While the world is three-fourths covered with water, not all of it is drinkable. Those who live in cities and even in some rural areas have the luxury of access to purified water, but a lot of people could be miles away from the nearest natural well. Humans need water to survive, however, and people in remote parts of the world are forced to drink unclean, bacteria-laden water just to live, only to get sick from the same. Deploying water purifiers to these locations might sound like the simplest solution, but most of these require electricity which is also difficult to come by, even with solar generators. This concept, however, harnesses the power of the sun in a different way and offers a solution that is sustainable through and through.
Designer:
Conventional water purifiers, at least the small ones at homes, clean water by making it pass through different kinds of filters. Some simply require water to go through them using pressure that comes from faucets, while others use electricity to power motors and other electronics. Neither of these methods is feasible in remote areas that don’t even have access to electricity, let alone clean water from natural wells. While you can indeed hook up such a purifier to a solar generator, the use of batteries and electronics still limit the purifier’s sustainability.
Stil, in contrast, uses solar energy, not to power electronics but to clean the water almost directly. It uses the age-old method of heating up water to boiling point and then collecting the condensation as clean, distilled water. Since there is no electricity or electronics involved, this kind of purifier can be positioned and used anywhere, with access to sunlight being the only hard requirement to get Stil to work.
As simple as the process might sound, the design of this environment-friendly water purifier isn’t exactly trivial. The Fresnel lens that collects sunlight, for example, is dome-shaped so that sunlight can hit it from all angles. The metal core is a thick rod that, when heated, causes the water to boil evenly. There is a covered overflow hole that prevents the dirty water from mixing with the clean water. And the parts are made so that they’re easy to take apart for cleaning.
The exterior of the container itself is made from an opaque bamboo composite, making it eco-friendly from start to finish. The level indicator for dirty water is just a strip, but the container for clean water is clear and completely transparent, creating a visual effect that emphasizes the contrast between dirty and clean water. It can be put up on any flat surface or propped up on snap-on metal legs in the middle of an open space for maximum effect. Without cords or heavy motors, Stil can focus completely on just purifying the water, providing up to 12L of clean water that can save thousands of lives.
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