Team:Hong Kong UCCKE/Demonstrate

Demonstration

Demonstration

Framework

We designed a Food waste Decomposer to transform food waste into eco.detergent. During the Fermentation of the food waste,the machine provide a stable environment (e.g.temperature) and conditions (e.g.stirring) for producing eco.enzyme. Furthermore, the eco.detergent produced is then transferred to a connected dishwasher included in the device. Our product fulfills the convenience to customers and handle the food waste automatically but also effectively.

Design Of Function

Our device can handle 1 week of food waste.Bacteria, sugar and water ( in the form of syrup ) are added to the food waste to speed up the fermentation process. The whole process and procedures will be handled by the machine automatically. So user can both save time from their fast paced time and reduce food waste in an environmentally friendly way.

Design of Biosafety

Features:

Funnel: entrance of eco.detergent ingredient (e.g. food waste,bacteria,syrup)


Spinning Wheel: holder for containers

Plastic Bottles: containers for food waste

Magnetic spinner: spin the magnetic stirrer to stir the mixture

Motor & Axis: rotate spinning wheel

Pump & Tubes: Transfer ingredients

Further features in the future prototype:

Heater: maintain optimum temperature for fermentation

Resistance Thermometer: control temperature of heater

1st Prototype ( 13/5 - 25/5 )

Design Of Function

In the design of the 1st prototype, our team discussed what features will be included. We constructed a demo model with the concept of the most fundamental functions we expected using ready-made materials

Features & Functions

Plastic Bottles : Containers
Chopstick : Axis
Shaped foam board : Spinning wheel and container holder
Magnetic stirrer : stir the mixture
Magnetic Spinner : spin the magnetic stirrer
Bucket : Case to contain all content

Design of 1st Prototype

Product of 1st prototype

Product Function

Firstly,six containers are featured to contain the three types of food waste respectively , each type of food waste is distributed to two container.Secondly,the axis rotate the spinning wheel which is the holder of the containers. With the magnetic stirrer at the bottom of the containers and the magnetic spinner in the containers, when the spinning wheel rotate each position, the magnetic spinner will spin the magnetic stirrer in one of the containers each rotation to stir the mixture well. In conclusion, the 1st prototype fulfilled the function of stirring and containing the food waste

2nd Prototype

Design of function

In the 2nd prototype, we replaced the ready-made materials and manual component with machines components With the experiment result and data from experimental team, data shows that syrup can speed up the decomposition rate of the fermentation of food waste Therefore,in the design, we included a new function of inserting the ingredient of eco.detergent (Food waste, Syrup, Bacteria)

Design of 2nd Prototype

Product of 2nd Prototype

Features & Function

Motor : replace manual spinning

Metal Axis : connect and rotate spinning wheel

Funnels : pour in ingredients into containers

Overall operation of 2nd prototype:

Magnetic stirrer : stir the mixture

Magnetic spinner : spin the Magnetic stirrer

Bucket : Case to contain all content

Product Function

Same as the 1st prototype, the 2nd prototype included the function of rotating the spinning wheel but replaced component with motor and metal axis With the new feature, each funnel pour in different ingredients of food waste , syrup and bacteria.

The most ingenious new function in the 2nd prototype is the cooperation of the funnels and the spinning wheel. The funnels will be pointing at the mouth of the containers to pour in the ingredients. When the spinning wheel rotate its position , the position of the funnel layer will remain unchanged. Therefore, different ingredients can be poured into the containers sequentially.

For the sequence of adding each ingredient , we will leave it to the Experiment team to investigate about it.

3rd Prototype

Design of functions

In the 2rd prototype, we need to pour in the ingredients by manpower and it is not desirable in our finale product. Therefore, our team designed a system that can pour in the ingredients automatically.

Design of 3rd prototype:

Features & Function

Motor : replace manual spinning
Metal Axis : connect and rotate spinning wheel
Pump : transfer ingredients into the funnel
Tubes : deliver ingredients from pump to funnel
Funnels : pour in ingredients into containers
Magnetic stirrer : stir the mixture
Magnetic spinner : spin the Magnetic stirrer
Bucket : Case to contain all content

Product function

In the 3rd prototype, we designed an ingredients insert & transfer system which the pumps automatically transfer the ingredients into the funnels then is poured into the containers through the funnels.

Overall operation of 3rd prototype:

Future Plans (4th & 5th Prototype)

Design Function

To fulfill conditions provided by experimental team and part design team, and a more suitable and stable environment for food waste fermentation. Despite the improvement of the environment , we are still focusing on the main device of the machine. To reach our expectations, there will be a lot of external developments in our future plans:

  • Classification of food waste
  • Ration controlling of food waste, syrup and water
  • Dishwasher with eco-detergent produced
  • More proper machine structure
  • Cooperations between components
  • Extraction of eco-detergent

Temperature Regulating

In the previous experiment data from experimental team, we know that higher temperature will increase the rate and speed up the decomposition and respiration of the food waste. Therefore we want to feature a temperature regulating system in the 4th prototype in order to help speed up the whole process.

Design of Eco-detergent extractor

Eco-detergent Extractor

Besides,after the food waste fermentation is fully completed, the eco.detergent need a way to be extracted. Therefore, we drafted a eco.detergent extraction device which delivers eco.detergent from the containers to the dishwasher.

Semi-permeable layer

During the fermentation of food waste,bacteria is added to the food waste increasing mass reduction rate and improving smell problems. We definitely don’t want the bacteria in our finale eco.detergent product. Therefore, we suggested using semi-permeable layer to filtrate the bacteria and the remaining food waste according to biosafety.

Power Source & Circuit Board

In the 2nd & 3rd prototype,each electric components are connected to a power source respectively. It will be inconvenient and complicated for installing the component together in the future prototypes. Therefore, we include circuit boards in the 4th prototype in order to gather all the power sources into one circuit system.

Coding Device

Though we replaced the manual component (from 1st prototype) with more professional electric component (from 2nd & 3rd prototype) .They can only carry out their own function without cooperating with the other component . Therefore, coding will be involved in our future prototype development in order to operate the functions of the machine accurately and cooperatively.

Blender

From the 1st to the 3rd prototype,we supposed the food waste to be fluid. Yet, we don’t expect our users to blend the food waste themselves. Furthermore, our experiment team found out that increasing the surface area of food waste by blender increases the rate of both mass reduction and respiration of food waste.
Therefore , we concluded that a blender will be included in our future prototype for mincing the food waste.

Feature & Function

  • Heater: Regulating temperature for fermentation
  • Resistance thermometer: controlling temperature of heater
  • Coding device: coding for electrical components
  • Circuit board: gather power source
  • Blender: mincing food waste

Product Function

Models (Prototype Evolution)

First Prototype : we built a demo and concept of model of the device with ready-made materials

Second Prototype : we replaced the manual component with machines

  • Professional magnetic Stirrer
  • Funnels
  • spinning wheels controlled by motors and Axis

Third Prototype : Insert ingredient transfering system

  • Pumps
  • Tubes

Fourth Prototype:

Application & Future expectations

We expect our final product can completely decompose the food waste into eco.detergent in a week with the help of temperature,bacteria and other unknown conditions we haven’t discovered. Therefore,we will collaborate with our experiment team to develop a more stable and suitable environment for the food waste fermentation .

Furthermore,we expect convenience to customers. Users just have to input the food waste then the device will process all the procedures automatically with dish washing.

Moreover,We also expected this device to become a common household appliance, to allow reducing food waste become way more easier and convenient with our product.