TECHNOLOGY
THE SOLAR CUBE
The "Solar Cube" is a solar and wind powered desalination unit. The photovoltaic cells will generate up to 1240 watts, 24 volt DC, and the wind generator will produce up to 1000 watts, 24 volt DC. The system requires about 900 watts to operate, leaving upwards of 1 kilowatt in excess power to operate emergency equipment or provide a source of electricity for other uses via an inverter/ charger. This unit can also be plugged into the grid or a generator for its power.
The package is made up of three modules which slide into a framework. All of the materials used for the casing and all of the components inside are of marine-grade non-corroding materials. The pre-filter module houses the pre-filtration system which includes one 100 micron and two 24 micron self cleaning filters, expansion tanks for the flushing cycle, and the backwashing and feed water pump controls. A submersible well pump delivers source water to this module. The center electrical module houses the 800 amp hour battery bank, the inverter/ charger, the controls for the solar panels and wind generator, and the face panel of this module has receptacles for 24 volt output, 110 or 220 volt input and output, the master switch, and the switch for the submersible pump. Inside the (R/O) module are the Clark Pump, the R/O membranes, a 5 micron filter, the feed and injection pumps, and a product water tank for the membrane back flush cycle. The face panel for the R/O module has the injection speed rheostat and the meters which indicate system pressure, boost pressure, feed flow, product flow, and filter pressure differential. The whole unit, excluding the wind generator, is about five feet square and weighs 3000 pounds.
These units can process a broad sampling of source water anywhere from surface water, to contaminated and brackish water, to seawater. The system is very efficient (watts per gallon), with a high consistent recovery rate of around 30%, and high quality product water (less than 170 mg/L from seawater). The feed pressure to the membrane is manually controlled to optimize the output and water quality, compensating for the variations in salinity and temperature.
Radio Interview
Click here to listen to a radio interview about the Solar Cube.
