Tag Archive for: mit

MIT scientists have designed a solar-powered desalination system that turns saltwater into drinkable water at a higher volume and lower cost.

MIT scientists used solar power to make drinking water cheaper than tap water

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MIT scientists have designed a solar-powered desalination system that turns saltwater into drinkable water at a higher volume – and lower cost.

Researchers from MIT and Shanghai Jiao Tong University have published a paper, “Extreme salt-resisting multistage solar distillation with thermohaline convection,” in the journal Joule about a study that has the potential to make a big leap forward in reducing the cost of water production because it doesn’t require electricity to run.

The device they built creates circular currents of water known as eddies that look like small whirlpools that function similarly to the ocean’s much larger thermohaline circulation. This circulation, combined with the sun’s heat, drives water to evaporate, leaving salt behind.

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Source: electrek

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MIT engineers have developed ultralight fabric solar cells that can quickly and easily turn any surface into a power source.

New solar cell turns any surface into power source

MIT engineers have developed ultralight fabric solar cells that can quickly and easily turn any surface into a power source. These durable, flexible solar cells, which are much thinner than a human hair, are glued to a strong, lightweight fabric, making them easy to install on a fixed surface. They can provide energy on the go as a wearable power fabric or be transported and rapidly deployed in remote locations for assistance in emergencies. They are one-hundredth the weight of conventional solar panels, generate 18 times more power-per-kilogram, and are made from semiconducting inks using printing processes that can be scaled in the future to large-area manufacturing.

Because they are so thin and lightweight, these solar cells can be laminated onto many different surfaces. For instance, they could be integrated onto the sails of a boat to provide power while at sea, adhered onto tents and tarps that are deployed in disaster recovery operations, or applied onto the wings of drones to extend their flying range. This lightweight solar technology can be easily integrated into built environments with minimal installation needs.

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Source: Eco Hub

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A better way to clean solar panels

Solar power is expected to account for 10% of global power generation by 2030, and much of that power is likely to be harvested in desert areas, where sunlight is abundant. But the accumulation of dust on solar panels or mirrors can reduce the output of photovoltaic panels by as much as 30% in just one month.

The regular cleaning that solar panels require currently is estimated to use about 10 billion gallons of water per year—enough to supply drinking water for up to 2 million people. Water cleaning also makes up about 10% of the operating costs of solar installations since water typically has to be trucked in from a distance and must be very pure to avoid leaving deposits on the surfaces. But waterless cleaning methods are less effective and labor-intensive and tend to scratch the panels, which also reduces their efficiency.

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Source: MIT Technology Review

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