environments.
Project end date: 01/31/13