No, I just realised it probably wouldn't fill out, not if it's above surface. But then, I've seen a working design of a solar desalination greenhouse where the evaporation was from a cardboard. This got completely saturated with salt, but still was doing its job.
As for the passive rinsing of the sponge, I imagine the boiler chamber would fill out with water over night, that would dilute the salt. It would also weigh down the chamber. To get rid of it, perhaps the added weight could open a valve. Then, as long as you give the whole thing enough flotation to keep the valve above sea surface even wheh weighed down with extra water, it should be possible to lead the brine overboard. I imagine a few cycles overnight would happen.
Perhaps the flotation valve could be skipped, if you have narow enough intake, if the boiler is actually ABOVE the water surface, this arrangement would only allow the sponge to take on through capilary action as much water as it will lose through evaporation.
It shouldn't need to track the sun if it's bowl rather than through shaped. Also, i think you could speed up the proces by lining the inside of the heating chamber with sponge to increase eveporation surface, with a flotation valve to regulate the water intake. Purging of salt would then have to be managed tho, unless you can come up with something.
Enicao said the problem would be the tracking. I think that as long as the mirror is bowl-shaped, rather than a through, it wouldnt matter which side the sun would be on as it would always fall on some part of the mirror. As to wether it would work, I think that depends on the size of the mirror in relation to the boiler. How efficient it would be is another matter. That is why i mentioned the sponge, with it you wouldn't need the water to even boil to get some decent evaporation.
No, I just realised it probably wouldn't fill out, not if it's above surface. But then, I've seen a working design of a solar desalination greenhouse where the evaporation was from a cardboard. This got completely saturated with salt, but still was doing its job.
Are you actually building this thing?
nosuchthingasshould 2 years ago
As for the passive rinsing of the sponge, I imagine the boiler chamber would fill out with water over night, that would dilute the salt. It would also weigh down the chamber. To get rid of it, perhaps the added weight could open a valve. Then, as long as you give the whole thing enough flotation to keep the valve above sea surface even wheh weighed down with extra water, it should be possible to lead the brine overboard. I imagine a few cycles overnight would happen.
nosuchthingasshould 2 years ago
Perhaps the flotation valve could be skipped, if you have narow enough intake, if the boiler is actually ABOVE the water surface, this arrangement would only allow the sponge to take on through capilary action as much water as it will lose through evaporation.
nosuchthingasshould 2 years ago
It shouldn't need to track the sun if it's bowl rather than through shaped. Also, i think you could speed up the proces by lining the inside of the heating chamber with sponge to increase eveporation surface, with a flotation valve to regulate the water intake. Purging of salt would then have to be managed tho, unless you can come up with something.
nosuchthingasshould 2 years ago
I didn't quite understand your point. I didn't try it yet.
Do you think it would work?
guerrinobianchi 2 years ago
Enicao said the problem would be the tracking. I think that as long as the mirror is bowl-shaped, rather than a through, it wouldnt matter which side the sun would be on as it would always fall on some part of the mirror. As to wether it would work, I think that depends on the size of the mirror in relation to the boiler. How efficient it would be is another matter. That is why i mentioned the sponge, with it you wouldn't need the water to even boil to get some decent evaporation.
nosuchthingasshould 2 years ago
good idea, but it can't track the sun.
enicao 2 years ago
no problem if this is the problem. ... heating by lens
guerrinobianchi 2 years ago