Direct Contact Membrane Distillation (DCMD) is a relatively low-energy process for removing dissolved solutes, such as salt, from a liquid such as water via a temperature gradient to drive the process, rather than an external applied pressure. It works by exchanging heated feed fluid (such as seawater or industrial wastewater) and cold permeate fluid (clean water) across a semipermeable membrane. When the exchange occurs, the gradient forms, and solutes (salt) are left behind on one side of the membrane while clean water is transported across the other. 

Currently, we are working on our second prototype that was manufactured during the spring of 2024. This module is thirty-seven times the size of our original prototype featuring 4 flat sheet membranes with a lab scale output of 5 liters per hour. Currently, the prototype is at Lehigh University's Energy Research Center where continued maintenance and testing is conducted. The current feed water lab-made salt water, and the system is powered by a heat pump. Our goals moving forward are to increase the system output and begin testing the prototype with a solar water heater.