[SunkenCiv]

A tilted ten-stage prototype is located into a "boat-like" reservoir.

Credit: Jintong Gao and Zhenyuan Xu

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Outdoor test of the prototype under natural sunlight.

Credit: Jintong Gao and Zhenyuan Xu

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[yldstrk]

Cough cough, uh huh right.

[redfreedom]

This water would be as cheap to produce as electricity is cheaply produced from windmills and solar panels.

My point is this system may work great in a lab/scientific environment. But to get water to evaporate using the sun will take an awful huge operation to satisfy the needs of a small 50,000 population town.

I have a feeling the cost per gallon of water will exceed that of a conventional reverse osmosis system once all expenses of production are considered.

[Paladin2]

Where does the salt eventually go?

Wintertime road treatment to dissolve ICE engined cars?

[FirstFlaBn]

Multiple references to cost advantages, but no specifics. I automatically dismiss such puffery as being for the sole purpose of getting the next grant.

[Rightwing Conspiratr1]

Too damn slow. Hook it up to a coal plant.

[msrngtp2002]

Well navy ships have evaporators. The most expensive part of that is the energy required to heat sea water 150 degrees so the salt water will flash to steam which is then condensed. Aircraft carriers have 4-100000 gpd stills. So the evaporative method is proven. Get the energy cost down and it becomes cost effective.

[HollyB]

Aruba has an incredible desalination system. It’s crazy they had not used this technology here.

[Chode]

the two salt mines here are just huge desalination plants...

[LegendHasIt]

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.

[maddog55]

Desalinization has been on Navy ships for years.... They used JP5 to give it a better taste 🤣🤣