A team from MIT’s Field and Space Robotics Laboratory (FSRL) in theDepartment of Mechanical Engineering has come up with a way to operatedesalinsation systems, typically typically large-scale installationsthat require lots of energy to operate, as portable, solar-poweredsystems that could be rapidly deployed to areas in need of potable water in the wake of disaster or crisis. These systems can operate off solarenergy and can exist in areas where ‘plugging in’ is not an option.
The M.I.T. estimates that the system is capable of producing 80 gallons ofwater a day in a variety of weather conditions. Also, a larger versionof the unit, which would cost about $8,000 to construct, could provideabout 1,000 gallons of water per day. For deployment, they estimate that one C-130 cargo airplane could transport two dozen desalination units — enough to provide water for 10,000 people.
Below is a video of the system: