Robert Ray wrote:Solar pasteurization of potable water is quire common www.solarcooking.org/pasteurization/solarwat.htm. Household quantities would be a pretty big system. Problematic when seperating potable from non-potable if that was a consideration.
Orin Raichart wrote:
Richard Force wrote:
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I was looking the distilling option but I am wondering if there is a way to set this up passively without excessive fuel usage. Such as solar for example. The only problem with solar is it would be extremely slow.
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If you noticed the Boot at Wheaton Labs, Josiah, worked on a solar device which melts glass. He used a fresnel lens which creates a super hot beam of light from normal sunlight. These lens can be found in big old 50" tvs (but not all old 50 inchers, research it first). The reason I didn't bring this up is because I wasn't sure if that was in the realm of what you would actually do.
With a little experimentation, you can easily get water to boil in a very short time and not melt your metal water tank with sunlight and a fresnel lens.
There is also the Rocket Stove Water heater which, if you build in such a way neither air nor steam can get trapped, will do the job also.
One method requires regular dependable sunlight and the other requires a small amount of wood and some skill so your device doesn't explode.
Orin Raichart wrote:I've looked at purifying water before and here are the methods I've found:
To get rid of microbials means two things, removing bacteria and viruses.
-reverse osmosis (push the water through a membrane so small only a H2O molecule can get through (while the membrane may allow any chemical molecule equal in size or smaller, this membrane is too small for even a virus to get through);
-ceramics which are made in such a way to so the way through for water is too small for viruses and bacteria (my MRS Mini has a ceramic filter which disallows bacteria which I've used repeatedly in the badlands of NM and AZ);
-ultra violet light but I'm not convinced this would kill a virus or all bacteria I suspect UV only retards bacterial growth rather than out right kill all bacteria;
-boiling, but your temperature has to be really high for a 30 minute (some say less or more.) period (I am suspicious of this because there are heat loving bacteria in the magna vents in the ocean...some might point out these bacteria won't harm us?);
-catching only the steam from boiling water, condensing this back into water (oh yeah. no bacteria can change phase and live to my knowledge);
-chemically poison the bacteria/viruses (no thanks, I'm drinking that water and....short answer hell no.).
Here's my recommendation:
No money and stuck in the wilderness:
-boil it after running it through (grass/sand/grass/charcoal/grass/sand) layered in two or three water bottles now ubiquitous to most of the world (this works I watched someone pour muddy water in one end and clear water came out the bottom);
Alot of money
reverse osmosis wins every time (I was in a coal plant whose RO filters produced 99.99999% water which is poisonous to a human cause it leaches/attaches chemically to all human body nutrients but most RO systems aren't that good);
Not so much money but enough for a distiller or the skills to build a distiller
boil water to create steam, catch the steam and condense it
Ceramics but you'll need to know how to create a new one once it becomes plugged -I currently don't know how to make a ceramic filter correctly for microbials
good luck!
Catherine Windrose wrote: (Also planning a large-ish pond as water source, a way to bring water into the home what is not easily detectable from outside, and perhaps a separate small, sealed saltwater pond to create electricity without being on a short leash with solar.)
Giselle Burningham wrote:A scholarship is a good idea but there are huge other issues.. who will run it? Where will the courses be undertaken .. just Tasmania, or the whole of Australia or worldwide. This CAN all be done. I have experiance of dealing with trusts, scholarships etc world wide and these fall under philothropic trusts ... . http://www.philanthropy.org.au/. I would suggest a lawyer needs to work with the family. This will take at least!!! a year to work out, as it is a major commitment. I think the family needs to space to grief first. But over all I love your idea but not sure of the execution.