International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056

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Water Purification Using Solar Energy

1. Yash Harode 2. Ankit Dorle
3. Himanshu Nawkhare 4. Kapil Ramteke 5. Tabish Hussain

Department Of Computer Science And Engineering

Govindrao Wanjari College Of Engineering & Technology
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Abstract - Drinking Water is important need for daily areas where there is no electricity. It must be used in
life as there is scarcity of water in many regions places affected by natural disasters. It provides pollution
worldwide. Across the world approximately 780 million free water purifier.
people do not have access to pure water for drinking, 1.1. Objectives of Project :-
cooking or washing. Consumption of untreated industrial 1. Provide Fresh Drinking water.
water exposes human beings to a range of contaminants 2. Avoid waterborne diseases especially in rural India.
including faecal borne pathogens and chemical pollutants. 3. Using renewable sources of energy.
But the quality of water should be such that it can be used 4. Affordable purification for the poor.
by human being for drinking purpose. There are already 5. Less maintenance system.
lot of filters present in the market that can do purifying 6. Utilizing Solar Power to provide the facility to remote
process, as the available filters made water safe to drink, places.
but they did not decrease its saltiness, so the drinking 7. Provision of utilizing excess energy elsewhere(power
water is still salty and eroded pots and pans, that house ,machines etc).
providing little awareness to use these filters. In 8. Cheaper provision of safe water.
desalination process the removal of salt and other 9. To Maximize the use of renewable energy for day to day
minerals from the ground water is carried out to make it activities.
suitable for human and animals use and industrial use. RO 10. To provide clean and pure water for rural India.
is mostly used domestic filtration system that removes
even all the impurities. RO is required if the Total
Dissolved Solids (TDS) exceeds a value of TDS of 500. The
2. Solar PV system design
ultimate objectives of this project is to use the The solar rays are collected by solar panel. This energy is
conventional source of energy, make a device/equipment further stored in a solar battery through a charge
which provide water for drinking purpose and designed a controller. The charge controller is the device which saves
village level water purification system that runs on solar the battery from getting overcharged. The water
power. purification unit includes s high pressure motor, reverse
osmosis system and the water tank. The high pressure
Key Words: Drinking Water, RO, Solar power, Total booster pump creates the necessary pressure required to
Dissolved Solids (TDS), Desalination. carry out reverse osmosis.
Typically water filter of 25 LPH capacity consumes 60W
electricity. Mostly we use water filter for average 5 hours
1. INTRODUCTION daily.
Total Energy required/year = 60Watt X 5hours X 365days
The decreasing availability of fresh water has necessitated =109500Watt-hours/year
in the search for fresh pure sources of drinking water. The = 109.5 kilo-Watt-hours/year
water availability in many areas in the country is brackish, = 109.5 units.
saline or impure. Saline water is a major problem in the Annual full sun hours (india) = Avg Daily Full sun hours X 365
coastal areas of Kutch and Gujarat. In India pure drinking = 5h/d X 365d/y
water is a major problem in tribal/rural area. The = 1825 hours/year
available water purification processes in rural india are Size of Photo Voltaic system= (Annual Energy
Chlorine tablets, Pot chlorination of wells, Slow and rapid Demand/Annual Full sun hours) / Efficiency of System.
sand filters, Fluoride removal, Reverse osmosis plants, etc. (Assuming a 25% loss during PV generation and
In this project, we are making a water purifier which conversion. Therefore, efficiency of the system after we
works on solar energy. The basic working principle of this take into account those losses is 75% .
project is reverse osmosis. We are using renewable source Therefore, PV system size = 0.08kW
solar energy which is a abundant and cheap. Here, we use PV system size = 80 watts.
solenoid valve which prevents the water from over No. of Panels required = PV system size / Module power.
flowing. This purifier is suitable to use in remote and rural = 80W / 50

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 International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 08 Issue: 06 | June 2021 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072

= 1.6 ~ 2. Led Indicator No

Capacity of each solar Panel=50W. Table-1.Battery Specifications
So two panels of 50W capacity is required to design Solar
water filter. 3.2 Payback Period Calculation
General cost of electricity by different service providers in
2.1 Solar Panel Specifications. India =INR 7-11 /-
We have selected 2 solar panel of 50W each to power Considering maximum Possible Electricity fare (To have
this purifier. The specifications of panel are as follows. advantage) =11*109.5units =INR 1204.5.
Total Energy required for a year = 109.5 units.
Investment on solar components = INR 4000 /-
Payback period=4000/1205=3.3 years.
So 3 years and 4 months are required to get solar panel
investment back.

4. Purifier Design
The design of water purifier consists of 7 stages. The water
first enters sediment filter and it removes dirt , debris , rust
,sand slit and all other suspended particles from water. Then
water enters the carbon filter and remove contaminants
through adsorption and removes bad taste ,odor ,chlorine
Fig-1 Solar Panel Specifications mercury and chemicals from water. Then water part of water
The solar panels consist of solar cells connected in series . is bypassed to Ultrafiltration filter and part of it enters into
The solar cells available in the market are of three types Ro membrane through Ro booster pump. The RO booster
namely monocrystalline ,polycrystalline and thin film type pump is a centrifugal pump with impellers that pull water in
.The Monocrystalline have high efficiency and are costly. and increase the pressure as it passes through. The impeller
Polycrystalline have moderate efficiency and have moderate rotates on an axis that pulls the water inside the pump and
cost .Thin film solar cells have lowest efficiency and cheapest force it further. water entering, the curved vanes of the
solar cells but they are not good choice for this application so impeller spin push the water outward with centrifugal force.
we chose polycrystalline solar cell solar panel. The Reverse osmosis process reduces total dissolved solids
or suspended contaminants by 70-80% in water using
3. Battery System Design Calculation pressure to push the unfiltered water, or brine, through a
3.1 Calculation Battery Charging Time semi permeable membrane. The reverse osmosis membrane
Charging time of battery = Battery Capacity (Ah) / Charging blocks the contaminants, and it will allow the clean water or
Current.
permeate to flow through to the less concentrated side. A
T = Ah / A membrane housing for reverse osmosis membrane is
Where,
T = Time hrs. Ah = Ampere Hour rating of battery. typically 2.5 and 4 inches in diameter and either 14, 21, 40,
A = Current in Amperes. 80, or 120 inches in length.
Practically, it has been noted that 40% of losses occurs in
case of battery charging. Then 7.2 x (40 / 100) = 2.88 (7.2Ah
x 40% of losses) .Therefore, 7.2 + 2.88 = 10.08 Ah ( 7.2 Ah +
Losses).
10.08 / 2.78 = 3.62 or 4 Hours ( in real case)
Therefore, a 7.2Ah battery would take 4 Hours to fully
charge in case of the required 2.78A charging current.
3.2 Battery Run Time Calculation
Power (Watts) = I(Amps) * V(Voltage)
Therefore, Amps = Power/Voltage
=60/24 = 2.5A
Assuming that the battery is fully charged, then it will
have the full 7.2AH capacity. 7.2AH (Amp
Hours)/2.5Amps = 2.88 hours, or 2 hours and 53
minutes.
Battery Type VRLA
Capacity (Ah) 7.2AH
Filled Weight 2.40
Voltage 12V Fig-2.The Water Purifier Layout
Sealed Type Yes VRLA

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These standard dimensions will allow the interchangeability does not remove any physical contaminants from water. It
of these membrane housings. Membrane housings is deactivates 99.99% of microorganisms by altering their DNA
available in a variety of materials, such as PVC, stainless means they will not reproduce and spread disease. As soon
steel, and fiberglass in the market. Ultra filtration (UF) is a as UV light attacks the bacteria, they’re no longer capable of
highly effective water purification process that uses infecting the water supply because they gets deactivated.
standard home water pressure to propel water through a Water further is discharged into alkaline cartridge . Research
semi-permeable membrane. The ultra filtration membrane
in the field of water has shown that alkaline water is the one
eliminates a host of contaminants, like lead, bacteria,
of the best drinking water, and can even be better quality
viruses, chlorine, and any suspended particulate matter.
The impure water from Ro is removed and discharge and can than expensive bottled water. In simple words, the alkaline
be used for general home purposes other than drinking. The filter separates the water into two categories : alkaline water
pure water from Ro and pure water from UF enters at two and acidic water. The purity of the water filtered by the
ends of TDS meter. TDS Controller is a manual device which reverse osmosis system is acidic, all minerals are removed
consists of one water output, two water inputs, and a TDS from the water. This alkaline filter increases PH of water ,
Control screw. buffers water to a more natural alkaline state, and adds the
TDS Control screw controls the TDS present in
output water by adjusting the flow of water from the two necessary minerals, i.e. Calcium , magnesium , potassium
water inputs namely UF water and RO water. Total dissolved and sodium.
solids (TDS) is measured as a volume of water with the unit
milligrams per liter (mg/L), and sometimes known as parts We have used 24 volt DC Pump with 1.2Amps
per million (ppm). According to the EPA secondary drinking current rating. Pump has maximum operating pressure of
water regulations,500 ppm is the recommended maximum 828 Kilo-pascal and minimum inlet pressure of 69 Kilo-
amount of TDS for your drinking water. Any measurement Pascal. Similarly Carbon and sediment filter has maximum
higher than 1000 ppm is an unsafe level of TDS. If the TDS pressure of 862 Kilo-pascal and maximum temperature of
value exceeds 2000 ppm, then a filtration system may be 120 degree centigrade also they have maximum flow rate of
unable to properly filter TDS. Water then enters into the UV 228 Liter/hour. UF filter has maximum flow rate of 114
chamber . A UV water purifier uses ultraviolet light liter/hour and maximum pressure of 760 Kilo-Pascal.
radiations to disinfect water for home or industrial use. They
deactivate harmful bacteria and viruses without using Pressure drop from Ro membrane is the loss of pressure
chemicals. from the feed end to the concentrate end of a module or a
pressure vessel. During normal operation condition of
Purifier the pressure drop for a commercial RO membrane
element is about 4 to 5 psi (0.3 bar) per element. Pressure
drop always increases with the extent of fouling of Ro
membrane. A high pressure drop is problematic because it
may lead to inefficient operation of water purifier, and thus a
decline in system performance. The maximum allowable
pressure drop in Purifier is 60 psi (4 bar) per 6-element
array.

The replacement of sediment and carbon filter is therefore

necessary to get pure water continuously. You should always
change your sediment filter every six months to one year.
However, the best way to understand when you’re due for a
filter change is to observe water pressure of system . When
your system pressure starts to drop, you need to change the
Fig -3. Purifier CAD Design filter quickly. After the water filter system has captured
enough sediment, water will struggle to pass through the
A UV from lamp of UV water purifier disinfects biologically filter at the same flow rate and it will cause water pressure
unsafe water (lake water, seawater, well water, etc.) without to decrease. In general, carbon filters are needed to be
using any chemicals. A UV water purifier has a steel chamber changed after 18-24 months of regular (24/7) use. In less
demanding situations, they can last up to 4 years but We
that encapsulates the UV Bulb . The UV lamp posses little cant guarantee for it. However, this lifetime of carbon filter
beads of mercury that vaporize and fuel the lamp to emit UV depends on the carbon quality, usage, humidity, plant
radiation which in turn deactivates the bacteria and viruses types etc.
and microorganisms. Two O-rings, held in place by the glad
Its obvious that , when your carbon filter will be out of order,
nut (or cap), hold the quartz sleeve to the chamber and
it won’t be able to trap the smelly particles anymore. So
prevent the leakage of water. UV water purification unit smells will come out

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 International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056
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There are a plenty of uses for solenoid valves in RO, since a using pin .This adjustment feature helps to incline solar
solenoid is a shut off valve, a solenoid could be used to shut panel at different angles at different seasons so as to acquire
down RO system when any storage system is full. A solenoid maximum efficiency. The bottom storage box has 2 sections
valve uses a plunger type piston to open and close an orifice, one section stores inlet impure water and one section is
which either prevents or allows the flow of a medium. needed to place batteries and charge controller. On the back
face of stand purifier is fitted using nut and bolts and
5. Design for Solar Panel Adjustment purified water is received from back side. Tap is provided to
collect pure water.

Fig-4.Adjustable Solar Panel Structure.

Design features of Body Frame

➢ To support water purifier system.
➢ To provide adjustable angle of inclination for solar Panel
in different seasons.
➢ To support Battery system. Fig-5 Water Purifier Design
➢ To provide space to inlet water storage tank and
purified water storage tank.
➢ External attached wheels will allow easy movement of
body frame to desired location.
The solar panel angle of your solar system will vary
depending on which part of the world you are. Solar panels
will have the highest energy output when they are directly
facing the sun. To achieve the most sun rays reaching the
panel throughout the day, you need to determine what
direction the panels should face and calculate an optimal tilt
angle.
This will depend on:
➢ Where you live
➢ Which time of the year you will need the most solar
energy.
The optimum tilt angle for solar panel at given location is
calculated by adding 15 degrees to your latitude during
winter, and subtracting 15 degrees from your latitude during
summer. For example , if your location latitude is 34°, the
optimum tilt angle for your location solar panels during
winter will be 34 + 15 = 49°. The summer season optimum
tilt angle will be 34 – 15 = 19°.
Fig-6 Water Purifier Design
6. The Design of Solar Water Purifier. Financial Benefits of Solar Water Purifier:-
The Design of Solar Water purifier has solar panel mounted ➢ Zero Fuel cost
on adjustable frame. The frame(Blue) can be moved up and ➢ One Time Investment
down like socket. The frame can be fixed at any location
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 International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 08 Issue: 06 | June 2021 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072

Manoj Phalak, Piyush Kurkure, Nikhil Bhangale, Vipul

➢ ROI more than FD
Deshmukh, Mayur Patil, M H.Patil. Solar Powered Reverse
➢ Zero bill for 25 years. Osmosis Water Purifier. International Journal for Research in
Environmental Benefits of Solar Water Purifier is equivalent Engineering Application & Management (IJREAM) ISSN :
to , Over the lifetime of 25 years , installing 1KWp Solar 2454-9150 Vol-03, Issue 01, Apr 2017.
rooftop system is equivalent to mitigating 31 tons of carbon
dioxide and planting 49 teak trees. ➢ Yogesh S. Kapnichor Rasika R. Dahake Priyanka A.
Manmode Rahul P. Ukey. A Review on Solar Still Water
7. CONCLUSIONS Purification .IJIRST –International Journal for Innovative
As sun’s free solar energy is being used for the purification Research in Science & Technology| Volume 3 | Issue 09 |
of water, which is cheap and abundant, it can be used February 2017 ISSN (online): 2349-6010.
everywhere where electricity is not available. Here, the
controller which is used also prevents the water from ➢ Sudhir Dukare, Prasad Hibare, Shubham
overflowing. Moreover, reverse osmosis is a good water Koratkar,Parmeshwar Takmoge, Prof.Vikaskumar
hardness removing process. So we designed the photovoltaic Mehtre. Water Purification by Solar Energy under
system , battery system , structural design for water natural circulation mode. International Research Journal
purification system and we have analyzed the benefits of of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395 -
photovoltaic system along with case study and 0056 Volume: 04 Issue: 03 | Mar -2017 www.irjet.net p-
environmental benefits. We have also specified types of solar ISSN: 2395-0072.
cells available in market and we have compared them with
different points and selected suitable one. This project has ➢ Md Z.H. Khan, Md R. Al-Mamun, Suvash C. Majumder, Md
only capital cost and almost no running cost. Hence, It will Kamruzzaman. Towards Green Energy Challenge . Water
prove to be useful in the near future. Purification by heating using solar power as fuel.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT PRINT ISSN NO 2277 – 8179 IF OF IJSR: 5.711 (SJIF)
Through this project I would like to thank my guide Prof. Dr. PEER REVIEW, INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL JOURNAL
Kiran Chaudhari for supporting me and helping me through DOI : 10.36106/IJSR.
every aspect of this project. I would also like to thank my
college for giving me the opportunity to go through this ➢ Gazi Nazia Nur, Mohammad Ahnaf Sadat ,Department of
project. Lastly I would like to thank my groupmates for their Industrial and Production Engineering, Bangladesh
support and contributions. University of Engineering and Technology (BUET),
Dhaka 1000 Design and Construction of Solar Water
Purifier International Conference on Mechanical,
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