Pokharel, H K (2023) Improving quality: Exploring ceramic water filters in developing communities. PhD thesis, University of Rhode Island, USA.
Abstract
The main objectives of this dissertation were to determine the underlying factors involved in the ceramic water filter (CWF) manufacturing and assist in quality control of the CWFs using peer reviewed articles, empirical models, and statistical procedures. First, the progress, bias and gaps in the ceramic filter research were identified based on the peer reviewed articles published after 2011. Second, flow rate (FR) and nominal pore diameter (NPD) values as parameters were used to predict the microbial removal of CWFs. Two empirical models (flow rate model, FRM, and nominal pore diameter model, NPDM) were developed based on the log removal values (LRVs) for total coliform obtained from the operation of CWFs manufactured under controlled conditions in the United States. This research has contributed in two ways. First, by highlighting the progress, bias, and gaps in the CWF research, the future researchers could focus on the CWF research gaps to improve the CWF manufacturing process. Second, it provided an extra set of tools (models) that researchers and manufacturers could potentially use to reengineer the CWFs and quality control, respectively. The results of this study have the potential to improve the quality of CWFs produced, and therefore the water quality and related health impacts in the under-served communities.
| Item Type: | Thesis (Doctoral) |
|---|---|
| Thesis advisor: | Craver, V O |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: | bias; manufacturing; quality control; United States |
| Index terms: | controlled conditions, manufacturer, bias, manufacturing process, United States, developing community, quality control, dissertation, water quality |
| Subjects: | testing methods, Geography, communities and social development, project delivery, manufacturing engineering, practitioner, occupational health, research dissemination and communication, probability and distributions |
| Topics: | Quality Management, Engineering Principles, Geographical Context, Health and Safety, Roles and Professions, Research Practice, Stakeholder Management |
| Descriptive scope: | 3 PCA |
N.B. Descriptive scope is a count of how many of the five facets of empirical research are indicated by the words used in title, abstract and keywords. It is not intended as a judgement on the research; merely a count of the kind of word we would expect to indicate Phenomenon, Concepts, Theoretical framing, Empirical techniques, Analytical techniques. If all five are present, then a code of “5 PCTEA” will indicate this. If you feel the coding for this record is questionable, we welcome discussion around the terms we matched or the way we categorized them. The facet you would expect may not be coded, or a facet may be coded inappropriately. This can also bear on a larger question, of which facets should be treated as defining in construction management research. Please get in touch, and we will look at it. More details here