solar desalination
Solar desalination is a technique used to remove salt from water via a specially designed still that uses solar energy to boil seawater and capture the resulting steam, which is in turn cooled and condensed into pristine freshwater. Salt and other impurities are left behind in the still.
For coastal towns that don't have access to pure water but have plenty of saltwater, this technology can be especially helpful. Desalination using solar energy can create fresh water sustainably and economically, decreasing the need for centralized water infrastructure and the related expenses.
Solar-powered system offers a route to inexpensive desalination
Passive solar evaporation system could be used to clean wastewater, provide potable water, or sterilize medical tools in off-grid areas.
An estimated two-thirds of humanity is affected by shortages of water, and many such areas in the developing world also face a lack of dependable electricity. Widespread research efforts have thus focused on ways to desalinate seawater or brackish water using just solar heat. Many such efforts have run into problems with fouling of equipment caused by salt buildup, however, which often adds complexity and expense.
Now, a team of researchers at MIT and in China has come up with a solution to the problem of salt accumulation — and in the process developed a desalination system that is both more efficient and less expensive than previous solar desalination methods. The process could also be used to treat contaminated wastewater or to generate steam for sterilizing medical instruments, all without requiring any power source other than sunlight itself.
Abstract
The aim of the current study was to provide a review of recent developments in solar desalination from the viewpoint of environmental, regulatory, and economic aspects. The analysis attempted to give better insight into the larger question of why more solar desalination plants are not being established by reviewing different technologies, drivers, barriers, and markets. Critical barriers which were dependent on the level of regional development were found to be uncertainty of government subsidies and a lack of regulatory policies. A new tool called a Pareto frontier may be utilized to generate optimal points in complex scenarios with a high number of variables. This all-inclusive method should be employed in any major decision-making process. Furthermore, in exciting innovative research studies, a sustainable Janus wood evaporator was developed that overcame many of the current solar desalination problems. While subsidies were crucial in the growth of renewable energy programs, barriers in deployment of solar desalination systems still exist such as low electricity tariff structures and fragmented energy policies. The overall trend was towards integration of renewable energy with conventional sources and energy storage systems.
Pasawish Nitichaivut M5/7 no.23
https://news.mit.edu/2022/solar-desalination-system-inexpensive-0214 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_desalination