Turning Waste Heat Into Water:
A New Desalination Process
Author(s)
E. Martinson, B. Moore & D. Raviv
Abstract
As growing populations place stress on limited water resources, new
technologies are needed to solve problems of water supply, ensuring human
well-being and environmental protection. To that end, this study investigates a
new method of water distillation for purposes of desalination or purification with
significant advantages over existing techniques. This process uses barometric
pressure to support columns of water ten meters high, efficiently maintaining
near-vacuum conditions in the space above the water surface.
Sub-atmospheric pressure decreases the boiling point of the water in the
columns, making practical the use of lower-temperature heat sources like the
waste heat discharged from power plants, water heated by solar-thermal panels,
or the temperature gradient found in deep ocean water. As thermal power cycles
are usually only 50% efficient, using this method to provide co-generation of
electricity and potable water is especially effective.
An experimental apparatus has been built and tested; results are presented
demonstrating that water can be distilled under a range of conditions and using a
temperature difference as small as 5 °C over ambient. Analysis of the collected
data was conducted showing that this method requires less operating power than
leading desalination methods.
Keywords: desalination, barometric distillation, power plant waste heat, aquifer
replenishment.
1 Introduction
Earth’s supply of fresh water is one of the most fundamental limits to the growth
of human civilization and prosperity. Over one billion people around the world
are already without adequate drinking water. Most of them live in developing
nations, where population growth is placing even greater stress on scarce
Keywords
desalination, barometric distillation, power plant waste heat, aquifer
replenishment.
Related Book
Other papers in this volume
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