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The hydrological cycle, which acts as a natural water purifier, has inspired the simple mechanism used by the solar still – a man-made, non-high-tech water purifier. Solar stills can be used in poverty-stricken areas, in deserts, at sea and to help reduce energy costs and pollution as stills are environmentally friendly.
This type of solar still without vegetation can produce anywhere from a few hundred milliliters to 1 Liter of water in 24 hours, depending on the weather, the soil''s moisture, and the still''s size. Adding vegetation and creating a larger still can increase the amount.
A solar still is an artificial water purifier that imitates the natural mechanism used by nature to purify water. Like the natural hydrological cycle, the sun drives the process of purification. Solar stills distill water using energy from the sun.
The sun evaporates dirty water, which is then cooled and collected in pure form. It does not use fossil fuels as a form of energy. Unlike many artificial methods of purifying water, solar stills use solar energy to purify water. The obtained purified water is potable – safe for drinking and cooking.
Stills leverage energy from the sun as opposed to fossil fuels by retaining enough heat from sunlight to form pure water vapor. The pure water vapor is then collected and condensed to liquid form as it cools. The purified water can be used for drinking, washing clothes and utensils, bathing, cooking, and emergencies during water shortages and natural disasters without access to clean potable water.
A basic solar still typically consists of two water troughs – one water trough is filled with contaminated water, and the other is kept empty to collect purified water. A piece of glass is placed across the top of the contaminated water trough, angling directly down into the empty water trough. The bottom of the water trough filled with contaminated water is usually covered with black paint to help absorb solar energy from the sun.
This is the second main step of the distillation process. Once the evaporated seam hits the glass ceiling, it condenses as it loses energy in heat—the condensed steam results in pure water droplets. The water droplets flow to the empty water trough due to gravity as the glass ceiling angles downwards. The purified water collected in the empty trough is free from minerals, bacteria, and other substances that cannot evaporate with the pure water. Read our full article on water distillers for home use.
This type of solar still holds the dirty water in only one basin and has only one freshwater outlet. The shape of the cover may vary as there are different types of single basin solar stills – concave (concave wick solar still), hemispherical (hemispherical solar still), pyramid (triangular pyramid solar still), spherical (spherical solar still). Solar stills may also be integrated with an electric or solar heater (solar still integrated with heater) to help increase the basin water temperature.
This type of solar still consist of more than one basin holding the dirty water to be purified. The additional basins are made of glass to allow solar radiation to reach the lower basins. The number of basins may vary – two (double basin solar still) and three (triple basin solar still). The shape of the cover of the topmost basin may also differ – pyramid (triple basin pyramid solar still), flat, and angled (single slope double basin solar still).
Several disadvantages include the time it takes to produce a relatively small amount of clean water. Still, in a survival situation, any amount of water is necessary. Despite its flaws, solar stills can still play a critical role in survival in emergencies without alternatives for obtaining potable water. Read our full article on portable water filters for survival and the outdoors.
This inflatable Aquamate solar still is a great choice for emergency water purification. It provides an inexpensive way to extract pure water from seawater and contaminated water, including urine. Solar energy from the sun is used as a heat source, so no power is required. A solar still typically consists of several components, but this solar still takes away the hassle of placing all the required components together.
Solar stills are a great way to purify water naturally with energy from the sun and they have saved many lives over the years. Stills can be bought or easily made as described above. There are many benefits in terms of financial and environmental costs, but there are some disadvantages such as inefficiency. However, the pros outweigh the cons in emergency situations. Nevertheless, researchers continue to look for ways to improve the efficiency with different designs.
Thank you for taking the time to read our article on how to make a solar still. We''d love to hear your feedback in the comments section below. If you''ve found this article to be useful and are interested in learning more, be sure to sign up for our newsletter.
About Diy solar still for water
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