1. Rainflowers Pedro Reyes Chun-Wen Cheng Kairui Xia Nick Bracken ME 175C 3/7/16

2. Problem Statement The customer with the vision of a unique rainwater capture device devised a design that captures rainwater while resembling a real-life flower Captured rainwater should be potable for areas with dire need and at the very least, used for irrigation and other non-potable means The design should also be able to withstand environmental forces such as strong wind and earthquakes Prototype Model from the RainflowersLA website [1]

3. Background Common household planning provides for 50 to 75 gallons a day per person, or 73,000 to 110,000 gallons a year for a family of four [3] About 45% of water usage occurs in the bathroom with 25-30% consumed solely by toilets [3] U.S. Drought Monitor [2]

4. Problem Definition Objectives of the design include: contaminant-free collection and storage, efficient collection relative to current methods, assimilation into residencies, and satisfaction of structural/environmental constraints All these objectives must be satisfied with the additional feature of appealing aesthetic appearance The major quantitative specification is for the Rainflower to be ~20’ tall for outdoor use

5. Approach to Solution 1. 4-3-5 Method

6. 2. Morphological Chart Method FeatureMeans Water Collection Pores in FunnelPivotal FunnelSmooth Funnel Surface Single hole in Middle with Mesh Filter Blooming Flower Funnel ShapeCone-Shaped Funnel Flower PetalsTornado FunnelCurved-Shaped Funnel Square Shaped Storage DeviceUnderground Cistern Above-ground cistern Rain Barrel(s)Underground Cistern with Filtration Retrieval Device Electrical PumpGravity FeedExisting Retrieval System Oil PumpManual Water Pump OperationElectric PowerSolar PowerRechargeable Lithium Ion Battery Existing Irrigation System Manual Operation Similar to Well MaintenanceSelf-Washing of the Funnel Manhole (underground only) Backflow SystemFirst-Flush System Manual Cleaning

7. Pivotal Funnel Concept Free-standing Concept Concept Compilation

8. Blooming Flower Design

9. Concept Selection To choose the most ideal concept, a Pugh chart decision matrix was used to reflect the strengths and weaknesses of each concept with respect to a datum concept. The criteria was assigned a weighted value with collection being the most important factor and aesthetics being the least.

10. Pugh Chart CriteriaImportance [5=Most 1=Least] Blooming Flower with Underground Cistern Pivotal Funnel with Underground Filtration and Cistern Free-Standing Funnel with Above-Ground Cistern Efficient Water Collection 5- Datum - Optimal Spacing and Ease of Access for Storage Device 2++ Simplicity of Design 4+S Ease of Manufacturability/ Installation for Collection Device 4++ Ease of Manufacturability/ Installation for Storage Device 3++ Maintainability of Collection Device 5+S Maintainability of Storage Device 4++ Aesthetic Appearance 1+-

11. Pugh Chart Results Total +7-4 Total -1-2 Overall Total +6-+2 Weighted Total +18-+7 The results of this Pugh decision matrix and another iteration indicate that the blooming flower with underground cistern was the most optimal design. It provides the most efficient means of contamination prevention, an effective water collection plan, and fulfills the customer's desire of having a visually appealing appearance. Blooming Flower Pivotal Funnel (datum) Free-standing Funnel

12. Preliminary Design Solution (Blooming Flower) Desire to have flower bloom with rain sensors, motors, and hinges Selection of underground cistern Pump allows for easy retrieval Mesh filter implementation Aluminum Alloy 6061-T6 Underground Cistern Cross-Section [5] Rain Sensor Demonstration [4]

13. Preliminary Design SolidWorks Models Bud ModeBloom Mode

14. Rainflower Interior Gear Mating

15. Prototype Design Sketches

16. Updated Prototype Design ●Umbrella mechanism for Rainflower actuation ●Number of petals halved from 8 to 4 ●Tarp Material sheet covers gaps between petals. ●Flat petals instead of curved petals ●Stem attachment replaced with its implementation into the stem ●First-flush system removed due to redundancy with blooming mechanism ●Overall, this design requires less parts that are also more easily manufacturable

17. Prototype Design SolidWorks Models Bud ModeBloom Mode

19. Prototype Design SolidWorks Animation

21. Modeling and Analysis - Water Collection Rate GPY = (α)(η)(A)(R avg ) GPY = total collected gallons of water per year α = theoretical collection rate = 0.62 gallons of water per square foot of catchment area, per inch of rainfall η = system efficiency ≅ 95% A = catchment surface area [sq. ft.] ≅ 225 sq. ft. R avg = average annual rainfall in California ≅ 23 inches GPY = (.62)(.95)(300(23) = 3,045 gallons per year

22. Modeling and Analysis - Environmental Forces Effective Area of Stem: A=π(R)(H)=16.44m² Constants/Given Variables: C d = 0.82 (coefficient of drag) V= 60 mph = 26.82m/s ⍴ = 1.2 kg/m³ (density of air) Force and Pressure Load on Stem: F= 0.5AV² ⍴ C d = 1307.97 lbf P = F/A = 353 Pa The wind force exerted onto the effective area of the Rainflower stem is calculated to be1307.97 lbf The pressure exerted on the Rainflower stem by the wind is 353 pa.

23. Virtual Prototype Simulation Stress Displacement

24. Modeling and Analysis - Motor Requirements ●Weight of Petals: small petal(s) = 95.45 N = 21.46 lbs auxiliary petal(s) = 178.54 N = 40.14 lbs ●Distance from Petal center of mass to base: small petal(s) = 0.9 m auxiliary petal(s) = 1.0 m ●Moment produced by petals: small petal(s) = 85.91 Nm auxiliary petal(s) =160.7 Nm ●Motor Characteristics needed for each petal: small petal(s) ≅ 4 HP auxiliary petal(s) ≅ 8 HP

25. The main competitor to our Rainflower is the roof-catchment device that utilizes a home’s inclined roof and gutter system to capture rain. With the aforementioned water collection equation, this device can collect approximately 24,000 gallons per year based on the average roof surface area in California of 2,000 sq. ft. Competitor Comparison Roof - Catchment System [6]

26. Conclusion & Recommendations Our Rainflower does not capture as much rain as the roof-catchment device, but the unique design allows for enhanced contamination prevention, the capability to be located anywhere (as opposed to needing a suitable roof), and the possibility of solar panels + LED streetlights Shape of the petals is important for ensuring that no contaminants enter the stem when it is not raining The design solution is capable of withstanding winds of up to 60 mph. Actuation of the opening and closing of the petals can be achieved in a variety of ways. Automated actuation, however, requires safety protocols in the event of failure.

27. References [1] "Rainflowers." Rainflowers. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2016. [2] "United States Drought Monitor Home." United States Drought Monitor Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2016. [3] "Toilet." Conserve H2O. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2016. [4] "Do I Have a Rain Sensor? - Gold Coast Auto Glass." Gold Coast Auto Glass. N.p., 30 Oct. 2013. Web. 06 Mar. 2016. [5] "Cistern Design Considerations for Large Rainwater Harvesting Systems." PDH Article -. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2016. [6] "Rainwater Cisterns: Design, Construction, and Water Treatment (Water Quality)." Water Quality (Penn State Extension). N.p., n.d. Web. 06 Mar. 2016.

28. Acknowledgements Special thanks to: James P. Sawyer Matt McCormick Steve Rightnar RainflowersLA