Water

Bubble-Based Water Sterilization Method Tested In Canberra

Sterilization With Heated Carbon Dioxide

25 March 2019 From Paul Münzner Filed Under: 2019, Featured, Water

Due to the World Health Organization (WHO), 4 percent of all deaths are caused by poor drinking-water access, unimproved sanitation, and poor hygiene practices. Around 80 percent of people in urban agglomerations have access to drinking water from the tap. 96 percent receive drinking water from improved sources.

Many waste disposal industries, like landfills, piggeries, waste-water treatment plants, bio-gas plants and coal power plants emit large amounts of CO₂. There is the potential for them to use these emissions in water treatment processes to sterilise water.

Dr. Adrian Garrido Sanchis

However, especially urban residents in developing countries struggle with diseases as a result of insufficient access to safe drinking water or improved sanitation. More than 500,000 diarrhoeal deaths are caused by contaminated drinking-water each year – estimated by WHO. The poor bacteriological quality of water can also cause cholera, dysentery or polio. Furthermore, viruses in water are still a challenge and limit the use of recycled water.

Water Sterilization With Un-pressurized Carbon Dioxide

Having said the above, we’re coming now to the positive developments – the efficient inactivation of viruses and bacteria. A research team at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) has tested an uncommon way of sterilizing water which could be more environmentally friendly as well as more cost-effective. Briefly: They found out that un-pressurized and heated bubbles – consisting of carbon dioxide – are able to inactivate viruses and bacteria effectively. As it is more efficient to heat gas than water, less energy is needed to exhaust the heated gas through the water than boiling it.

The specific thermal capacity of carbon dioxide with a temperature of 50°C is 0.864 kJ/(kg K). For the same temperature, water has a specific thermal capacity of 4.181 kJ/(kg K) which is more than 4,8 times higher than carbon dioxide. This is the reason why heating water needs many times more energy than heating carbon dioxide.

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Urban Wetland in Bogota – Santa Barbara Business Center

Part of Santa Barbara Business Center Designed by Obraestudio - Awarded By The Colombian Architects Society

15 March 2019 From Paul Münzner Filed Under: 2019, Featured, GREEN SPACE

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Obraestudio has been selected as the winner of a national competition held to choose a fresh design for the exterior platform of the Santa Barbara Business Center in Bogota. The space provides common access to AR and W Hotel Towers, Samsung, Scotia Bank, and the Torres Unidas Building.

8,500 m² Urban Wetland in Bogota Fed With Recycled Rainwater

Obraestudio’s winning design draws its inspiration from the wetlands of the savannah surrounding the city. Native wetland plants as well as species from the rocky surrounding slopes have been selected to create an environmentally appropriate landscape with a strong sense of place. The wetland itself will be fed with recycled rainwater.

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The green rooftops of adjacent buildings have been taken into account so that the new outdoor space will blend well with existing green elements, while an old elevator and stair construction will be revamped to integrate architecture with landscape and to act as a sculptural feature.

Santa Barbara Business Center - Urban Wetland in Bogota Colombia overview2 designed by Obraestudio — (Obraestudio)

Santa Barbara Business Center - Drone view Urban Wetland in Bogota Colombia designed by Obraestudio — (Obraestudio)

Santa Barbara Business Center - Greenery at Urban Wetland in Bogota Colombia designed by Obraestudio — (Obraestudio)

Santa Barbara Business Center - Planned Urban Wetland in Bogota Colombia designed by Obraestudio — (Obraestudio)

Santa Barbara Business Center - Urban Wetland in Bogota Colombia designed by Obraestudio — (Obraestudio)

Santa Barbara Business Center - Birds view Urban Wetland in Bogota Colombia designed by Obraestudio — (Obraestudio)

Santa Barbara Business Center - Water and Plants at Urban Wetland in Bogota Colombia designed by Obraestudio — (Obraestudio)

Santa Barbara Business Center - Urban Wetland in Bogota Colombia overview designed by Obraestudio — (Obraestudio)

Evaporative Off-Grid Toilet Hope For Solving Urban Sanitation Problems

Nominated For The Cartier Women's Initiative Award

24 April 2018 From Paul Münzner Filed Under: 2018, Featured, Waste

Do you know that 80% of the world’s diseases occur because of the availability of poor sanitation solutions to about 1.2 billion people around the globe (stated in a report by World Health Organization)? Do you know that no access to sanitation lets the pubescent girls drop-out from school? Can you imagine what it would be like for the young kids to concentrate on their classroom education without being able to go to the bathroom?

evaporative off-grid toilet from DIANA YOUSEF perhaps able to change bad sanitation conditions — Poor sanitation conditions in the urban realms (Diana Yousef – change:WATER)

The urban drinking-water and sanitation infrastructure in some megacities on our globe can’t keep up with its rapid growth. According to the WHO, around 20% of urban dwellers were suffering a lack of improved sanitation access in 2012. Especially in urban regions of developing countries, a comparatively large part, allegedly more than 50%, must suffer poor drinking-water and sanitation conditions.

Evaporative Off-Grid Toilet Nominated For The Cartier Women’s Initiative Award

Perhaps we can change that in the future with the following off-grid toilet? Change:WATER Labs CEO Diana Yosef has designed an evaporative off-grid toilet which will probably able to solve this problem of masses. This toilet is based on the principle that human waste consists of 90 to 95% water. The applied polymer membrane allows separating the dry part from the liquid one. The dried waste can be accumulated safely while the clean water waste gets evaporated quickly. To make it clear: No water, heat or energy is needed for the operation. Diana’s toilette even renders pipes or tanks unnecessary.

This #EarthDay, we’re proud to be working on global #change! If you don’t know what our #water-less #toilet can do, today is a wonderful day to find out! Our mission is built with #environmental #sustainability & #ClimateChange mitigation at its core >>https://t.co/DrM1ndLTLf pic.twitter.com/beldpkkKCT
— change:WATER Labs (@changeWATERLabs) 22 April 2018

The compact and easy to use evaporative off-grid toilet is available at a very reasonable price. Its easy, fast and affordable off-grid installation allows accessibility nearly everywhere. Due to the intensive drying process, a low waste volume is remaining every day and therefore extending emptying intervals. For the mentioned reasons, this stand-alone unit is considered to be very practical.

Diana is a biochemistry graduate from Harvard and a doctorate from Cornell University who wants to solve the world’s water problem and at the same time empower girls by utilizing this evaporative toilet technology. She has over ten years of experience in commercializing technology and understanding issues that concern sanitation and women empowerment.

evaporative off-grid toilet from DIANA YOUSEF - Cartier Women's Initiative Award — Evaporative off-grid toilet from Diana Yousef (Diana Yousef – change:WATER)

“I wanted to be in charge of a business that aligned with my values and uses technology for a positive social impact; I also wanted to be a role model for my daughters by showing them that you create your own future,” says Diana.

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Success doesn’t come easily. This held true for Diana who had to undergo a lot of trials and errors to be successful in designing this evaporative toilet. “Some days, it’s enough to just keep putting one foot in front of the other. I’ve learned that sometimes, big breakthroughs come at the most desperate moments.” This is why “my advice to fellow female entrepreneurs would be to ‘be brave’.”

diana yousef preparing evaporative off-grid toilet nominated for Cartier Women's Initiative Award — Diana Yousef’s evaporative off-grid toilet was nominated for the Cartier Women’s Initiative Award (Diana Yousef – change:WATER)

evaporative off-grid toilet from DIANA YOUSEF nominated for Cartier Women's Initiative Award in USA — Diana Yousef with a colleague (Diana Yousef – change:WATER)

City-State Singapore Breaks Ground for First Dual-Mode Desalination Plant

Providing 137,000 cubic meters of fresh drinking water daily

30 June 2017 From Paul Münzner Filed Under: Featured, Water

Singapore doesn’t need to hide its light under a bushel when it comes to innovative green technologies. In the past, Singapore has gathered sound experience with desalination plants. The next one, the fourth, is quite different. We now know how the latest desalination plant looks like. Singapore’s national water agency PUB and Keppel Infrastructure Holdings Pte Ltd presented their new design for a dual-mode desalination plant whose ground-breaking ceremony already took place. This variable desalination facility is the first of its kind and able to treat fresh water from the nearby Marina Reservoir as well as saltwater from the ocean.

Singapore’s 4’th Desalination Plant Appears Like a City Park

“Over the years, we have been making investments in desalination plants to bolster our water security. As a source independent of weather, desalinated water is capable of strengthening our water supply resilience, especially against prolonged dry spells and droughts. We aim to triple its capacity to meet up to 30% of our water needs by 2060,” said Mr. Ng Joo Hee, Chief Executive of PUB.

Providing 137,000 cubic meters of fresh drinking water daily

At first glance, it might not appear like a desalination plant. It is largely covered with green plants and looks more like a city park with a river. The green space on the roof of the plant stretches over 20,000 square meters and can actually be used as a public park. Depending on weather conditions, water can be taken from the Marina Reservoir or the sea in order to treat it.

Desalination Plant in Singapore - Ground-breaking ceremony — Breaking ground on the Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant (Singapore’s national water agency PUB)

“We are pleased to unveil the design of the Keppel Marina East Desalination Plant and mark another first in Singapore. Not only is this the first desalination plant in Singapore capable of treating both seawater and freshwater, the plant’s design also blends seamlessly into the environment, allowing the public to enjoy the green space above the plant along with the surrounding greenery.” Dr. Ong Tiong Guan commented.

Dr. Ong Tiong Guan adds: “By challenging conventional ideas of a desalination plant and re-imagining how an infrastructure facility should look and function, Keppel Infrastructure aims to demonstrate that engineering and design excellence can go hand-in-hand as we push for sustainable urbanization.”

Separating Undesirable Molecules From Urban Wastewater Even Smaller Than 450 Daltons

The project isn't at the laboratory stage anymore

01 June 2017 From Paul Münzner Filed Under: Featured, Water

In order to separate dissolved substances and fine particles from municipal wastewater, membrane filter applications have proved itself in the past. Especially the considerably increasing usage of ceramic membranes for water treatment in recent years can be considered as objectively justified. Despite their brittleness, they work reliable as a semipermeable and selective barrier and enable to segregate particles based on molecular or physical sizes. Their remarkable mechanical stability makes them suitable for elevated pressures during the cleansing process. Furthermore, the average lifetime is higher than in the case of polymer membranes. And last, but definitely not least: they are particularly energy-efficient.

However, there are downsides, too. According to researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS in Hermsdorf, Germany, there are limitations when it comes to the molecular size which is able to separate from the water. Molecules smaller than 450 Daltons can’t be removed with ceramic membranes. Allegedly, some experts were of the opinion that it is an impossibility to go below this lower limiting value.

Molecules With the Size of 200 Daltons Able to Filter

Recently, the German researchers announced a breakthrough: “With our ceramic membranes, we have achieved, for the first time, a molecular separation limit of 200 Daltons – and, thereby, a whole new quality,” says Voigt, Deputy Institute Director of the IKTS and Site Manager in Hermsdorf. In order to achieve this objective, it was needed to eliminate some barriers.

First of all, it is anything but easy to produce a ceramic membrane with pores so small that not even a molecule is able to pass through. Furthermore, all of them have to be in the same size. One larger pore is enough to let pass a certain number of molecules. In this case, the reliable filter separation is endangered. “We achieved these results by refining sol-gel technology,” says Richter, Head of Department at the IKTS.

Separating Molecules With Small Diameters Requires Ultra Small Pores

But there is more to it than that. The question was how to create larger surfaces with defect-free membrane layers? “Whereas only a few square centimeters of surface are usually coated, we equipped a pilot system with a membrane area of 234 square meters, which means that our membrane is several magnitudes larger,” explains Puhlfuerss, scientist at the IKTS.

Separating Molecules Thanks to Fraunhofer Team IKTS — The ceramic membranes developed by Hannes Richter, Petra Puhlfürß and Ingolf Voigt (from the left) filter out dissolved organic molecules with a molar mass of only 200 Dalton (Fraunhofer IKTS)

According to Fraunhofer IKTS, the project isn’t at the laboratory stage anymore. Since 2016, a newly built and by Shell commissioned pilot system in Alberta, Canada, purifies waste water with the above-described features. Right now, the researchers plan to set up a plant with a membrane area larger than 5,000m².