A major part of research and development effort in the laboratory has been devoted towards non concentrating solar photocatalytic detoxification systems . The results show that a combination of these techniques can clean-up wastewater where all conventional techniques fail, especially for removing color and reducing chemical oxygen demand. A computer simulation model of solar detoxification has been developed to help in the design of systems and to predict their long term performance and economics. The laboratory successfully demonstrated the technology in an engineering- scale field test at the Tyndall Air Force Base. Two types of reactors are in use at the Energy Research and EducationPark.
Contaminated water is detoxified in the solar pond.
Pollutants are broken down by solar ultraviolet radiation with titanium dioxide working as a catalyst. The tube reactor test facility is also used for the treatment of contaminated water. UV solar radiation in combination with titanium dioxide oxidizes organic compounds in water. Various reactor configurations can be fitted underneath that array to study photocatalytic detoxification indoors. In the past, several projects involving photocatalytic clean up of waste water have been undertaken.