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Reliable water supply is central to the concept of a developed society, and smart and portable water treatment systems are making it feasible.
FREMONT, CA: Mobile water treatment systems have always been considered a vital innovation. In the current scenario where several regions of the world today face water shortage, these systems play a crucial role in delivering safe, and consumable water. Earth is often termed as the 'blue planet,' symbolizing the abundance of water. Paradoxically enough, water availability is one of the biggest concerns in many parts owing to a general lack of proper management practices and continuous exploitation and pollution of the resource. Being one of the most basic needs for every process, be it domestic activities or industrial functions, the value of water can never be undermined.
Mobile water treatment capabilities are instrumental in helping the world overcome crises during natural calamities and disasters as well as during other situations when regular supply is affected. Thus, the innovation in the field of mobile water treatment technology is of great importance, and the market pertaining to the field is well in course to see growth over the next decade.
• Solar Powered Distillation
A good 97 percent of the water on the surface of the earth is in the sea and hence, saline. Although desalination as a process of converting saltwater into consumable form has been known for a really long time, the process had not been feasible owing to high energy requirements. The advent of solar panels is now enabling the generation of solar energy in abundance. Distillation plants are using solar energy to heat and evaporate seawater, thus producing usable and clean water. With advancing solar power technologies and enhanced battery technologies, mobile distillation systems that can cater to water requirements have become a financially and technologically viable solution. Scientists have invented a device that uses solar panels to generate electricity while at the same time utilizing the heat that the panels capture to run distillation units.
• Reverse Osmosis Desalination Plants
Reverse osmosis has been a preferred method for water treatment. The convergence of reverse osmosis with mobile systems makes for good water treatment solutions. Reverse osmosis uses the external application of pressure to enable the movement of water across a semi-permeable membrane to filter out impurities. The residential uses of reverse osmosis purifiers have become very common today. Similar efficiency can be expected of mobile reverse osmosis plants. Many companies dealing in water technologies have developed optimized mobile plants that are highly reliable units. While some come with pretreatment chambers that enable filtration and softening, some come as individual capabilities. These are self-contained and modular.
• Mobile Ultrafiltration Units
Ultrafiltration is similar to the process of reverse osmosis and works on the same principle. However, there is one marked difference wherein ultrafiltration retains the minerals present in water, whereas reverse osmosis does not. Thus, many experts consider ultrafiltration to be a superior alternative. Movable ultrafiltration units are equipped with the general parts including advanced membranes with pore sizes of 0.02 microns that filter out colloidal and suspended particles along with pathogens. By adding a portable source of energy to the system, or a generator, companies have created a series of skid-mounted, containerized products that are self-sufficient.
Most of these products are customized to suit the specific needs of clients and can be transported and shipped conveniently. The capacities of these systems also vary as per requirement, but they can produce large volumes of high-grade water. Increasing water output for agricultural needs, these systems helps improve farm output. During the occurrence of floods or droughts, large groups of people are supplied with safe water due to the development of mobile treatment plants. In preparing for a reliable water supply, these advanced facilities are highly valuable.
