The Jerusalem-based SunDwater, whose standalone system harnesses heat through concentrated solar power, now has two fully operational pre-production models purifying water in the Arava Desert.
...The system works by pumping any source of contaminated water through one pipe into the top of a parabolic dish, which follows the sun throughout the day. The rays that hit the dish are then reflected back onto a water boiler that sits in the dish’s center, Zimels explained.
As the boiler heats up the contaminated source, the water evaporates, leaving the pollutants behind. Pushed out of the boiler with pressure, but remaining in a closed system, the vapor is then recondensed back into cleaner water, according to Zimels.
All in all, depending on the temperature, the sun’s reflection and the water source, the $16,000 system is able to generate about 300-400 liters of water daily, he said. A control console manages the whole process, collecting data, providing remote access, checking contaminant levels and performing automatic cleaning, Zimels added.
Not quite Jerry Pournelle's "Power to the People", but... |