WATER FROM THIN AIR: (Atmospheric H2O generator)

[I.M. Boggled]

An Atmospheric water generator (AWG) is a machine that produces pure drinking water from the humidity of the surrounding air.
An AWG operates in a manner very similar to that of a refrigerated dehumidifier: air is passed through a cooled coil, causing water to condense.
The amount of water that can be produced depends on the humidity, the volume of air passing through the coils, and the size of the machine.

The device is used in situations where pure drinking water is otherwise difficult to obtain or where the population demands are greater than the water tables can sustain or the water table has been or is contaminated, or for natural disaster relief.


Principle of operation

An AWG uses refrigeration techniques optimized to condense water from air.
Blower driven air is drawn into the system through an electrostatic filter.
In the machine's exterior housing, a compressor circulates refrigerant through a coil array located in the path of the air providing a temperature differential between the air and coil surface, resulting in condensation.

The condensation is funneled into a holding tank.
A level switch in the holding tank controls the water making cycle.
Water is pump circulated in an ozone generating UV light chamber to kill bacteria and then through high and low density charcoal filters to remove solids and oxygenates.
It is finally collected back in the holding tank.
The water filtration cycle is both flow and time controlled.
Water is dispensed by tap valve diversion.

The actual amount of water produced depends on relative humidity and ambient air temperature.
Relative humidity measures the amount of water vapour present in the air at a given temperature.
The higher the relative humidity and air temperature, the more effective most all of these devices are.
Typically these refrigeration-based devices do not work efficiently when the temperature gets below 60 degrees Fahrenheit [about 15/16 degree Celsius] or the relative humidity drops below 30%.

A wide range of Atmospheric generators are available, from a home/office unit producing 28 litres a day, to 1200 litres and even more than 500.000 litres per day for industrial bottling plants.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atmospheric_water_generator
Various manufacturer links are located @ this wikipedia link or just Google/search "Atmospheric water generator"

 

[I.M. Boggled]

Water-harvesting Technology...

Water-harvesting Technology...

Published Oct, 06, 2006 @
http://www.wired.com/news/technology/1,71898-0.html

Making Water From Thin Air

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."

 

[Guest]

my a/c makes water all the time

 

[MTF-Sandman]

Outta curiousity, what's the difference between an AWG and a dehumidifier? I've been using my dehumidifier water now for quite a while since it puts out <10ppm water...

 

[I.M. Boggled]

The water from thin air collected from any dehumidifier (& A.C.) is technically distilled water in that it does not contain minerals and other particulates that are removed in a true distillation process...

Pure drinking water
Since the surface coils in a dehumidifier are not kept to food-grade cleanliness, microbes and fungi can (and probably do) exist in the collected water and it is therefore not considered safe to drink but is used quite successfully by many for gardening purposes as the above posters have graciously pointed out.

A large capacity dehumidifier is/would be considerably more affordable and more productive than a relatively small atmospheric water generator (AWG) would be presently.

 

[Guest]

Hey MTF just out of curiosity what is the PH of your dehumid water?Mine is always very low around 5.

 

[9Lives]

They are too expensive...and only worth it when there is truly high humidity..

Checked them out a few years ago...

 

[Guest]

Are you talking about a dehumidifier or the other gadget?A dehumid is necessary in a sealed grow especially when the lights go out,the RH rises 20-30%.Besides the damage too high an RH can cause to your flowering plantys,the room structure is at risk also.Without any dehumid a tile floor will start to come up,drywall can get moldy,etc

 

[MTF-Sandman]

My solution usually get's to the low 5's or upper 4's after 5 or 6 days of the dehumidifier topping off the res...I just throw in some nutes and Pro-Tekt to bump it back up.

 

[alphacat]

Not sure what you mean by too expensive, 9Lives - they start for around $30.

One other factor that limits the rate & amount of water obtainable is ambient temperature, btw.

I have a clunky old dehumidifier bought off eBay years back 'cause our climate is so damn cold & wet here sometimes... some days if you leave it running for about 12 hours you come home to a couple gallons of water. And this is in a small apartment too! I can only imagine what a newer & more efficient model could pull.

 

[Guest]

I pull a little over 2 gallons out of an 8 by 8 room in about 15 hours every single day.there's a lot of water in the air especially when there's a lot of foliage.

 

[9Lives]

Not sure what you mean by too expensive, 9Lives - they start for around $30.

I was thinking about using one in a rural are where there is no water available...it takes too much power to produce water..

Maybe the bigger systems would be more efficient...

But yeah...i was thinking rural spain no water no electricity...power from sun..water from air..

Whats the estimated lifetime of the air2water systems ? Forever ?

 

[Guest]

alphacat if you can find a dehumidifier for 30 bucks that works,buy it.Are you sure you dont mean humidifiers?Not trying to be insulting bro its just that dehumids are fucking expensive as hell,I paid several hundred dollars at home depot for my 45 pint dehumid.They use a skosh of power too but its worth it getting all that water away from yopur flowering plants

 

[alphacat]

Like I said, I already own one that I bought on eBay - if you look there now there are small models (pint a day) starting in the $10 range and they go up from there. I was lucky enough to buy a used heavy duty model (about 45 pints) for about $50, incl. shipping.

Has anyone tried anhydrous calcium chloride yet? You know, the bags of lumpy crystals that painters use to dehumidify rooms and closets? (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calcium_chloride)