> A state-of-the-art facility is now within a factor of two of the theoretical energy minimum
> The total process of desalination turns out to require three to four times the theoretical minimal energy use, since the salt water must be pumped and pretreated, the membranes maintained, and the resulting brine handled afterwards.
No, they're claiming that Lockheed is lying about the efficiency gains their technology can or will produce. Specifically that Lockheed's claims are impossible (that assumes the referenced theoretical calculations on energy requirements are correct in the first place).
I think the point is that if you're a factor 2 or 4 away from the theoretical optimal efficiency, you can't make it a factor 100 easier, as this article claims. The best you can do is to reach the theoretical optimum.
If this was true it would change everything: agriculture in the worlds deserts would cut food prices in half or more, greening he deserts would suck up a ton of co2, no more water shortages.
So this article obviously is not representing truth. Essentially author picked old news, as someone said, Graphene has a new publicist. Also didn't really understand how thing work to be able to claim 100 times better efficiency.
My question is this, why do these things happen?
Is it because Gizmodo is hiring people who would work for rock bottom salaries?
Is it because journalists are pushed to crank out articles?
The author doing the usual journalism thing of not understanding what's going on and then breathlessly reporting something similar and very wrong that'll get certain people excited is one thing, I know to expect that. Watching this get upvoted onto the front page is... well, maybe my expectations are too high.
>Watching this get upvoted onto the front page is...
It takes a little while to read up and see the flaws. Guess people vote first. I was just reading the osmotic pressure for seawater is about 1000 psi so the resistance of the membrane is probably going to be pretty small in comparison.
This is a well known application of graphene, the challenge is in working out the manufacturing processes to get the cost down whilst still retaining the material uniformity. It will be revolutionary when its available. Does anyone have any news of recent progress in graphene manufacturing?
Anything amazing these days you just know graphene is involved without even looking at the article.
Just the past 11 days alone I've seen articles on graphene coated solar panels make power, graphene filters for terahertz communications, nanotube film, nano-silicon graphene Li-Ion battery electrodes, even graphene tennis rackets and now this graphene water filter.
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[ 3.4 ms ] story [ 38.8 ms ] threadI have a feeling this is very much like their announcement of commercial fusion power.
http://arstechnica.com/science/2011/08/desalinization-is-thi...
> A state-of-the-art facility is now within a factor of two of the theoretical energy minimum
> The total process of desalination turns out to require three to four times the theoretical minimal energy use, since the salt water must be pumped and pretreated, the membranes maintained, and the resulting brine handled afterwards.
Somebody is not being very honest.
"Up to two orders of magnitude more permeable than today’s industry standard material"
and "10-20% reduction in energy consumption due to pressure reduction"
so maybe the journalist got his energy and permeability muddled?
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/content/dam/lockheed/data/ms2/...
https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-stetson-jr-48aa3a50
What's the cost of graphene, is it cheap enough?
My question is this, why do these things happen?
Is it because Gizmodo is hiring people who would work for rock bottom salaries?
Is it because journalists are pushed to crank out articles?
Is it something else?
> Gizmodo
Friends don't let friends read Gawker.
It takes a little while to read up and see the flaws. Guess people vote first. I was just reading the osmotic pressure for seawater is about 1000 psi so the resistance of the membrane is probably going to be pretty small in comparison.
Just the past 11 days alone I've seen articles on graphene coated solar panels make power, graphene filters for terahertz communications, nanotube film, nano-silicon graphene Li-Ion battery electrodes, even graphene tennis rackets and now this graphene water filter.