Press Release

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Systems Engineering 2: Solar Desalination Device

Presentation Announcement

Highlands, NJ, 17 January 2012 - The Marine Academy of Science and Technology Senior Project Presentations begin. One project is the Desalination Unit project, co-run by Gabrielle Goodrow, Emily Hagge, and Erin Krause. Ms. Goodrow's specific jurisdiction was the desalination portion of the project.

Gabrielle Goodrow is a senior at MAST, whose engineering interest was sparked by Isaac Asimov novels. She plans on studying biomedical engineering in college.

     Freshwater shortage is a global problem, and has devastating effects. In the Atacama Desert, Chile, freshwater deprivation has advanced, and villages are relocating to cities, straining Chile’s economy. If villages had freshwater, they could maintain their culture. This group has designed and constructed a compact solar desalination unit for use on a per-household basis. The product will supplement the water supply of an Atacaman family without requiring undue maintenance or power. This working solution could be manufactured and spread throughout the world, helping millions.

Project Description

            Problem and Solution

Fig 1: Maps of Northern Chile (left) and the Atacama Desert (right)

The Atacama Desert (Fig 1.) has long been known as the driest on Earth. The average rainfall there is one millimetre per year, and some weather stations have never reported precipitation. The small towns clustered around the edges and near oases have not prospered, but have managed to survive. However, since the mining boom of the 1990s, large corporations have begun to take over the mineral-rich area. Chile's free-market water rights system allowed the mining companies to buy the rights to nearby fresh rivers and lakes to use in their plants, poisoning the only water source that the towns have. The only water resources left are the salt lakes on the flats and the oceanic inlets.

Fig 2: Isometric rendering of component

This solar humidification desalination (Fig 2.) device aims to alleviate the water shortage in the Atacama region. Families will only have to pour saltwater into the device, and they will be supplied with potable water in their homes. The device requires no power grid or infrastructure. All materials used are also easily available and cheap, so the units would be accessible for rural families. If manufactured large-scale, towns could even grow. This device has the potential to help millions of families and make use of one of the world’s most abundant substances - salt water.

            Mentor Involvement

            To aid in conceptualization and construction of the desalination component, Ms. Goodrow turned to Dr. Robert Miskewitz, of Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey. Dr. Miskewitz teaches a systems engineering course at Rutgers, and mentors many students at the university. They communicated on a regular basis about materials, construction methods, and practicality. Without his involvement, the project would not have gone as smoothly, and the final product would look very different.

           

STEMM Principles

            STEMM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Manufacturing, and Math) principles were integral to the design and construction of this device. The science of water evaporation and components that can affect this was important, as was a scientific understanding of the principles of adhesion and cohesion (when designing the condensation cone). In timing the output volume to give the users enough water without overflowing their receptacle, the group had to measure evaporation and condensation rates and compare them to the predicted rate of water usage to determine how much buffer time they wanted between device activation and first usage.

Upcoming Presentation

            Content

            This upcoming presentation will cover the design process and selection of a design all the way up through construction of the final prototype. Both the scale model and final product will be displayed, and preliminary test results of the final product will be discussed.

Expectations

            Of Final Product

            This final product will be expected to augment significantly the water supply of a typical Atacaman family (40L/d) without putting a strain on the culture, maintenance- or power-wise. The device should integrate seamlessly into their routine, merely helping them to maintain their way of life by providing them with the most basic right of fresh water.

           

Scaling Up

            If this device is successful in this region, the concept could be manufactured and distributed to water-scarce areas around the globe as a decentralized and efficient way to return autonomy to areas parched due to water pollution, agricultural water theft, or climate change. The device works not only for purification of saltwater, but really of most dirty water – distillation removes a vast majority of impurities, transforming any water source into a viable option for these communities.

            Obviously, this is a high school project with impacts that reach far beyond the typical bounds. This simple device could represent survival and prosperity for countless communities. The device uses the power of the sun to distill saltwater into drinkability, and the device does this with no connection to existing infrastructure whatsoever. On January 20, 2011, at the Marine Academy, the final prototype of this device will be presented and the implications explored by Ms. Goodrow and her groupmates. 

For more details about the Desalination Unit in Sandy Hook, NJ, please contact Gabrielle

Goodrow at gabrielle.goodrow@gmail.com, or visit the Marine Academy of Science and

Technology at mast.mcvsd.org

About the Marine Academy of Science and Technology

     The Marine Academy of Science and Technology (MAST) is a co-ed four-year high school, grades 9-12; one of five career academies administered by the Monmouth County Vocational School District. The Marine Academy is fully accredited by the Middle States Association of Schools and Colleges and offers small classes with close personal attention. The Marine Academy was founded in 1981 as a part-time program, which has since grown to become a full-time diploma-granting program. The school’s curriculum focuses on marine sciences and marine technology/engineering. The MAST program requires each student to participate in the Naval Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (NJROTC) in lieu of Physical Education.

     MAST is located in the Fort Hancock Historic Area at the top of Sandy Hook, New Jersey. The school campus is located adjacent to the Sandy Hook Lighthouse, the oldest working lighthouse in the country, in thirteen newly renovated buildings, within walking distance of several beaches. The “Blue Sea” is a 65-foot research vessel owned and operated by the Marine Academy and berthed at the U.S. Coast Guard Station, Sandy Hook. The vessel is used in all facets of the program.

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For additional information:

Marine Academy of Science and Technology

732-749-3360

Gabrielle Goodrow, E: gabrielle.goodrow@gmail.com

Wendy Green, V: 732-291-0095