Harnessing solar energy offers a sustainable alternative for powering electrolysis for green hydrogen production as well as wastewater treatment. The high costs and logistical challenges of electrolysis have resulted in limited widespread investigation and implementation of electrochemical technologies on an industrial scale. To overcome these challenges, this study designs and tests a new approach to chemical experiments and wastewater treatment research using a portable standalone open-source solar photovoltaic (PV)-powered station that can be located onsite at a wastewater treatment plant with unreliable electrical power. The experimental system is equipped with an energy monitoring data acquisition system. In addition, sensors enable real-time monitoring of gases—CO, CO₂, CH₄, H₂, H₂S, and NH₃—along with temperature, humidity, and volatile organic compounds, enhancing safety during electrochemical experiments on wastewater, which may release hazardous gases. SAMA software was used to evaluate energy-sharing scenarios under different grid-connected conditions, and the system can operate off the power grid for 98% of the year in Ontario, Canada. The complete system was tested utilizing a laboratory-scale electrolyzer (electrodes of SS316L, Duplex 2205, titanium grade II and graphite) with electrolyte solutions of potassium hydroxide, sulfuric acid, and secondary wastewater effluent. The electrolytic cell specifically developed for testing electrode materials and wastewater showed a Faraday efficiency up to 95% and an energy efficiency of 55% at STP, demonstrating the potential for use of this technology in future work.

The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the vulnerability of global supply chains of many products. One area that requires improved supply chain resilience and that is of particular importance to electronic designers is the shortage of basic dual in-line package (DIP) electronic components commonly used for prototyping. This anecdotal observation was investigated as a case study of using additive manufacturing to enforce contact between premade, off-the-shelf conductors to allow for electrical continuity between two arbitrary points by examining data relating to the stock quantity of electronic components, extracted from Digi-Key Electronics. This study applies this concept using an open hardware approach for the design, testing, and use of a simple, parametric, 3-D printable invention that allows for small outline integrated circuit (SOIC) components to be used in DIP package circuits (i.e., breadboards, protoboards, etc.). The additive manufacture breakout board (AMBB) design was developed using two different open-source modelers, OpenSCAD and FreeCAD, to provide reliable and consistent electrical contact between the component and the rest of the circuit and was demonstrated with reusable 8-SOIC to DIP breakout adapters. The three-part design was optimized for manufacturing with RepRap-class fused filament 3-D printers, making the AMBB a prime candidate for use in distributed manufacturing models. The AMBB offers increased flexibility during circuit prototyping by allowing arbitrary connections between the component and prototyping interface as well as superior organization through the ability to color-code different component types. The cost of the AMBB is CAD $0.066/unit, which is a 94% saving compared to conventional PCB-based breakout boards. Use of the AMBB device can provide electronics designers with an increased selection of components for through-hole use by more than a factor of seven. Future development of AMBB devices to allow for low-cost conversion between arbitrary package types provides a path towards more accessible and inclusive electronics design as well as faster prototyping and technical innovation.

The amount of non-revenue water, mostly due to leakage, is around 126 billion cubic meters annually worldwide. A more efficient wastewater management strategy would use a parametric design for on-demand, customized pipe fittings, following the principles of distributed manufacturing. To fulfill this need, this study introduces an open-source parametric design of a 3D-printable easy-connect pipe fitting that offers compatibility with different dimensions and materials of pipes available on the market. Custom pipe fittings were 3D printed using a RepRap-class fused filament 3D printer, with polylactic acid (PLA), polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA), and thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) as filament feedstocks for validation. The 3D-printed connectors underwent hydrostatic water pressure tests to ensure that they met the standards for residential, agricultural, and renewable energy production applications. All the printed parts passed numerous hydrostatic pressure tests. PETG couplings can tolerate up to 4.551 ± 0.138 MPa of hydrostatic pressure, which is eight times greater than the highest standard water pressure in the residential sector. Based on the economic analysis, the cost of 3D printing a pipe coupling is from three to seventeen times lower than purchasing a commercially available pipe fitting of a similar size. The new open-source couplings demonstrate particular potential for use in developing countries and remote areas.

Harnessing solar energy offers a sustainable alternative for powering electrolysis for green hydrogen production as well as wastewater treatment. High costs and logistical challenges of electrolysis have limited widespread investigation and implementation of electrochemical technologies on an industrial scale. To overcome these challenges this study designs and tests a new approach to chemical experiments and wastewater treatment research using a portable stand-alone open-source solar photovoltaic (PV)-powered station that can be located onsite at a wastewater treatment plant with unreliable electrical power. The experimental system is equipped with an energy monitoring data acquisition system. In addition, sensors enable real-time monitoring of gases: CO, CO₂, CH₄, H₂, H₂S, and NH₃, along with temperature, humidity, and volatile organic compounds, enhancing safety during electrochemical experiments on wastewater, which may release hazardous gases. SAMA software was used to evaluate energy-sharing scenarios under different grid-connected conditions and the system can operate off the power grid for 98% of the year in Ontario, Canada. The complete system has been tested utilizing a laboratory-scale electrolyzer (electrodes of SS316L, Duplex 2205, titanium grade II and graphite) with electrolyte solutions of potassium hydroxide, sulfuric acid and also secondary wastewater effluent. The electrolytic cell specifically developed for testing electrode materials and wastewater showed a Faraday efficiency up to 95% and an energy efficiency of 55% at STP demonstrating the potential for use of this technology in future work.

The amount of non-revenue water is around 126 billion cubic meters annually worldwide mostly due to leakage. A more efficient wastewater management strategy would use a parametric design for on-demand customized pipe fittings, following the principles of distributed manufacturing. To fulfill this need, this study introduces an open-source parametric design of a 3D printable easy connect pipe fitting that offers compatibility with different dimensions and materials of the pipes available in the market. Custom pipe fittings were 3D printed using a RepRap-class fused filament 3D printer, with polylactic acid (PLA), polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), acrylonitrile styrene acrylate (ASA), and thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) as filament feedstocks for the validation. The 3D-printed connectors underwent hydrostatic water pressure tests to meet standards for residential, agricultural, and renewable energy production applications. All the printed parts passed numerous hydrostatic pressure tests. PETG couplings can tolerate up to 660±20 psi of hydrostatic pressure, which is eight times larger than the highest standard water pressure for the residential sector. Based on the economic analysis, the cost of 3D printing a pipe coupling is 3 to 17 times lower cost than purchasing a commercially available pipe fitting of a similar size. The new open-source couplings demonstrate particular potential for use in developing countries and remote areas.