This week was the last week of IPPD fall semester. Our team presented our system level design report to our Duke Energy liaisons. After weeks of hardwork, we are nearing the end.

In honor of the end of the semester, I have composed a little remix.

Jingle bells, Jingle bells, Jingle SLDR

Duke energy chime in final SLDR time

Dancin’ and prancin’ in Reitz Grand Ballroom

In the frosty air

This week our team presented our system level design presentation to our peers for feedback for the real presentation next Tuesday! We received both positive feedback and constructive criticism for their presentation. Positive aspects included improved group energy, a well-received project plan, and clear knowledge demonstration. However, concerns were raised about uneven speaking time among team members and varying energy levels during the presentation. Suggestions for improvement encompassed breaking down specific slides, reducing text content, standardizing the presentation of each technology, and addressing issues of clutter or empty space on certain slides.

Also, in the holiday spirit, this is our team’s IPPD wrap! Crystal Clear Waters worked on one IPPD project! Our team spent almost a combined 1,440 hours working. While our team is made-up of 6 engineering students, we had one incredible coach (shout out to Dr. Bean) and three amazing engineer liaisons from Duke. This semester, our project took us places like Crystal River which was so fun!!

This week, our team dove into the deep end with our prototype inspection day, making waves as we presented our “prototype” to judges for a splash of feedback. Instead of a physical prototype, we navigated the day with a PowerPoint presentation, dripping with details about the various technologies we’ve been brewing up, including the costs of these aqueous solutions. Our team, like a unique stream in the IPPD landscape, had a rather different flow. The feedback we received on our project presentation was a refreshing mix of positive observations and constructive criticism. On the sunnier side, our team’s overall understanding of project goals and high subject knowledge made quite the splash. However, our water journey did reveal some areas that needed a bit of improvement such as the organization of cost and waste comparisons, ensure consistency between our solutions, and make sure to put numbers to all aspects, just like raindrops in a storm. The structure of our presentation was critiqued for being a bit with recommendations to include tangible elements rather than relying solely on slides. Despite various areas where our project needed a bit of tide-turning, there was a swell of confidence in our team’s ability to deliver a substantial document to Duke, like a well-formed river meeting the ocean. With a few adjustments, we’re ready to make our project flow seamlessly, like a serene stream meeting the sea. 

It’s never a dull week with Crystal Clear Waters, and currently, the waters are anything but clear. This semester has all of us stoking the flame, but we prevail and steer our ship towards dawn!

This week has been focused on gathering more information on each technology, but not just on how the technologies work; rather, we’re delving into how much they would cost – arguably the most crucial piece of information. As they say, the world runs on money, and let’s hope our sponsors agree, because some of our solutions are proving to be quite expensive. The first quote we received left us all in shock. To be fair, none of us really knew the cost of things of this caliber. We are putting in a tremendous effort, as evident in the photo, to get our team ready for the PID presentation next week!! I can definitely say that Jay is excited to present – and perhaps even more excited about the snacks…