Kuwait research body wins US patent for desalination plant

Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research (KISR) has earned a patent from the United States Patent and Trademark Office for a notable scientific achievement dealing with the construction of a desalination plant using semipermeable membranes, KUNA reported.

In a scientific breakthrough, scientists from a water research centre affiliated with KISR managed to reduce the hydraulic pressure required for the desalination of seawater, the KISR said in a statement.

The patent, registered under the names of the KISR research team, is indicative of a tangible step towards scientific innovation, validating a new theory dealing with the seawater desalination process, the statement said.

Through trial and error, the team designed a first of its kind desalination unit with a capacity of 30,000 liters per day, churning out a freshwater output of 35 percent with 15 percent of atmospheric pressure, the statement explained.

Upon closer examination, labouratory tests determined that the quality of water produced by the desalination unit meets international standards set by the World Health Organization.

The new invention has led to major advances in the desalination process, providing a more efficient and less costly alternative to conventional strategies, according to researcher Dr. Mansour Ahmad.

The new method reduces the likelihood of blockage by any debris, as compared to the reverse osmosis system, he added, saying KISR looks forward to similar scientific discoveries in the future. (QNA)