Solar Water Desalination System

Project Title

Solar Water Desalination System

Project Area of Specialization Mechanical EngineeringProject Summary

Water scarcity is a universal problem and now due to the increased level of contamination in ground aquifers and rivers, the availability of safe drinking water has become a challenge. Bottled water is very costly and reverse osmosis (RO) units requires electricity, extensive maintenance and parts replacement.

In this project we shall design and develop a solar thermal desalination unit with phase change material (PCM) filled base as thermal energy storage (TES) and employ low pressure boiling through passive condenser. Solar energy absorbed by the absorber plate is used to boil saline water. Glass dome will provide the greenhouse effect to trap the radiations. A low pressure is maintained by a passive condenser to achieve low temperature boiling. PCM based TES will store thermal energy during peak sun hours and replenish when there is less sun shine as shown in Fig. 1. Prototype will help us to develop low cost, sustainable solution for preparing drinking water for the areas with severe water scarcity and where available water is full of impurities or salts.

This desalination system will be a portable, feasible and environment friendly project running solely on the renewable energy. We will try to manufacture a product that could also be a commercial product especially for home use. We will implement the latest advancements in the design to improve the heat transfer and evaporation process for greater output by using;

1-         glass or plastic with selective coatings to enhance radiation heat transfer into the unit.

2-         selective coatings and increased roughness on absorber plate to enhance heat transfer.

3-         good insulation materials to minimize the heat loss from the unit’s base and walls.

4-         phase change materials to store thermal energy at the peak hours and subsequent release during off peak hours for smooth operation.

5-         passive condenser or a vacuum pump running on solar photovoltaic energy, to decrease the pressure inside the unit to achieve the low temperature boiling.

6-         ultrasonic misters or other things to break the surface tension to increase evaporation.

Figure 1: Solar Water Desalination System.

Project Objectives

The solar desalination system has a great business opportunity as water scarcity is a great problem all over the world. Availability of safe drinking water is the need of every home. Our business plan is detailed below;

• By implementing the best enhancements, we shall manufacture a prototype to prepare 10 liters of water per day, which is the approximate requirement of a small house hold.
• We shall test the prototype extensively and try to reduce the cost by utilizing the cheaper, locally available, sustainable components, parts and materials.
• We shall prepare a comprehensive business and commercialization plan to market the final product.
• We shall use social media, industrial open house, and our industrial contacts to market the portable solar desalination unit.

Project Implementation Method

Mass production for this product can be done and sold globally. A portable and feasible product shall have a great impact in market. Estimated cost for the final ready to market product will be around Rs. 20,000/-. We see a lot of selling potential as;

• almost every household requires some permanent safe drinking water supply mechanism, specially when small RO units cost much in terms of electricity, maintenance and parts replacement.
• we have the plan to approach international organizations like, UN and its agencies, and different NGOs working in the area of safe water supply for the people of underdeveloped and developing countries, as they can be big customers of our product.

Benefits of the Project

• Own unit for preparing safe, clean drinking water for every household.
• Goodbye to costly bottled water and long waiting periods during high demand times.
• Running on free solar energy and no addition to electricity bills.
• No chances of water contamination during the transportation as is the case with other water supplies.
• A good source of clean water for less privileged and poor people in the remote areas.
• No expert required to install the unit simply put in the sun and connect to the home water tank.
• Very less periodic maintenance and cleaning needed as the unit is designed with a brine flush provision.
• Environment friendly product with zero carbon emissions.
• This unit will use sun’s energy and can be used in remote areas with no energy supplies.
• Prevents water related diseases like diarrhea due to poor water intake.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

This desalination system will be a portable, feasible and environment friendly project running solely on the renewable energy. We will try to manufacture a product that could also be a commercial product especially for home use. We will implement the latest advancements in the design to improve the heat transfer and evaporation process for greater output by using;

1-         glass or plastic with selective coatings to enhance radiation heat transfer into the unit.

2-         selective coatings and increased roughness on absorber plate to enhance heat transfer.

3-         good insulation materials to minimize the heat loss from the unit’s base and walls.

4-         phase change materials to store thermal energy at the peak hours and subsequent release during off peak hours for smooth operation.

5-         passive condenser or a vacuum pump running on solar photovoltaic energy, to decrease the pressure inside the unit to achieve the low temperature boiling.

6-         ultrasonic misters or other things to break the surface tension to increase evaporation.

Final Deliverable of the Project Hardware SystemCore Industry FoodOther Industries Agriculture , Energy , Manufacturing , Health Core Technology Clean TechOther Technologies Shared Economy, OthersSustainable Development Goals No Poverty, Zero Hunger, Good Health and Well-Being for People, Clean Water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean Energy, Sustainable Cities and Communities, Responsible Consumption and Production, Climate Action, Life on LandRequired Resources

Item Name	Type	No. of Units	Per Unit Cost (in Rs)	Total (in Rs)
			Total in (Rs)	80000
Stationery	Miscellaneous	10	300	3000
Printing	Miscellaneous	3	1500	4500
Overheads	Miscellaneous	5	500	2500
Steel Plate and Frames	Equipment	1	11000	11000
Glass Fiber Material	Equipment	1	4000	4000
Polycarbonate Panels	Equipment	4	1500	6000
Screws and Washers	Equipment	100	20	2000
Paint/ Coating	Equipment	2	1000	2000
Controller	Equipment	1	3000	3000
Thermocouple	Equipment	10	400	4000
Stainless Steel Channels	Equipment	8	500	4000
Valves and Fittings	Equipment	10	200	2000
Mister	Equipment	4	1000	4000
Solarimeter	Equipment	1	10000	10000
Hygrometer	Equipment	2	2000	4000
PCM Materials	Equipment	5	2000	10000
Insulation Materials	Equipment	4	1000	4000