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

  • GodofGrunts@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    1 year ago

    There’s nothing particularly wrong with drinking distilled water as long as you are getting enough minerals and electrolytes from the rest of your diet.

    • aulin@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      arrow-up
      1
      ·
      1 year ago

      True. However I would think that a system such as this would be used mostly in developing countries where getting all those minerals from your diet is not a given.