https://gigazine.net/news/20241104-mit-solar-powered-desalination-system/
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have devised a way to use electrical energy from solar power to supply desalination systems in areas without electrical infrastructure. The system features high power efficiency and does not require batteries, and is expected to be introduced to inland areas far from the sea.
Direct-drive photovoltaic electrodialysis via flow-commanded current control | Nature Water
https://www.nature.com/articles/s44221-024-00314-6
Solar-powered desalination system requires no extra batteries | MIT News | Massachusetts Institute of Technology
https://news.mit.edu/2024/solar-powered-desalination-system-requires-no-extra-batteries-1008
MIT engineers create solar-powered desalination system producing 5,000 liters of water daily | TechSpot
https://www.techspot.com/news/105237-mit-engineers-create-desalination-system-produces-5000-liters.html
The desalination system developed by a team led by MIT professor Amos Winter is based on electrodialysis, a method of removing salt ions from water using an electric field. Such desalination systems have been used in the past for a variety of equipment, but the newly developed system is unique in that it is specifically designed for solar power generation.
Professor Winter's system incorporates a control model called "flow command current control," which allows the desalination rate to be adjusted many times per second. This allows the system to operate in response to the movement of the sun, increasing the rate at which water is pumped when an excess of power is detected, and conversely decreasing efficiency when sunlight is blocked and power is in short supply.
The quick response allows the system to use an average of 94% or more of the electrical energy obtained from the solar panels without wasting any of it. Another feature of the system is that it operates without the need for batteries or auxiliary power sources other than solar power, which alone "sets it apart from conventional desalination systems that rely on energy storage," according to Professor Winter.
Professor Winter said, "Conventional desalination technologies require stable power, and batteries are essential to compensate for fluctuating power, such as solar power. Our system can make use of solar power directly and efficiently to produce water, by synchronizing with the sun and continuously varying its power consumption," he said.
The system is also unique in that it specializes in "brackish" water, which is salty water between seawater and freshwater. According to Jonathan Bessette, an MIT student involved in the research, groundwater is saltier than ever before due to climate change. In developing countries with inadequate access to electricity and dependence on groundwater, a system that uses renewable energy to desalinate water could be a simple strategy to bring clean water to the region.
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