Scientists at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany have developed an ingenious water filtration system called 'ROSI', which will be used to filter and clean water in impoverished Tanzanian communities.
ROSI -- which stands for 'Reverse Osmosis Solar Installation' -- has the ability to filter out undesirable and potentially hazardous substances such as bacteria and viruses from water.
The system deploys ultra-filtration membranes filled with tiny, 50-nanometer pores. These pores capture molecular substances, particles, bacteria and viruses and remove them from the water. ROSI is also capable of reducing water fluoride levels to within World Health Organization recommendations.
ROSI is designed to be easily portable and highly rugged. It can be operated with either solar or wind power.
ROSI was initially developed by Schäfer and Richards in Australia, before further work on it was carried out in Scotland. Field tests for the system were planned at at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology in Tanzania, and test were carried out earlier this year in Mdori, amongst other places. The results of the tests are currently being analyzed at KIT. The next stage for the tests will be for ROSI to be installed at selected locations.
Solar-Powered Water Filters
The ROSI System Can Remove Harmful Viruses and Bacteria From Water
Trend Themes
1. Solar-powered Water Filtration - Opportunity for disruptive innovation in developing and implementing affordable, sustainable, and portable water filtration systems.
2. Ultra-filtration Technology - Opportunity for disruptive innovation in the development and application of advanced materials science to improve water filtration system capacity and energy efficiency.
3. Renewable Energy-powered Systems - Opportunity for disruptive innovation in the development of innovative solutions for remote electrification through renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power.
Industry Implications
1. Clean Tech - ROSI highlights a potential market opportunity for clean tech companies to create and distribute portable and efficient solar-powered water filtration systems, particularly in developing countries.
2. Water Filtration - ROSI offers a potential disruptive innovation opportunity to companies within the water filtration industry through the use of ultra-filtration technology to improve system efficiency and affordability.
3. Renewable Energy - ROSI's solar and wind power capabilities represent a potential market opportunity for renewable energy companies to create and distribute innovative systems for remote electrification and clean water supply.