3D Printable Ocean Sensor Buoy

As I live near Danube and Drava (Drau) rivers in Croatia I wanted to explore possibilities to measure environmental data and make them publicly available.  As I searched around for DIY or open source sensor projects I found this one which wants to develop open source ocean weather buoy with 3d printable hull. It looks like the project development is in some kind of pause but the idea behind it looks solid and one can get many useful details out of it.

The sensor pack sphere is made from two 3d printed parts, one can be transparent if you want to have small solar photo-voltaic cell power source.  There is also a pressure equalization valve installed since the internal pressure changes due to water pressure, temperature and movement so it allows air to to move but prevents  water from entering.

My plan is to cooperate with local HackLab and Croatian, Hungarian and Serbian environmental NGOs and see if we can use it to track river water data (temperature, flow, pH, UV radiation, noise, particles etc). I'll still need to research some low cost water quality sensors. If we deploy few of them in Danube they could even reach the Black Sea.

Buoy in scale to human hand, you can clearly see the antenna for cellular or data connection. It could probably be used for different bands if you use it in open waters, there are many low power solutions even with satellite communications and Arduino.

Buoy modules and parts overview:

Early prototype:

Project homepage with development blog and .STL files:

https://opensourceoceanweatherbuoy.wordpress.com/

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HydroSpan 100 Water Enlarging Polymer

I was searching for water hardened polymers and I accidentally found this: the HydroSpan 100 Enlarging Polymer. It is a polymer that grows in water by absorbing it. It grows BIG!

Here is the HydroSpan description:

HydroSpan 100 is a unique two component, Flexible, 100% solids (contains no V.O.C.), polyurethane elastomeric compound. HydroSpan 100, when fully cured provides a simple method for expanding three dimensionally molded parts. Expanding parts is done by simply molding the part with HydroSpan 100 to from a rubber master. After curing 24 hours at room temperature the molded HydroSpan 100 part is soaked in room temperature water and allowed to expand. Full expansion is 161% larger than the original part. Full expansion of parts can be achieved in 5 to 14 days depending on cross section thickness of the part. Thicker cross sections take longer while thinner cross sections require less time.

The video of polymer being used:




So how is this connected to 3d printing? Imagine if we had similar material for 3d printed objects? You print them out, leave them in water and they grow several times. Hopefully someone will develop this concept :-) You have seen it mentioned here first :-) !


Product homepage:

http://www.industrialpolymers.com/hydrospan/hydrospan-100

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Water shadow art with 3d printed sheets

Swiss artists made this 3d printed project where they uses sintered sheets that produce shadows in water pond bottom and show words of a haiku. Cool.




Project homepage:

http://www.drzachsuchy.ch/#!haiku/chm5

Sintered 3d sheet

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How to make a solar water desalination and purification still from a plastic bottle and 3d printed ring container

CreatorLes made this interesting project which uses waste plastic bottles and simple 3d printed part to make a solar still that can be used as an cheap water desalinator or purifier. The water inside bottle evaporates in sun and looses salt or microorganisms and is made good for human consumption.
His idea is to use it in emergencies or developing countries without adequate access to clean water.

I would like to see further testing in realistic conditions and also the economics calculations of large(r) scale deployment. How much water can it clean or desalinate under which conditions? I messaged Les and his estimate is that it will take about dozen bottles for one person per day.

Used plastic bottles can be found even on remote uninhabited islands and DIY 3d printers are also emerging in the poorest of countries made from electronic waste.

Good project Les!

He also presents a method of ppurifyingwater without need for 3d printed parts and three (glass?) containers:




All the files and instructions can be found at:

http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:464463


In addition here you can see a simple solar still made from a plastic bottle and an aluminum can you can make without any machining and purify water. The video is made by Thomas Kim.





This is not a first project for water purification on small scale that uses 3d printing.

The first project that I know of is WaterMaker by Cem Schnitzler, which uses more complex and larger cone structure and industrial grade 3d printers and high tech materials.

The STL for Water Maker files can be found at:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/ktoi0ccu25l8jjf/WaterMaker.zip

It works like this:

Here is a different still, the WaterCone that uses similar principles but it is made with traditional production methods:

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