Deshawn Henry , a Civil Engineering sophomore at the University of Buffalo , expend his summer developing a solar lens using cheap supply from a hardware store that can clean 99.9 % of pathogen in a litre of water supply in about an minute . The enquiry project is hard-nosed and inexpensive , with the potential to be wide implemented and lay aside living .
Over one billion people around the human race miss ordered access to clean water , leading to the death of a child under the age of 5 every single minute . Many water treatment alternative are expensive .
The equipment itself has a rather base appearance , with a six - metrical unit - tall frame of 2x4s topped with a lens constructed of plastic sheeting and water , which focuses down onto a treatment container for the water . This simplicity of design and the inexpensive nature of the building materials mean that many living in impoverished arena would be capable to obtain the applied science and bring home the bacon clean water for their families .
The lens is capable to magnify sunlight and inflame a liter of water to about 130 - 150 academic degree Fahrenheit in about an hour . As the Dominicus interchange place in the sky , the treatment container for the body of water involve to be adjusted in ordering to stay under the focal point of the lens . This heating cognitive process eliminates about 99.9 % of pathogens find in the water , leaving it clean and potable .
“ The water lens could have a huge impact in get countries , ” Henry said in apress release . “ Millions of mass die every yr from diseases and pathogen get in dirty piss , and they ca n’t help it because that ’s all they have . Either they imbibe it or they die . ”
The invention of the electron lens add up with a bit of trial and fault . While more pee would be able to magnify more sunshine , the wooden-headed plastic needed to hold the big amount of piss was more opaque , which diminished the consequence . Thus , it was important to take a Libra and find what would be most practical in the system of rules . However , the issuance of water going is one that has not been made entirely clear . A chapeau could potentially diminish the efficiency of the crystalline lens , but leaving it off could lead in more water supply evaporate than can be used to effectively scavenge the urine .
All in all , not bad for a summertime project .
“ I have assure how intense inquiry activities can inspire UB scholar and educate the next contemporaries of innovator , ” added James Jensen , the prof who supervise Henry ’s labor over the summer . “ Deshawn ’s oeuvre would allow a family in sunny region to treat crapulence water without get to spend energy or bank on import technologies . ”
Though the summer semester is over , Henry is not giving up on his labor . Currently , his design that cleans a liter per hour is only enough to converge about one third of the demand for a family of five . He skip to continue working and break a larger lens that would be able to clean the amount of water system needed .
