An inventor from Mérida has received a U.S. patent for invention that turns seawater into drinking water.
Jorge Antonio Lechuga Andrade took six years to develop the device.
The former director of the Faculty of Chemical Engineering at the Autonomous University of Yucatan (UADY) completed numerous tests and studies to verify the effectiveness of his invention and how it compares with similar systems.
The U.S. Patent and Trademark also agreed the invention met its criteria of originality, innovation and sustainability.
The system uses the centrifugal reverse osmosis technique with “Dean vortices” to desalinate seawater and make it drinkable. Lechuga Andrade said the process is low cost, uses little energy and has a low impact on the environment.
Its operating costs are much lower since the system allows for a systematic cleaning of its own membranes, an action that in other systems must be carried out manually.
Once the desalination process is finished, excess water is returned to the sea to avoid any adverse impact on marine flora and fauna.
In 2015, Lechuga Andrade was awarded the National Prize from the Mexican Institute of Chemical Engineers.
A patent was also granted by the Mexican Institute of Intellectual Property. Both certifications are valid for 20 years.
Source: Nation.com.mx
