Scarcity of water and
quality of water have long been a concern for many people in the World.
Population is increasing on an exponential scale which leads to a greater need
for Water reserves. Developing countries tend to use more polluting processes
to generate power and have lower standard for keeping the environment clean and
healthy. This pollution is disposed into clean water sources and contaminates
them. Also with the large population increase there is more pollution emitted
into the environment contaminating many streams, lakes, and rivers.
Contaminated water can carry different types of waterborne diseases. People in
some developing countries also use streams to wash themselves and clothes if
they do not have a stable supply of water provided for them. This water flows
downstream where others drink from. All of these activities worsen the problem
of decreasing sources of natural potable water. Drinking from untreated water
can cause illness which leads to extreme pain or even death. Even water sources
that are away from densely populated areas can carry pathogens detrimental to
human health.
We all know about the
many benefits of water. We have to drink water around 8-10 eight-ounce glasses
a day. Our brains consist of 90% water and our blood is 83% water. Water helps
move nutrients and oxygen to our cells, moisturizes our lungs, regulates our
body temperature and protects our joints, to name just a few of the many things
we have come to accept as fact.
There are many existing
solar panel systems that are used to purify water. It has become a recent
concern and idea to use solar panels as an energy source for cleaning water in
developing countries where most of their large water supplies have become
contaminated from human activity.
How
solar water purification system works?
Solar water purification system is a system at household level based on solar radiation
treatment and water distillation with additional use of solar heating. Solar water purifiers use sunlight to change contaminated water into fresh-smelling,
good-tasting and safe drinking water. They collect water in some kind of
covered bin. As the sunlight raises the temperature of the water, the water is
vaporized and leaves the contaminants behind. The water goes through
condensation under the glass or plastic cover and drops of water collect in a
pure water channel. The drops are then delivered into a clean bin from which we
can then drink clean water.
Solar water purification
system is a combination of two water purification processes, the Solar Water
Disinfection System (SODIS) and the solar distillation process.
It has two main
components:
Removal of chemical
contaminants (colour, taste, odour, etc.) by use of several filters;
Removal of microbial
contaminants (such as micro-organisms carrying cholera, typhoid, etc.) by UV
(and ozone) disinfection (flow sterilization);
Additional filters can
be added depending on the quality of the raw water source (i.e. arsenic or
nitrate filters, as well as additional fine filters).
It is powered by solar
energy, and includes a battery for those days which are cloudy, so purification
of the water can happen all year round, hassle-free.
Chlorination (bottle
disinfection):
An important source of
contamination in drinking water is the water container. In order to prevent
recontamination after the water has been purified and to clean the bottles
returned after use, it is important to clean the bottles. This can be done by
using Chlorine. The Chlorine is locally produced from brine (saturated salt
solution). It is a very simple, robust system that is solar powered and able to
produce Chlorine consistently, which can then be diluted as necessary to
disinfect the bottles.
Applications
The Solar Water
Purification System is customizable and can be used to supply water for
communities or village clusters of up to 5000 people.
The system can be used
in rural and urban settings such as households, schools, factories, hotels,
restaurants and remote camps.
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