Abstract
It is estimated that nearly three billion people are living in water scarce conditions. This research uses modeling and field studies to assess the quantity, quality, and economics of distillate produced for drinking water from a brackish water source using two single-sloped, single-basin (SSSB) distillation reactors. The reactors were constructed from adobe and concrete in San Luis Potosi, Mexico and tested from August to October of 2011. The cost of one adobe reactor with an evaporative area of 0.72 m2 is 535 pesos, whereas the same size reactor made from concrete costs 770 pesos. Results show that desalination reactors made from adobe produce 848 (L m-2d-1) and reactors made from concrete produce 979 (L m-2d-1) of distillate, while similar reactors made from other materials are estimated to produce over 2100 (L m-2d-1) under similar meteorological conditions. These volumes represent approximately 10 percent of drinking water needs of a local family with typical water use habits, however, after five years of operation the unit cost of potable water would be reduced by 50%. Results also showed that the concentrations of total dissolved solids in the source water decreased from 1102 (mg L-1) to 40 (mg L-1) over the study’s duration for a removal of 96% which is comparable to current desalination systems (97%). Finally, the results were modeled using a regression analysis to estimate the distillate yield based upon ambient temperature and solar radiation. The model was then applied using historical global climate data estimate the appropriateness of the adobe SSSB globally.
Highlights
1.2 billion people live in regions with physical water scarcity while 780 million people lack access to safe drinking water (World Health Organization [WHO], 2012)
There are currently several point of use or small scale treatment options on the market, like the filters made by Tulip and Water 4 Life, clay ceramic and biosand filters, chlorine addition, and various solar distillation systems, each having a unique set of advantages and disadvantages (Mihelcic, Fry, Myre, Phillips, & Barkdoll, 2009)
At the time of this study it was observed that many families had access to non-surface water sources that usually consisted of poorly protected wells or a filling hose attached to the irrigation water system for the croplands
Summary
1.2 billion people live in regions with physical water scarcity while 780 million people lack access to safe drinking water (World Health Organization [WHO], 2012). By 2025 it is estimated that up to 52 countries will fall into some level of water scarcity affecting up to 3 billion people (International Water Management Institute [IWMI], 2007). As population increases and development pushes into new areas the imbalances between the supply and demand for surface water and groundwater resources will become more exacerbated. This will push users towards lower quality water sources such as brackish aquifers or more polluted surface waters and may increase the need for small scale treatment systems that can be tailored to the site specific contaminant. There are currently several point of use or small scale treatment options on the market, like the filters made by Tulip and Water 4 Life, clay ceramic and biosand filters, chlorine addition, and various solar distillation systems, each having a unique set of advantages and disadvantages (Mihelcic, Fry, Myre, Phillips, & Barkdoll, 2009)
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