AquaPak Solar Thermal Water Pasteurizer for Use in Emergency Situations

Tayyebe Aghaei*, Frank Husson**, Dale Andreatta***

*Research Engineer at Solar Solution LLC; **president of Solar Solution LLC; ***Ph.D. Mechanical Engineer 10080 Willow Creek Road, San Diego,CA,USA,92131

An emergency is any unplanned event that poses

immediate risk to health, life, environment or property. One

of the most important factors in a crisis, is the urgent need

for water. The need for safe water is a threat to the public

health during and after any incident. Destruction of water

sources such as springs, wells, aqueducts, broken sewage

pipes and lack of electricity are the main reasons for water

cut off or water pollution during emergency situations. Lack

of water can lead people to use contaminated water for

survival. Even water from mobile tankers or stationary

tanks installed in the affected areas won’t be completely

safe due to the lack of protection from harvest to

consumption. During these crises the public will need to

use and transport safe water until a long term drinking

water supply is available to the population. The AquaPak is

one of the options suggested in this paper, as a highly

reliable method for use in tropical locations to pasteurize

water by only using sunlight. According to World Health

Organization, Pasteurization has the highest rank of

biologically removal efficiency (99.9999%) for all biological

pathogens among alternate household water treatment

options {1}.

Abstract

Now that the AquaPak has been developed, patented, and

tested, Solar Solutions will attempt to identify

entrepreneurs and companies that will establish

independently owned "copy exactly" manufacturing

facilities in the developing world. Extensive hands-on

training for the managers of these facilities would be

provided at the San Diego manufacturing site.

Solar Solutions LLC will continue to seek approval from

interested non-governmental organizations (NGO's) and

any other group that may buy large numbers of units at

humanitarian prices from these newly formed companies.

The new companies would be able to sell to the NGO's

directly or through Solar Solutions, but would also have

the opportunity to sell through normal distribution channels

in their home countries and to other neighboring countries.

Business Plan

AquaPak The AquaPak is a batch unit, designed for individual use .With the aim of

improving health and sanitation for poor people in rural areas of

developing countries or people who deal with water shortage in a

emergency situation.

The AquaPak is able to pasteurize a maximum of 5 liters of water

Within 4 to 5 hours depending on solar radiation.

The AquaPak is a ready-to-use product constructed of Food and Drug

Administration (FDA) approved Ultra Violet(UV) inhibited polyethylene

which is quite durable. The current size is about 14 inches square (0.35

meters). The AquaPak is comprised of several layers of materials that can

easily, reliably, and inexpensively be assembled using a thermal sealing

machine.

The sealing process bonds the edges of the plastic tightly enough for

the AquaPak to pass a 10-foot (3 meter) drop test when filled with 3 liters

of 80°C water.

The AquaPak includes a glass indicator known as a WAPI

(Water Pasteurization Indicator). The WAPI is filled with an

orange-colored wax that melts at 65°C to indicate the start

of the pasteurization process{3}. The WAPI can be

removed and inverted for reuse after the wax has

resolidified. The WAPI is made of glass and is hermetically

sealed.

The AquaPak also includes a roughing filter, charcoal filter,

and final filter. These accessories take out larger debris

and help to improve the taste of the water.

The AquaPak can be used on any surface including roofs,

the ground , wagon, boat or even strapped to someone's

back. The AquaPak can also be carried by hand.

The bubble pack front insulation allows people to place the

unit in various locations without concern of sun location as

long as it is in full sun.

Pasteurization People in rural area spend a lot of their income on fuel frequently to boil

their drinking water and most do not even know that they can purify water by

only heating it up to 65°C for 6 minutes or to a higher temperature for a

shorter time {2}.

Pasteurization is a reliable method discovered by Louis Pasteur back in

the nineteenth century. Since then it has been used in a wide range of food

and dairy industries. One Billion liters of milk are pasteurized every day.

AquaPak Solar Water Pasteurizer

References

•Easy to use and easy to transport, especially for

refugees who are always on

the move.

•Having a detector to prove if water reached

pasteurization temperature

and is safe to drink.

•No need for pre filtering of water as the effectiveness of

pasteurization is not

influenced by turbidity,

however in case users

wanted to have better

looking water a roughing

filter is provided with each

AquaPak.

{1} World Health Organization and Unicef, 2012, “A toolkit for

monitoring and evaluating household water treatment and

safe storage programs, "World Health Organization/Unicef,

Geneva

{2} Burch, Jay D. and Thomas. Karen,E., 1998, “Water

Disinfection in Developing Countries and the Potential for

Solar Thermal Pasteurization,” Solar Energy, 64.( 1-3),

pp.87-97.

{3} Andreatta, Dale., 2007, “A Summary of Water

Pasteurization Techniques,” S.E.A. Ltd,

Columbus.

Advantages of AquaPak

A cross-section of the materials used in the AquaPak can be

seen in Fig.1. The bubble pack layer automatically maintains

a convection gap. Sunlight enters through the bubble pack,

clear plastic layer, and water and then converts into heat

when it comes in contact with the black plastic layer. The

bubble pack serves as a thermal insulator, which allows

water to be heated to a temperature sufficient for

pasteurization.

Cross section of AquaPak. AquaPak users in Cambodia

AquaPak users in Tanzania

Louis Pasteur

AquaPak user in Nigeria

•Has its own storage which prevents post contamination.

•Provided with chlorine tablet in case weather is cloudy or rainy

•AquaPak is able to harvest the rain water with an optional plastic sheet.