Work In Progress (updated 04-19-12)

This page briefly discusses some of my water projects that are in development. 
When I have proven these ideas, I will publish them on my main page and notify
interested parties.  I include this page with the hope of receiving additional feedback
on the scope and direction of my water projects from the community.   Projects
are arranged chronologically, so that my most recent developments appear at the
top of the page.  Click here to see the hazardous water treatment model that I am
following.



Rocket Distiller™ (saltwater)


Update: 04-13-12

I have suspended development of this tool until I can find a larger,  more
suitable boiler vessel.  Ideally,  I need something that is conical or pyramid
shaped and holds at least 30-gallons.  The shape is important, because this
will allow the maximum sunlight exposure to the vessel and heat the water
for optimal evaporation.  Anything less, is futile.


Update: 02-03-12

This spring I plan on experimenting with larger boilers.  I will start with 30-gallons
and work up.  I think a larger boiler will produce more vapor that can be captured
and condensed.  I think the dimensions of the condensation chamber are fine.
I just need a bigger boiler to hold a lot more saltwater.  I will also add an outlet
line to run the fresh water down a tube and into a bottle.


Update: 09-24-11
I revamped the Rocket Distiller by cutting the height of the internal collection
trough to about 5-inches and replacing the top part of the condensation section
with a 5-quart conical shaped polycarbonate bowl.  I added a 1-inch diameter
cloth covered vent at the top.  Figure 1 shows my revised prototype.  I will
continue to work on the solar collector to increase heating of the (bottom)
boiler section.

So far, my (small)  prototype can produce about 0.25-liters of freshwater, daily. 
The weather in my area has been less than cooperative, so given ideal (sunny)
conditions and using a better solar reflector,  I expect the tool will produce
about 0.75-liters a day


Update: 08-02-11
In June, (2011) I began developing a saltwater distillation tool that makes freshwater
from saltwater, air, gravity and sunlight.  I am using the most abundant resources
to create one of the scarcest resources.  Figure 2 shows my prototype.  The tool is
made from simple off-the-shelf materials and can be handmade for under $20 in
about 30 minutes.  The main parts are 2-gallon and 5-gallon (food-safe) plastic
paint buckets.  I found it useful to pre-heat the saltwater in a different vessel to
160° F  (71° C) before transferring the saltwater to the tool.  Pre-heating is
recommended to help initiate the evaporation process and pasteurize the water.
After pre-heating, the sun and tools reflector can produce enough heat to
sustain evaporation throughout the day. 

The design of this tool is highly scalable with potential for household freshwater
production.  Larger models using 30-gallon and 55-gallon barrels may be tried. 
I am developing this tool for use in disaster relief and for poor people in arid
developing countries.  Also, I see a use in developed countries for campers,
boaters, and survivalists.

The design shares many features of a "rocket stove", hence the moniker for this
saltwater distillation tool.   Using this tool, saltwater is heated (by sunlight) and
slowly evaporates.  The evaporated water vapors are rocketed up the condensation
chamber by convection air currents.  Distilled water droplets form on the walls of
the condensation chamber and slide down to be trapped in the collection trough,
below.  The trough can store about 1-gallon of distilled freshwater and will take
several days to accumulate.  Freshwater is poured from the modified 5-gallon
bucket.



Porous Concrete Filters

You may download my latest draft on 'Making Porous Concrete Bottle
Filters' by clicking HERE. 




Sand Ponds
In December (2010), I was inspired by the work of Excellent Development
using sand dams in Kenya to conserve and harvest rainwater.  This prompted
me to think of similar ways to harvest stored rainwater - when sand dams
are not practical or applicable. 

One suggestion is manmade 'sand ponds'  - large, deep pits in the ground that
are lined with water-proof plastic and filled back with sand.  Figure 3 shows a
drawing of what a typical sand pond may look like.  The sand pond is like a
poor man's below ground cistern.  Like a cistern, water does not evaporate
from the sand pond as it would in a normal pond.  The sand traps water
between its particles and works as a natural filter making the below ground
water safe to drink.

The water-proof lining would be made from food-safe, polyethylene.  I think
large tank liners and swimming pool liners could be adapted for sand ponds.  
The ponds (cisterns) would be dug before the rainy season, lined with plastic,
filled with sand and vertical PVC (4" diameter) pipes.  The vertical pipes will
serve as wells to collect water when needed and capped when not in use. 
Buried with sand, plastic liners and PVC could last for hundreds of years. 

Sand ponds would take advantage of natural and manmade topographic
gradients where rainwater flows and accumulates.  These locations include
dry river beds, roadsides, borrow pits, hill bottoms and valleys near the
community.  These locations may only be limited by the availability of
sand and suitable liners. 

These sand ponds could be an affordable alternative for people living in
semi-arid places when sand dams are not an option.  The sand ponds are
a scalable solution that could be built and sustained by local people using
supplied liners and tools.  Finally, sand ponds may be easier and less
expensive to build than sand dams because no cement is needed.



SunFlower - Water Pasteurization Tool
The SunFlower is a large capacity solar cooker made from a large bowl
(~20 quarts) and a 3-ft square sheet of  aluminum canvas. The bowl may be
made of any durable material including metal, plastic or wicker.  Figure 4 shows
a SunFower heating water in a 5-gallon plastic vessel that is wrapped in a black
thermal blanket and covered with a large oven bag to conserve heat.  In its'
current configuration, the SunFlower is designed to work with any vessel up to
 ~5-gallons in volume.  A 21-quart black enamel metal stockpot is ideal, but
vessels made from fired clay, glass or plastic will work too. The SunFower
can be assembled in about 2 minutes and is easy to maintain and store. 
When handmade wicker bowls are used, the material costs are very low.





Field Testing - H2S Water Testing
Lead acetate test paper in 100-ml bottles will be used to field test water
sources for bacteria. Bacteria produce hydrogen sulfide (H2S) that turns
the water and test strips black within 24-30 hours. I will use a color chart to
estimate the bacteria count (ppm).