Abstract on the theme for the Conference in IDC, IIT Mumbai :
'In a planet of our own - a vision of sustainability with focus on water'
'In a planet of our own - a vision of sustainability with focus on water'
The Problem :
It is human nature to open the taps completely, rather than turning the knob to any intermediate position (for suitable water flow) even when the situation does not call for that much quantity of water. Due to this, not only excessive water is wasted, but the pressure exerted due to the increased flow leads to splashing.
Additionally, the amount of water used greatly depends on the activity the user is performing. For example, the amount of water used for washing hands just before having a meal, distinctly varies from the one after having food. But currently, the time and amount of water utilized in both the situations is almost the same. Furthermore, the knobs of the taps are not always closed properly, causing redundant flow of water.
The Main Challenge :
While designing a concept of sustainable development, it is necessary to ensure the optimum usage of water according to the needs, keeping in mind that the user does not feel deprived of the available resource. The whole system should be intelligent enough to understand the way water is required to cater to all needs. Thus, if we aim to limit the amount of water flowing through the taps, it is essential to induce a perception in the person that he/she is receiving adequate amount of water.
Stats :
Design Ideas :
Concept I –
The main focus of the concept is to mitigate the problem of unmindful human behavior, which has an impact on the excessive misuse of water.
Research shows that the activities which require less amount of time generally use less amount of water. Thus, the tap is intelligently designed to supply water according to the duration of the tap being used. As time progresses, the amount of water gradually increases to obtain the full flow.
To account for this problem, we freezed upon a final product which can be easily attached as an extension to the existing taps. This same concept can be incorporated while designing new taps also.
The extension comprises of 3 concentric rings which open subsequently starting from the outer ring.
When the tap is turned on, water flows through the outer ring first, creating a hollow cylindrical water-form. This helps to conserve water as well as create a perception in the user that the entire water is flowing. As the time passes, the other two rings open one after the other.
Studies state that the average washing time for women is 7.07 seconds and for men it is 6.27 seconds.
Hence, for the first 4 seconds, only 40% of the total water flows through the nozzle. As the time progresses, the flow rate shifts to 60% till 7 seconds and eventually to a complete 100%.
Concept II –
Dripping taps due to ignorance is another major contributor to water wastage. The objective of the second concept is to minimize human effort and ensure that the tap knob is completely closed after every usage.
The tap knob is accompanied with a self-retracting spring mechanism which ensures that the knob comes back to the original position. The knob gets fixed at certain positions while it is being opened (say rotated anti-clockwise, the tap clicks whenever it is capable of locking). Having reached any of the particular positions, the user can release the knob and it automatically gets locked and the water flows continuously. To close the tap, the knob is to be slightly rotated in the anti-clockwise direction (which releases the lock) and swiftly reclines back to its original state.
