Filtration Tower

In this lesson, you will be challenged to design and print a portable water filter. To start, you will learn about the portable water treatment process, how wastewater is cleaned before being returned to the water cycle and how portable water filters work can be improvised from materials that can be found lying around. You will then design and model, in 3D, a portable water filter before printing and assembling it. Then using your 3D printed filter, you will attempt to filter some ‘contaminated water’ to a clean
Subjects
BiologyHumanitiesMathematicsScienceDesign and TechnologyMasaryk University
Years | Grades
7th Grade | 11-12 years
Duration
Lesson 1: 90 minutes Print time: ~ 20 hours Lesson 2: 90 minutes

Filtration Tower Trailer
Play 0:35

Objectives

  • Design and measure with precision 
  • Demonstrate how to align objects 
  • Employ tolerances and offsets 
  • Understand and execute Boolean operation in CAD 
  • Design and 3D print a functioning portable water filter 
  • Name the three most common processes used to sterilize water 
  • Explain why we screen water prior to treating it
 

Tools and equipment

  • Graph paper and pencils 
  • Materials to construct portable filters 
    • Bottles  
    • Pebbles (assorted sizes) 
    • Sand (Washed) 
    • Cloth (Washed) 
    • Filter papers 
    • Activated charcoal 
    • Moss / Sticks / Cotton wool 
  • Examples of water contaminants E.g., Plastic bags, sticks, animal droppings, foliage. 
  • Chlorine tablets  
  • Microscopes (Optional – Only needed if you plan on inspecting the filtered water) 
  • ‘Contaminated‘ water E.g. Tap water with some leaves, gravel, sticks, grass etc. Mixed in. 
 

Skill requirements

To participate in the lesson, students should be able to:
  • Use TinkerCAD, Fusion 360 or Similar CAD software at a beginner level 
  • Be comfortable using DeeControl2 software including adjusting print settings 
  • Use the BE3D EDEE 3D printer

FILTRATION TOWER WALKTHROUGH
Locked Play 3:45

3D models overview

  • Total print time 28 hours
  • Total filament 153 m
  • Additional non-printable components
  • Printed all at once
Support disk 1
  • 1 hour
  • 2 m
Support disk 2
  • 1 hour
  • 2 m
Support disk 3
  • 1 hour
  • 2 m
Filter Module 1
  • 12 hours
  • 70 m
Filter Module 2
  • 8 hours 30 minutes
  • 50 m
Filter Module 3
  • 4 hours 30 minutes
  • 27 m
Note: Values are calculated for one set of models.

Lesson resources

  • Lesson plan 
  • Example models 
  • Worksheet 
  • Walkthrough 
  • Presentation 
  • 3D Models 
  • 3D Print instructions 
  • Curriculum Alignment