MIT Researchers Build Solar-Powered Low-Cost Desalination
October 19, 2024 3:52 PM Subscribe
Without Battery storage (by way of slashdot):
MIT engineers have built a solar-powered desalination system that "ramps up its desalting process and automatically adjusts to any sudden variation in sunlight"
While traditional reverse osmosis systems typically require steady power levels, "the MIT system requires no extra batteries for energy storage, nor a supplemental power supply, such as from the grid." And their results were pretty impressive:
The engineers tested a community-scale prototype on groundwater wells in New Mexico over six months, working in variable weather conditions and water types. The system harnessed on average over 94 percent of the electrical energy generated from the system's solar panels to produce up to 5,000 liters of water per day despite large swings in weather and available sunlight... "
...The system is geared toward desalinating brackish groundwater — a salty source of water that is found in underground reservoirs and is more prevalent than fresh groundwater resources...
[snip]
The researchers' report details the new system in a paper appearing in Nature Water.
MIT:
https://news.mit.edu/2024/solar-powered-desalination-system-requires-no-extra-batteries-1008
Nature:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s44221-024-00314-6
While traditional reverse osmosis systems typically require steady power levels, "the MIT system requires no extra batteries for energy storage, nor a supplemental power supply, such as from the grid." And their results were pretty impressive:
The engineers tested a community-scale prototype on groundwater wells in New Mexico over six months, working in variable weather conditions and water types. The system harnessed on average over 94 percent of the electrical energy generated from the system's solar panels to produce up to 5,000 liters of water per day despite large swings in weather and available sunlight... "
...The system is geared toward desalinating brackish groundwater — a salty source of water that is found in underground reservoirs and is more prevalent than fresh groundwater resources...
[snip]
The researchers' report details the new system in a paper appearing in Nature Water.
MIT:
https://news.mit.edu/2024/solar-powered-desalination-system-requires-no-extra-batteries-1008
Nature:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s44221-024-00314-6
Neat! I was wondering how feasible this was earlier this year while walking by some off grid cinderblock houses built on the Mexican coastline.
posted by deludingmyself at 4:26 PM on October 19
posted by deludingmyself at 4:26 PM on October 19
This is really exciting! I hope it can be commercialized/implemented for public use in a pro-social and affordable way.
posted by cnidaria at 5:20 PM on October 19
posted by cnidaria at 5:20 PM on October 19
@deludingmyself If it's on the coast this might be a better solution:
https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2011/03/07/the-fog-collectors-harvesting-water-from-thin-air/
This article's solution will work on a lot of aquifers that don't have potable water now.
posted by aleph at 5:32 PM on October 19
https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2011/03/07/the-fog-collectors-harvesting-water-from-thin-air/
This article's solution will work on a lot of aquifers that don't have potable water now.
posted by aleph at 5:32 PM on October 19
til that the US Bureau of Reclamation has a Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility.
posted by migurski at 5:50 PM on October 19 [1 favorite]
posted by migurski at 5:50 PM on October 19 [1 favorite]
More details here: https://arstechnica.com/science/2024/10/desalination-system-adjusts-itself-to-work-with-renewable-power/
And here I found out:
“So, around 100 years ago we developed reverse osmosis and electrodialysis, which are two membrane-based desalination technologies."
It uses electrodialysis *not* reverse osmosis.
posted by aleph at 5:58 PM on October 19
And here I found out:
“So, around 100 years ago we developed reverse osmosis and electrodialysis, which are two membrane-based desalination technologies."
It uses electrodialysis *not* reverse osmosis.
posted by aleph at 5:58 PM on October 19
« Older Larger datasets may reveal more nuance
posted by praemunire at 4:21 PM on October 19