Desalination
Purifying Water
What is Desalination?
Desalination is the removing of salts and minerals from saltwater so we can drink it without it killing our livers. Here are the three most common methods:
Pros of Desalination
- We know how, why, and that it works
- Doesn't use current Freshwater supplies
- It has a lot of fuel (Saltwater)
Cons of Desalination
- Plants are expensive to build
- They are labor and energy intensive
- Increases Salinity of waste
Cory's Desalty Machine
This is a Distillation Plant model, just like the one Cory used in class. The Saltwater boils in the water bottle, the steam travels through the tube, condenses in the cooler of ice, and Freshwater comes out the other end. Cory's Desalty Machine collected approx 30 mL.
For Distillation, the water is heated by an outside source and turns into steam, which is not necessary in the aforementioned two other processes. The Steam travels down a pipe that is surrounded by coolant, which takes the heat from the steam so it condenses into pure freshwater.