Posted on 01/14/2024 6:08:09 PM PST by SunkenCiv
The team's new system improves on their previous design — a similar concept of multiple layers, called stages. Each stage contained an evaporator and a condenser that used heat from the sun to passively separate salt from incoming water. That design, which the team tested on the roof of an MIT building, efficiently converted the sun's energy to evaporate water, which was then condensed into drinkable water. But the salt that was left over quickly accumulated as crystals that clogged the system after a few days. In a real-world setting, a user would have to place stages on a frequent basis, which would significantly increase the system's overall cost.
In a follow-up effort, they devised a solution with a similar layered configuration, this time with an added feature that helped to circulate the incoming water as well as any leftover salt. While this design prevented salt from settling and accumulating on the device, it desalinated water at a relatively low rate.
In the latest iteration, the team believes it has landed on a design that achieves both a high water-production rate, and high salt rejection, meaning that the system can quickly and reliably produce drinking water for an extended period. The key to their new design is a combination of their two previous concepts: a multistage system of evaporators and condensers, that is also configured to boost the circulation of water — and salt — within each stage.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.mit.edu ...
IIRC, Israel desalinates commercially at $500/acre feet, which is considered cheap by most standards. Unless MIT beats that, it’s just fishing for government grants.
the two salt mines here are just huge desalination plants...
“The team envisions a scaled-up device could passively produce enough drinking water to meet the daily requirements of a small family.”
We’re gonna be rich!
I find that hard to believe, , the “Cheaper than tap water” part, other than possibly in places on or next to an ocean that has no fresh groundwater within say a hundred miles.
But I’m all for the continued development of desalinization systems. Eventually they might be able to make it economical to do in some places.
Be nice if someone other than Chinese could be developing technology at MIT.
the evaporative method is proven. Get the energy cost down and it becomes cost effective.
Yep. It’s a good thing our politicians are so committed to cheap and plentiful energy!
/s
On a serious note, desalinization is a winner. What they have done in Israel is amazing. We need to be careful though because the climate alarmists are increasingly looking at “water” as something they need to control.
A solar still that clogs less.
Singapore also uses it, much the same reason. Populous islands get that way in part because of water supply.
https://search.brave.com/search?q=singapore+desalination+%241+per+cubic+meter
Desalinization has been on Navy ships for years.... They used JP5 to give it a better taste 🤣🤣
If you are referring to a reverse osmosis unit, they are not affected by altitude. They are force fed by high pressure pumps.
I operated an industrial scale one at a hospital in the early 90’s. They were quite expensive, but they were very productive and efficient if properly maintained.
Another poster mentioned the Israelis purify water on a grand scale, I suspect their method is much more cost effective.
Regardless, trying to purify water via the evaporation by the sun is just a dumb as a solar panel, and most likely much less efficient than a solar panel.
:^)
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