Experimental application of water vaporization nanoparticle technology

Last year, researchers at Rice University announced a method to evaporate water with particles that absorb sunlight. At this time, technology could be used to create solar autoclaves to help disinfect medical equipment and treat domestic wastewater.

The project was also funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and today, at the request of the program, the team conducted tests on the two applications of the technology.

As mentioned, the key to technology is that nanoparticles can heat very quickly and evaporate water when exposed to sunlight. Not only with normal temperature water, the technology also proves effective when it can operate with ice and achieves a total energy efficiency of 24%. This performance is even higher than that of commercial photovoltaic panels usually only with an energy efficiency of about 15%. Although technology possesses the potential to produce electricity, researchers have prioritized applications for disinfection and domestic wastewater treatment in developing regions of the world.

Graduate student Oara Neumann (left) and Naomi Halas scientist.

"Sanitation technology is not very attractive, but it is a big problem related to the life and death of 2.5 billion people," Naomi Halas, director of the Nanophotonics Laboratory (LANP), led by Rice University. early project said. "To do this, you need a technology that can be completely different, not too big but must be fast, easy to use, and does not contain dangerous components. Our Solar Steam system has all the essentials. That factor and this is the only technology we find that can completely disinfect wastewater. "

Researchers tested solar autoclaves for two experimental contents: disinfection of medical equipment and domestic waste treatment. They realized that heat and pressure are generated by steam enough to kill not only most heat-resistant bacteria, but also viruses and spores.

Oara Heumann, a graduate student at Rice University and creator of light-absorbing nanoparticles, said: "Our process is very effective. At the request of the Bill & Melinda Gates sponsorship program, they are I need to create a system that can treat the domestic wastewater of a family of 4 people, twice a week and experiments with autoclaves that have proven that the technology is affordable. "

The team hopes to work with Sanivation waste treatment company to soon implement solar water disinfection experiments in three regions in Kenya and Africa.