QuenchSea Desalinator

[mdalton]

Hi Bill & Others

A replacement QuenchSea arrived yesterday from the manufacturer. Here are my test results using simulated sea water about 35,000 ppm.

Pumping time: 9 minutes
Total strokes: 200 (my sedate pace)
Volume of output: 55 ml
TDS drinking water: 798 ppm
Pressure release valve setting: 45 - 50 bar
Water taste: acceptable
Leaks from QuenchSea: zero

The output volume implies one litre of drinkable water would be available in around 160 minutes. However my pumping pace was very sedate. In a real emergency situation it would be possible to produce double that amount in the same time.

Overall I think the QuenchSea is excellent value for money at around USD 130. Pumping is a two hands job unless the machine was secured to a solid surface. Use in a liferaft is possible although volumes would be restricted. Ideally a handle could be attached to the baseplate allowing a clam shell closing action with two hands.

Well worth keeping an eye on this product, buy one for your own testing and look out for design options that may be more suited to yacht and liferaft use.

[Bill O]

mdalton,
Again thank you for reporting your findings.

Seemed like fairly good turn around to send you a new unit. The testing for this new unit was very similar to your first testing, yet now the TDS in the product water is nearly double of the first unit testing.

While still in the acceptable range, any thoughts why this occurred?

Wonder if you continued to use the unit that the TDS of the product water would be reduced. Also if the pressure is raised to 50-55bars, would that lower the TDS?

[mdalton]

Hi Bill

Yes, I believe raising the pressure relief valve setting to filter at a higher pressure does reduce the TDS reading (as was the case with my first unit).

However the recommended pressure relief valve setting is 45/50 bar that makes the TDS under 1000 ppm and provides drinkable water at a higher rate of production.

[Lemsteraak]

Interesting machine, I got a chance to try it out.

I used saltwater I got from Netart's Bay, here in Oregon, high salt content, no freshwater streams run into it.

QuenchSea is right to say give it at least five minutes of pumping to clear and clean the machine. I'd say give it ten minutes. The first fresh water had a slight oil tinge to it and had over 400 ppm TDS so I wasn't holding out much hope for the machine.

The results I received after a 15 minute session - 1 pint of fresh water with a TDS of 252. In comparison, my old lifeboat water maker produces half the water and twice the effort. The TDS is comparable. Taste test was good, didn't taste any salt.

The pumping method MDalton specified is similar to what I used. First open the "bleed" valve under to get the compressible air out when pumping. Then you can pump up to the 5 bar limit easily. The pressure relief valve will pop and bring the pressure down to 4 bars once or twice a stroke. The pump style can be leisurely, keep it at 5 bar and then let the pressure relief pop off to clear the brine. My thinking is to let the water flow through the membrane so I was pumping about 10 strokes a minute keeping the pressure high. If I pumped more, I didn't notice much improvement in fresh water flow. I was playing with the "bleeder" valve to release air so it released some water, I didn't notice any other leaks. I would recommend practicing in the cockpit as it can be wet.

Bottom line, it works, my leisurely style produced about half the QuenchSea quoted fresh water production. I just got some new membranes in so I'm curious to see if they have a higher volume.

[tilaya]

Hi All,
got to try my QS today. Unfortunately I do have to delay presenting results.
The unit had a leak at the water entrance to the membrane containment.
I reported to QS.



The unit got a little bigger than it could be anticipated from the first promo pictures at the begining of the campaign. It hung of a backpack. Well it still be possible to hang it of a backpack, though it will not to be "overseeable".


For the purpose of water supply in emergencies. The QS does definitly not fit into a life raft like used on yachts.


CoVi
SY Tilaya