# Atmospheric Passive Water Collection Systems



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Atmospheric Passive Water Collection Systems*

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The other night, I made a post using the phrase
"From Thin Air." Tonight, I tried to find a few atmospheric passive water collection systems I had seen in the past, and found a bit more than a few...and several use the exact phrase I did last night:
Making Water From Thin Air (note: from thin air)

Simple, Cheap, Passive, & Buildable Systems That Harvest Water From Thin Air

http://urbanevolution.org/thinktank/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=54
Re: Harvesting Water from Air

Postby Justin Boland » January 26th, 2009, 2:16 am
This is a long and abiding interest of mine that dates back to this Wired article:
http://www.wired.com/science/discoverie ... 6/10/71898

http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2006/10/71898
Making Water From Thin Air
Audrey Hudson Email 10.06.06

A company that developed technology capable of creating water out of thin air nearly anywhere in the world is now under contract to nourish U.S. soldiers serving in Iraq.

The water-harvesting technology was originally the brainchild of the Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, which sought ways to ensure sustainable water supplies for U.S. combat troops deployed in arid regions like Iraq.

"The program focused on creating water from the atmosphere using low-energy systems that could reduce the overall logistics burden for deployed forces and provide potable water within the reach of the war fighter any place, any time," said Darpa spokeswoman Jan Walker.

To achieve this end, Darpa gave millions to research companies like LexCarb and Sciperio to create a contraption that could capture water in the Mesopotamian desert.

But it was another company, Aqua Sciences, that developed a product on its own and was first to put a product on the market that can operate in harsh climates.

"People have been trying to figure out how to do this for years, and we just came out of left field in response to Darpa," said Abe Sher, chief executive officer of Aqua Sciences. "The atmosphere is a river full of water, even in the desert. It won't work absolutely everywhere, but it works virtually everywhere."

Sher said he is "not at liberty" to disclose details of the government contracts, except that Aqua Sciences won two highly competitive bids with "some very sophisticated companies."

He also declined to comment on how the technology actually works.

"This is our secret sauce," Sher said. "Like Kentucky Fried Chicken, it tastes good, but we won't tell you what's in it."

He did, however, provide a hint: Think of rice used in saltshakers that acts as a magnet to extract water and keeps salt from clumping.

"We figured out how to tap it in a very unique and proprietary way," Sher said. "We figured out how to mimic nature, using natural salt to extract water and act as a natural decontamination.

"Think of the Dead Sea, where nothing grows around it because the salt dehydrates everything. It's kind of like that."

The 20-foot machine can churn out 600 gallons of water a day without using or producing toxic materials and byproducts. The machine was displayed on Capitol Hill last week where a half-dozen lawmakers and some staffers stopped by for a drink.

"It was very interesting to see the technology in action and learn about its possible implementation in natural disasters," said Rep. E. Clay Shaw Jr., a Republican from Florida whose hurricane-prone district includes Fort Lauderdale.

"It was delicious," Shaw said.

Jason Rowe, chief of staff to Rep. Tom Feeney, another Florida Republican, called the technology "pretty impressive."

"I was pretty blown away by the things it's able to do," Rowe said. "The fact that this technology is not tied to humidity like others are makes it an attractive alternative for military bases in the Mideast where humidity is not really an option.

"It seems like it's a cheaper alternative to trucking in bottled water, which has a shelf life," said Rowe, who described himself as a fiscal hawk.

Once deployed, the machines could reduce the cost of logistical support for supplying water to the troops in Iraq by billions of dollars, said Stuart Roy, spokesman of the DCI Group, Aqua Sciences' public affairs firm.

The cost to transport water by C-17 cargo planes, then truck it to the troops, runs $30 a gallon. The cost, including the machines from Aqua Sciences, will be reduced to 30 cents a gallon, Roy said.

Several systems on the market can create water through condensation, but the process requires a high level of humidity.

Aqua Sciences' machines only require 14 percent humidity, Roy said. "That's why this technology is superior and why they are getting the contracts."

ECOGIZMO	
Device that harvests water from thin air wins the James Dyson Award (from thin air)

http://www.gizmag.com/airdrop-wins-james-dyson-award/20471/

By Bridget Borgobello

09:17 November 11, 2011

20
inShare
Edward Linacre has won the 2011 James Dyson Award for his Airdrop irrigation concept

Edward Linacre has won the 2011 James Dyson Award for his Airdrop irrigation concept
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Young Melbourne-based inventor Edward Linacre has won the 2011 James Dyson Award, making it the second year in a row where the prestigious prize has gone to an Aussie. Linacre stole this year's competition with his Airdrop irrigation concept that collects water from thin air. The Swinburne University of Technology design graduate was driven to transform an ancient cooling technique into a new sub-surface irrigation system, following the enduring Australian drought that saw high levels of farmer suicide along Australia's Murray- Darling Basin.

The Airdrop irrigation concept is a low-tech design that uses the simple process of conden...
Utilizing a turbine intake system, air is channeled underground through a network of pipin...
Linacre is a Swinburne University of Technology design graduate (image: James Dyson Award)
Airdrop is a new sub-surface irrigation system (image: James Dyson Award)
View all

The Airdrop irrigation concept is a low-tech design that uses the simple process of condensation to harvest water from the air. Utilizing a turbine intake system, air is channeled underground through a network of piping that quickly cools the air to soil temperature. This process creates an environment of 100-percent humidity, from which water is then harvested. The collected water is stored in an underground tank, ready to be pumped out via sub-surface drip irrigation hosing. The Airdrop design also features an LCD screen displaying water levels, pressure strength, solar battery life and system health.

"The one that I made in the backyard at mum's house was creating about a liter of water a day," Linacre told Gizmag. Although the backyard trial was successful on a small scale, Linacre did prove that it could be implemented on a large agricultural scale. "The low-tech solution is perfect for rural farmers," explained Linacre. "[It's] something they can install, something they can maintain ... taking water out of the air and irrigating their crops."

The James Dyson Award is an international competition that attracts designs and inventions from young creators all over the world. As the winner, Linacre will receive GBP10,000 (US$14,000), with a further GBP10,000 (US$14,000) going to Swinburne's Faculty of Design.

Edward described the Airdrop system to Gizmag at the Australian Design Awards, in a video that we shot earlier this year.

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View as Slideshow [Interesting ways to harvest water from air]

Every life form present on this blue planet needs water for survival. That's the reason we see environmentalists over the world encouraging individuals to save every drop, as those precious drops might be what someone is desperately in need for. Since many potable water sources are contaminated, there are some designers who're looking toward humid air to quench the thirst of millions. Here are some of the best devices that harvest fresh water from thin air: (note: from thin air)

Simple, Cheap, Passive, & Build-able Systems Have Top Priority

http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/survival/wilderness/how-to-find-water2.htm
How to Find Water in the Wild

by Charles W. Bryant

HowStuffWorks 2008
Water Collection Techniques

If you're stranded and there isn't a fresh water source around, then you need to get to work on collecting water. There are a few techniques to do this, and it doesn't hurt to set up more than one system. The more water you can collect, the better your chances of survival.

One pretty basic way you can collect water is to make a belowground still. To do this, you'll need some plastic sheeting, a digging tool, a container, a drinking tube and a rock.

Choose a moist area that gets sunlight for most of the day.
Dig a bowl-shaped hole about three feet across and two feet deep, with an additional sump dug in the center.
The sump should be flat and big enough to hold your container.
Place the container into the sump.
Put the drinking tube in the container and run it up and out of the main hole.
Place the plastic over the hole and cover the sides with rock and soil to keep it there.
Put your rock in the center of the sheet and let it hang down about 18 inches, directly over the container to form an inverted cone.
Add more soil on the edges for stability.

The moisture from the ground reacts with the heat from the sun to produce condensation on the plastic. The still forces the condensation to run down the plastic and into your container. You can also add vegetation inside the hole to increase the amount of moisture -- just make sure the plants aren't poisonous. Use the tube to drink directly from the container. If you don't have one, you can remove the container and reassemble it after. A good still can produce up to one quart of drinking water per day.

For better-tasting water, let it sit for 12 hours if you can afford to. You can also make a filter to remove any visible particles:

Find a large can, hollow log or plastic bag. Hollow bamboo will also work.
Punch 5-10 small holes around the base of your container and suspend it from the ground.
Fill it with alternating layers of rock, sand and cloth.
Use both fine and coarse layers, the more the better.
Pour your collected water into the filter and catch it in another container below.

HowStuffWorks 2007

The water should come through fairly clear, if not you can pour it through again. Add charcoal from your fire to remove odor -- just make sure you filter the charcoal out with some cloth. This method merely removes large sediment and improves the taste. You should always purify the water by boiling it.

In the next section, we'll look at some other techniques for collecting water.
Lifestraw

The Lifestraw is a portable filtration device that lets you safely drink directly from any fresh water source. It's about 11 inches long, less than 1 inch around, and looks like a jumbo drinking straw. One end has the narrow mouthpiece, the other goes directly into the water source. Each Lifestraw lasts 700 liters, roughly the amount of water needed for one person per year.

The filter gets rid of nearly 100 percent of waterborne bacteria, 98.7 percent of viruses and removes particles as small as 15 microns. Five million people per year die from waterborne illness -- mostly children. More than a billion people worldwide have no access to safe drinking water. The makers of Lifestraw hope to help cut this amount in half by the year 2015. You can donate money through two organizations to help provide Lifestraws to people in need all over the world at the Lifestraw Web site.*

Lifestraw is also a great item for any outdoor enthusiast to have in his or her emergency survival kit. It weighs only 140 grams and it just might make the difference in your chances of survival.

http://www.triplepundit.com/2011/09/rainsaucers-make-rainwater-harvesting-accessible/
RainSaucers Make Rainwater Harvesting More Accessible
By Akhila Vijayaraghavan | September 9th, 2011 5 Comments
inShare4

ve reading about little innovations that make life easier for so many people with eco-friendly solutions. In the realm of water conservation, every drop is precious and rain water is one of the purest forms of water before it reaches the ground. It has long been used for non-potable uses and rain water harvesting (RWH) is a technology that has not changed in over 4000 years. RainSaucers aims to do one better by ensuring that RWH produces potable drinking water.

The RainSaucer looks like an upside down umbrella. It decreases the chances of contamination by ensuring that rain water does not come in contact with building surfaces. It also comes with an inbuilt filter. It was developed by Tom Spargo, who included five components: a food grade polypropylene 'saucer', pipe fitting, mesh filter, fasteners, and a retention ring for wind resistance. The Saucer harvests about 6.75 gallons per inch of rain and can work with any container. A single 200-liter RainSaucers system, emptied periodically during the rainy season, can provide a family with seven months of clean drinking water. They have also developed a 18 gallon disaster-relief prototype that can be checked in as luggage.

According to Spargo, the RainSaucer was designed to scale-up the amount of water that can be harvested. "I simply pondered why it is that this great concept isn't more widespread and decided it was too much of a 'project' and not enough of a 'product.' RainSaucers aims to make RWH a product you can buy in local markets, just like you can buy solar ovens, solar lights, kick pumps, etc."

Polypropylene was chosen as the primary material because it is low cost, food grade, FDA approved and BPA free. This reduces the amount of contamination and also makes its portable. RainSaucers can be rolled up for transportation and they can even be shipped by air. Finally, no tools are needed to install the Saucer.

Several RainSaucers have been installed in areas like California and are helping small-scale farmers. The system can be designed so that several Saucers can be linked to one single tank thereby increasing the surface area exposed to rainfall. Wider applications are seen in developing countries. The company just completed a field trip in Quetzaltenango, Guatemala where they helped families save money by reducing their dependence on bottled water. Although the region has municipal water, it is very unclean and citizens are forced to buy bottled water for fear of water-bourne diseases. Citizens spend about $300 on bottled water which is one month's income every year. The Guatemalan Saucer is the same as the one in the US except with an extra filtration unit.

India is the next target for RainSaucers. 18 of India's 28 states have made RWH mandatory with no real system in place, which means less than half of those required households have compiled. This makes India a huge market for the company because water shortages are being acutely felt in many areas of the country. I cannot wait, I'll be first in line.

Image Credit: RainSaucers. Potable water unit based on 5 gallon bucket, with extra filtration chamber
http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/simple-solar-stills
Simple Solar Stills Watercone
Low Tech Watercone Makes Brackish or Polluted Water Potable
Simple Solar StillsLow Tech Watercone Makes Brackish or Polluted Water Potable	Simple Solar Stills - Low Tech Watercone Makes Brackish or Polluted Water Potable (VIDEO) 2	Simple Solar Stills - Low Tech Watercone Makes Brackish or Polluted Water Potable (VIDEO) 3	53
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There are a number of simple solar stills out in the world, but cost-effective, portable water desalinization equipment remains out of the reach of many in need. The Watercone is a low-tech device that uses the power of the sun to condense brackish or polluted water, then allow it to be collected for drinking.

Made of recyclable UV-resistant PET plastic, the Watercone has an average lifespan of five years. After its life as a water still, the Watercone can be used to collect rain water, as a roof panel or container for other goods.

1. • Max Water:

Dubbed Max Water, the system according to the inventor would even harvest significant amounts of water using air with low humidity. (from thin air)

An Australian inventor has developed a device that is capable of harvesting unlimited water from air. Powered by wind, the device uses the same source for water as well. Dubbed Max Water, the system according to the inventor would even harvest significant amounts of water using air with low humidity. A four-meter square device could extract an average 7,500 liters of water a day.

6. • Dew Drop:
Industrial designer Jacky Wu has designed the Dew Drop device that extracts water from thin air for plants. (from thin air)

Industrial designer Jacky Wu has designed the Dew Drop device that extracts water from thin air for plants. The Dew Drop works on the principles of condensation. All the user has to do is to plant the artificial leaf in the same pot as the plant and connect it to a wall plug. Water condenses on the leaf and is fed to the plants.

8. • Groasis Waterboxx:

...the Groasis Waterboxx can produce fresh water even in the driest places on earth (from thin air).

Created by Dutch entrepreneur Pieter Hoff, the Groasis Waterboxx can produce fresh water even in the driest places on earth. Inspired by bird poop, the device is modeled after the way excrement protects seeds that birds have digested, providing humidity and shelter from the elements so that they can grow. The 20-inch by 10-inch box surrounds the young plant and at night an insulation plate allows it to harvest water through condensation.

Lea Bogdan
http://inhabitat.com/beetle-inspired-bottle-harvests-drinking-water-from-thin-air/ (from thin air)
Beetle-Inspired Bottle Harvests Drinking Water From Thin Air
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dew bank, water, fog, beetle, harvesting, collecting, desert, nomad, eco, green, sustainable, design, IDEA Awards, biomimicry, water bottle

For over one hundred years, scientists and engineers have been studying ways to effectively harvest fog as a source of water in arid regions. Although some of these man-made systems have proved useful, the plants and insects that inhabit deserts are far more efficient dew collectors. One ingenious bug known as the "fog beetle" collects drinking water by perching in an opportune position that allows dew droplets to collect in ridges on its back. Seeing this, designer Pak Kitae developed an ingenious biomimicking Dew Bank bottle that could provide hydration to millions of people that lack accessible drinking water.

dew bank, water, fog, beetle, harvesting, collecting, desert, nomad, eco, green, sustainable, design, IDEA Awards, biomimicry, water bottle

In the morning, the bottle's ribbed stainless steel dome becomes colder than the air, forming dew drops that slide over the shell and into a channel circling the base. Each day, the Fog Beetle can collect enough water to match 40% of its body weight. Kitae's suggests that his bottle could collect at least enough for one glass of thirst quenching water.

The Dew Bank was a Bronze Prize winner in the 2010 IDEA Design Awards. We agree that Kitae's bottle is notable, and we hope to see more amazing water-harvesting innovations for desert dwellers.

http://blogs.discovery.com/news_tech_nfpc/agriculture-forestry-and-fishing-1/
Waterboxx Called Innovation of the Year

Groasis_Waterboxx

High five to Dutch entrepreneur Pieter Hoff, the man behind the Groasis Waterboxx! His unique box protects plants in dry areas, harvesting water through condensation instead of relying on irrigation. The Waterboxx was just chosen as Popular Science's innovation of the year.

I first heard about the Waterboxx earlier this year when Jim Witkin featured it in the New York Times Green Inc. blog, where Hoff described it as a "water battery" for its ability to conserve water. Then, from reading up on Hoff's work, I discovered that his design was inspired by the way bird poop actually protects digested seeds and helps them grow. Since its time as a promising prototype, the box has become a commercially available "irrigation-free plant incubator." A shipment of 10 Waterboxxes goes for $275.

The box has undergone successful experiments around the world. As Popular Science points out, 88 percent of the trees planted in Waterboxxes in the Sahara not only survived but thrived, compared with about 10 percent of traditionally-planted trees in the same area. Most of those unboxed trees straight-up died.

Popular Science chose the Waterboxx as its "Best of What's New" innovation of the year because of its design as well as its potential to prevent 50 million people from having to migrate over the next several years when deforestation and over-farming negatively impact agricultural productivity.

It's exciting to see that the box now has a biopolymer version that will provide nutrients to the ground when it biodegrades over time. The polypropylene version is supposed to last for 10 years. Hopefully by then there will still be some water left.

Photo: Palm Springs High School works on a Waterboxx experiment. Credit: Groasis.

Solar Water Purifier provides potable water without consuming electricity
2
Anupam JollyJun 17 2010

Eco Factor: Non-electric water purifier uses solar heat for purification.

The United Nations estimates that over a billion people in the world don't have access to safe drinking water, which results in 1.8 million deaths annually. With threats such as global warming looming large, the situation is expected to worsen in the near future. While the urban world has access to hi-tech water purification systems, people living in rural parts of the world are still seeking help. Industrial designer Cole Dobson has come up with a concept water purifier that can be used by both the rural and the urban world.
solar water purifier 1
solar water purifier 1
solar water purifier 2
solar water purifier 2

Dubbed the Solar Water Purifier, the low-tech system makes use of solar heat to purify water. The system purifies water in two stages - when the user pours dirty water in the first tray, solar heat makes water evaporate and condense on the cover of the purifier from where it enters the second compartment. When all dirty water has condensed, the user has to remove the first tray and allow ultraviolet rays to further purify the particulate-free water. Since the system doesn't include any moving or electrical parts, its cost could be well within reach if the product reaches the production line.
solar water purifier 3
solar water purifier 3
solar water purifier 4
solar water purifier 4

All images © Cole Dobson [Used with Permission]

Thanks: [Cole Dobson]

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/...tchers-harvest-air-water-missions/photo2.html
PHOTOS: Fog Catchers Harvest Air's Water in Arid Places (from thin air)
PHOTOS: Fog Catchers Harvest Air's Water in Arid Places
PHOTOS: Fog Catchers Harvest Air's Water in Arid Places
PHOTOS: Fog Catchers Harvest Air's Water in Arid Places
PHOTOS: Fog Catchers Harvest Air's Water in Arid Places
PHOTOS: Fog Catchers Harvest Air's Water in Arid Places
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About Peru
Chilean Fog-Catchers
Beetle's Shell Offers Clues to Harvesting Water in the Desert
Text: Fog Catchers Bring Water to Parched Villages

Conservationists Kai Tiedemann and Anne Lummerich have helped the residents of Bellavista, Peru, plant 800 new river she-oak trees, such as those seen above, with water collected from fog-catching nets.

The young trees also serve as natural fog catchers--their branches take moisture from the air that helps to irrigate other plants. Snaking between the trees is a channel for the fog water the trees generate, made of tiles taken from a trash heap.
-Photograph by Anne Lummerich

Cate Trotter
http://inhabitat.com/harvest-water-from-the-air-with-fog-dew-collectors/
Fog & Dew Collectors for clean drinking water 
(from thin air)
by Cate Trotter, 06/26/08
filed under: Milan Furniture Fair, social responsibility, Water Issues

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alon alex gross, tuttobene milan 2008, fog harvesting, dew collector, goldsmiths critical practice, drinking water

Alon Alex Gross's fog and dew collectors provide a low-tech way for people in arid, developing regions to collect drinking water. Gross uses design to show users how individuals can come up with their own answers to ecological and technical problems. His method fuses the ancient methods of fog harvesting and dew collection with modern improvements such as super light materials and internet connectivity.

Read more: Fog & Dew Collectors for clean drinking water | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building

Alon Alex Gross's fog and dew collectors provide a low-tech way for people in arid, developing regions to collect drinking water. Gross uses design to show users how individuals can come up with their own answers to ecological and technical problems. His method fuses the ancient methods of fog harvesting and dew collection with modern improvements such as super light materials and internet connectivity.

alon alex gross, tuttobene milan 2008, fog harvesting, dew collector, goldsmiths critical practice, drinking water

The fog collector uses a screen to catch fog droplets in the air and turn them into drinking water. The 2 meter mesh surface can collect up to 10 liters of water in 24 hours. It can be used during day or night, and is most efficient when faced against the wind in high ground.

The dew collector is made of a special laminate foil that attracts dew drops. Despite only collecting water at night, the dew collector is very effective. It weighs just 400 grams, yet can collect up to 1.5 liters of clean water per night. It is most efficient when positioned on the ground in conditions of 50% humidity or more.

As extreme conditions can sometimes harm the laminate foil that collects the dew, Gross has developed a technologically advanced solution that detects atmospheric changes and uses sensors to open and close when conditions are right. To be as accessible as possible, it's designed to be compatible with a large number of common internet programs, such as Internet Explorer and Flash.

The project was shown at Tuttobene this year in Milan, and forms parts of Gross's work for the MA Critical Practice program at Goldsmiths College, London, known for its forward-thinking eco-design work. Here's hoping he'll take the project much further after he finishes.

+ Tuttobene

Read more: Fog & Dew Collectors for clean drinking water | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building

http://www.ecofriend.com/entry/dropnet-fog-collector-provides-potable-water-from-thin-air-and-mist/
Mystical Mist Catchers
http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dropnet-fog-collector

DropNet Fog Collector harvests potable water from thin air and mist. 
(from thin air)

Read more: Beetle-Inspired Water Bottle Harvests Water From Thin Air | Inhabitat - Sustainable Design Innovation, Eco Architecture, Green Building
7. • DropNet:

DropNet Fog Collector harvests potable water from thin air and mist.

Industrial design student at Germany's Muthesius Academy of Fine Arts and Design, Imke Hoehler, has created a system that harvests potable water from thin air and mist. Dubbed theDropNet, the water-collecting system can harvest up to 20 liters of clean water each day, and an array of several structures could supply a whole village with potable water.

http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/watair-dew-harvesting-system

WatAir Dew Harvesting System Provides Safe Drinking Water

Water Collection from Air
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Water Collection from Air Water Collection from Air 2 1 Water Collection from Air 3 2 Water Collection from Air 4 3 Water Collection from Air 5 4 Water Collection from Air 6 5 Water Collection from Air 7 6 Water Collection from Air 8 7 Water Collection from Air 9 8 Water Collection from Air 10 9 On-Demand Housing 10 On-Demand Housing 2 11
Katie Cordrey
Katie Cordrey

The WatAir, designed by Joseph Cory of Geotectura and Eyal Malka of Malka Architects from Haifa, Israel, collects moisture-dew-from the air, then filters and funnels it into a reservoir for drinking.

Distressed populations and regions suffering from natural disasters aren't the only ones who can benefit from the WatAir dew harvesting system, but they are a likely match. Cory is working on an updated design that includes photovoltaic cells in order to facilitate the building of an emergency city. It is part of a joint venture with the Dutch company Creative Construction.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/...atchers-harvest-air-water-missions/index.html

PHOTOS: Fog Catchers Harvest Air's Water in Arid Places

(from thin air)
PHOTOS: Fog Catchers Harvest Air's Water in Arid Places
PHOTOS: Fog Catchers Harvest Air's Water in Arid Places
PHOTOS: Fog Catchers Harvest Air's Water in Arid Places
PHOTOS: Fog Catchers Harvest Air's Water in Arid Places
PHOTOS: Fog Catchers Harvest Air's Water in Arid Places
PHOTOS: Fog Catchers Harvest Air's Water in Arid Places
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PHOTOS: Fog Catchers Harvest Air's Water in Arid Places

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Chilean Fog-Catchers

July 9, 2009--When dense fog sweeps in from the Pacific Ocean, special nets on a hillside near Lima, Peru, catch the moisture and provide precious water to an area that gets very little rainfall--about half an inch (1.5 centimeters) a year.

The nets stand perpendicular to the prevailing wind, which blows fog into the coarse, woven plastic mesh. From there, drops of fog-water fall into gutters that carry the water to collection tanks.

Since 2006 the nets--built by German conservationists Kai Tiedemann and Anne Lummerich--have helped provide the village of Bellavista, 10 miles (16 kilometers) south of Lima, with hundreds of gallons of water each day during the foggy winter months of June to November.
-Photograph by Anne Lummerich

http://www.oas.org/DSD/publications/Unit/oea59e/ch10.htm

Figure 2B: Schematic of a Storage Tank Reservoir

Source: Walter Santos, Center for Training in Agricultural Development, Bureau of Water Resources, Comayagua, Honduras.

Re: Harvesting Water from Air

Postby Justin Boland » January 26th, 2009, 2:41 am
Image
2. • Watermill:

Developed by Element Four, the Watermill generates and then filters water so that what comes out of it is fit for consumption. The company promises that their device will be able to generate about 3.2 gallons of fresh drinking water a day in ideal conditions that should be enough for a family of six.

3. • Ersa:

The Ersa by industrial designer Scott Norrie is designed as a standalone, sustainable product that uses solar energy to create water from air. The design also uses the onboard solar panels to power handheld devices and trickle-charge a vehicle's battery.

4. • EcoloBlue:

The EcoloBlue Atmospheric Water Generator (AWG) provides you with up to 7 gallons of clean water each day, provided the air around you is humid. The company developing the product states that it works best at 50 percent humidity, but can also work in humidity levels as low as 30 percent. If, however, the air isn't humid enough, you can always hook it up to a tap water source so your drinking water is still filtered. The EcoloBlue costs $1,350 and the average operating cost stands at just 20 cents for every gallon of clean water.
9. • Solar-powered system to generate potable water:

Research scientists at the Fraunhofer Institute for Interfacial Engineering and Biotechnology IGB believe that at an average 64 percent humidity, a cubic meter of air carries about 11.5ml of water, which if extracted can solve the problems of billions of people living in rural areas. The system makes use of hygroscopic brine that absorbs moisture. When this solution is made to run down a tower-shaped unit, it sucks up water from the air, which is then fed into a tank where vacuum prevails. Solar energy then heats up the solution converting water to vapor, which is then condensed and collected.


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