WORKSHOP NO.

1 – Problem Identification and innovative Solution

Name: Asturias, Jhon Rey H.

Bierneza, Alexander Ray C.

Pastolero, Erick

A. The student is instructed to scan the environment & identify the problem he/she is going to provide solution
to.

Floods have been the number one catastrophe that the Philippines are facing even from the early times.
Furthermore, the Philippine’s geographical structure, being an archipelago, increases the potentials of storm
formation that produces heavy rains and eventually lead to flash floods. Another factor contributing flood is a
Water hyacinth, It is a dark green leave blades, circular to elliptical in shape attached to a spongy, inflated petiole.
Underneath the water is a thick, heavily branched, dark fibrous root system. The water hyacinth has striking light
blue to violet flowers located on a terminal spike. Water hyacinth is a very aggressive invader and can form thick
mats. If these mats cover the entire surface of the rivers they can cause oxygen depletions and fish kills. Water
hyacinths should be controlled so they do not cover most part of the river. Some of it proved that water hyacinth
poses threats like hindrance to water transport, clogging intakes of irrigation, hydropower and water supply
systems. Increased disease in the habitat, increased evaporation and transpiration of water, reduced biodiversity.
One of which is the event of flooding that happened in Mindanao, Philippines that was written in an article found
by the researchers that detailed, "Water lilies were also blamed for severe flooding in Mindanao that submerged
several villages in Cotabato City and Sultan Kudarat in the past months. Concerned citizens expressed alarm over
the presence of water lilies in the river, particularly along the Makati-Mandaluyong bridge. They raised concern
that these could lead to massive flooding in the event of heavy rains like that brought by typhoon Ondoy in 2009.
Then, Water hyacinths contributes in the increase of diseases in habitats such as Malaria, dengue, water borne
parasites and other water borne diseases, Fishing problems because access to the fishing ground becomes
difficult when weed infestation is present. The rate of multiplication and growth of water hyacinth is high in the
areas where the aquatic plant has been introduced during the recent days. One of the effective methods to
control the growth of this plant is Biological control of the plant is to control the weed by adding some
biologically significant plants into water. However, There isn't a one solution which can control this problem in a
much longer extent except perhaps an integrated approach such as one of more control methods applied
together can effectively work so as control this weed for a longer time period. So in addition to biological control,
other means of controlling measures should also be taken in short intervals of time in order to effectively control
the weed, The only method in which there are no immediate adverse effects in controlling the aquatic weed is
the mechanical control. A Machine must be designed so as to collect large mass of this water hyacinth which is
spread throughout a large area in the water bodies. So, a machine which can collect the weeds and also control
the weeds biologically is being employed now which can be run using a motor or an engine.
B. He/She is requested to complete the following statements:

1.) The present condition/problem is:

The rapid growth of a Water lily is dangerous because excess growth will cover the surface, causing a reduce in
light penetration into the body of water. Thick growths of Water lilies interfere with oxygen exchange and one of
the worst-case scenarios it can lead to being a source of flooding.

C. The ideal condition should have been:

The efforts to control the growth of water lilies were attempted by methods such as physical removal, chemical
and biological control, but all of them have failed miserably. The diversity of impact means that the problems
occur in the mandates of diverse ministries. There is considerable scope for delays following a new infestation
while the relevant government groups decide who is responsible for what in order to tackle water hyacinth.

D. The gap/s that exist between B and C is/are:

We came up with this idea to remove the water Hyacinth by offering a service with a new automatic water
hyacinth removal and prevention machine aids in the aquatic plant cutting, and collection of small pieces of
weeds, trash shred, other debris and even human waste in water bodies. Cutters and vanes are designed to cut,
collect and unload biomass and debris using a cutters, guide, and chain drive system on the boat. Cutter ramp cut
and collect material and bring it aboard the ramp wedge using the chain drive, The chain drive in its movement
which has vanes arranged to it collects the weeds and drops them in the storage tank. When the storage tank has
reached capacity, cut material is transported to a disposal site. When the motor gives power, the vanes will start
moving which will eventually collect all the weeds which are on the vanes of the drive. The chain keeps
continuously rotating with the help of gear and sprocket. Due to this continuous rotation of the drive, the weeds
are transferred from lower to upper end of the system.