Articles tagged with Water Desalination
A new laser-based method can evaporate and purify contaminated water with over 100% efficiency, reducing contaminants to safe levels for drinking. The technology uses sunlight to heat water, eliminating microbial pathogens and heavy metals, and is easy to clean and aim.
Researchers apply temperature swing solvent extraction technique to attain energy-efficient ZLD, a major advance for global water management. The process extracts water from high-salinity brines without boiling, using low-polarity solvent and moderate temperatures.
California cities can rely on six key strategies to provide for growing populations: conserving water through behavioral changes, reusing non-potable water for irrigation, recycling water for drinking, capturing stormwater runoff, and desalinating seawater. These measures can help reduce costs while increasing the state's water supply.
Researchers have developed a material that can desalinate water up to 40 times faster than other materials, using electrostatic forces to attract salt ions. The porous carbon fibers have high surface areas and electrical conductivity, making them suitable for applications such as batteries and cars.
A Korean research team developed a membrane distillation pretreatment process that adds magnesium to inhibit the fouling of membranes in desalination processes. The addition of magnesium inhibits the formation of calcium-based crystals on the membrane surface, preventing fouling and wetting.
Researchers at Linköping University have created a cheap and efficient steam generator that uses sunlight to desalinate and purify water. The system utilizes a cellulose-based aerogel structure that absorbs energy from sunlight, resulting in high-quality drinking water production.
Biomass-enabled nanomaterials are being developed to facilitate energy-efficient water treatment, with potential applications in reducing costs and providing clean water to communities. The materials will be designed to remove organic pollutants and heavy metals from water, enabling sustainable desalination and purification processes.
A new collaborative research center will focus on developing energy-efficient technologies for water desalination, purification, and reuse. The center aims to reduce energy needed for desalination, improve water recovery, and support safe water reuse.
The Collaborative Water-Energy Research Center (CoWERC) aims to reduce energy needed for desalination, improve water recovery and support safe water reuse through research, development and commercialization of new technologies. CoWERC will enable the creation of energy-water systems that could be implemented worldwide.
Researchers at the University of Bath have developed a low-cost, low-energy desalination process that can provide safe water to communities in remote and disaster-struck areas. The prototype desalination unit is powered by solar energy and uses a novel approach to remove salt from seawater.
The system uses multiple layers of flat solar evaporators and condensers to harness sunlight and produce fresh potable water. It achieves an overall efficiency of 385 percent, surpassing previous records by two times.
Researchers at Berkeley Lab demonstrate a 'photo-thermal' solar umbrella that can double evaporation rates in polluted wastewater, reducing the environmental impact of settling ponds. The device uses mid-infrared light to absorb and retain heat, enhancing evaporation rates by more than 100%.
A multidisciplinary team of researchers has developed a novel water filtration process that mimics the human body's efficient water transport system. The new membrane technology shows impressive desalination properties, exhibiting selective salt removal with higher efficiency than current processes.
A team of engineers from Colorado State University has published a new study on treating PFAS, a group of chemicals widely used in consumer goods and industries. The treatment train combines nanofiltration and electrochemical oxidation to precisely isolate and destroy PFAS residues in water.
University of Birmingham scientists developed an off-grid desalination system powered by solar energy to combat water shortages in the Jordan Valley. The prototype, built from affordable parts, can recover up to 80% of salinized water for irrigation purposes.
KAUST researchers find that water molecules become less stable when squeezed between two hydrophobic surfaces due to quantum effects. This discovery has practical implications for the development of nanofluidic platforms for molecular separation.
Pedro Alvarez and Rice's NEWT Center will focus on resilient transport and storage, one of six areas of research for the NAWI alliance. The goal is to advance technologies that make nontraditional water sources cost-competitive within 10 years.
The new Energy-Water Desalination Hub will focus on early-stage research and development for energy-efficient and low-cost desalination solutions. NAWI aims to recycle 90% of nontraditional water sources, promoting a circular water economy. The hub will advance novel technologies and prioritize high-impact projects.
University of Illinois researcher Kyle Smith has made significant progress in water desalination with a new publication and research project. His work involves deionization devices that can reversibly store and release cations using intercalation materials, resulting in a nearly 10-fold increase in salt removal rates.
Researchers from CSU have discovered that conventional hydrophobic membranes create a larger liquid-vapor interfacial area, increasing evaporation and efficiency. This tradeoff between hydrophobic vs. omniphobic membranes offers new information into why certain membrane designs work better than others in membrane distillation.
A solar steam generation system has been developed to produce clean water from salty ocean water with almost 100 per cent salt removal, providing a solution to water shortages in regional areas. The technology uses photothermal materials and the power of the sun, achieving efficient and continuous clean water production.
The Bureau of Reclamation has awarded $5.1 million in research grants to develop new, cost-effective ways to desalinate and treat impaired water. Laboratory-scale projects will focus on determining the viability of novel processes and materials, while pilot-scale proposals will test larger-scale technologies.
A multifunctional device captures heat from photovoltaic solar panels to produce fresh water, exceeding traditional solar stills' output. The device's electricity output remains unaffected, demonstrating a promising solution for sustainable global development.
Scientists found that kinetic factors play a crucial role in calcium carbonate formation, especially in saline environments. The researchers' study suggests that considering both thermodynamics and kinetics can lead to more accurate predictions of mineral formation rates.
Researchers at KAUST have developed water-wet materials with gas-entrapping pores that allow for simultaneous separation of hot, salty and cool, pure water. The new membrane technology uses common plastics like PMMA and has the potential to unlock greener, cheaper desalination processes.
Focusing sunlight onto a photothermally active membrane using lenses increases distilled water flux through the membrane by more than 50%. This breakthrough demonstrates the utility of exploiting focused sunlight in thermally and optically driven processes.
Researchers at Columbia University have developed a novel desalination approach called temperature swing solvent extraction (TSSE) for treating high-salinity brines. TSSE can efficiently remove salt and recover water, with the potential to transform the water industry by reducing energy consumption and costs.
Researchers at MIT have developed a process to convert concentrated brine from desalination into useful chemicals, including sodium hydroxide and hydrochloric acid. This can reduce costs and minimize environmental impact by reducing the need for costly pumping systems and minimizing marine ecosystem damage.
A new study found that the Carlsbad Desalination Plant's brine discharge exceeds permitted levels, affecting offshore salinity. The researchers discovered no significant changes in seafloor organisms, likely due to pre-existing industrial activity in the area.
Desalination plants worldwide discharge 142 million cubic meters of hypersaline brine daily, threatening ocean life and ecosystems. The UN calls for improved brine management strategies to meet growing water needs.
The study developed three water sector development scenarios to compare costs and impacts of achieving SDG6 goals and meeting climate targets. The analysis shows that combining clean water and climate policies can increase implementation costs, but these increases are relatively small compared to the cost for implementing each policy o...
A new prototype using solar energy can double the amount of drinking water produced at given solar energy levels. The technology uses 'passive' processes without mechanical or electrical components, making it inexpensive and simple to install.
Researchers at KAUST developed a device that can capture its own weight in water from fresh air and release it when warmed by sunlight. The device uses deliquescent salt and a polymer hydrogel to absorb moisture from the air, which is then released continuously with the help of carbon nanotubes.
A researcher at Georgia State University has received a three-year grant to study how nanostructured materials affect the passage of substances. The goal is to design more efficient desalination and energy harvesting technologies, which could provide new avenues for resource management.
A team of researchers suggests harnessing geothermal energy to power desalination plants, reducing the need for traditional methods and minimizing carbon emissions. The proposed system could provide a sustainable source of drinking water while also generating electricity.
The Extended Continental-scale Hydroeconomic Optimization (ECHO) model integrates hydrological, environmental, economic, and institutional aspects to study continental-scale water management. It considers local constraints and regional policies at multiple spatial scales.
Engineers at UC San Diego create a super-hydrophobic surface that produces at least 50 millivolts when salt water flows over it, enabling new power sources for lab-on-a-chip platforms and microfluidics devices.
Researchers developed a decision-making framework addressing water scarcity under climate change, explicitly considering uncertainties. The framework provides guidelines for policy options and helps policymakers make informed decisions on investments and interventions.
Researchers from KAUST developed nature-inspired surfaces that decrease frictional drag at the liquid-pipe interface without chemical coatings. The microtextured surfaces, mimicking springtail skins, sustain trapped air for extended periods, reducing surface drag and enhancing oil- and water-repellent properties.
Researchers have introduced a new method for making desalination membranes, allowing for greater control over thickness and texture. The electrospray technique produces films as thin as four nanometers with improved surface roughness, leading to better desalinization performance.
Researchers at the University of Connecticut developed a new method to produce reverse osmosis membranes with controlled thickness and roughness, leading to improved efficiency and reduced fouling. The ultra-thin membranes exhibit high salt rejection and robust performance under various operating conditions.
Rice University's NESMD technology uses nanoparticles and sunlight to desalinate water in one step, reducing energy costs compared to traditional methods. The technology has shown promising results in laboratory-scale tests, with the potential for further optimization and scaling up for field testing.
Researchers investigated how boron evaporates in seawater to produce higher-quality drinking and irrigation water. They found that both multi-stage flash and air-gap membrane distillation technologies were effective in reducing boron concentrations below the Saudi standard of 0.5mg/l.
Researchers have developed a sophisticated membrane design that boosts water flux by five-fold, surpassing traditional nanofiltration membranes. The new system exhibits excellent water-salt separation ability and maintains high water permeability and selectivity.
A team of researchers led by Georges Belfort has discovered water wires in an imidazole molecule, which could lead to the development of artificial aquaporin membranes for efficient desalination. The study shows that the imidazole's ring structure enables water molecules to self-assemble into a highly oriented linear chain structure.
Researchers at Shinshu University have developed a new type of membrane that can withstand harsh conditions and is resistant to chlorine degradation. The multi-walled carbon nanotube-polyamide nanocomposite membrane has the potential to revolutionize water desalination, making it more efficient and cost-effective.
Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a new technology using combined gel-polymer hybrid materials to produce clean drinking water from any source. The system uses ambient solar energy to power evaporation, reducing energy consumption and increasing water volume.
Scientists at UT Dallas created a surface that can capture and direct water droplets from fog and air vapor, rapidly directing them into reservoirs via lubricated microgrooves. The 'hydrophilic directional slippery rough surfaces' (SRS) use hydroxy functional groups to efficiently capture water droplets.
Mattershift, a NYC-based startup, has achieved a breakthrough in making carbon nanotube (CNT) membranes at large scale to produce carbon-zero fuels from CO2 removed from the air. The technology has been validated through tests confirming its performance and is set to be used in seawater desalination processes.
A University of Texas at Austin professor and his team have discovered a new, efficient way to extract lithium and other metals from water using metal-organic-framework membranes. This process has the potential to revolutionize industries such as water desalination and power electric cars.
A study suggests a 100 MW CSP+desalination plant could be financially viable for Namibia, generating both electricity and water with relatively little added cost. The system would provide dispatchable solar energy to supply 15% of Namibia's peak demand, reducing the country's carbon footprint and meeting its 2030 renewable energy target.
A recent study from MIT found that pressurization doesn't exacerbate membrane fouling in reverse osmosis (RO) systems. Researchers devised a method to isolate pressure's effects and discovered no impact on fouling rates or cleaning outcomes.
Engineers at the University of Illinois have made a breakthrough in developing a saltwater desalination process that is potentially cheaper than reverse osmosis. The new technology uses a battery-like device to remove salts from brackish water, opening up possibilities for inland and industrial sources. Further research is needed to de...
Researchers from Northeastern University have discovered that tiny carbon nanotubes can efficiently remove salt from seawater, offering a potential solution to global water scarcity. The novel system outperforms existing methods, with the potential to increase accessible drinking water from 0.007 percent to a higher percentage.
Scientists at KAUST have found that the edge of a surface structure plays a crucial role in water-droplet formation during vapor harvesting. This discovery reveals that rough-edged structures mimicking nature can be highly effective in collecting atmospheric water vapor, potentially improving efficiency in regions with limited rainfall...
Researchers at Stockholm University have found that water can exist as two different liquids at low temperatures, with large differences in structure and density. The discovery was made possible through experimental studies using X-rays, which revealed the existence of these two liquid phases.
A new desalination system uses solar energy to turn salt water into freshwater, promising a cost-effective and sustainable solution for global water scarcity. The technology combines membrane distillation with light-harvesting nanophotonics to efficiently generate steam from sunlight.
A KAUST team has found that transition-metal carbides, known as MXenes, can trap sunlight energy to purify water through evaporation. The Ti3C2 MXene achieved 100% efficiency in converting light to heat, while other materials like carbon nanotubes and graphene also showed high efficiency.
A team of engineers at UCR has created a self-heating carbon nanotube-based membrane that can recover nearly 100% of the water from highly concentrated salt solutions, alleviating water shortages in arid regions. The new system also prevents degradation of the carbon nanotubes in saline environments.
Academics at the University of Sheffield are collaborating with Egyptian partners to develop a system that could provide fresh and safe water to poor and rural communities. The hybrid system uses biogas and solar energy, which offers an alternative source of water production without high energy costs.