Drinking water from the sea with the Sea Kettle

Hundreds of people die at sea each year. Many of them are lost at sea and die of dehydration and are unable to be rescued in time. Sadly many of these individuals just need a few more hours in order to be rescued. The Sea Kettle is a new way to help people that are planning to go to sea as it will provide a flotation chamber for them and it also purifies the sea water, giving you drinking water so you won't die of dehydration.

Kim Hoffman developed the Sea Kettle as a way for those lost at sea to avoid dehydration. When the body is dehydrated, you can literally go crazy. Having something that can keep you alive for a few more days is vital for search and rescue teams to have enough time to find you.The raft will use the heat from the sun in order to evaporate the sea water and the condensed run off will fill up containers inside the raft, allowing you to have fresh drinking water.

The life raft not only provides a place for drinking water, it is bright and colorful, making it easy for the coast guard to spot. It also provides you with insulation from the elements as it is completely encased. The outside of the raft has the solar panels that are used to attract the sun and provide the purified water to fall into the Gortex covered plastic reservoir. The cover is black because it is used to absorb the sun and convert the salt water into drinking water.

When the water hits the top of the raft, it will fall onto the Gortex cover. The vapors will escape through the cover and the condensed droplets of water will fall into 4 separate water pouches throughout the raft that you can use as drinking water. Each raft can produce enough drinking water to sustain about 4-5 people and provide you with time as you wait for search and rescue to find and save you.

Right now there are not many options out there that can save you if you are lost at sea. Life rafts can provide you with a place to stay safe from the elements but most of them do not work effectively as the large sea swells can toss men off the raft. The constant tossing and tumbling all night and day can take its toll on you and without water to help keep you energized and fueled, it can be challenging to find the strength you need to survive. This is why the Sea Kettle is so beneficial because it can give you that extra help you need to stay alive in the deadly seas.

If all tests and safety standards work, the Sea Kettle should be able to make it's way into the oceans soon. The James Dyson Award competition is happening and by October, designer Hoffman will know if her unique invention will be able to win the trophy and large cash prize that can be used to help strengthen it and market it.

The one downside about the Sea Kettle is that it's not going to work in places where it's cold. It only works in places where it is hot enough to cause evaporation so you can acquire fresh drinking water. While this technology is limited to hot areas, it does provide a great opportunity for inventors to perfect it and to look into different ways to purify sea water. In places like Alaska, the need for a life-saving device like the Sea Kettle can really save hundreds of lives each year.