Overview
ARBOK-BOTTLING is a compact, autonomous unit that desalinates and purifies seawater or freshwater and packages it directly into sealed plastic drinking cups. Built on ARBOK vacuum-evaporation desalination, it needs no filters, membranes, or chemicals, runs on grid, wind, solar, or a small generator, and produces SGS-certified drinking water comparable in softness to meltwater. The output has a long shelf life without refrigeration — suitable for retail, emergencies, and remote or expeditionary use.
Applications
Primary use cases: retail bottling; emergency water supply; military/expeditionary missions; remote settlements and islands; eco-conscious water production.
Industries and users: beverage/bottling, humanitarian and defense logistics, off-grid communities.
Scale: compact autonomous unit; from 4 t/day upward.
Operating Principle
Source water (sea, river, lake, or municipal) is desalinated/purified by vacuum evaporation: water evaporates at ambient temperature and condenses clean, while salts, pathogens, and dissolved gases are left behind — no UV, pasteurization, or extra filtration needed. The clean water is dispensed into sealed cups (with foil lid). Same output quality regardless of source.
Limitations: packaging consumables (cup + foil); throughput set by unit size.
Key Parameters
Energy: 1–1.5 kWh per ton of water. Consumables: none for purification (no filters/membranes/chemicals).
Water quality: SGS-certified drinking standard; pathogens and oxygen cations removed; long shelf life without refrigeration.
Bottling capacity: from 4 t/day → 40 000 sealed cups (100 ml) or 26 700 cups (150 ml).
Power: grid, wind, solar, or small diesel generator.
Architecture and Components
Vacuum-evaporation desalination module; condensation/clean-water unit; sealed-cup filling and foil-sealing line; control system (PLC/automation). Compact, autonomous, modular.
Advantages
Technical: no membranes/filters/chemicals; SGS-certified output from any source; no UV/pasteurization.
Economic: ~1 kWh/ton (€0.25–0.30 in EU); water cost per 100 ml cup ~€0.00003 (final price = cup + foil + taxes).
Environmental: long shelf life cuts cold-chain need; no chemical inputs.
Strategic: autonomous, renewable-capable supply for emergencies, defense, and remote sites.
Integrations
Runs standalone on any power source; pairs with ARBOK desalination/mobile units; standard cup/foil packaging supply.
Deployment & Operation
Steps: source assessment → unit placement → connect power → operate. Autonomous, automated; restock packaging consumables. Minimal staffing.
TRL
TRL 5 (confirmed by Michael). The desalination/purification core is mature (~TRL 9, proven ARBOK platform), but the integrated sealed-cup filling-and-sealing line has not yet been built. As a complete bottling unit it is therefore TRL 5. Remaining: design and build the filling/sealing line and integrate it with the water core.
Market Potential
Bottled water is a large global market; ARBOK-BOTTLING targets emergency supply, defense logistics, islands/remote sites, and low-footprint retail production where source water is saline or unreliable.
Typical Project Economics
Water OPEX ~1 kWh/ton (€0.25–0.30 in EU); water cost per 100 ml cup ~€0.00003; dominant unit cost is packaging (cup + foil) and taxes. CAPEX modular per unit; payback driven by retail/relief pricing. (Detailed economics to be modelled.)
Risk Factors
Packaging consumable supply/cost; bottled-water certification per market; plastic-cup environmental perception; needs verifiable commercial reference for high TRL claim.
Related Technologies
Vacuum Osmosis · ARBOK-MOBILE · JAMBO-2 (Jet Desalination Unit) · ARBOK-VC (Vacuum Cracking)