School of Engineering
Water Filtration System
While most smart water filtration systems track how long a filter cartridge has been in use, this new system, developed in collaboration with Hyflux Singapore Ltd, is able to detect how much it is used – that is, the amount of water that has passed through the filter – before alerting the user, thereby making it more accurate and economical.
Users are also able to select from two sources of water, namely water for drinking which comes through the water filter, and water for non-consumption purposes which by-passes the filter. This prolongs the lifespan of the filter cartridge.
The tap is equipped with a flow-meter which turns 304 times for every litre of water that flows through it. Once 3,000 litres of water has passed through it (meaning it has turned 1.02 million times), an Arduino microcontroller inside the tap activates a transmitter which sends a Bluetooth signal to a nearby electronic control box. A red LED lamp on the control box then lights up to alert the user that it’s time to change the filter cartridge. At the same time, an SMS reminder is automatically sent to the user’s mobile phone. The flow of water is controlled by a customised ball valve that channels the water into two different paths, thereby allowing users to toggle between the two sources of water.
Key Features
- Prolongs lifespan of filter cartridge
- Separate water outlets provides water for different uses
- Economical and durable
