Solar desalinator

[Salty John]

Here's interesting concept, a solar powered desalinator with low maintenance and an affordable price.

http://www.fastcoexist.com/3039870/all-it-takes-for-the-desolenator-to-make-clean-drinking-water-is-a-little-sunlight

 

[macd]

Yes, interesting, not least in a 'why-hasn't-there-been-on-before?' sort of way. Neat that it seems to use the sun in two ways: to heat a dark surface and to generate leccy. Output per £ of capital seems very roughly equivalent to the smaller reverse-osmosis desalinators, but then they don't include the power source. Could certainly be worthwhile for long-haul single-handers: good for around 180 litres for a 14-day trip (if it's sunny).

This site has a little more information of the gadget: http://techxplore.com/news/2014-12-desolenator-tech-independence-video.html

My assumption above was that the quoted '3 to 4 gallons' per day was US gallons, but techxplore states 15 litres per day, which seems to suggest imperial gallons. So maybe up to 210 litres for 14 days. That's probably makes it no dearer than fitting and plumbing an extra tank.

 

[laika]

Couldn't see any stated dimensions but looks a little on the large side from the pictures

 

[macd]

Couldn't see any stated dimensions but looks a little on the large side from the pictures

Judging by the footprints, maybe a metre tall or a little more?

Company is described as UK-based: http://www.crowdfundinsider.com/201...0000-indiegogo-turn-saltwater-drinking-water/

 

[Saguday]

This is brilliant - thanks for posting about it.

Imperial College tech start-up, good for them.

 

[sarabande]

Not being negative on purpose, but I do hope they have given thought to how to clean the internals from adventitious airborne bacteria....


A twenty year life ?

 

[Saguday]

20 years is the usual lifespan of a solar PV panel so I guess they base it on that. It has a battery built in as well so presumabky that will need to be replaced.

It seems to separate out the distilled water from "brine" and other poisons which suggests there is probably a way to flush it all out periodically. There won't be all the fuss and bother that reverse osmosis users have to out up with as it's conceptually much simpler.

 

[ianabc]

Perhaps

see rebutal

http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?...ommentsort=0&mode=improvedthreaded&pid=123812

 

[macd]

Perhaps

see rebutal

http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?...ommentsort=0&mode=improvedthreaded&pid=123812

I'm not sure the basis of that rebuttal...having periodically to scrape salt deposits off the panel...is correct. In the production version (not the prototype), doesn't the saline flow between the panel and the double-glazing layer? Even if not, there's a rebuttal to the rebuttal on the link.

 

[AndrewB]

Still haven't forgotten the "Waterlog" desalinator fiasco. It was supposed to work by being towed behind the yacht. Widely publicised (including by Yachting Monthly) and sold at a high price, it was quite ineffective, possibly even a hoax. Numerous threads about it back in 2007, e.g. http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?143602-Waterlog-and-watermakers.

Is the "Desolenator" any better?

 

[Saguday]

Well, it doesn't say anything about having to be towed behind a yacht, so I guess that's one design improvement

 

[Saguday]

Perhaps

see rebutal

http://soylentnews.org/comments.pl?...ommentsort=0&mode=improvedthreaded&pid=123812

That's an odd 'rebuttal' - they seem to think that saltwater dribbles on the top of the PV panel like a kettle element and I'd be very surprised if that was they way it worked. Thermal solar panels heat water by running it through tubes and these can reach quite high temps. As I understand it the Desolinator does this then uses the waste heat from the PV panel to boost this some more (p to 90degC) and then the electricity from the panel is used to heat it the last 10degC to reach boiling point. At no point would this need to involve direct contact between the panel and the water being purified so I don't see why salt crystals would be left behind on the panel. You would need to flush the system out at some point though, obv.