but why “if”?
if they’re making this research, why wouldn’t they “scale up to the size of a small suitcase” and get rid of the “if”?
Comment on Desalination system could produce freshwater that is cheaper than tap water
lnxtx@feddit.nl 1 year ago
The researchers estimate that if the system is scaled up to the size of a small suitcase, it could produce about 4 to 6 liters of drinking water per hour and last several years before requiring replacement parts. At this scale and performance, the system could produce drinking water at a rate and price that is cheaper than tap water.
But can it be scaled up even more? Like cubic meters per hour?
merde@sh.itjust.works 1 year ago
Genrawir@lemmy.world 1 year ago
That’s just how research works most of the time. The experimental setup required to build a working prototype and prove the initial hypothesis is always going to be larger and more complex than a mass market appliance. If that appliance ever gets built depends on a huge number of factors too. If the process scales as expected, how complex the device is to produce and if a company thinks that it can make money on it. The researchers, meanwhile, are probably more worried about their next grant funding.
Pons_Aelius@kbin.social 1 year ago
My guess: They don't have the money to do so.
sin_free_for_00_days@sopuli.xyz 1 year ago
I just keep waiting for them to actually produce the small suitcase sized product. It sounds like a excellent option for me, as opposed to the $4-5k desalinators that are the options now.