Can Solar Energy Clean Water?

There are a lot of things that people need to survive, and fresh water is at the top of the list. Unfortunately, there is really a very limited supply of fresh water on planet Earth, and the majority of that fresh water is locked up in the polar ice caps. With fresh water in short supply, innovations in the process of desalinization are highly prized. This year as you develop your science fair project, consider developing a project that can answer the question, "can solar energy clean water?"

Power House Experiments Science Kit	SCG-125 Snap Circuits Green Alternative Energy
Ages 10 and up	Age 8 thru high school

Can solar energy clean water? The answer to this question is yes, however, the real challenge is developing a way to use solar energy to clean or de-salt water sources in an efficient manner. This is where your own innovations and science problem solving skills come into play. To start with you will need to understand how desalinization works using the processes of evaporation and condensation. After you understand these simple science concepts you will be able to design amazing physics science fair projects that could lead to a solution to the world's shortage of fresh water.

Most desalinization projects are going to use the same basic supplies. You will need a holding tank, collection containers, tubing, a solar panel, aluminum foil, rubber bands, weights and a salt water solution. If you live by the ocean, or a natural source of salt water, then you can simply collect a sample from that source to use in your experiments. However, if you don't have a natural source of salt water you can manufacture your own salt water by mixing up a solution of water and salt that will replicate the salt to water ratios found in the world's oceans.

In order to answer the question, "can solar energy clean water?" you will need to set up an experiment that heats up a storage tank that contains sea water using solar energy. By heating up the storage tank the process of evaporation will be sped up. Next, the evaporated water will need to be channeled to the condensing segment of your experiment contraption. Here the fresh water will condense and be collected in your collection tanks or cups.

While this is a common science fair project, you can make it unique by applying environmental engineering concepts to the project to transform your simply science fair project into environmental engineering science fair project. There are several variables that you can play with in order to create a unique or more advanced project. For example, you can experiment with various types of renewable energy sources to heat the storage tank and speed up evaporation. You can also experiment with different types of construction materials, for example, you can use copper tubing instead of plastic tubing. Finally, you can experiment with various cooling techniques to speed up the process of condensation. Use your imagination.

An advantage of working on renewable energy science fair projects is that they are often times targeted by companies and the government for special awards. This means that in addition to earning a high grade for your science course, you can also earn some money for your college education.