this post was submitted on 20 Oct 2023
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133
Desalination system could produce freshwater that is cheaper than tap water (news.mit.edu)
submitted 2 years ago by el_brujo_especial@lemmy.world to c/technology@lemmy.world
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MIT engineers and collaborators developed a solar-powered device that avoids salt-clogging issues of other designs.

More details in their paper here

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[–] lnxtx@feddit.nl 19 points 2 years ago (2 children)

The researchers estimate that if the system is scaled up to the size of a small suitcase, it could produce about 4 to 6 liters of drinking water per hour and last several years before requiring replacement parts. At this scale and performance, the system could produce drinking water at a rate and price that is cheaper than tap water.

But can it be scaled up even more? Like cubic meters per hour?

[–] sin_free_for_00_days@sopuli.xyz 15 points 2 years ago

I just keep waiting for them to actually produce the small suitcase sized product. It sounds like a excellent option for me, as opposed to the $4-5k desalinators that are the options now.

[–] merde@sh.itjust.works 2 points 2 years ago (2 children)

but why "if"?

if they're making this research, why wouldn't they "scale up to the size of a small suitcase" and get rid of the "if"?

[–] Genrawir@lemmy.world 14 points 2 years ago

That's just how research works most of the time. The experimental setup required to build a working prototype and prove the initial hypothesis is always going to be larger and more complex than a mass market appliance. If that appliance ever gets built depends on a huge number of factors too. If the process scales as expected, how complex the device is to produce and if a company thinks that it can make money on it. The researchers, meanwhile, are probably more worried about their next grant funding.

[–] Pons_Aelius@kbin.social 3 points 2 years ago

My guess: They don't have the money to do so.