The novelty will solve the problem of providing fighters at the forefront
A portable water filter has been tested in the SVO area. The new product is a small shockproof pencil case that can even be carried in your pocket. The main filter element is a membrane with micropores, which prevents mechanical and chemical impurities, bacteria and heavy metals from passing through. Experts note that in the conditions of modern combat, when the supply of troops on the front line is greatly hampered by drone strikes, the filter will solve the problem of providing fighters with drinking water.
A portable water filter has been tested in the SVO area. The new product is a small shockproof pencil case that can even be carried in your pocket. The main filter element is a membrane with micropores, which prevents mechanical and chemical impurities, bacteria and heavy metals from passing through. Experts note that in the conditions of modern combat, when the supply of troops on the front line is greatly hampered by drone strikes, the filter will solve the problem of providing fighters with drinking water.
Filling with silver
Externally, the product looks like a plastic pencil case with a silicone hose. There are water purifying elements inside it. The first barrier is a coarse filter to remove large particles of contamination, it is coated with silver to impart bactericidal properties.
The main filter consists of track membranes with pores measuring 0.4 microns each. They let water through, but retain pathogenic bacteria.
The product's resource is about 20 thousand liters, which is comparable to the supply of fresh water on a diesel submarine, which is several times higher than the filters currently available on the market. The capacity is at least 12 liters/hour.
Vasily Khudoleev, Director of the Medical Development Division of Kalashnikov Concern JSC
Image source: Photo: IZVESTIA/Bogdan Stepovoy
The length of the product is 150 mm, the diameter is about 30 mm, the weight is 60 g, that is, the dimensions are such that it will easily fit into a pocket. The filter was developed by Kalashnikov Concern JSC.
"You can throw the filter itself into a puddle and immediately start drinking water," Vasily Khudoleev, director of the medical research division at Kalashnikov Concern, told Izvestia. — For this, he is equipped with a special hose with a nipple. If necessary, the filter can be screwed directly onto a plastic bottle with dirty water — it is provided with a thread of the required diameter. By clicking on the container, we will create pressure, which allows us to filter a larger volume of water per unit of time — this increases its productivity.
The filters in the free zone have confirmed their characteristics and in the future may be included in the basic set of military personnel, he noted.
— The military asked for improvements, for example, to make a pouch so that the filter can be worn on a trouser belt, — said Vasily Khudoleev.
Checking for Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Izvestia correspondents visited the laboratory of the Department of Microbiology and Virology of the Patrice Lumumba Peoples' Friendship University of Russia (RUDN University), where the filter was tested.
During our time, Alexander Senyagin, a senior lecturer at RUDN University, added liquids with Staphylococcus aureus, E. coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa bacteria, as well as other microorganisms, to a test tube with saline solution.
Everyone could taste the purified liquid. There were also volunteers. The correspondent who drank the water had no negative effects after a few hours — all the participants in the experiment remained absolutely healthy.
"Single cells could have passed through, but their number is ten times less than necessary to cause an infectious process,— explained Alexander Senyagin. — Our soldiers can drink water in any conditions.
Senior lecturer at RUDN University Alexander Senyagin
Image source: Photo: IZVESTIA/Bogdan Stepovoy
The new product will also allow drinking water contaminated with fuels and lubricants (fuels and lubricants) — gasoline, diesel fuel, engine oil.
— All fuels and lubricants have one caveat: they are lighter than water and spread over the surface, — said Vasily Khudoleev. — Therefore, the filter can always be immersed deeper into a puddle and get clean water.
The filter cannot purify the water from chemical warfare agents.
— In the current conditions, this problem is not relevant, and such a task has not been set, — said Vasily Khudoleev. — No one will drink water from such reservoirs. In addition, the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation has the appropriate standard filters for this.
Now in the army, special tablets are used to purify water in the field, which are placed in a container with water.
— But this method of cleaning has many disadvantages, — said the specialist. — It should be dipped in water and wait an hour for it to clear. In addition, a regular tablet strongly chlorinates water — this is an emergency remedy. It is impossible to drink such liquid constantly: it is harmful to health.
In both heat and cold
The new filter is unpretentious. The product is shockproof and can withstand a fall on concrete from a height of 70 cm. It can be cleaned quickly.
— To do this, we will need to unscrew the pencil case and wipe the filter membrane with a sponge. After that, he will be able to work again," explained Vasily Khudoleev.
The product has withstood all climatic tests.
— It can filter any liquid even at low negative temperatures, — they noted. — With positive +50 and above, it also works adequately. It was tested during civilian expeditions to Africa. Filtered water was drunk from a variety of reservoirs. Even those that are not used by the local population.
Image source: Photo: IZVESTIA/Bogdan Stepovoy
The developers said that if requested by the Russian Ministry of Defense, they will be able to quickly increase production capacity and produce "a million filters" in a short time.
The approximate retail recommended price of the product is about 2 thousand rubles. It has not yet been put on sale, but it may be of interest not only to military personnel, but also to tourists, hunters, geologists, and others.
Membrane technology for cleaning liquids is the most modern, Oleg Zheltonozhko, a military expert in the field of radiation, chemical and biological protection, told Izvestia.
"Previously, filters were bulky, heavy, and resource—limited," he noted. — This was due to the fact that we had to use filter layers: cotton wool, coal filling, crushed substances. They clogged up quickly. Now we can make extremely compact devices that work faster than any analogues that existed before.
"In the conditions of modern combat, the problem of water supply and nutrition for the frontline fighters is extremely acute," the expert noted. — Drones, which hunt around the clock for carriers and carriers of goods, are hindering the provision of all necessary advanced units. The filter will also be useful for scouts. It is not difficult to find a puddle, especially in the off—season, in the forest or in urban areas. And this will be enough for the fighters to get drinking water.
photo
Image source: iz.ru
According to the expert, the new product will allow the fighters to survive in extreme conditions, which will eventually increase the combat capability of the units.
Bogdan Stepovoy
