Solar Water Purifier

Shane Alex (ME17B1026) & Sreerag A (ME17B1028)

Undergraduate Students
Department of Mechanical Engineering
National Institute of Technology, Puducherry, Karaikal - 609609

Under the Supervision of

Dr. Sendhil Kumar Natarajan

Assistant Professor
Head of Department
Department of Mechanical Engineering
National Institute of Technology, Puducherry, Karaikal - 609609
ABSTRACT
Solar energy is a renewable resource with
infinite potential. A Solar Water Purifier is a
cheap alternate way of purification of water for
drinking and household purposes. This report
consists of the compilation of information and
research done using the resources of several
research papers written by experienced
professionals in this field. Possible purification
techniques using solar energy have been
researched and appropriate methods have been
considered. Reverse Osmosis Purification,
Solar Water Pasteurization and Ultra Violet
Disinfection purification methods have been
primarily considered with greater significance
to Reverse Osmosis Purification. This has
yielded in the design of a suitable basic
purification system with the consideration of
several variables. The system is designed in
such a way so as to maximize the usage of Solar
Energy both as a source of power and its
influence in purification techniques. The system
has also been designed to function when there
is an absence of sunlight due to varying
weather and day time conditions by using solar
energy storage techniques and alternate
disinfection techniques.
1. INTRODUCTION
Pure water is the need of every living organism
on earth. The consumption of water has been
improving by 1% across the world since the
1980s due to socio-economic development,
rapid population growth and change in water
consumption patterns by the people. It is also
reported that half of the world population will
live in water-stressed areas by 2050.
1.1 NEED FOR WATER PURIFICATION
Due to the high risk associated with impure
water, the demand for water filtration has never
been higher. Our natural resources are also
under pressure, as we grapple with pollution,
climate change, and a rapidly growing
population. Unfortunately, tap water, which is
meant to be safe for drinking, can be quite
harmful as contaminants affect overall water
quality. Additionally, physical, chemical and
microbiological impurities from various water
sources make water even more unsafe for
consumption.
1.2 NEED FOR RENEWABLE ENERGY
POWERED WATER PURIFICATION
In the view of Economic development, the
purification of water using energy from
conventional sources will be a burden on
developing and underdeveloped countries.
Moreover, the environmental issues associated
with conventional energy sources and the
abundance of renewable energy fosters the
need to depend on renewable energy sources
for purification.
1.3 POTENTIAL OF SOLAR ENERGY
POWERED PURIFICATION
Among the renewable energy sources, solar
energy is abundant and viable for the
desalination process.
Using solar energy for water treatment has
enough potential as it is a low-technology
solution that works to capture the heat and
energy from the sun to make water cleaner and
healthier for human use and consumption. A
solar-powered purification system the size of a
microwave oven can yield up to 3gallons of
purified drinking water on a sunny day.
The Energy Statistics Report 2020 by National
Statistical Office, Ministry of Statistics and
Programme Implementation Government of
India; shows that the potential of solar energy
consumption is high when compared to other
renewable energy sources consumption.
2. METHODS OF PURIFICATION
2.1 SEDIMENT REMOVER
A sediment filter captures and removes
particulate matter like dirt and debris from
water. Sediment is a generic term for all the
particulate matter in the water that is not liquid.
The sediment filter is the first line of defence
against this dirt and debris. It prohibits all the
solid particulate from entering the water
purification system. It ensures efficient
operation of the remaining purification
systems.
Sediment filters remove visible particulate
matter, and any particles of dirt, sand, dust, and
debris that can be caught by its micron-rated
capacity. Sediment filters also remove turbidity
from water. Turbidity is the cloudiness caused
in water by the heavy presence of suspended
solids. This causes water to turn yellow,
orange, or brown. Sediment filters do
not remove chemicals, heavy metals, bacteria,
or dissolved particulate matter. They do not
improve the taste or smell of water. They are
primarily a defensive and preservative filtration
method. Sediment filters are most effective
when serving as prefilters for other filtration
systems. This is why sediment filtration
precedes other filtration methods like solar
pasteurization, reverse osmosis, ultraviolet
purification.
2.2 SOLAR PASTEURIZATION
Thermal disinfection of liquids is termed
"pasteurization" after L. Pasteur who first
articulated the fundamental germ basis of
infectious diseases. Pasteurization by boiling of
water has long been recognized as a safe way
of treating water contaminated with enteric
pathogens. In fact, pasteurization can take place
at temperatures lower than the boiling point,
depending on the time the water is held at
pasteurization temperature. As temperature
increases, pasteurization temperature decreases
exponentially. The major advantage of
pasteurization is that apparently all pathogens
of concern are killed.
Pasteurization of water with solar energy could
be practical in remote areas or in emergency
situations. However, the major application of
solar water pasteurization would be in countries
rich in sunshine but without reliable water
purification systems. In countries near the
equator, significant solar heating should be
possible at any time of the year on days which
have at least 30 min of sunshine per hour.
Cloudy days would preclude solar heating of
water to pasteurization temperatures.
2.3 REVERSE OSMOSIS
Reverse osmosis is the process by which an
applied pressure, greater than the osmotic
pressure, is exerted on the compartment that
once contained the high-concentration solution.
This pressure forces water to pass through the
membrane in the direction reverse to that of
osmosis. Water now moves from the
compartment with the high-concentration
solution to that with the low concentration
solution. Due to this, relatively pure water
passes through membrane into the one
compartment while dissolved solids are
retained in the other compartment. Hence, the
water in one compartment is purified or
"demineralized", and the solids in the other
compartment are concentrated or dewatered.
Simultaneously, a portion of this feed water is
discharged without passing through the
membrane. The quantity of the feed water
discharged to waste in the brine stream varies
from 20 to 70% of the feed flow, depending on
the salt content of the feed water, pressure, and
type of membrane. A usual salvaged value for
a seawater RO system is 40 %.
2.4 ULTRAVIOLET DISINFECTION
An Ultraviolet (UV) disinfection system
transfers electromagnetic energy from a
mercury arc lamp to an organism's genetic
material (DNA and RNA). The UV radiation,
generated by an electric discharge penetrates
the genetic material (cell wall) of
microorganisms and retards their ability to
3. BASIC STRUCTURAL DESIGN
This basic Solar Water Purification System has
been designed while considering many aspects
and variables in a regular person’s life, such as
easy availability, pricing, maintenance,
compactness, and varying weather conditions.
The purifier is mainly operated using solar
energy. Sunlight from the sun hits the solar
panel which converts the solar energy to
electrical energy. The panel is connected to a
charge controller which controls and limits the
electric current added on to the battery. All the
electrical energy obtained from the solar panel
is stored in a rechargeable electric battery. The
stored electrical power is used to run the
system. In times of emergencies, when there is
reproduce. The effectiveness of a UV
disinfection system depends on the
characteristics of the wastewater, the intensity
of UV radiation, the amount of time the
microorganisms are exposed to the radiation,
and the reactor configuration.
insufficient sunlight, the battery can be
recharged by connecting to an electrical power
source. The battery is connected to an inverter.
The inverter uses the electrical power in the
battery to run the various components in the
purification system.
The raw water is placed in an overhead tank. A
pressure pump is used to direct the water to the
sediment remover where heavy particles and
sediments are removed to decrease the load on
the RO purifier. From the sediment remover,
the water moves towards the solar pasteurizer
through the heat exchanger and the water is
preheated. The solar pasteurizer heats the dirty
water that flows through. The contraption
maximizes the use of solar energy by reflecting 4.2 BATTERY
and focusing incoming sunlight onto the pipe to
disinfect and kill the microorganisms in the Batteries in solar applications have to meet the
water. The temperature of the disinfected water demands of unstable grid energy, heavy cycling
is then reduced by passing through the heat (charging and discharging) and irregular full
exchanger and is pumped to the RO purifier recharging. Considerations for choosing a
where it undergoes reverse osmosis that results battery include cost, cycle life and installation,
in the removal of ions and unwanted particles. and maintenance.
The purified water then flows through an Battery Type : Lead Acid Battery
Ultraviolet Lamp which operates only when the Amps/Volts : 60Ah/24V
amount of sunlight is insufficient. The UV Dry Weight : 35 Kg
lamp is an alternative to the solar pasteurizer
during periods of low sunlight such as cloudy 4.3 INVERTER
or rainy weather conditions and during night
The basic function of an inverter is to convert
time. An LDR connected to a relay operates the
the direct current (DC) power that photovoltaic
UV lamp. The temperature of the pure water is
solar panels create to alternating current (AC)
reduced for human intake with the help of
power that can be used to power water
a condenser and stored in a pure water tank.
purification system. Solar power inverters have
special functions adapted for use with
4. ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS
photovoltaic arrays, including maximum
power point tracking and anti-
4.1 CHARGE CONTROLLER
islanding protection.
A charge controller, charge regulator or battery Rated AC power: 700VA, 12V
regulator limits the rate at which electric Operating Voltage: 100-290V
current is added to or drawn from electric
batteries. The excessive voltage produced by 4.4 LIGHT DEPENDENT RESISTOR
the solar cells on sunny days is regulated by the
charge controller and thus prevents any LDR works on the principle of
possible damage to the batteries. photoconductivity, an optical phenomenon.
Rated Voltage : 12V 24V Auto When the light is absorbed by the material then
Current : 10A the conductivity of the material reduces. When
a LDR is kept in the dark place, its resistance is energy, if it goes below the threshold value a
high and, when the LDR is kept in the light its relay is triggered ON to start the UV lamp
resistance will decrease. This sensor is used which is meant to be used in the absence of
here to get a threshold value for the usable solar usable radiation.

5. PRELIMINARY DESIGN
THEORETICAL CALCULATION
Total Heat input to attain this temperature for
6.1 ENERGY CALCULATION 15 litres of water,
Qw = (Vw) (ρw) (Cp,w) (ΔTw)
Energy calculation for capacity of solar panel
Where V - Capacity of the pasteurizer (m3)
and battery is shown in this report to justify the
Ρ - Density (kg/m3)
design.
Cp - Specific heat (kJ/kg.K)
Battery capacity is measured in Amp Hours ΔT - Temperature Rise
(60) and is converted to Watt Hours by
multiplying with the battery voltage (24 V). Qw = 0.015 × 1000 × 4.18 × (70-30)
= 2508 kJ
Power in battery = 60 × 24
= 1440 WH 6.2 ENERGY USAGE
Time to charge the battery to full Pressure Pump - 120 W
𝑃𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑣𝑎𝑖𝑙𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑏𝑎𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑦 (𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑡 𝐻𝑜𝑢𝑟𝑠)
= RO Pump - 25 W
𝑝𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑟 𝑝𝑎𝑛𝑒𝑙 (𝑊𝑎𝑡𝑡)
1440 LDR Sensor - 200 mW
= Arduino - 200 mW
150
= 9.6 Hours. Relay - 200 mW
UV Lamp (2) - 24 W
Water temperature is raised to 75 degree
Celsius to kill the organisms. Total - 200 W (193.6 W)
7. CONCLUSION Technology (IRJET), Volume 02, Issue
07.
The need for feasible and accessible water 4. Hazim Mohameed Qiblawey, Fawzi
purification techniques is immense in poor and Banat. (2008). Solar Thermal
underdeveloped regions. We have designed a Desalination
basic Solar Water Purifier that uses knowledge Technologies. Desalination, 220,
from several solar powered water purification pp.633-644.
methods and compiled to create a hybrid 5. S. Prakash, Deepak Toppo. (2018).
system that reduces drawbacks and maximizes Solar Energy Based Water Purification
the use of solar energy. This, however is System. International Journal of Pure
and Applied Mathematics, Volume
theoretical. Sufficient development and
119, No. 12, pp.7863-7873.
fabrication of a rudimentary system is required
6. Veera Gnaneswar Gude, Nagamamy Ni
to calculate efficiency and ensure its
rmalakhandan, Shuguang Deng.
economical quality.
(2010). Renewable and Sustainable
Approaches for
8. ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Desalination. Renewable and
Sustainable Energy
We would like to express our gratitude to our Reviews, 14, pp.2641-2654.
project supervisor Dr. Sendhil Kumar
Natarajan and our co-guide Mr. S. Subbarama
Kousik for their valuable time and constant
help provided to us. Their support helped us in
realizing our enthusiasm and determination to
research and develop this project report. I
finally thank all those who contributed in some
manner towards this report.

9. REFERENCES
1. Ahmed Alkaisi, Ruth Mossad,
Ahmad Sharifan-Barforoush. (2017). A
Review of the Water Desalination
Systems Integrated with Renewable
Energy. Energy Procedia, 110, pp.268-
274
2. David A. Ciochetti, Robert H. Metcalf.
(1983). Pasteurization of Naturally
Contaminated Water with Solar
Energy. Applied and Environmental
Microbiology, Volume 47, No. 02,
pp.223-228.
3. Deepak Devasagayam. (2015). Solar
Based Purification of Sea Water – A
Detailed Review. International
Research Journal of Engineering and