Back in the Saddle... Again

"Fail forward fast" is the motto many design engineers are told to adopt. The idea is to make your mistakes quickly in a way where you will be able to truly build on them. One of our projects has recently had a couple such learning experiences. For the past three years I have been involved in the design of a solar-powered decentralized sanitation system in Ghana. Finally, this past May, the system was installed and began treating an estimated 2,000 gallons of sewage per day using only solar power. It worked for about two weeks and then simply stopped running. Then began a slow motion conversation over email and text to diagnose the problem. A month later things really started going pear shaped. Actually more like crushed-pear shaped.

Our in-ground tank collapsed in from the pressure of the surrounding soil. As soon as we learned that it happened everyone on the team basically said, “We 100% should have seen that coming.” I feel especially bad because it was my idea initially! The tank was not designed to go in the ground and for various reasons we had to bury it deeper than planned. Though we might be able to patch it back together with a reinforcing concrete wall the decision was made to improve on our design and use a totally different, though more expensive, tank designed to be in ground. Meanwhile, the power issues are still being sorted out through long-distance, slow-motion diagnostics.Part of the challenge here is that we are not able to design in context. We are failing forward but not very FAST. The only way to do that is to physically be in the native context by going there or simulating it here.

This past month has been spent designing and redesigning the clarifier tank while troubleshooting our solar power system long distance. A week and half ago we shifted from design to construction plans and ordering parts. I honestly feel like I have never been more prepared for something! Much of my level of preparation is due to building on already well documented supplies and tools lists put together by my co-worker Stephen Dodson during the trip last May. It has truly been a collaborative effort and I can't wait to hit the ground running.

I am writing this from the Nashville airport waiting for our flight through London. Thankfully I am not alone on this trip. Bryant Loesch (left in photo above) and Caleb Janelle (middle) will be joining me. They are both engineering graduates from Lipscomb and have joined me on previous trips to Ghana. Caleb is an electrical engineer who will be focusing on our power issues and Bryant is a mechanical engineer who will be helping me with the clarifier and some other secondary project.

You can keep up with our project by following our blog.