Project Type
Date
April 2016
A research team is developing a new method to desalinate water using biochar, which could be used to improve agricultural productivity in arid regions.
The project goal is to realize material characterization, electrochemical test data for a capacitive deionization (CDI) system design to meet irrigation driven metrics. The target applications are greenhouses in Sierra Leone and Mozambique for local food production. Available ground and river water is brackish and unsuitable for crop irrigation. Driven by solar panels, a CDI unit will be evaluated using renewable, locally produced biochars as carbon electrode material, for sustainability. Metrics include desalination capacity, rate and energy efficiency towards prototype design and as seed results for future funding opportunities.
Researchers
Randy L. Vander Wal
Professor, John and Willie Leone Department of Energy & Mineral Engineering (EME)
Khanjan Mehta
Khanjan Mehta
Former Assistant Professor, Engineering Design