Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Solar oven as energy source for distillation

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Another water subseries post in the main series of off-grid posts.


The previous post gave some ideas to consider.  Which to use?  After thinking it over a bit, I think the one with the stainless steel canister, (with the copper tubing), looks like a winner.  Why?

It is rugged.  It won't melt in excessive heat.  It won't rust out ( hopefully ).

In addition, I decided to actually boil the water.  To do that, use a simple solar oven.  Put the canister in the oven, and it should reach boiling point.  The steam can be condensed back into water.

Out in West Texas, you will need to get out of the wind.  I can build a solarium/greenhouse for that purpose.  Inside the greenhouse, it will receive the sun, and it will boil off the water, which can be condensed  back into distilled water.

From my water experiment calcs, I figure that a 20" square solar oven will only distill about a quart of water per day.  To get 3 gallons, one would need a dozen of these ovens/ bottles. 

Is it worth the expense?

Perhaps it would be well to reconsider the aluminum cans in that other video.  Or find quart sized cans.  Or Mason jars

This would require experimentation to validate, of course.

Update:

Instead of buying an expensive oven, perhaps one can make one with aluminum foil, and a box.

A mason jar can be outfitted with an inlet hose and outlet hose going into and out of the lid.

This set up would not cost much to implement.


Update:

This tin would hold nearly half a gallon.  Fill it half the way, and no need to fill it again.  Twelve of these could produce 3 gallons of distilled water per day.  Provided that it works, of course.


Update:

More details here.  And here.  Some fittings to connect the hoses.


Update:

An alternative to maybe try sometime.


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