1. Stephan Augustin designed a simple, inexpensive solar-powered desalination device called the Watercone to provide clean water for those without access. 2. He experimented with different shapes and materials, going through many failures before developing a prototype using a vacuum tool to mold the cone from one piece of polycarbonate. 3. In 2003, a company began mass producing and distributing the Watercone, using awards and press coverage to raise awareness about the global water crisis and the innovative product.

1. 錐形儲水器設計流程 設計英文-U9718006陳柏諦

2. This simple product provides anyone an independent, inexpensive,and mobile solar means to create potable water by condensationin, what is quite simply, a solar still. Potable:適於飲用的 Condensation:凝聚,凝結;凝結物

3. After making several trips around the world and becoming awareof the global water problem, Stephan Augustin, a designer atBMW AG, felt a social responsibility to create a simple, highly utilitarian,solar-powered seawater desalinationapparatus that couldbe manufactured cheaply. “Forecological, economical, geographical,and/or political reasons, 50 percent (2.5 billion) of theworld‘s population has no access to clean, potable water andsanitation,” says Augustin, who set his mind to doing whateverhe could to minimize this problem. Utilitarian:效能 Desalination:去鹽作用 Apparatus:儀器,設備,裝置 Manufactured:製造,加工 Sanitation:公共衛生 Minimize:使減到最少

4. His primary challenge lay in how to go about producing such aproduct while keeping it inexpensive enough to produce throughmass production. He knew it could comprise no more than twopieces and that there was no predecessor to follow; there was nocomparableproduct on the market. Dedicating himself to the job,Augustinstarted work on the project in 1998 by experimentingwith solar desalination. All of his work on this project was donein the evenings, weekends, and holidays in addition to his regularjob at BMW. Primary:最初的原始的 Comparable:參照 Predecessor:原有事物

5. He began by experimenting with evaporation and condensationusing a simple upside-down pyramid, a common device in desertsurvival. The problem here was that one-third of the condensationformed at the outer wall and ran into the sand. Moreover, thelightweight, plastic foil device wasn't wind resistant. Evaporation:蒸發、發散 Pyramid:棱錐(體),三角錐(體) Lightweight:輕型的

6. In February 2001, Augustin had abreakthrough idea in terms ofthe shape of the Watercone. A simple wooden tool was used totest the idea of a cone outfitted with a screw-cap spout at the tipand an inward circular collecting trough at the base. This conewas made out of two pieces that were glued together. Whilepromising, the piece burst and dirt collected at its inner edge,which wasn't satisfactory. Breakthrough:突破性進展 Outfitted:一組 screw-cap:螺帽流口

7. In the fall of that year, Augustin contacted a company in Germanywhich was willing to develop the idea. “We began to think aboutseveral production methods that could be much cheaper thanvacuumforming, which needs lots of manpower,” he says. “Welooked at different types of blow molding, especially for PET bottles,which already have a screw-cap spout at the tip, but all themanufacturers rejected [our proposal] because of geometricalandphysical reasons. Then, we had the genius idea for a vacuum toolthat allowed us to make the cone out of one piece.“ Vacuum:真空 Geometrical:幾何學

8. In spring 2002, construction began on a prototype vacuum tool.Later that summer, the first working products came out of thistool “after lots of failures because the material was stretched somuch at the outer trough areas that it came out as a thin foil,”Augustinsays. “After about 100 tests, we found the right temperatureand airspeed to get a perfect result.“ Construction:建造 Foil:薄片

9. Winter 2002 brought a license agreement with that same companyto produce and distribute the product, and in spring 2003, BayerAG, Leverkusen became the supplier and partner for the polycarbonate,Makrolon, which was the primary material. “As we had no PR and headcount budget, the company we wereworking with and I were using international awards and pressreports about this product resourcefully and abundantly to increasepublic awareness about the global water situation and our innovativeproduct to get manufacturing and distribution started-andit worked!" says Augustin. “There is a big potential for innovations that fulfill humanitarian,ecological, and economical aspects in one product ... and I hopeconcern for humanity is the next new trend." Resourcefully:機智的 Abundantly:大量的

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