At PVC Fittings Online, we care about our community and developing the minds of younger generations. In May of 2019, we had privilege of working with Northern Illinois University in supporting graduating students of the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology (CEET). We had the honor of providing PVC pipes, fittings, and valves for one team’s Hydro-Cyclone project for use in recycling applications during their senior project presentation.
PVCFO is Proud of the Success of Students
Nationally and internationally recognized, CEET has been educating and successfully sending off students to work in biomedical engineering, electrical engineering, industrial and systems engineering, mechanical engineering, and mechatronics engineering fields all across the United States. One way they equip their students for solving real-world problems is through their Senior Design Day presentations, in which students showcase their product, system, or process designs and solutions to faculty, engineering and technology alumni, and fellow students.
PVC Fittings was able to assist a team of NIU engineering seniors in the creation of their prototype of a plastic separator that uses hydrocyclonic features. We are extremely proud of Kimberly McIntyre, Gregory Solomon, and Jacob Leeney in their work of improving consumer waste recycling systems. In providing McIntyre, Solomon, and Leeney with PVC pipes and accessories(PVC materials list below), we were able to assist in their education and equip them for a future in engineering. We are honored to have been able to watch them make an impact on our world.
NIU / CEET Design Project
For their Senior Design Day presentations, McIntyre, Solomon, and Leeney decided to improve an industrial process, specifically finding a better way to sort recycling other than by hand. They astutely recognized the problem of separating recycling by hand because this leaves room for human error, low throughput, and high costs. After they identified the problem, they began working on an apparatus that would use water pressure, gravity, and air to forcefully separate particles from the main water stream. PVC Fittings supplied these students with clear PVC Schedule 40 pipes, elbows, couplings, and ball valves to be used in their large 50-gallon tank to create a stream of water that forces particles in the opposite direction of the main stream and in succession draws lighter particles upward from the rush of air created from this movement.
We are overjoyed to announce that McIntyre, Solomon, and Leeney’s project, “Plastic Separation via Hydro-Cyclonic Methods,” won first place in the 2019 Senior Design Day. They came out on top in front of 80 other engineering teams. From their win, they were featured during the Engineering and Technology Alumni Society (ETAS) Coin Ceremony where they each received an engineering challenge coin.
Hydro-Cyclonic Separator in Action - Video
PVCFO’s Future Educational Support
From this experience, we have discovered what an honor it is to assist students in furthering and deepening their education with hands-on experiences. We are proud to have been able to empower students and future leaders. Our educational impact does not end here; this is just the beginning. PVC Fittings is dedicated to enriching the education of students across the United States.
Hydro-Cyclone PVC Materials List:
1/2" Clear Schedule 40 PVC Pipe(5 ft) - 4050-CLEAR-5FT
3/4" Clear Schedule 40 PVC Pipe(5 ft) - 4075-CLEAR-5FT
1" Clear Schedule 40 PVC Pipe(5 ft) - 4100-CLEAR-5FT
1-1/2" Clear Schedule 40 PVC Pipe(5 ft) - 4150-CLEAR-5FT
1-1/2" Clear PVC Tee - 401-015L
1/2" Clear PVC 90 Elbow - 406-005L
1/2" Clear PVC Coupling - 429-005L
1-1/2" Flui-PRO PVC Compact Ball Valve - White / Socket - FP-WS-015
3/4" Flui-PRO PVC Compact Ball Valve - White / Socket - FP-WS-007
Do you have a project or interest in partnering with PVCFO? Complete our Project Inquiry Form Here.