The goal for this project is to create an efficient water purification system, focusing primarily on the cleanliness of the water. Three separate levels of filtration and purification will be implemented into the design, including an initial sand-based filter, removing the large impurities and some pathogens within the water. The second level of filtration and purification involves a glass, triangular shaped enclosure, where the system will utilize solar heat to evaporate and distill the contaminated water, which then condenses onto the angled glass panes. Once on the panes, these clean water droplets will slide down the glass into an inclined channel. Lastly, the water travels down the channels to the third and final purification section of the design; this section includes a new channel with ultraviolet lighting that will be solar powered, utilizing a rechargeable battery for extra power storage. For ultraviolet lighting to be effective, a minimum of ten seconds of exposure to the water is required to eliminate any pathogens that survived the distillation process. The channels used in the final section will be engineered to a length that provides a sufficient amount of exposure to the ultraviolet light to ensure the water is completely purified before entering the final storage unit . Another goal is to create this system to be as self-sustainable as possible, meaning it will require minimal maintenance and must be cleaned only when deemed necessary.
References
Eltawil, Mohamed A. “Renewable Energy Powered Desalination Systems: Technologies and Economics-State of the Art.” Research Gate, 10 Jan. 1999, www.researchgate.net/figure/228888198_fig8_Fig-12-The-basic-design-of-a-solar-distillation-unit-66. Accessed 13 Apr. 2017.