Magnesium powered water purification wins patent

Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC) has been awarded a US patent for its magnesium-powered water purification system which provides access to potable water in remote regions without the need to transport water supplies. It is particularly applicable to military use CTC claimed.

The device, according to CTC, is a metal-air battery that uses magnesium as a fuel to generate energy. It requires saltwater brine as an electrolyte, which it obtains from a reverse osmosis waste stream. “CTC developed the magnesium carbon battery (MagC) specifically for use with water purification systems,” said patent holder and the company’s senior director, advanced concepts and prototyping, Michael Pollock.

The MagC is, according to CTC, deployable in less than 15 minutes. It is nominally designed to provide potable water for a ten-day mission for up to 40 troops when it can power reverse osmosis desalination to produce potable water, provide power and produce hydrogen for use as a fuel.
 


CTC said weight for weight the MagC has about four times more energy than the best of other battery technologies.
 
Concurrent Technologies Corporation (CTC) is an independent, nonprofit, applied scientific research and development professional services organization providing innovative management and technology-based solutions to government and industry.