MIT Designs Solar Desalination System

A team from the Department of Mechanical Engineering of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), US, has designed a solar-powered desalination system that can be rapidly deployed in crisis situations to produce drinking water.

The desalination system can be used in remote areas, such as desert locations, farms and small villages, where supplying energy and clean water is logistically challenging and expensive.

The system is a self-contained desalination system, which can turn seawater into drinking water without using exterior electrical power.

The team unveiled a prototype that is capable of producing 80 gallons of water a day in a variety of weather conditions.

The systems can be assembled cost effectively from standard parts and put into operation within hours using local human capital.