Wave-powered desalination machine filters 49,000 liters of water dailyinterestingengineering.com/innovation/desalinate-sea-water-using-wave-power
575 sats \ 3 comments \ @brxyz 13 Nov 2023 tech
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120 sats \ 0 replies \ @orthzar 13 Nov 2023
Harnessing the energy in waves always seemed like a terrible idea, since the waves are already relatively high entropy (like wind). But using waves to drive a mechanical desalination system makes a lot of sense. Loses due to energy conversion would be lower, since you're not converting it to another form of energy.
And of course this popular science article conveniently fails to mention the obvious downsides. A rogue wave would obliterate these machines. And who knows how much it will cost to clean the filter inlets of things like barnacles and algae.
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100 sats \ 0 replies \ @owleyedapprentice 13 Nov 2023
very cool. the modular aspect especially.
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0 sats \ 0 replies \ @anon 13 Nov 2023
The waste from conventional desalination plants contains concentrated levels of salt or brine that need to be processed further before being discharged into the sea. If salt levels are too high, they kill marine life in the area, creating a dead zone.
Oneka's machines use three-quarters of seawater pulled in mechanically to mix the concentrated salt from the membranes and release it back into the sea without raising sea levels by a high degree.
That's just nonsense. Conventional desalination plants can and do mix their salty discharge with sea water to dilute it too. There's nothing special about this machine in that regard.
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