New Solar-Powered Desalination System Runs Without Batteries
MIT engineers have developed a new solar-powered desalination system that adjusts its water desalting rate based on solar energy availability. Unlike conventional solar desalination systems that require steady power, this system dynamically aligns with solar energy variations and operates without batteries or grid power.
The system’s unique “flow-commanded current control” strategy, featured in a paper published in Nature Water, enables it to respond to changes in sunlight multiple times per second. When sunlight increases, the system automatically boosts its water pumping rate and electrical current to desalinate more water. During cloudy moments, it dials down.
“By continually varying power consumption in sync with the sun, our technology directly and efficiently uses solar power to make water. Being able to make drinking water with renewables, without requiring battery storage, is a massive grand challenge. And we’ve done it,” said Amos Winter, the Germeshausen Professor of Mechanical Engineering and director of MIT’s K. Lisa Yang Global Engineering and Research (GEAR) Center.
This design uses the previously built electrodialysis system with water pumps, a solar panel array, and an ion-exchange membrane stack. However, the team behind the old system wanted it to maximize its reliance on renewable energy.
The researchers tested a prototype at the Brackish Groundwater National Desalination Research Facility in New Mexico over six months. The system processed brackish groundwater, an abundant but underutilized water source in underground reservoirs. It produced up to 5,000 liters of clean water daily, using over 94% of the energy from its solar panels.
The system has the potential to address water scarcity in inland and remote regions, particularly in low-income areas where groundwater is becoming increasingly saline due to climate change. Brackish groundwater desalination offers a promising alternative to seawater desalination, which is inaccessible to many communities far from coastlines.
Plans include scaling the system to serve larger populations and developing a product line for global markets. The engineers envision providing sustainable and affordable water solutions to communities and municipalities worldwide.
Read the full article here to learn more about the new battery-free, solar-powered desalination system.
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