Dylan Kato Rose Hills
Vertical Integrated Reactor for Photocatalysis
Building activity accounts for 25% of the world’s water consumption and 40% of the world’s energy demand. Much of the water comes into buildings at drinking quality and is used for all the water demand throughout the building, including uses that dont require drinking quality water, such as landscaping and toilet flushing. This leaves huge potential for water conservation by means of treating and re-using water from laundry, sinks, and showers.
One known way to treat this water is by using titanium dioxide. Since the initial discovery of Titanium dioxides ability to absorb photons and break down long organic and synthetic molecules, scientists and engineers have tried to find the best way to integrate this technology into our current infrastructure. One of these opportunities is to integrate titanium dioxide reactors into building facades, providing treatment and recycling of lightly contaminated greywater right at the source so that water can be re-used within the building. My research aims to study the viability of vertically integrated titanium dioxide reactors, for the purposes of water treatment and heat collection.
Message To Sponsor
I would like to express great thanks to the Rose Hills Foundation for providing me with this amazing opportunity to conduct summer research. Research is appealing to me, because of its potential for technological discovery that can advance society and lead to better quality of life. Getting exposure to the world of research as an undergraduate is invaluable to me because of the skills I have developed that will surely serve me well as I move forward in life toward graduate school and beyond.