Water Project

The difficulties in obtaining drinking water for humans in Antarctica are explored and methods used in the past, present and future described. Melting of snow in the Heroic Age required large investments in fuel and time. Drinking Of iced water rather than boiled 'Miter requires only half as much fuel. This was recognised by Amundsen and Shackleton. Starting temperature of the snow is less important. Dehydration may have contributed to poor decision making by Scott on his fatal polar expedition. The amount of fuel used, and time taken to melt snow, using The Primus stove, white spirit stove and propane/butane gas stove were compared. Times and fuel consumption wele similar. The gas stove and white spirit stove were more convenient to use, however, the Primus stove burning kerosene was the only one that proved reliable at temperatures below — 20 oc. An efficiency of 37% was achieved experimentally. Melting of snow using solar energy is exp101ed and a design proposed for a solar box for field panies. Desalination of seawater is an energy efficient and environmentally clean method of obtaining drinking water at the modern bases along the Antarctic Coast. South Pole Station uses the Rodriguez well method to melt ice for drinking water. Hydll)gen and fuel cells, and wind thermal energy are possible technologies that could be incotporated into futule water and electrical generating systems at the bases. The difficulties in obtaining drinking water for humans in Antarctica are explored and methods used in the past, present and future described. Melting of snow in the Heroic Age required large investments in fuel and time. Drinking Of iced water rather than boiled 'Miter requires only half as much fuel. This was recognised by Amundsen and Shackleton. Starting temperature of the snow is less important. Dehydration may have contributed to poor decision making by Scott on his fatal polar expedition. The amount of fuel used, and time taken to melt snow, using The Primus stove, white spirit stove and propane/butane gas stove were compared. Times and fuel consumption wele similar. The gas stove and white spirit stove were more convenient to use, however, the Primus stove burning kerosene was the only one that proved reliable at temperatures below — 20 oc. An efficiency of 37% was achieved experimentally. Melting of snow using solar energy is exp101ed and a design proposed for a solar box for field panies. Desalination of seawater is an energy efficient and environmentally clean method of obtaining drinking water at the modern bases along the Antarctic Coast. South Pole Station uses the Rodriguez well method to melt ice for drinking water. Hydll)gen and fuel cells, and wind thermal energy are possible technologies that could be incotporated into futule water and electrical generating systems at the bases