/r/Desalination

Photograph via snooOG

Removing salt from water to create fresh drinking water for the world.

This subreddit is dedicated to desalination, whether it's distillation, reverse osmosis, or something completely new.

/r/Desalination

815 Subscribers

3

Reverse osmosis near the sea floor

My understanding is that reverse osmosis has several expensive components, but I want to focus on the power requirements for pushing the salty water through the membrane.

If we set up a membrane at about 1,000m below sea level, perpendicular to gravity, the pressure would be approximately the upper bound required to push salty water through it. Assuming all the technical issues of protecting the membrane, having a fresh water gathering space below, and a pipe to the surface, why wouldn’t this work?

I’m really just interested in the theory, so disregard the engineering and environmental challenges here, as I know they are many. (Unless you’re just feeling the need to think it through.)

Thanks!

4 Comments
2024/09/13
17:46 UTC

7

Why isn't a bigger deal being made about thermo diffusion desalination?

https://www.anu.edu.au/news/all-news/anu-desalination-breakthrough-to-bolster-global-water-security-as-planet-warms

I saw this tech and it seems awesome. It's been a while since I read it but I'm just wondering why a bigger deal isn't being made about it?

And one of the solutions for the brine issue could just be mining the brine. Sodium batteries, lithium...

Tbh I just want to terraform earth for my own enjoyment lol, and that needs water.

Maybe it's not really that legit? Idk.

4 Comments
2024/09/10
06:50 UTC

0

"The World's Biggest Desalination Plants Should Not Exist" (Asianometry, 17.5 minute video)

0 Comments
2024/08/12
07:04 UTC

10

Make Earth Great Again

6 Comments
2024/08/07
16:03 UTC

5

Is it possible to create (diy) a desalination that would do for a small number of people in a home?

Let's say around 10L a day of sea water to turn them into however many liters of drinkable water. What would it take in terms of energy, equipment, space,...

2 Comments
2024/06/28
22:26 UTC

2

Discussion: Do you think the market for pre-fabricated, shipping-container sized, Desalination plants is saturated?

3 Comments
2024/06/25
09:17 UTC

1

Ejector

Hi, can you tell if your steam vacuum ejector is operating well by touching the shell side if it is hot or cold?

0 Comments
2024/06/19
10:20 UTC

4

hi i have question about the more efficiency way of desalination system

Desalination using reverse osmosis is a method of purifying salt through a filter. Usually, the tank is horizontal and is pushed out by water pressure through a high-pressure pump. I think it is possible to use gravity using a vertical method rather than using the tank horizontally. If this method exists, how about a reverse osmosis method using gravity?

4 Comments
2024/06/13
16:25 UTC

5

Shower Thought

If humanity was willing to do so, and could afford to do it, could we combat rising sea levels by building enough desalination plants on coastlines? Could we make a net zero sea level change this way?

3 Comments
2024/05/11
21:30 UTC

4

Kids project

I grew up watching the Voyage of the Mimi when I was a kid. I was thinking of putting together a seawater still of some sort on the beach at my grandparents camp. I thought it might be cool to get the nibblings involved in a project or two this summer ... make some drinking water for the dogs from seawater.

Anyone have any ideas? Are there existing plans for things like this. Planning on macgyvering as much as possible from found items on the beach and around the toolshed...

0 Comments
2024/02/06
22:01 UTC

1

How many PEM membranes used in 1 electrolysis plant processing 500m3 water per day?

Hi all, total newbie to desalination and associated electrolysis processes. How many PEM membranes are typically used in 1 electrolysis plant that is processing 500 m3 of water per day? Where can I find this type of information?

0 Comments
2024/01/29
20:13 UTC

2

Turbidity blocking pre filters in RO system

Hi, I'm using Reverse Osmosis system to filter water from a salt water tidal river. The water is sometimes very turbid blocking the 20 micron and 5 micron pre filters quickly. What can I do to improve my system? Maybe a Spin down filter? Or sand filter? Thanks

2 Comments
2024/01/22
11:33 UTC

5

Is Desalination the Future of Water?

I just did a bit of a dive into the desalination industry. It was interesting to learn about the tech but also the challenges in rolling it out more widely. Obviously it often comes down to energy consumption, but when San Diego green-lit a project when Huntington Beach just up the road rejected one, there was more to it than just water. Often the subsea topography is a big influence. But most interesting to learn about were the startups looking to address the issue with brine. There are often metals and minerals present that could be harvested, adding further value to the process and helping the economics of the project.

My report can be found here if interested: https://emergingoceans.substack.com/p/desalination-the-future-of-fresh

3 Comments
2024/01/19
16:46 UTC

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