MIT engineers and collaborators developed a solar-powered device that avoids the salt-clogging issues of other designs. Engineers at MIT and in China are aiming to turn seawater into drinking water with a completely passive device that is inspired by the ocean, and powered by the sun. In a pap
  • BarqsHasBite@lemmy.caEnglish
    25·
    9 months ago

    the design for a new solar desalination system that takes in saltwater and heats it with natural sunlight.

    The configuration of the device allows water to circulate in swirling eddies, in a manner similar to the much larger “thermohaline” circulation of the ocean. This circulation, combined with the sun’s heat, drives water to evaporate, leaving salt behind. The resulting water vapor can then be condensed and collected as pure, drinkable water. In the meantime, the leftover salt continues to circulate through and out of the device, rather than accumulating and clogging the system.

    Neat.

    The team envisions a scaled-up device could passively produce enough drinking water to meet the daily requirements of a small family.

    Hmm.

    • Dr. Moose@lemmy.worldEnglish
      19·
      9 months ago

      The last paragraph is cool too though. A single device for a household that produces enough water would be big for many communities. The only real question here is how complex and expensive the device is.

      I wonder whether that’s safe enough considered there much shit in salty water than just salt but judging by the fact it’s condensing I guess that’d mean yes?

      • I Cast Fist@programming.devEnglish
        113·
        9 months ago

        Most of the shit will remain down with the salt, as they’re too dense to flow upwards with the water vapor.

        Btw, that’s pretty much distilled water, right? While drinkable, it’ll be lacking some needed minerals, no?

        • Thisfox@sopuli.xyzEnglish
          20·
          9 months ago

          No. You can get those minerals from your food. It is safe to drink distilled water. But there is a lot of misinformation about distilled water, I have even had people tell me it can kill them! Water is water. Get your minerals from food.

            • Thisfox@sopuli.xyzEnglish
              5·
              9 months ago

              Better than chugging a gallon of artificial sweetener, caffiene and flavours.

              Isn’t a gallon almost four litres? A gallon of anything is going to be dangerous to drink all at once.

          • I Cast Fist@programming.devEnglish
            3·
            9 months ago

            Good to know, I had the misconception that you could only get some never specified minerals from freshwater and that distilled water would leave you mostly thirsty.

            • Thisfox@sopuli.xyzEnglish
              52·
              9 months ago

              Likely from some company trying to sell expensive foul tasting “sports water”. Eat a bag of crisps with your water if you are really concerned about your salt intake.

              Drinking distilled water will not leave you thirsty. And on a study here in Australia on teenagers drinking electrolyte sport drink vs water while doing athletics, it was proven there was better athletic performance from the water drinkers… Which brings a lot of the advertising into question.

        • Cethin@lemmy.zipEnglish
          2·
          9 months ago

          It’s literally distilled water. I don’t know what this technology does that other evaporative distillation systems don’t already do, besides being solar powered.

      • BarqsHasBite@lemmy.caEnglish
        2·
        9 months ago

        Other stuff should be limited since the water evaporates and is then condensed. Little should be carried with it, but I don’t know for certain.