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MIT engineers have developed a system that uses solar energy to desalinate brackish groundwater, offering a sustainable and affordable solution for underserved communities. Capable of producing up to 5 liters of drinking water per day, the technology eliminates the need for batteries and automatically adjusts to solar variations, making it a viable alternative for arid regions.
Imagine living in a world where access to clean water is no longer a concern for millions of people facing severe droughts and limited water resources.
This dream seems to be closer to reality, thanks to an innovation that combines advanced technology and renewable energy.
Researchers from the renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have developed a system that could revolutionize the supply of drinking water, using solar energy to desalinate brackish groundwater.
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According to information released, the project was tested in Alamogordo, a historic city in New Mexico, known for being the scene of the first atomic bomb test in 1945.
For six months, engineers operated an automated system that managed to produce up to 5 liters of drinking water daily.
This amount is enough to serve a community of approximately 3 people, marking a significant advance for remote and vulnerable regions.
The importance of groundwater
Desalination of brackish water stands out as a crucial solution to address the global water crisis.
To understand the impact of this innovative system, it is essential to understand the importance of groundwater. This represents the largest reserve of drinking water on the planet, stored between rocks and sediments.
However, due to climate change and uncontrolled exploitation, many of these sources are becoming increasingly saline.
Transforming this water into a drinkable resource is an expensive challenge and, until now, inaccessible to poor communities.
According to studies published in NatureWater, brackish water, which is a mixture of fresh and salt water, can be found in various environments, such as mangroves and estuaries.
At Alamogordo, however, the groundwater being explored was below the earth's surface, in a region far from the coast.
This factor highlights the potential of the system in areas where access to the sea is non-existent and dependence on local water resources is essential.
Solar energy as an ally
The major difference in the system developed by MIT is its ability to operate exclusively with solar energy, eliminating the need for batteries, which significantly increase operating costs.
The technology automatically adjusts to the sun's rhythm, reacting quickly to variations in sunlight, such as the appearance of passing clouds.
When the brightness increases, the system accelerates the pumping of brackish water to the electrodialysis cells, where the desalination process takes place.
This almost instantaneous adjustment reduces energy waste and makes the system highly efficient, with more than 94% of the energy generated being used.
Conventional methods rely on constant power and battery storage to compensate for solar variations, which limits their application in remote areas.
The MIT prototype eliminates this barrier, becoming a viable, low-cost solution for rural communities suffering from water and electricity shortages.
Advances and challenges
Although the system has already demonstrated its efficiency in practical tests, engineers face the challenge of scaling it up to serve larger communities and, eventually, entire cities.
The team plans to launch a company to commercialize the technology, expanding its global reach and impact.
This advance places brackish groundwater as a promising alternative to solve the water crisis in arid regions.
Currently, millions of people live in places where access to seawater is unfeasible, and groundwater desalination can be a practical and sustainable solution.
The MIT project, with its combination of technological innovation and respect for natural resources, presents a hopeful future for populations that live with scarcity on a daily basis.
Are we witnessing the beginning of a revolution in drinking water supply?
A big problem with desalination is what to do with the salts removed from the water. Have they created any new technology for this as well?
Oh, they put it in little jars and sell it as a dietary supplement without authorization from Anvisa.
Good for retinal disease, dandruff, diabetes, varicose veins, impotence and joint pain.
Only sell online. The day the police arrive at the warehouse, change the label and move on.
The article is innocuous, I didn't see any innovation in the text. The desalination system mentioned is already used on a large scale, with great success.
Removing the batteries is NOT INNOVATION, it is just optimization and adaptation.
See this report, from April 2024, about the installation of the THOUSANDTH desalination unit, in the interior of Ceará.
It produces 5.625L/h, 25 times more fresh water than that mentioned in the report.
https://www.ceara.gov.br/2024/04/05/milesimo-sistema-de-dessalinizacao-do-programa-agua-doce-e-instalado-no-ceara/