Solar Water Distiller -- Solar Still Plans
By Benjimester
Solar Water Distiller -- Solar Water Purification
In my research of green energy technology, I stumbled across something interesting called the solar water distiller, or solar still. Solar energy is having an
explosion of new technology projects, but the solar water distiller isn't one
of the advances. The main reason is probably because the solar water
distiller isn't really a solar energy system. It uses the energy of
the sun and hence “solar” is applied to the title, but it doesn't
use solar cells or anything like it to distill water. The solar water distiller is more applicably titled the solar water still. The solar water distiller basically uses sunlight to heat water, which then evaporates and condenses on the wide glass pane, and then drops down into a large glass bottle. In the process, solar water purification happens, and the water that comes out the spout is relatively clean. Solar water purification isn't complete purification however, because the water in the distiller is never boiled.
Solar Water Distillation
The solar water distiller, or solar still, basically does nothing more than trap and heat water, causing faster evaporation of the liquid and also condensation on the glass pane. The water is then collected in a specific way that keeps the water mostly pure and stored generally in a five gallon glass jug. In technical terms, the solar water distiller isn't really a solar water distillation device. It's more an evaporation device. The solar still's dimensions are generally around 5 feet long and two feet wide, and can be made of wood and glass, with jugs and silicone tubbing – generally simple household items that have very little cost. But this is just a general dimension. There are many different sizes, even different solar water distiller designs. Some are more complex than others, but they all use the same essential factor -- sunlight.
Homemade Solar Water Distiller
Solar Water Distiller Plans and Designs
To make your own solar water distiller, you need a few things, most of which can be bought at your local Home Depo. The first thing you'll need is the box frame, which usually is made from wood. But ABS plastic is also a great thing because it won't rot from being constantly exposed to water. Whenever I build something for use with water, I always use ABS plastic. In the picture above, you can see all of the different components.
The whole apparatus can be made easily from black ABS plastic, and being a darker color, will cause the water to heat quickly. Once the frame is created, a trough of some kind needs to be placed at the bottom to collect the clean water that drips down from the glass pane. A mirror should also be used to focus light down on the the apparatus to cause the water to heat faster. Once both of those are in place, a glass pane needs to be fitted on top and sealed to completely enclose the apparatus. After that, all you need to do is drill 2 holes into either end of the still, one for water intake and one for a clean water spout.
A Modern Solar Water Distiller
Modern Solar Still Plans
For a high tech looking solar water distiller, go to:
http://www.thesietch.org/projects/distiller/index.htm
Their
distiller is top of the line but you really have to be serious about
building the distiller because the plans they've drawn up aren't easy. There's a little bit of machining involved, and some pretty complex setup. But you've gotta say, their distiller looks pretty amazing.
Solar Water Distiller -- Pros and Cons
Though the USA is going very quickly in the direction of green alternatives, in my opinion, the solar water distiller isn't really an applicable device for use here in America. It has a few drawbacks that generally cause a large concern. For one thing, the solar water distiller never actually brings the water it traps to a boil, and thus the water still might retain some of its bacteria and other hazards. Also, the solar water distiller has a difficult time retaining a good seal. Because of the large moist area it creates, the solar water distiller is often the target of insects and bacteria looking to exploit any weakness or opening in the seal.
That being said, however, the solar water distiller has great application for many third world countries. Having lived in a third world country myself (Cambodia) I know that fresh water can often be difficult to come by. During my stay in Southeast Asia, I would often drink the juice of unripe coconuts instead of the local water. The coconut provided a natural purification to the water, and the hard shell of the fruit kept the water preserved and pure. I like the idea of solar water distillers for countries like Cambodia, because the materials are cheap to produce and easy to assemble. Not only that, but there are no moving parts to worry about, which makes it a handy little device.
I'd love to see the solar water
distiller employed in any number of third world countries around the
globe. A compelling statistic lists a lack of fresh and clean water
as one of the top causes of death worldwide, and literally millions
of people every year die from lack of pure, clean water. Plans to
build solar water distillers are available all over the internet, and
generally, one can find plans that only use common household items
for the construction. If you're wanting to build your own solar
water distiller for home use, I encourage you to check out some of
the cautions associated with the solar still. Speaking of clean water, our you sure your water is clean? Most people go years without changing their refrigerator water filter. Check out GE MWF Filter.
More News in Solar
I'm somewhat of a technology geek, especially in the field of solar. If you're interested in solar energy, you've got to check out the newest flexible solar panels coming out. These bad boys are actually being "printed" with solar ink, and are not only flexible, but lightweight and efficient. Check out:
Comments
Interesting, not sure I would go for it. I think there may be better alternatives. A good first step though in cleaning it up. thanks Benji. CC
Dang, that's a lot of fresh water. Let's get that stuff over to the third world.
I agree CC, for the most part, this isn't a very viable alternative. The only thing I like about it is that someone can build one on their own in their garage.
Interesting hub, another application of this device is a cost effective method of desalinazation. I would prefer coconut juice anytime over regular water :)
That's true. You could do this same process with salt water, except I would imagine that you'd have to clean the still more often.
i made one and it didn't work
That sucks. Never made one myself, but I've always wanted to. What went wrong?
nice. there is actually a huge scheme in spain that is doing solar desalination on a MEGA scale. don't know if it's going to be built though.
That sounds pretty interesting. Thanks for the cool link. I'll go check it out.
This is an interesting hub. It reminds me of a survival method that employs the solar still to create water that is drinkable. In the survival method you dig a hole in the ground, gather a large amount of green leaves and plant material, and put it at the bottom of your hole. put a collection container in the center of the hole. Place a piece of plastic over the hole and weigh down the edges. set it up so there is slack in the middle so you can put a rock or something in the center of the plastic to weigh it down so that it hangs as the lowest point of the plastic in the center of the hole just above your collection container. When water evaporates from the plant material, it collects on the underside of the plastic and becomes trapped. The trapped water is condensed and turns to water dropplets that travel down the plastic to the low spot in the center, and drip into your collection container. You just have to go around each day and collect your small amounts of water from each still each day, and reset it for more production. It may be enough to keep you alive in certain situations.
Dude that's really cool. What an interesting method for gathering clean water. Sounds like a lot of work, but hey, if it's between that an dying, I think we'd all do what it takes to survive. Thanks very much for your comments!
Excellent Hub! I just heard of this when I read the April issue of National Geographic but I don't recall the article detailing the pros and cons as you did so eloquently in this article.
Thank you very much!
Thanks! I'll have to look up that article. That sounds like an excellent resource.
I like this article;yes,solar stills have lot of immediate application in third world countries ,including India...In urban India, bottled water is widely used and that is getting expensive..one is not sure how hygienic the bottled water is!
Solar distilled water is known for its purity and can be a great energy saver and health saver in any third world country.
Thanks! I'm very glad you liked the article. Urban India sounds like a really good environment for solar distilled water. Hopefully the word will continue to get out.
Solar water purification isn't complete purification however, because the water in the distiller is never boiled.
Agreed. I actually mentioned that at the end of the first paragraph. The water is only relatively clean, but still very drinkable.
We are planning to construct a medium scale solar desalinator in Jordan which is the 4th driest country on earth.
it will be 400 squared meter, the proposed place is the Jordan valley where the temperature is up to 55 C in summer and not less than 20 C in winter and it will be near a saline spring.
It will be so kind if any one can send us good links.
we are doing that in the Water and Environment Research and study Center.
Wow, that sounds like quite a project. What kinds of links are you looking for? Large scale plans, backlinks to your project...?
Am looking for implemented projects of the same size, to know the amount of out put.
i have up to 1000 M3 supply per day and the salinity is 7000 mg/l.
the area is flexible for construction and the supply will be due to gravity as the spring is higher than the proposed station.
Thank you all
Thanks for the extra info. I'll see what I can find. That's a pretty big project you're working on and I'm no expert on solar water distillers of that size. But I'll do a few searches to see what kind of things other people have done.
I see an immeadiate need for some kind of lightweight solar distillers in Pakastan after they lost all they have to flooding they need water and food and shelter and protection from the elements (cloths) I think it's about time this sort disaster gets appropiate responces and resources directed towards solutions try it and if it works impliment it world wide a sort of open source responce to disaster. I've looked so far at rugged bikes. instant pop up tents water distillers and hand held sewing machines yurts made of foam core with four cuts. sustainable and lasting solutions seeds to plant crops,ceramic stoves,hemp for fuel stocks clothes bedding cooking oil and animal foder,chicken tractor toads to eat flys ect. far fetched no i dont think so
Those are some great ideas! I even like the idea of toads for eating flies. Very creative. I agree completely that something has to be done quickly to help with the disaster, and solar water distillers would be perfect. They're easy to build and the dimensions are straightforward. Thanks very much for your comments.
In regards to disater response, I think we should have a large scale distribution of personal sized solar stills as well as some community size projects to address the more permenant fix. I have seen a version of solar still made of clear plastic that is flexible and is like a small clear inner-tube with a plastic tent above it and a long flexible tube to be used like a straw to drink from; it is towed behind a life raft on the open water to create clean drinkable water. A large supply of those with maybee a circular tub to use for water that is needing to be cleaned and that the solar still would float on to produce drinkable water could ease some of the need for clean water after a major disaster.
I agree completely. I like the idea of both small and medium sized water distillers used for disaster response. In regards to the other device you mentioned, I've never seen one, but I'd love to see one in action. That sounds pretty neat. Thanks so much for stopping by!
There's a much, much, much better way of distilling water that takes 0 power, is completely reliable, and costs about $2 to make.
Do share.
Getting the water to steam off say above 150 would take care of all the bugs right?
By bugs I assume you're meaning germs? The process doesn't necessarily kill everything, but the bugs don't transfer through the steam onto the glass, so the water remains clean.
I think this would be very helpful in regions where you can't drink your own well water. Something good for the do it yourself!
Definitely. This is a great DIY project, especially for the survivalists out there.
wow! many people are now inventing new devices. I wish they could develop it more and I hope more people would also use solar powered devices. Great hub.
Yeah, me too. The world would definitely be a better place. Thanks very much for stopping by.
The author incorrectly states...
"For one thing, the solar water distiller never actually brings the water it traps to a boil, and thus the water still might retain some of its bacteria and other hazards. "..
The water is purified by the evaporation and condensation process....
Sorry but I have to disagree with you. Bacteria live everywhere, including the pane of glass where the evaporated water condenses. So therefore, the condensed water can get reinfected with bacteria and other hazards once it evaporates and condenses on the pane of glass.
Just a thought... distilled water, while useful, does no-one any good as drinking water, as the water will actually leach minerals from you.... water does this naturally, hence mineral waters and such. Water is a "universal solvent" basically breaking down anything given enough time. Ground water takes its minerals from rocks and such, and it has the same effect in your body. Immature water is not a life giving substance, and the the best nutritive value comes from mature water. Desalinization is a great objective, only keep in mind that the water you get from it will literally steal the minerals right out of your system.....
That's very true. I hadn't thought of it from that perspective. However, once you've gotten the pure water distilled, I wouldn't think it would be terribly difficult to add some substances back into it, depending on what was available.
Yes, it is simple.. allowing the water to run through pebbles for instance, although the quickest fix (or so I hear) is to use rock dust, as the water can get maximum exposure to the minerals its looking for... Cheers!
That's a really good idea, especially if you don't have many resources at hand. Gravel is available just about anywhere, even in third world countries where clean water is scarce. Thanks very much for your tips.
NP. Take a look at my ormus page, as i have started putting up some more info that may interest you... Good luck!
Cool, i was not aware with this technology, thanks for sharing, nice hub :)
Cool. Glad to share.
This is a great article and awesome comments - I need to link to it from my survival site. I am always looking for great articles to link to. :-)
Thanks! Very glad you enjoyed.
RE: THOMAS MOUNTS INPUT. THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR! ANY MORE INFO ON THIS METHOD? WHERE WAS THAT ARTICLE? I HAD READ SOMETHING LIKE THAT SEVERAL YEARS AGO BUT HAVE NEVER NEEDED TO TRY IT. YET! THANKS FOR ANY HELP HERE...
i have been drinking and cooking with only distilled water for years, and have my blood tested every three months due to diabetes. it never says i am lacking in any minerals.the claim that it leeches you of them is a myth.
i want to build my own solar distiller so i dont have to buy it anymore, but am not sure what to use to color the inside black with. what is the most non-toxic thing i can use?
Hmm, that's a good question. I know a lot of people use black ABS plastic for a lot of the apparatus. That works, but then you're having to use plastic, which I don't prefer. I've experimented with making the bottom out of carbon fiber, which I like. But you have to know how to use epoxy and carbon fiber together. Carbon is harmless to people and is dark, which works well. I'm just not sure how good the epoxy is when constantly exposed to the sun. Seems to hold out well though.
That's awesome that you've been able to use a distiller for years with no negative effects. That's a great testimonial. Thanks for sharing that.
Regarding the effectiveness of solar distillation at eliminating micro organisms (bacteria, spores, etc): This paper from a reputable source states otherwise.
Very cool. Thanks very much for that resource.
Good article, David. I'll take it one step further: Not only does the distillation remove bacteria, but exposing water to direct sunlight for several hours (5-6 hours) will kill all the bacteria anyway due to the UV exposure.
Yeah, UV rays are powerful. That's why during the Civil War, medics would sometimes take the patients out of the tent and let them lay in the sunlight for awhile, with the wound exposed to the sun. Sunlight kills a lot of negative microorganisms.
awsome,,,,,dear i am going to start my engineering projecty on that technology of SOLAR STII nad its new simulations..
Excellent. Good luck!
I am going to review, this and other designs. I have potable water, however, my batteries for the off-grid system do require mineral free water.
Hmm, mineral free is pretty impossible to make at home I think. You probably have to buy distilled water from the store.
As long as the evaporate collector is free of minerals the collected water (evaporate) should be free of minerals. There wouldn't be a transfer of minerals by evaporation. Where or what would cause it to have more minerals than commercially distilled water. I dont worry about biological contamination, just minerals that would degrade a lead/acid flooded cell battery.
Correction: collected water would be the condensate. Pardon my "senior moment".
Yeah, you're right. I guess if everything stays super clean then you could maintain distilled water or at least close enough.
Hi can you explain exactly how I can make one of these?
Hey Rochelle. Well it depends on what type of distiller you're wanting to build. But I'd recommend searching for solar water distiller plans on Google and see if you can find a blueprint. That would be more helpful probably.
Very good idea and useful, please check my idea of simple solar water distiller
http://maruzar.blogspot.com/2011/10/simple-solar-w
hope it can be useful too
Very cool. Will do.
how we use solar system after multiple effect evapourater its beneficial or not?
To color the inside black, you can use DAP Silicon 08642 to make the membrane / basin. It is "food grade" silicon and meets the FDA reg. # 21 CFR 177.2600.
That's great advice. Thanks so much for sharing.
impressive information about solar water distiller, the best water distiller!, http://bestwaterdistiller.com
please, what is the methodology of a solar still in detail for my science fair project thanks
Not sure exactly what you're asking me. Are you going to build one for your science fair project?
lefseriver 2 years ago
I agree... clean, pure water is a gift; not to be taken for granted.Lake Superior has quite a lot of it. It contains almost 3000 cubic miles of water.