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Water purification process named 'Technology Idol of the Year'

Humidification-dehumidification (HDH) carrier gas extraction process developed by researchers at MIT.
Water from natural gas wells, sent to MIT by the companies that operate them, was run through the humidification-dehumidification (HDH) carrier gas extraction process, producing clean, potable water (right).
Caption:
Water from natural gas wells, sent to MIT by the companies that operate them, was run through the humidification-dehumidification (HDH) carrier gas extraction process, producing clean, potable water (right).
Credits:
Photo: David Castro-Olmedo/MIT

The humidification-dehumidification (HDH) carrier gas extraction process developed by Prakash Narayan and colleagues in Department of Mechanical Engineering Professor John H. Lienhard’s research group has just been named the Water Technology Idol of the Year by Global Water Intelligence (GWI) and International Desalination Association (IDA) at the 2013 Global Water Summit in Seville, Spain.

The system was developed and tested over a five-year period, with funding and collaboration from Saudi Arabia’s King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM). The system is a thermodynamically balanced, multi-stage evaporative design that incorporates novel dehumidification technology for a low-cost, compact, and easy to maintain solution. It is especially useful in developing countries and for hypersaline water from oil and gas production. 

The carrier gas extraction (CGE) technology is being commercialized by Gradiant Corporation, founded by MIT alumni, focused on oil and gas and other industrial water treatment applications.

The award was conferred for “an early stage technology that could change the future of the water market.”

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