Bermuda

What it does

Bermuda is a seawater purifier that use solar energy, pressure and filters to make it optimal for human consumption. In order to help castaways and people with danger of dehydration due to difficult access to drinking water.

Your inspiration

Bermuda comes up from the fact that due to the lack of technology and optimal equipment fishermen with few resources have a high probability of being shipwrecked and generally do not carry enough victuals to survive. Although they are surrounded by water, it is not suitable for human consumption, which is why Bermuda converts seawater into drinking water from certain processes… also it can be an excellent lifeguard!

How it works

Bermuda works thanks to the evaporation proccess of the water that is achieved due to its exposure to the sun, also thanks to the pressure generated inside the device and its three-layer inflatable body: The outer one is a semi-transparent layer of black color, then the interior is made of aluminum coated with plastic to concentrate the heat better and finally the intermediate layer which is the air produced when inflating the structure and helps to regulate the temperature and optimize the process. In the upper part it has a filling cap with a Valve through which air is introduced to generate a higher internal pressure and thus the water can evaporate more quickly. This upper part also has an inclination so that the condensed drops in it fall into the distilled water tank and when accumulating a certain amount of water the valve empties , first through a filter that helps to clean the water better to be able to drink it.

Design process

The process of ideation and design of this product began with trips in Mexico and Central America where I noticed that fishermen do not have optimal equipment for fishing and some of them have had several problem with their boats, the weather or even of orientation that have needed help and most of them didn't have the equipment to survive a longer shipwreck. I also Investigate about the processes of desalination and purification of water in colaboration with doctors and professionals who could support the project and then I found several processes that can be improvised and that work but aren't so efficient, that is why I decided to combine some of these techniques and basic principles of physics and chemistry to achieve a much more efficient process, faster and without losing the sense of the project. Subsequently, simple operating prototypes were made and a positive result was obtained which, in comparison with the current methods, can accelerate the distillation time and obtain a better water quality. Although it has sodium content, it is suitable for human consumption under emergency conditions and does not cause discomfort, nor does it entail the danger of taking water directly from the sea and is even better than the already obtained in the systems already used.

How it is different

Throughout the process we find artifacts that have a similar purpose but all require a lot of space and their costs are higher and almost inaccessible to the sector of our interest, besides, Bermuda’s amount of processes increases the effiency in comparison with other similar artifacts. what makes Bermuda an innovative, efficient and sustainable product. This product occupies very little space in relation to those that are similar, its production cost is low, it can be used as many times as desired and it can also be a very useful lifesaver due to its structure and the air inside.

Future plans

Among the future plans is to conduct a pilot test in which Mexico’s federal government is interested to develop and deliver this product to fishermen free of charge, funded by the ministry of agriculture, livestock, rural development, fisheries and food ( SAGARPA) and also create a premium version for people who likes adventure and then introduce Bermuda to various sectors that are not exclusively the fishing one since this device isn't just designed to treat seawater but for all kind of water, that way we can take the Project to international scales.

Awards

It is the first time that Bermuda enters a contest but I think it's remarkable that a government institution of the sector to which it's addressed is already interested in the development of this project and plans to implement it in the communities that require it.