Results and Conclusions

From the production calculations outlined in the above technical sections, the daily pure water production for January has been calculated to be 5,673 liters per day.  This is very promising since January has the very limited insolation and is, therefore, our worst production month.  A plot of the production of water as a function of time is shown below. 

The total installation cost for the unit is $540,000. This does not include annual maintenance, operating costs, and other reccurring expenses. Even disregarding these issues, the production cost is $0.02/liter (see Costing section for assumptions and calculations).  Assuming a daily water usage of 250 liters per person, the monthly cost $150 per person. In addition, one has to keep in mind that additional microbial treatment of the water is necessary if it is going to be suitable for drinking.  This will lead to additional costs. 

Even with this initial production cost calculation, it can be seen that the current design is not cost effective. The cost of water in Chicago is currently at $4 per 1000 gallons, or $0.001 per liter. In comparison, our unit would produce water at more than 20 times the cost. This is therefore not a reasonable design, even taking into consideration the rising water costs and decreasing fresh water availability in our target region.

The cost of the unit is especially problematic for our target of small communities where price will be a significant issue.  As the design currently stands, it is clear that major production, sizing, and material changes are needed before the project proceeds.