Micro-plastic Filter Design.

Personal Design Project

With the increasing use of synthetic fabrics in clothing, the issue of micro-plastic pollution has become a significant concern for the environment and aquatic life. These tiny plastic fibers are shed during every wash cycle, eventually making their way into our water system and harming aquatic life. My design concept aims to address this problem by capturing the tiny plastic fibers released during the wash cycle, preventing them from entering the water system.
The importance of micro-plastic filters for laundry cannot be overstated, as they offer a practical solution to reducing micro-plastic pollution and protecting the environment.

Research.

Concept and Functionality.

Recommended Solution.

Inspiration.

Consider a micro-plastic filter device that is not only low-cost and low-maintenance but also designed with sustainability in mind, both in terms of the materials used and the user experience.

Keywords of research.

Low maintenance.

Minimise the frequency of changing/cleaning filter; self cleaning mechanisms

Cross-flow filtration ; Hydro-clonic separation.

Sustainability

Materials and user experience

Circular economy

Incorporates micro-plastic as filler material for the composite material.

Opportunity

Competitor Research

Features ; Product strategy

Aesthetic ; Incorporation of other features, e.g. night light

Direct Competitors
Companies that offers an external filtration system that is placed or installed outside the washing machine, to capture any MP that is discharged from the wastewater

Indirect Competitors
companies offering drum devices that focus more on reducing the release of MPs from clothing during washing.

Moodboard.

Research.

Concept and Functionality.

Recommended Solution.

Concept Generation.

Rotating Filter.
Cross-flow filtration method was suggested for this concept to implement low maintainance of the device. Cross-flow filtration greatly reduces clogging on the filters when comparing to conventional tangential flow filtration. As a result, it minimised the frequency at which the filters have to be clean and therefore reduces cost and maintainance.In order to implement a cross flow filtration in a cyclindrical body, the filter is made to rotate, which would ensure that the waste-water flow is parallel to the filter and clean water is drained though the center.

Disposal Procedure.
The filter module can be detached for easy disposal of micro-plastic waste.

The filter module is detached from the main module by unlocking the safety lock and followed by a lifting up action.
The filter module is rotated 180 ° in which waste content will accumulated at the bottom of the container.
The container is detached from the filter module by unlocking the twist lock mechanism and finally the waste can be cleared into the bin.

Material.
Recycled plastic is suggested as the main material for the body structure. However, recycling of micro-plastic into useful composite may be also considered if there is a ready solution or research in this area. Integration of micro-plastic into the main material of the product can be a way to promote circular economy in the product.

Research.

Concept and Functionality.

Recommended Solution.

Water flow.
The waste-water enters the device using the pressure supplied by the washing machine. The waste-water is then filtered by the cross-flow filtration filter at the centre and filtered water will be drained through the centre of the filter. A pump at the outlet is required to regulate the water flow in the device.

Modular mechanism.
The recommended solution suggested a mechanism that allows the detachment of the filter module. To achieve the rotational filter mechanism, the motor is suggested to be installed in the main body at the bottom. The filter can be driven by the mating of the gear with the driving gear on the main body when the filter module is attached. This resulted in a lightweight and simplistic interface for disposal by the user.Waterproofing of moving mechanism will be vital for this solution. Therefore, implementation of waterproof sealing and sealed bearing will be required.

Detachment of the filter module

Micro-plastic Filter Design.

Hao Ran Guan