How to Make a Desalinator
A desalinator is a device that removes salt from water. Industrial desalinators usually accomplish this by boiling salt water under low pressure to evaporate the water, leaving the salt behind. The water vapor may then be collected in another container and condensed as pure water. Commercial desalinators are most common in the Middle East due to the combination of abundant power and scarce water. Simple desalinators that use the same basic principles may also be built for survival situations.
Instructions
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Locate an area with damp ground that has direct sunlight, such as a beach or dry water hole. The earth should be composed of sandy soil rather than clay, since the clay will tend to retain the water.
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2
Dig a wide, shallow hole. The hole should be smaller than the plastic sheet and deeper than the cup. Place the cup in the center of the hole and cover the hole with the plastic sheet.
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3
Leave some slack in the plastic sheet and weight down the edges of the plastic sheet with rocks or earth. The plastic sheet should form as tight a seal as possible with the ground so that water can't escape the hole when it evaporates.
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4
Place enough small rocks in the center of the plastic sheet to cause it to sag, but not so many that the plastic sheet touches the cup in the center of the hole. Ensure that the lowest point of the plastic sheet is above the cup.
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Allow the evaporated water to collect in the cup. The water should collect on the plastic sheet and drip from the center into the cup. You can also use this method to extract water from fresh plant matter by placing the plant matter in the hole so that it surrounds the cup.
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