Off-Grid, Inland Water Desalination System Wins First Prize

Apr-27-15 A new, award-winning desalination system uses an electric charge to clean brackish, inland water for irrigation as well as drinking.

The system was the recent winner of the Desal Prize, a competition inviting inventors to create an affordable, efficient, and eco-friendly way to produce clean water from salty or brackish water. Created by a team at MIT in conjunction with Jain Irrigation Systems, the system was designed for off-grid use (solar panels charge a bank of lead-acid batteries during the day), and relies on electrodialysis to purify the water.

As the salty water enters the system, electrodes with opposing charges pull the salt components of the water through a sandwich of membranes. Differently charged sodium and chloride ions are drawn through different membranes and separated, leaving the clean water behind to be collected. During extreme testing, the system was able to desalinate 2100 gallons of water for irrigation as well as desalinate and purify 66 gallons for drinking.

More Info about this Invention:

[MIT.EDU]
[SECURINGWATERFORFOOD.ORG]

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