Microplastic and Interplanetary Dust collection Project

***There is an updated portfolio post of this project. In this post here, you can find older photos and information from the same project related to the simulation stage.***

I have been working on developing a filter to collect interplanetary dust and microplastic particles from a high flying aircraft.

Here I have been investigating the feasibility of using a cyclone filter to separate particles out from the airstream.

This involved real life wind tunnel testing and running + verifying/ validating simulation models.

I have learned a huge amount from this self directed project, but most notably:

- a ruthless first-principles based approach is very useful in saving time and money and arriving at a good solution far quicker. This can require painful mental effort.

- when conducting experiments, it is very important to outline a clear hypothesis/ goal based on the first principles foundation, and to ensure that all control variables remain consistent between tests and dependent variables can be accurately measured. Loose experiments may inform intuition, but valuable information can only be gained in the above manner.

- a rigorous plan and timeline is a critical tool for staying on track, and focusing on the right aspects of a project.

Reflecting on the project thus far has shown me these areas I was lacking in. Now I can carry these learnings forth into continuing this project, and other future projects. Super exciting!