PROJECT NIRMAL
Team: Miss Maulashree Shanbhag, Dr. Bhooshan Shanbhag
Status: Working Prototype
Overview
In India, good quality drinking water is a major problem. At many places, available water is not potable due to soluble impurities, microbial flora, and other contaminants harmful for human consumption. The current project aims at converting this water to potable water using no extra cost towards the process. The energy required is easily available in India in the form of solar power, and is non-polluting in nature. The operation can be carried out for major part of the year. Potable water is generated at the doorstep or on the roof of every household. Larger units can also be designed in order to fulfil requirements of a small village.
Concept
It is well known that majority of the Indian rural as well as urban population is deprived of potable quality drinking water. Diseases and epidemics arising due to poor sanitation and contaminated drinking water is a common occurrence and a method of purifying water on a smaller scale is either not available or its application is expensive. The present work gives an opportunity to provide this valuable amenity to local population, at relatively low cost.
Theme
The currently developed unit consists of a metallic cylinder that acts as a water distillation unit. Available water can be filled in this cylinder, which gets distilled and potable quality water gets collected in another container. This lowers the risk of exposure to dissolved impurities, minerals as well as disease causing organisms that are often found in rivers and ground water bodies.
Operation
Needs to be filled daily and cleaned periodically. No other maintenance is required.
Due to solar heating, water in distillation unit will get converted into vapour, which will pass through the cooling pipe and get condensed. It will get collected in the collection unit. Daily refilling of water once in morning should give sufficient drinking water output by evening. A conservative estimate would be at 2-5 litres per unit (depending on sunlight received).
