Ocean Water Desalination
The Sonoran Desert in Mexico is a region of the world with extremely little water.Copyright Tomas Castelazo http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Drought.jpg
Students learn about the techniques engineers have developed for changing ocean water into drinking water, including thermal and membrane desalination. They begin by reviewing the components of the natural water cycle. They see how filters, evaporation and/or condensation can be components of engineering desalination processes. They learn how processes can be viewed as systems, with unique objects, inputs, components and outputs, and sketch their own system diagrams to describe their own desalination plant designs.
Environmental engineers apply science and engineering principles to improve air, water and land resources; to provide healthy water, air and land for human habitation; and to remediate polluted sites. With less than 1% of our planet's water safe for drinking, and the world's water consumption rate doubling every 20 years, it is projected that by 2025 water demand will exceed supply by 56%. To mediate this problem, engineers develop methods by which ocean water can be transformed into drinking water. Around the world, environmental engineers work together with other types of engineers to design and install water desalination plants.
After this lesson, students should be able to:
- Explain how the water cycle works.
- List technologies engineers have developed to desalinate ocean water.
- Be able to draw and interpret a system diagram.