Sewage purification with solar energy

A new (technique|method|process) (allows|permits|makes it possible) (to purify|cleaning of) sewage with the aid of solar sunrays. The (plants|facilities) developed by US-American researchers work effectively and inexpensively [not: cheaply]. Moreover, they don't produce any unwanted [not: undesired] by-products.

(From the beginning|Since the beginning) of time the sun has been (supplying|providing|delivering) us light and heat [not: warmth] and (with|since) the invention of solar cells with electrical (energy|power) [not: current] [.. and even electrical energy with the invention of ...]. Now (there is another use|an additional benefit can be added): The sun (purifies|can purify) sewage.

When the sun works as sewage treatment plant operator, in principle the same happens as when it shines for a longer time on[to] upholstered furniture or wallpaper bleaching them out gradually. In both cases the high energy photons or light particles (initiate|start) a chemical process changing the substance shone at.

A decisive breakthrough in this (matter|affair|field of research) was recently achieved by scientists in Golden at the "National Renewable Energy Laboratory" (NREL). They have succeeded in accelerating degradation processes (?) (caused|stimulated) by light by using titanium dioxide as catalyst. Titanium dioxide is a frequently used pigment (substance|material) (which is|being) responsible for the white colo(u)r of varnishes, papers, tooth paste and plastics. Titanium dioxide reacts chemically very intensively when hit by the sun's UV rays. (Because|Consequently|Therfore|As a consequence of) the bombardment with photons the titanium dioxide molecules (release|set free) electrons. These react consequently with water, oxygen and hydrogen peroxide forming negatively charged hydroxide ions and molecular(atomic, uncharged ...?) oxygen. Both substances are (highly|very) reactive and attack (most|almost all) organic substances.

Their attacks are so effective that crude oil products like impregnating, washing or purification agents are chemically cracked and (transformed|degraded) into carbon dioxide and water. If the relevant substances contain chlorine, admittedly little amounts of hydrochloric acid develop but they are easily neutrali(s|z)ed by means of a base. The engineers at NREL have (in the meantime|meanwhile) (developed|conceived|constructed|built) two different (installations|facilities) that (take advantage|make use) of the solar purification principle. The so-called "amplifying system" consists of a 30 (meter|metre) long and 2 meter wide parabolic (gutter|channel|trough) of (anadized|mirrored) alumin(i)um. In her longitudinal direction - half a (meter|metre) above the ground of the (gutter|channel|trough), runs a transparent glass (conduct|tube|pipe|duct). The parabolic (gutter|channel|trough) focused the sunrays onto the glass (conduct|tube|pipe|duct) making the sunlight shine fifty times more powerful. To always (achieve|reach|attain) an optimal performance, the parabolic mirror automatically follows the sun's (course|ecliptic). The inner side of the glass (conduct|tube|pipe|duct) consists of porous plastic impregnated with titanium dioxide. If sewage runs through the (conduct|tube|pipe|duct), it is exposed to three aggressors; the photons of the sun (and|and also|as well as) the hydroxide ions and the molecular oxygen.

wallpaper                              Tapete                                 

technique, method, process             Verfahren. Methode, Technik            

allows, permits, makes it possible     erlaubt (es) ...                       

supply, provide, deliver               liefern                                

since, with                            seit                                   

energy, power, (here not: current)     elektrischer Strom                     

matter, affair                         Sache                                  

impregnating agent                     Imprägniermittel                       

to degrade (?)                         abbauen                                

admittedly, it's true, of course, in   zwar                                   
fact, actually, to be precise                                                 

installation, facility, arrangement,   Anlage                                 
layout, plant, works                                                          

to develop, generate, work out,        entwickeln                             
evolve, conceive, design, construct,                                          
produce, generate, process, progress                                          

longitudinal (stripe, axis etc.)       Längs-                                 

channel, gutter, trough (Trog),        Rinne                                  
groove (Rille)                                                                

transparent (material), obvious        durchsichtig                           
(plan)                                                                        

conduct, tube, pipe, duct              Röhre