Desalination and Tsunamis By Euijin Choi, Melanie Elliott &
Kaitlin Haines
Slide 3
Yes, it is. In fact, apart from the destruction it leaves
behind, Tsunamis are perfect for desalination. This is because the
Tsunami leaves behind tonnes of sea water the main component of
desalination. It would be quite simple to extract the salt and turn
it into fresh water. When the salty water from the ground has been
collected it can be transported to a desalination plant and turned
into clean, fresh water which can be used to give access to clean
water for many people and animals. Is desalination suitable to
sustain life after a tsunami?
Slide 4
Is desalination suitable to sustain life after a tsunami?
(continued) When the salt water has been removed from the ground,
life can go back to normal. The only downside to desalination is
that there is a large amount of energy - 600 kilowatts - needed to
make one litre of water, which is not very sustainable or energy
efficient. If you were to use the sun in desalination, it would
supply roughly half a kilowatt of energy per square metre, which is
a small contribution, but worthwhile.
Slide 5
What are tsunamis? Tsunamis are ocean waves caused by large
earthquakes, volcanoes and landslides that occur near or under the
ocean. Tsunami waves are unlike typical ocean waves generated by
wind and storms. When tsunamis approach shore they behave like a
very fast moving tide that extends far inland. When they hit land,
tsunami cause massive destruction and can hit speeds of up to 200
kilometres an hour! Most tsunamis do not break like the curling,
wind- generated waves popular with surfers, and they can continue
for hours!. Tsunami Survival Kit Being prepared!!! Pack plenty of
water Food (cans of baked beans etc) Torch / batteries
Blankets/warm clothes First Aid Kit Can opener matches
Slide 6
What is Desalination? Desalination is the process of removing
salts from seawater to render it suitable for drinking. Water is
desalinated in order to be converted to fresh water for human
consumption or to supply land with water. It goes through large
plants and is heated so the water evaporates and the water and
salts are separated. The water is then cooled and transported to
towns/cities. There are several ways to do it, however, all the
methods are very expensive. If you used a vacuum, you would also
save energy and heat, because it would lower the boiling point -
which would help to be sustainable in the long run! Afterwards, the
excess salt is either turned into salt and salt products or
returned to the sea.
Slide 7
The desalination process
Slide 8
Is it possible to desalinate sea water sustainably? Yes it is,
in a way, but not truly. The only way to make desalination more
sustainable is to simplify the method and turn it into evaporation
or something similar. But you could also replace the heat with
natural solar heat, from the sun. Unfortunately the desalination
process relies on heat and so you cant truly sustainably
desalinate; only simplify and make easier! You could use natural
wave energy to create energy that would heat the water, but even
then, it still takes a lot of energy and is not real
sustainability.
Slide 9
Our Proposal A desalination plant that is near a source of
energy (the sun), which is energy and water efficient (as much as
possible). It will gather water from the sea and then transport it
in a system of pipes (with a little bit of heat trapped inside) to
a building that gets a majority of sun during the day. The water
will then be heated by the sun in a room that has windows for walls
and is facing the sun. The remaining salt will be collected in bags
by workers to be used elsewhere. The water will then be cooled from
water vapour back to liquid in the freezing room
Slide 10
The Proposal (continued) The freezing room will be a room with
no windows; facing away from the sun. The water will collect in
tubes on the ground and will then be transported to houses around
the district. When the water has been used it will then go back to
the plant and to a special room where the water will be filtered
clean. It will then be recirculated around the district again and
again, using and gathering no new water since the start. But if
need be there could be more water transported to fit needs. There
will be no desalination during the night as there would be no
sun!
Slide 11
Bibliography http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desalination
http://www.kidzone.ws/WATER http://www.fema.gov/kids/tsunami.htm
http://www.edwardsaquifer.net/desalination.html World Book 2009
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