Background
Water harvesting from ambient air to produce fresh water is an active area of research. Water moisture in the air is universally available, and the water extracted is essentially pure water. This makes this process ideal, particularly for communities with limited freshwater supplies. Atmospheric Water Generation (AWG) technology can produce water that reduces the overall health-related risks of minimally treater water without sacrificing the original benefits of harvesting freshwater from the air.
Invention Description
Researchers at Arizona State University have developed a hybridized atmospheric water generation (AWG) system with evacuated tubes integrated to a rotary-based desiccant system. The hybridization of this system substantially reduces the overall electrical energy requirements to heat the desiccant system using solar energy. The solar energy is converted into heat energy using an evacuated tube system to heat the desiccant surface areas. This technology replaces typical electrical heaters with a renewable solar-driven thermal heater to make AWG more efficient, affordable, and sustainable.
Potential Applications
- Clean water production from the atmosphere
- Water dehumidification
- Safer drinking water for isolated communities
Benefits and Advantages
- Compact: can be used in any location and at all times to capture water from atmosphere
- Energy-efficient: uses solar energy-driven evacuated tubes
- Sustainable: consistently produces high quality potable water