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Desalination system could produce freshwater that is cheaper than tap water (news.mit.edu)

submitted 1 year ago by Gsus4@feddit.nl to c/technology@lemmy.world

163 comments fedilink hide all child comments

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 paper appearing today in the journal Joule, the team outlines the design for a new solar desalination system that takes in saltwater and heats it with natural sunlight.

The researchers estimate that if the system is scaled up to the size of a small suitcase, it could produce about 4 to 6 liters of drinking water per hour and last several years before requiring replacement parts. At this scale and performance, the system could produce drinking water at a rate and price that is cheaper than tap water.

https://www.cell.com/joule/fulltext/S2542-4351(23)00360-4

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[–] Masimatutu@lemm.ee 7 points 1 year ago (3 children)

The article explicitly states that it is directly powered by the sun.

[–] KingThrillgore@lemmy.ml 1 points 1 year ago

I've heard this one before and the systems never scale w/o subsidy and/or capture of the salts for industrial/rare earth use.

[–] MeanEYE@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago

And how does buying panels or power make it cheaper than filtering river water?

[–] Smoogs@lemmy.world -1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Solar panels is an entirely other discussion about the issues they themselves bring especially with covering the earth with more black surface which is negating the point of what the ice was doing to cool the earth before it melted. Ocean water is black and solar panels are black. Albedo effect. You’re turning the earth into a cinder block.

[–] Masimatutu@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Surely you cannot pretend this is a real problem? This is nothing compared to the loss of Albedo caused by ice melting, and also nothing compared to the fossil fuels that would otherwise go to similar purposes.

[–] Smoogs@lemmy.world 0 points 1 year ago

Dodge the uncomfortable fact.