The idea of using energy from the sun to evaporate and purify water is ancient. The Greek philosopher Aristotle reportedly described such a process more than 2,000 years ago.
Now, University at Buffalo researchers are bringing this technology into the modern age, using it to sanitize water at what they report to be record-breaking rates.
By draping black, carbon-dipped paper in a triangular shape and using it to both absorb and vaporize water, they have developed a method for using sunlight to generate clean water with near-perfect efficiency.
The low-cost technology could provide drinking water in regions where resources are scarce, or where natural disasters have struck.
Solar stills have been around for a long time. These devices use the sun’s heat to evaporate water, leaving salt, bacteria and dirt behind.
The technique has many advantages. It’s simple, and the power source — the sun — is available just about everywhere. But unfortunately, even the latest solar still models are somewhat inefficient at vaporizing water.
News Source: http://www.buffalo.edu/news/releases/2018/05/002.html
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