View Single Post
  #65  
Old 04-12-2012, 03:08 AM
GpsFrontier GpsFrontier is offline
Senior Member
 
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Lake Havasu AZ.
Posts: 1,855
Default

Hey watercatwn6535nd,
I like your idea of purifying/distilling the city water through evaporation? I may even try a proof of concept (small scale version) someday. It's now on my list of things to try. I would like to see how much water can actually be be evaporated (year round), as well try different designs for efficiency. I'm sure it could be designed in a way to be able to make 30 gallons or more a day, but I would need to do a lot of testing to see what it would actually take to do so reliably, as well as the most cost effective and efficient design (before even trying to figure out how/where to store it).

For now trying is simply not practical for me. I cant attach anything to the greenhouse, I even placed the flood and drain lines underneath (where it's not easy to get too) because I don't want them to block light to the plants. Attaching anything to the outside of the greenhouse will only block/shade the light the plants in the middle will need. Also I have three 275 gallon reservoirs to fill. Basically I'll need about 1000 gallons of water every 2 weeks or so. I simply have no place to put a water storage tank, much less the money to buy it, pump to pump it out when I need it etc.. The water filter system only cost me about $150 to build, and I can order any replacement filters I cant get here in town online. Their small and don't weigh much, so shipping will be fairly reasonable. Also generally buying in quantity (stocking up) cost less, and sometimes have reduced (or free) shipping cost. Though I think it's an interesting concept, and I would like to do some testing on it in the future.

P.S.
If I remember correctly from researching making my own moonshine (many years ago), as well as my research on building the Sub T system. For the vapor (humidity) to condense, the tubes needs a cooling chamber/area. The bigger the difference in temperature between hot and cold, the more condensation can take place. In moonshine stills, they run the condensation coils through a barrel of cool water to cool them off. In the Sub T system I built, the underground corrugated tubing act as the cooling tubes, and I know that is what cause the condensation to happen (and thus the system to actually work). Moonshine stills also force the vapor through the tubing by boiling the mash (liquid), causing pressure that pushes it through the tubing. In the Sub T system, air movement is done with a inline duct fan.
__________________
Website Owner
Home Hydroponic Systems

Last edited by GpsFrontier; 04-12-2012 at 03:31 AM.
Reply With Quote