How it works
The system uses a combination of electrodialysis and solar power to remove salt ions from water. Electrodialysis is a method that uses an electric field to separate salt ions from water, a process known as ion exchange. The MIT team's system consists of three main components:
- Water pumps: These pumps are responsible for circulating water through the system.
- Ion-exchange membrane stack: This stack is where the electrodialysis process takes place. The membrane is coated with ions that attract and remove salt ions from the water.
- Solar panel array: This array generates electricity from sunlight, which is used to power the desalination process.