Simple method to distill water using the free energy of the sun.... [video]

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[–]zyxzevn 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (13 children)

Fake. In reality you get 4 droplets, maybe 10 if you are lucky.

[–]makesyoudownvote 3 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 0 fun4 insightful - 1 fun -  (11 children)

You must not live in a very hot and dry area.

Here in the California I have done this and gotten far more than a few droplets. My design is more of a still design though, but I have gotten quite a bit. I even used a pom bottle much like the one they are using here.

The tricks are:

  1. Don't get too greedy with the water. Do smaller bottles with wide surface areas.

  2. Plan a few days in advance, you wont always get a good amount of water EVERY day. Plan on them taking 3 days. When I have done this while camping, I setup like a dozen of them at a time when I am camping.

  3. Find a spot with lots of direct sunlight away from the water source.

[–]Tom_Bombadil 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (10 children)

You must not live in a very hot and dry area.

The humidity doesn't matter, because it's a closed system.

Find a spot with lots of direct sunlight away from the water source.

Doesn't matter.

[–]makesyoudownvote 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (9 children)

Yeah I have never figured out why the humidity seems to matter, but it does actually. I don't know why, but it does. I have far more success with this in the deserts here than I have when in the South even with similar temperature and light. My best guess is that the light actually isn't as intense in higher humidity because it's being diffracted by water droplets or something.

My other working theory, which is more farfetched is that you get a bit of condensation on the surface of the collection bottle which evaporates quickly in low humidity and causes a cooling effect on the collection bottle. The greater the temperature difference between the evaporation tank and the top of the collection bottle the faster it works. Which again is why I use a more still like design. My collection bottle isn't clear on top. I usually put a piece of foil on it.

Find a spot with lots of direct sunlight away from the water source.

Doesn't matter.

Yes it absolutely does. Higher temperatures create much faster evaporation. Nearby bodies of water both lower the ambient temperature and the humidity seems to scatter the light or something. I get between 50-70% faster water distillation on the playa or salt flats than I do near a creek or pond. ESPECIALLY since creeks and ponds usually have greenery nearby which both blocks and absorbs light.

Your comment is as dumb as saying direct view of the sun doesn't matter when you are trying to start a fire with a magnifying glass. It absolutely matters. More light & less humidity = more heat in the evaporation tank = more water evaporated = more water passing to collection tank.

[–]Tom_Bombadil 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (8 children)

The humidity inside the closed system still is all that matters.

Unless you're placing the still in water.

Doesn't matter.

[–]makesyoudownvote 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (7 children)

It isn't though. Temperature is also a key playwer. The hotter the evaporation tank the faster the water evaporated. If your ambient temperature is below freezing, good luck getting this to work at all.

The colder the collection tank or the condensation tube/coil, however you set this up, also the faster this will work. If you have a 212 degree evaporation tank and a 40 degree collection tank this will work MUCH Faster. Though the design in this video cheats that slightly through a mechanical separation of that tube in the bottle. Without that tube, you will never get more than 50% of the water into the collection tank, no matter how long you wait, but with the temperature differential you can even without the tube.

Light is also a factor because you are basically using the greenhouse effect to keep the evaporation tank faster. This is the reason I suspect ambient humidity seems to be a factor. I think less direct light makes it to the evaporation tank. It's a SOLAR distiller. You need SUN. DUH.

It doesn't matter how it works in theory. I'm saying EMPIRICALLY the ambient humidity makes a difference. At the very least there is a strong and obvious correlation. This is a fact, regardless of whether or not you understand why. I've proposed two theories as to why, but neither is necessarily the right answer. My degrees are not quite in relevant fields so I don't know, but that doesn't change the empirical evidence.

[–]Tom_Bombadil 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (6 children)

It doesn't matter how it works in theory. I'm saying EMPIRICALLY the ambient humidity makes a difference.

Source?

[–]makesyoudownvote 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (5 children)

Do you know the meaning of the word empirical?

[–]Tom_Bombadil 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (4 children)

Do you know the meaning of the word empirical source?

[–]makesyoudownvote 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

You could just say no, you don't know what empirical means.

The primary source would be me and my experience, that's how empirical evidence works. I strongly debated making a tongue and cheek response where I just linked a picture of the sun though since its both the heat and radiation source in a solar still.

But here ya go anyways. Here's a study where others have reproduced my results, though I get a much more drastic relation with my still. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1359431123005768

Tests on solar still with low humidity show up to 18% more in daily water yield.

I think my results were closer to 25% more daily yield, then again my measuring cups that I tend to use are not nearly as precise and flex a bit.

Now kindly stop being an idiot. Go back to Goldberry, she's feeling quite lonely and could really use some lovin'.

[–]SueBoyle 1 insightful - 2 fun1 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 2 fun -  (0 children)

Just scoop water out of the gas station toilet,

[–]Musky 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (7 children)

Plastic isn't ideal for it.

[–]makesyoudownvote 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (6 children)

Why not? In my experience it works even better than glass if the temperature is lower. Glass is too thermally conductive so the water doesn't get as hot.

I can't think of any available material that would be better than glass or plastic.

Glass does sometimes work a little better in temperatures over 90°F but you still usually need at least plastic for the seals anyways.

In my experience glass makes a better collection bottle, but clear plastic makes a great material for the evaporation tank.

[–]Musky 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (5 children)

Plastic leaches a lot of chemicals. The water won't be pure, although it won't exactly kill you.

[–]Zapped 2 insightful - 2 fun2 insightful - 1 fun3 insightful - 2 fun -  (4 children)

In a survival situation, plastic is not a concern.

[–]Musky 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (3 children)

Oh sure, but I've wanted a solar still just for every day use. It doesn't have to be just for survival situations. We have a lot of ridiculously hot and bright days suited to a solar still here.

[–]Zapped 2 insightful - 1 fun2 insightful - 0 fun3 insightful - 1 fun -  (1 child)

I built a solar distiller for a for science class back in grade school, using wood, glass, and metal flashing. It was a slanted, 2-chamber style. Easy and cheap to make. Similar to this: https://www.offthegridnews.com/grid-threats/how-to-build-a-solar-powered-still-to-purify-drinking-water/ . The type used in OP's video would work in a survival situation if you could scavenge for the materials.

[–]Musky 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

Very cool.

[–]makesyoudownvote 1 insightful - 1 fun1 insightful - 0 fun2 insightful - 1 fun -  (0 children)

If you want a daily use solar distiller, your collection bottle or condensation coil should have a shade over it and/or something else to keep it cooler than the evaporation tank.

This is a short term survival distiller.

Also, if it's homemade at all you are still going to be most likely using plastic for seals and such. A BPA free Pom bottle isn't going to leach anything remotely significant in terms of chemicals compared to the rest of the distiller.

I'd still probably try to use glass though for the evaporation bottle if I was using it daily. The collection bottle could be glass, metal or even glazed ceramic, it shouldn't really matter.