box draws pure drinkable water from oceans, poisons—anything

[sub]

From the creator of the Segway:

http://gizmodo.com/370698/colbert-first-vid-of-dean-kamens-miracle-water-distiller

I'm extremely skeptical of this, but if it's true, this man just invented one of the most monumental things ever.

 

[Suh Dude]

Well, I sure wouldn't my pee going back into my mouth, even if it turned into water o.o

 

[Killface]

Wow... thats flat out amazing. Props to the guy who invented that.

 

[Enix]

Well, I sure wouldn't my pee going back into my mouth, even if it turned into water o.o

Where do you think your tap water comes from? Anything that goes down your toilet or sink gets filtered, treated and recycled back into the faucets you drink out of.

Anyfart, this thing looks cool, but I'd be nice if he revealed the price or the waste disposal process of the machine.

 

[LionHeart]

Well, I sure wouldn't my pee going back into my mouth, even if it turned into water o.o

Not even if you ware on the verge of dieing?

 

[Chakra-X]

Yeah I saw this on the Colbert Report. It's the guy who invented the "Segway".

I want to believe that this magic machine can solve our ironic water troubles. You know. How the majority of this planet is water and yet we can only drink a fraction of it? But a fear a catch.

 

[Suh Dude]

Where do you think your tap water comes from? Anything that goes down your toilet or sink gets filtered, treated and recycled back into the faucets you drink out of.

I don't drink tap water...

 

[Spunky]

I don't drink tap water...

You at least wash your hands with it though... right?

Awesome invention. Curious to see it used on the foulest substance on this planet.

 

[Suh Dude]

Of course lol, I drink filtered water (the one that goes from the fridge), and theres a taste difference. I think filtered is much cleaner than tap water.


And I just found this... o_o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xJX9rstYEw

 

[Spunky]

And I just found this... o_o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xJX9rstYEw

Damn that's nasty. Toward the end it looks like someone took a dump in the water.

 

[MC]

I found a few patents for this "vapor compression distiller":

A vapor compression distiller having a shell for enclosing a pair of heat exchange tube bundles each having one end connected to a steam chest and its other end connected to a condensate collecting chamber. A vapor compressor has its inlet connected to the shell and the outlet to one steam chest which is coupled to a second steam chest through a steam ejector for elevating the inlet pressure to the second heat exchange tube bundle. A half partition extends across the lower end of the vessel and between the wells to divide the lower portion of the vessel into two sections which are in communication across the upper end of the vessel. One well is connected to receive fresh feed liquid and the other includes a density sensor to discharge a portion of the concentrate to therein maintain a desired concentrate level and each well is connected to a spray nozzle manifold disposed in its respective shell section.

Source: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4082616.html

A vapor compression distiller having a shell for enclosing a generally horizontal heat exchange tube bundle having one end connected to a steam chest and its other end connected to a condensate collecting chamber. A vapor compressor has its inlet connected to the shell and the outlet to the steam chest. The shell includes a pair of spaced apart wells at its lower end which are interconnected by a pipe connected below the expected level of liquid in each well. A half partition extends across the lower end of the vessel and between the wells to divide the lower portion of the vessel into two sections which are in communication across the upper end of the vessel. One well is connected to receive fresh feed liquid and the other includes a density sensor to discharge a portion of the concentrate to therein maintain a desired concentrate level and each well is connected to a spray nozzle manifold disposed in its respective shell section.

Source: http://www.freepatentsonline.com/4259160.html

An improved design of a vapor compression distiller which makes use of a rapid, highly turbulent flow through the heat-of-evaporation recovery, or primary, heat exchanger. The distiller may also include the use of turbulators to increase turbulence and mixing within the primary heat exchanger. The increased level of turbulence and mixing dramatically reduces fouling inside the primary heat exchanger and increases the heat transfer efficiency. The improvements in the distiller are maximized by recirculating the liquid to be evaporated at a high multiple of the flow rate of the liquid feed to the distiller. The distiller may also include a feed circulation loop with a secondary heat exchanger to increase the efficiency of heat-of-evaporation recovery in the evaporation/condensation cycle. Applications of the vapor compression distiller include purification of waste liquids, concentration of dilute liquid mixtures, and separation of liquid/liquid, liquid/gas, and liquid/solid mixtures.

Source: http://www.patentstorm.us/patents/6365005-fulltext.html

Not to mention you can find numerous organizations that use a "vapor compression distiller". So, I guess it's safe to say that Dean Kamen didn't invent anything new - maybe something more efficent, but nothing new.

 

[frsrblch]

Of course lol, I drink filtered water (the one that goes from the fridge), and theres a taste difference. I think filtered is much cleaner than tap water.


And I just found this... o_o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xJX9rstYEw

There certainly is a taste difference, and I prefer tap water.

 

[VideoJinx]

If it's true =] I'm glad it has finally come to light!~~

and I think it's very smart of him to make it accessable for multiple people instead of one huge controlled filtering company xD

 

[DaRkOwNs]

yeah, because one huge filter delivering water to thousands of homes at a time would make no sense. right?

...

 

[VideoJinx]

more like, people can be certain themselves how "safe" their water is..

 

[DaRkOwNs]

lemme put it this way jinx.

no.

 

[Cap J]

Jinx, the point of the filter is so that in the countries where they don't have a huge company, or for lots of people even homes, can all get access to clean water. It's not as if he decided to make it just so that people could replace the filters they keep in their fridges.

 

[VideoJinx]

For people who don't have access to certain things we have.. a big company using this filter would be okay.. but for me .. here in the states.. I'de rather have my own..

 

[kam!]

Of course lol, I drink filtered water (the one that goes from the fridge), and theres a taste difference. I think filtered is much cleaner than tap water.


And I just found this... o_o
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xJX9rstYEw

From my knowledge in chemistry I think that what precipitates in this vid isn't relly what is present in tap water.
The ions present in tap water react with the electrodes, forming the brownish stuff.
If you look closely the filtered water turns a bit brown too, meaning it has a little amount of ions.
IMHO this device simply visualizes the concentration of ions in the solution, and does not make stuff dissolved visible.

 

[Optional22]

It's nothing new or shocking. The chemistry behind this experiment is run in every college organic chemistry lab in the nation. As for distillation machines, in the chemistry world, we call them "Rotavaps" or rotary evaporators. The box looks bigger than a typical Rotavap so who cares? And that magic box doesn't remove everything. If you put acetone or some type of low boiling point liquid (so many out there), it will come off with the "pure" water.

http://khymos.org/rotavap.jpg

This is like the Segway that's already been invented. Not only does no one care, but no one will buy it.


As for that youtube video, the main "contaminants" in tap water are magnesium, calcium, and sulfate ions. All of which are harmless.