Delivering clean water with the power of the sun Today’s Video of the Day from Monash University features new technology that can deliver clean water to thousands of communities using only geothermal materials and solar energy.
The solar steam generation system features an evaporation disc made of super-hydrophilic filter paper. Water does not need to be boiled to be made safe for drinking. Most microbes and pathogens will be killed at 150 ° F for just five minutes.
Testing revealed that the technology can remove salt and produce continuous clean water with an efficiency rate of nearly 100 percent. Also as seen above they show Delivering clean water with the power of the sun and a solar filtration system, is a device that uses the sun’s heat to create condensation, which is collected for use as a clean water supply. Essentially, the sun supplies the energy needed to drive the water cycle (evaporation, condensation, precipitation) and in turn, usable water is created.
“We hope this research can be the starting point for further research in energy-passive ways of providing clean and safe water to millions of people, illuminating environmental impact of waste and recovering resources from waste,” said study lead author Professor Xiwang Zhang.
Engineers have constructed a device that not only generates electricity from the sun, but also distills freshwater from seawater. Solar farms that install such two-for-one systems could help meet the increasing global demand for drinking water while cranking out useful power. Using only sunlight and PET plastic bottles, the SODIS (solar disinfection) method uses a combination of UV sunlight and increased temperature to kill pathogens in the water. The water should be from a clean, well known water source, such as a lake or stream. Running water is best.
The research is published in the journal Energy & Environmental Science.
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By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer
Video Credit: Monash University