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Researchers at TU Delft, The Netherlands, have developed a new technique for desalinating seawater, combining a traditional windmill with reverse osmosis. The windmill drives a high-pressure pump which pushes water through a membrane using approximately 60 bar, produces fresh water from seawater directly. The windmill is suitable for use in small villages in isolated, dry coastal areas.
Windmills are available already that generate electricity, storing electricity is inefficient. In the TU Delft installation the high-pressure pump is driven directly by wind power. The researchers suggest that water can be stored for when there is not enough wind to drive the windmill, noting that it is far cheaper to store water than electricity.
The windmill in the device is normally used for irrigation purposes. These windmills turn slowly and are also robust. It is estimated that the windmill in the prototype will produce 5 to 10 cubic metres of fresh water per day: enough drinking water for a small village of 500 inhabitants.
The first prototype has been built and is working at a location close to the A13 motorway near Delft. This prototype is to be dismantled and transported to Curaçao this week, where it will be tested on seawater.
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