I am a Year 12 student in London studying Maths, Further Maths, Economics and Physics. I have an academic interest in science, sustainability and how this can be applied in research.
Tell us what the water concern in your country is!There exists a north-south divide in rainfall in the UK, where the north gets heavy rain while the south suffers from lower rain and overuse. Climate change further worsens this divide and the old infrastructure is put under pressure due to growing populations.
This research project presents the development of a low-cost solar water distillation system designed to improve access to clean drinking water in off-grid and rural communities. This project explores the use of a Fresnel lens to focus sunlight onto a metal boiling pot. The resulting steam passes through food-grade silicone tubing and condenses into clean water, with no reliance on electricity – which means that there is no extra carbon emissions due to this. Three experiments were conducted where the independent variables included initial water volume, light intensity and natural weather conditions. The system produced consistent yields even in moderate climates like the UK.
