Watercone® Solar Still, solar seawater desalination

[fordgt402]

This doesnt seem to cost trillion? i want one incase of emergency of drought.

[ping6uod]

are they sure this is new? im sure ive read about this in " The Life Of Pi"

[guzguz21]

I can make it better, simply add some magnifying glasses to the cone, they can be done with the same plastic and they should have different diameters as they are cose or far from the plate.

[SeazBreeze]

Galileo

[JonThm]

Use vacuum deceleration

[shakenama]

This seems like a great product, but distillation only seperates salt and minerals from potable water. I don't see how this product removes the cholera virus from the water.

According to the WHO, water must be sterilized either boiling to 180deg or treat the water by chlorination to effectively kill the pathogens in the water.

[JonThm]

A vacuum desalination is the cheapest option

[JonThm]

Using low pressure to make fresh water

[Oreyesin]

How do i get one?

[frankcoffee]

Scale it up for more water.

[uhpanduh]

wow it took them that long to make something like this... thats kind of sad

[LucianoBongiovi]

Distillation, like reverse osmosis, strips water of natural trace

elements. When these elements are removed from water, the hydrogen

composition becomes greater in proportion, making the water very

acidic. Several studies have proven that drinking distilled water,

stripped of minerals, can actually be harmful to the body system.

It will keep people alive at least of course

[VojvodinaNet]

@LucianoBongiovi

That is just a myth. Rain water is naturally distilled. Fruit contains distilled water. The distillation through the sun is the most natural way of purification. Compared to any water supply system, distilled water is thousand times more healthy.

[minero1986]

@VojvodinaNet it is more pure, but its okey and indeed we need minerals that non distilled water may have, isnt it?

[Rotard12a]

@minero1986 Nah. The nutrients you need to survive are in food, all you need from water is water.

Even things like sports drinks contain a minuscule amount of electrolytes (no real calcium or magnesium and only 1/100th of the of the daily potassium you need to survive)

Places with more advanced water systems will add fluoride and some other goodies to tap water but it's not really key. The point here is to have something you can drink that doesn't have feces and viruses in it.

[1BigNuisance]

I saw a company trying to get $69USD each for these. Seriously? It's like a plastic 2 liter pop bottle. Someone should make these at Coke or Pepsi and give them away.

[NYredwhiteandblue]

@1BigNuisance where did you see this company... i cant seem to find the product or something similar...

[jochenahuebener]

@NYredwhiteandblue

I found another company, but more expensive, you find it in the Internet under Aquamate Solar Still under Survival Metrics.com, I think, the LINK doesn't work here

[misery9177]

@1BigNuisance its not ONLY a plastic pop bottle. I m working with it and its quite expensive in manufactoring, dont talk if you dont know!!!!

[Rotard12a]

@misery9177 I believe "manufacturing" is the word you're looking for. And it's dirt cheap. Just two pieces of vacuum formed plastic, polycarb on the top and likely ABS on the bottom. You could set up to do it yourself just as well in your garage in a week or two with under $1000

The problem is that they can charge whatever they want for it for a variety of reasons that aren't really worth listing here but, in essence, they've created a socially responsible product then priced it irresponsibly.

[otivaeey]

I love it although it is an old idea. Sell it for $1 per piece I would love it more.

[TheBrotherMo]

This isn't a new invention, it's just a plastic solar still. You should review the Katadyn Survivor Desalinator instead. Instead of waiting for days for water condensation, you can just pump fresh water out of sea water. 35 gallons a day!

The Katadyn's reverse osmosis desalinator is on demand and doesn't need the sun or electricity. Produces water from sea water or brackish water. Removes salts, chemicals contaminants, nerve agents, viruses, bacteria etc

amazon.com/gp/product/B000F3CH 0I

[Soneclipseredvblue]

Unfortunately it doesn't filter out all of the chemical pollutants that are likely to be in the water they are using.

[funtimeadventures]

But will it help people in Malawi. is it only good for tresting sea water? what about fresh water?

[Soneclipseredvblue]

@funtimeadventures Unfortunately it doesn't work for desalination. 

[healthcare4all]

this is a good improvement over old inventions because basically it has two non-moving parts, can be roughly handled without being significantly made dysfunctional and even if you lost the dark plastic base, just put it on top of a level soil or puddle and make sure there is some decent seal all around the circumference of the cone, and i am sure that the distillation will still proceed.

[YoLninYo]

I had this idea 20 years ago in college. It is so obvious and simple I can't believe they're giving out awards for this shit!

This is another example of the criminal behaviour of the western nations towards the developing world (countries which they previously looted and robbed and made poor thru colonization) ... they withhold simple solutions and offer overly comples, over-engineered "solutions" which only perpetuate the misery and poverty of the poor nations! shame on europe!

[malgoajoe]

@YoLninYo Well, "Western Nations" are so criminal in WITHHOLDING this simple solution and you in your own words "had this idea 20 years ago in college." what does that say about you precious? Does is say (A) That you withheld your idea and are therefore criminal according to your own logic? or (B) That you are usually in and out of mental institutions and today you got let out to use the computer?

[YoLninYo]

@malgoajoe Obviously your reading comprehension skills leave a lot to be desired. Read the fucking paragraph again. And bestow more pearls of wisdom on us.

[malgoajoe]

@YoLninYo Awwww...is precious swearing now. Upset? Just wondering why after having this idea 20 YEARS AGO you didn't try to help your struggling compatriots? It's a simple contraption right? Oh, God! Was the criminal West that stopped you??

[YoLninYo]

@malgoajoe No. It is too fucking obvious. The issue is with the west withholding these solutions as part of a system of perpetuation of poverty. 20 years after they started offering desalination-by osmosis or boiling using fossil fuels we see these assholes congratulating each others on "inventing" something that survivalists have known for at least half a century? (or more?)

The issue is a criminal apathy by the West (U?) towards the nations who were robbed blind during the colonial period.

[malgoajoe]

@YoLninYo Japan was hell bent on making the northern part of China 1932, the entire Korean Peninsula 1910, Taiwan1895 and South East Asia 1943 part of the Japanese Empire. I personally know Japanese whose parents were sent as colonists to parts of China. The East was also a Colonialist. Japan was just later. Strongest wins.

Criminal Apathy- no, it is simply how the free market works. If the idea doesn't look like it will make money then it won't get investors - equals no watercone 20 yrs ago.

[malgoajoe]

@malgoajoe Correction, whose parents parents were sent to China as colonists. My friend's parents who are Japanese were actually born in China.

[YoLninYo]

@malgoajoe true, but Japan is the _only_ eastern colonial power, and they only were given a place at the table of thieves after they proved (in their war with Russia) that they were just as heinous and murderous as the western group of robbers.

Please note there are a lot more countries in "the east" than Japan. The issue here is that simple solutions are not put forward to perpetuate the poverty of the nations, to be able to control them. You can call it "free market" it is still exploitation

[TrEvOrLe55555]

I am going to do this on a larger scale. massive facilities

[joemchang]

genius

[lostinseganet]

What about mildew buildup in the water collector?

[1965panther1965]

thats great and no doubt the guy drinking that water has probably had his prostate gland cored out due to the incredibly high levels of pthylates

[MaidInMichigan]

So, any ideas on how to remove pthylates from the desalinated seawater? Any information on what levels would be in the water?

And why do you suspect pthylate, which is used to SOFTEN Polyvinyl Chloride, would be a contaminate from a Polycarbonate product? Some polycarbonates do leech Bisphenyl A - mostly those made in the good old US of A until very recently. European producers of Polycarbonates developed processes that removed this contaminant years ago. Check your assumptions, people.

[bamboo555]

I almost expect my "good ol' USA plastics to be harmful, after all big money/business can push about anything it wants through. How about blown glass! That solves the problem, and it also seem there could be a better design with weep holes in the bottom "rim" that lets the water run down into a containment tank. Thanks for the vid!!!

[416dl]

Smart simple and cheap...it'll never work. What we need is a complex and expensive system that is impossible to achieve but which will keep an army of experts employed and is based on ideas using social engineering for a brave new world.

I'm joking, of course, but the fact that a billion of these haven't been already distributed to areas where there is a crushing need, yet we know the names of Tiger Woods' alleged paramours says much about the world in which we live.

I wish them well.

[linhh82]

You could also used urine for this as well.

The British SAS used this method in the desert.

[hablerz]

@linhh82 I prefer my urine neat.

[liberatedhumanbeing]

Ok, so whats so new about making sea water drinkable? I know of at least 2 different ways to obtain this miracle. One is a plain old still, like make ALCOHOL (also creates salt). Or the old school Solar Still made of plastic sheeting, a rock, a water container, a hole in the sand near high tide line, and SUN... Doesn't seem so new an idea other then the gadget used.

[heyawhaw]

Distilling has been around since the beginning of time. What people in need of clean water must have is a means to use the knowledge and some device to give them access to the water. Now they have one. Wasn't that obvious enough?

[MaidInMichigan]

Nothing new about it under the sun, except the ability to easily mass produce this product, and possibly get it to undereducated people who are unable to think of a solution to their problem because they are underfed and dehydrated.

It is a new problem to them, and they are used to doing things the same old way, and not used to innovating.

You may not be aware of how your tone in this comment displays your arrogance.

[liberatedhumanbeing]

mas production is simple as well. Ho much wiskey of burbon etc. is produced in a day? These use the same process, so why should it be harder??? Arrogant? Maybe, but when I look at how stupid people have become to being able to care for & provide for themselves I think I have every reason to be. No innovation is the sign of a lower animal lifeform like a cow or such. Innovation is what separates Humans from the other animals on this planet.

[jampgui]

During WW II american aircraft pilots already had a similar device to desalinate water. Of course the design was not so good, and the materials was diferent, but the brightness of the idea is the same.

[pleutman]

well put it this way;a gold medal from the industrial designer society of america competition! this puts to shame that pile of shit "american inventor" series...did you ever see that pile of shit "guardian angel" thing?...i searched this up because i read about a guy who was lost at sea and survived on a raft using a salt water distillation device and wanted to find out more. in the desert with a horse with no name,you could recycle your piss possibly...endless uttlility bravo sir!

[Paulzhang21]

Very good idea but can we design a solar powered to get more drink water

[Farlandar]

Good question -- Can passing current through water improve its rate of evaporation? Enough current will electrolyze water causing dissociation of h and o atoms.... I would think that any amount of current would reduce surface tension at minimum

[enicao]

good idea, but needs a bit more engineering:

- this thing makes 6 glasses of water a day, it's not enough even for 1 person. a mirror would help

- it's way to easy to contaminate the cone with dirty water

[GetMeThere1]

The problem with this is that people have to have an understanding of "germ theory" to use it. If any "bad" or "lake water" ever touches the collection area of the top, then your distillation to prevent disease has failed.

[ojsdaddy]

Its to desalinate not sanitize smart guy.

[GetMeThere1]

Here's some advice for you, ojsdaddy: If you're stupid, it's best not to post comments...

[ojsdaddy]

Use soap for that bro.

[MaidInMichigan]

Good point - mere desalination cannot be the only requirement for potable water.

[bamboo555]

I just got a portable UV light that runs on batteries and will purify a 12oz+ bottle of water in 90 seconds. There is also a new screened filter being sold in African(&S.America) poor countries that has collidal silver as a bacteria killer.

[H0VEN]

why didnt i think of that, a big frisbee with a cover .

[thecr4zyguy]

Now they just need one for wine....

get it... wine cone?

[irakleitos123]

Not a new invention.Used to do that in the army.Also nomads at desert do it.You dig a hole at the ground and u place a glass in the middle, a plastic above with rocks supporting it at the edges of the hole and one rock in the middle of the plastic.You leave it at night and u have ur glass full of water at the morning.

[chillinator]

@irakleitos123 Except in this case you don't have to dig a hole. This can also be used to purify otherwise undrinkable water.

[slamdunktiger]

@irakleitos123

that's a little different, that's condensation and collection of the condensed water vapor that becomes droplets upon cooling

[BrodyPianist]

the water will be too hot to drink, does it come with a refrigerator?

[kstymmsiaiaauu]

Sehr gut!!

[o0sunsi0o]

This is impressive so simple in design and electricity free it will save live and be a godsend.

[Antillektuell]

wow good idea. and its from my homecountry germany yeehaa. go german engineering hahaa

[ephemerol]

german innnovation at its best, well done.

[sitdogz]

I live in Los Angeles and pay $!/gallon for distilled water. I would buy this if I could.

[UFOIST]

Ingenious!!!

[bettysman]

Looks like polycarbonate plastic. Isn't that the one with Bisphenol-A?

[bettysman]

Oh! Looking at the video again and seeing the designer step on it I can see it is not polycarbonate.

[filmmunition]

No, you're right, it is made out of polycarbonate. I don't like the idea of petroleum-based plastics being used for water applications such as this (high temps, out-gassing of BPA, etc.), but I think at least for the short term, its benefits outweigh the negatives.

From the site:

Additionally it (cone & pan) is made from Bayer Makrolon, a high-tech ultra-rugged and highly recyclable polycarbonate, virtually insensitive to UV exposure or breakage, an all too common result of rough transport.

[bettysman]

Yes, it IS better to have water than not!

[ycats1000]

bisphenol-a my bisphenol ass...

it's "macrilon" ba haaa haa

(jokes)what the hell is macrilon

[ReggieRawls]

is this on the market

[spanishaustralian]

i've got an article here saying it cost under $100

[FunnyFunkyCow]

cool but expensive