Create fresh water from seawater inexpensively.
The process of Vacuum Desalination takes advantage of the fact that water, when pulled upward by a vacuum, cannot rise more than 33 feet above the level of a surrounding body of water. So when a tube 50 feet tall (closed at the upper end) is inverted in a body of seawater, and a vacuum is applied, the seawater can only rise to 33 feet. The space above that water is at a very low pressure, and can be almost fully evacuated. When the pressure above the water level reaches 0.5 psi, the seawater will vaporize (boil) at only about 85 degrees F, which is the ambient temperature in the tropics. Once vaporization has occurred, the water vapor in the evacuated space can condense on a cold surface within that space, and liquid fresh water is produced on that cold surface. From there, gravity can be employed to collect the fresh water, and pump it to its destination.
Copyright P. Lawton, 2009
20 окт 2024