Can a Metal Solar Still Provide Clean Water in Any Weather?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the feasibility and design of a metal solar still intended to provide clean water under various weather conditions. Participants explore the concept's practicality, construction details, and legal considerations.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant proposes a design for a metal solar still that includes a wide and shallow bowl, insulated on both sides, with a coiled pipe system for water collection.
  • The design is suggested to work effectively in mostly overcast to sunny weather, utilizing rainwater overflow for additional benefits.
  • Another participant expresses confusion about the use of ice in the solar still, indicating a need for clarification on this aspect.
  • A question is raised regarding the legality of using stills, particularly in relation to water versus ethanol production.
  • A participant confirms that using a still for water is legal, while noting that permits are required for ethanol production.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

There is no consensus on the design specifics or the practicality of using ice in the solar still. Legal considerations regarding still usage are acknowledged, but the discussion remains unresolved on the technical aspects of the proposed design.

Contextual Notes

Participants have not fully explored the assumptions behind the effectiveness of the proposed design in varying weather conditions, nor have they clarified the role of ice in the system.

caters
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I had an idea about how to make an almost all metal solar still.

Here is my idea:

Take metal and shape it into a wide and shallow bowl.
Put an insulator on both sides of the metal so that the heat stays inside.

Take some pipe and put it above the bowl.
Take coiled pipe and put it in a metal container filled with cold stuff like ice for example.
Put a spigot at the very end where you have a quart or gallon bucket to collect the water.

This can be built during a sunny day and as long as the weather ranges from it being mostly overcast with sun peaking through the clouds to mostly sunny the sun does its job of heating the water. The bowl there collects rain and if there is a storm it might overflow a little but that gives water to plants and a little bit more water won't hurt if you have well draining soil so that is a plus. You also might need more buckets on sunny days after a storm.

The reason it needs to be wide and shallow is that if you have it deep it will take longer to fill and distill but narrow will make it take just a few minutes to overflow and you don't want that. It being shallow means that yes it is more likely to overflow than deep but it won't take as long to distill which is key to survival and it being wide means more surface area and volume which means that it fills up slower but again will distill quickly.
 
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Hmm a solar still that uses ice.:confused:
 
Hey caters :smile:!

Can you draw a picture of this? I'm confused, and having a hard time "seeing" it.
 
Are stills legal?
 
for water yes.

If you use it for ethanol it is illegal unless you have a permit but I use it for water and water only so I have no problem with permits.
 

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