SOLAR WATER PURIFICATION

Nothing mimics Mother Nature's water cleaning process as well as solar water purification. Our earth with it's blue sky and clouds is a perfect example of how the sun heats and evaporates all exposed water bodies. In the summer this process can reach the extreme with afternoon thunder clouds followed by heavy rain showers.

For our purposes, we will use the sun as a heat source to evaporate contaminated or salt water. Catching the elevated moisture levels by condensation on an acceptably clean surface.

This is one of my favorite water cleansing techniques. It:

- is Simple

- is Clean

- Uses free energy from the sun

- Can produce large volumes of drinking water

- Can use most moisture sources for water production

- Can be quite portable

I have found a way to turbo charge a solar still allowing you to make a High Production Solar Still. This style of solar energy water purifier is built for maximum water production.

The essence of this method is a simple solar still which used single pane glass for the front collector and a double pane setup for the rear. We use the same sun heated water condensing approach as with most stills but with a difference. By selectively amplifying solar gain we can produce large amounts of drinking quality water.

These heat amplifiers have the advantage of working on cold or cloudy days as well as sunny. Production may be less, but, the still continues to produce. The only condition is that it must be above freezing for the still to function, although I have different methods for winter water purification that is equally as simple.

I think it is the simplicity and free, continuous operation that makes solar water purification so attractive. Another plus is that you can use different sized glass panels and adapt for your situation and your construction of the solar still. It doesn't have to be exact, just follow the general guidelines and you will be making quantities of pure tasty water. The water tastes better than boiled distilled water. It doesn't have that flat taste so common in powered stills.

Solar water purification, another reason to like sunny days.