Turning seawater into fresh water for Truong Sa soldiers

One day, the system will filter 18 m3 of sea water into living water for people and soldiers in Truong Sa to use.

The system turns saltwater into fresh water in the Spratly Island

A seawater filtration system into clean water has just been handed over to the army and people of Song Tu Tay Island (Truong Sa Island, Khanh Hoa district) and put into use after one year of trial. experience. Song Zi West is the first island selected to pilot this system before deploying to the Spratly Islands and rigs.

The water filtration system consists of 4 machines per day to supply the island with about 18 m3 of clean water. The capacity of each filter is designed differently such as a filter of about 250 liters / 1 hour or 236 liters / 1 hour. To operate, the filter system is based on wind and solar power installed earlier on the island. Energy consumption is about 20 kwh / m3.

The water filtration system uses energy from wind power that was installed earlier on the island.(Photo: Construction unit provided)

Seawater purifier uses RO reverse osmosis technology. This technology works by principle, seawater with high salt concentration when moving through semi-permeable membrane (RO) will turn into dilute salt solution because salt and compounds with large molecules are retained, only molecules water is passed.

Ms. Nguyen Ngoc Quynh, representative of the construction unit, said the unit took about 7 years to survey and research the installation of water filtration system on Song Tu Tay Island. Due to the distance, the transportation of equipment which is easily damaged to the island is difficult. The weather is so harsh that adaptation and work of the technical team is not simple.

" Engineers eat with soldiers outside the Spratlys, they must have health to work, live long time outside the island. Living long outside the island, so many engineers now like brothers with soldiers, people in Song Tu Tay ", Mrs. Quynh shared.

Water filtration system is implemented with three models including model for floating island (pilot in Song Tu Tay), model for submerged island and rig house (capacity of 1 machine about 70 liters, using solar energy), model for emergencies (2 filters by shaking hands).

Try water from seawater filter.(Photo: Construction unit provided)

Major Nguyen Manh Cuong - Head of Song Tu Tay island (Truong Sa island district, Khanh Hoa) - said the island had received the seawater treatment system into fresh water on April 23 after more than a year of being awarded the council. calibration and testing acceptance. Initial results show that the filtered water source meets the standard.

'The island always lacks fresh water because it is just waiting for transport from the mainland or from the rain water source so the life on the island is very difficult. In the dry season, it is more difficult when every citizen and soldier has only 5 liters of water for every activity every day. With the seawater filtration system into fresh water, the army and people on the island will have better living conditions ' , the island chief shared.

The units want to do it, the water from the filter after use will penetrate into the ground to create groundwater to help the trees on the island develop, creating a better environment.

A representative of the Logistics Department, the Naval Command said that after the pilot, the unit will conduct comparisons and select appropriate technologies to report to the Ministry of Defense to decide to invest in the entire archipelago. and rig houses.