New Solar-Powered Device Can Pull Water Straight from Desert Air

Megalith

Megalith

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Apparently, there are crystalline powders called metal organic frameworks (MOFs) that can be manipulated to control and bind different gases. One type of MOF, which was designed to excel at absorbing water, has made possible a device that can pull 2.8 liters of water out of the air per day for every kilogram of powder. Needless to say, this contraption would be a blessing for those who reside in the driest parts of the world.

…wringing water from the desert sky is now possible, thanks to a new spongelike device that uses sunlight to suck water vapor from air, even in low humidity. The device can produce nearly 3 liters of water per day for every kilogram of spongelike absorber it contains, and researchers say future versions will be even better. That means homes in the driest parts of the world could soon have a solar-powered appliance capable of delivering all the water they need, offering relief to billions of people.
 
Ah the actual whitepaper is paywalled. Without that it's hard to tell if this is another waterseer or legit.
 
Megalith said:
That means homes in the driest parts of the world could soon have a solar-powered appliance capable of delivering all the water they need, offering relief to billions of people.
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On what planet do billions of people live in the driest parts?

Toepunch said:
Wow. Just reporting now. They had this in a galaxy far, far way on Tatooine.
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Oh... sorry, my bad.
 
The marketing picture of how it works shows it is just a de-humidifier (peltier cooler) powered by a small solar panel. This is why the prototype image of the item shows the condenser plate is attached to a big ass heatsink underneath it to disperese enough heat to keep the peltier cooler operating (if the heat on the hot plate side is not dispersed, then the cool side gets hot again.

The only trick of this device is that metal organic framework / crystalline structure supposedly traps water vapor from the air that passes over it, so presumably if that works really well and doesn't saturate at some point, you might theoretically get a little more water out of the atmosphere when air is forced through that structure over a time period than previous attempts at this solution.

Speaking of previous attempts, there have been many attempts, and many startups have even claimed to be incredibly successful at their method of pulling water from the air, however I would advise caution, because if any of these methods of modifying a de-humidifier type device to effectively pull water from the air worked efficiently enough to produce notable water supplies in every possible condition, then we would already have a multi-billion dollar industry built around this water from air production.

This youtube video does a good job of explaining why this method doesn't work, and although I don't claim to know all the details about what this metal organic framework / crystaline structure functionally does to the efficiency of the condenser, I will say I have significant doubts that it is efficient enough to generate a useful quantity of liquid water output in any real world setting where conditions are not already extremely favorable (high humidity already).
 
Hooray! They made a dehumidifier that I can go down to the stores and buy right now. You'd get that much water if it was, I dunno, raining, and had close to 100% humidity. Or the thing was so large there would be no space for the desert anymore. Scepticism is high.
 
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keep dreaming folks, keep dreaming. Every one of these stupid ideas that people post retarded videos on Facebook of for "IM HALPING SAVE DA WORLD BY SHARING VIDEOS!!!" crowd is just a huge lie designed to spread misinformation.

It's not that the concept itself is a lie - but rather that it is of no real economical sense. Either it would cost way to much to produce on a mass scale or it ultimately sucks at producing adequate amounts of consumable water for the majority of the climate. Either way, all of these are wishful thinking.
 
dune2.m1.windtrap.jpg
 
CVNet1 said:
The marketing picture of how it works shows it is just a de-humidifier (peltier cooler) powered by a small solar panel. This is why the prototype image of the item shows the condenser plate is attached to a big ass heatsink underneath it to disperese enough heat to keep the peltier cooler operating (if the heat on the hot plate side is not dispersed, then the cool side gets hot again.

The only trick of this device is that metal organic framework / crystalline structure supposedly traps water vapor from the air that passes over it, so presumably if that works really well and doesn't saturate at some point, you might theoretically get a little more water out of the atmosphere when air is forced through that structure over a time period than previous attempts at this solution.

Speaking of previous attempts, there have been many attempts, and many startups have even claimed to be incredibly successful at their method of pulling water from the air, however I would advise caution, because if any of these methods of modifying a de-humidifier type device to effectively pull water from the air worked efficiently enough to produce notable water supplies in every possible condition, then we would already have a multi-billion dollar industry built around this water from air production.

This youtube video does a good job of explaining why this method doesn't work, and although I don't claim to know all the details about what this metal organic framework / crystaline structure functionally does to the efficiency of the condenser, I will say I have significant doubts that it is efficient enough to generate a useful quantity of liquid water output in any real world setting where conditions are not already extremely favorable (high humidity already).
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No, but if they got the tech right maybe it could come in handy on coastlines/ships if they can be more efficient then current de-sal options. A lot of the time there is a better target market than the original target
 
UUUNNNCLE OOOOWENNN!!! BUT I WAS GOING TO TOCHI STATION TO PICK UP SOME POOOOWERR CONVERTERS!!!!!
 
Ahhh, the water companies will just join together and buy the patent and shut down production if it ever comes to that. $$$$ is all that counts.
 
hp2015ca said:
dune2.m1.windtrap.jpg
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I don't work here (and neither do the people that do! <RIMSHOT>...seriously..don't ban me), but the Dune reference wins the thread.

Also this is probably the coolest tech news in a decade, if this really does work as simply as it does and the powder isn't, like, Unobtanium-based......this is good science that helps everyone.

Also, now would be a good time to start buying stock in whoever makes Oil of Olay or Jergens......cuz man are we gonna have some dry, flaky $kin :)
 
Curious is to what adverse affects this might have on the area. What happens when you take all that moisture out of the air that was perhaps aiding to some plant or something?
 
Rahh said:
Curious is to what adverse affects this might have on the area. What happens when you take all that moisture out of the air that was perhaps aiding to some plant or something?
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Nothing. 1. because it would be such a minute amount, and 2. the water isnt disappearing.
 
0neTwo said:
Nothing. 1. because it would be such a minute amount, and 2. the water isnt disappearing.
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It might be a minute amount in a small desert town, but Phoenix, with 200k+ households, it could make a measurable impact to the surrounding area.

That said, I do think it would make a great emergency kit item if it's as portable as a water bottle.
 
rolling_tiger said:
It might be a minute amount in a small desert town, but Phoenix, with 200k+ households, it could make a measurable impact to the surrounding area.

That said, I do think it would make a great emergency kit item if it's as portable as a water bottle.
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It would do basically nothing, even if every person used 100 of them 24/7 and they worked at 100% efficiency. There will not be a gallon sized hole in the air that doesn't have water vapor. You take the water vapor out of the air and it is basically instantly "replenished" to what is was before. Earth is constantly "looping" the water supply, mainly from evaporation from the oceans. And again, the water you produced isnt gone from earth, it will simply be recycled again.
 
uncle ben has had the moisture vaporator farm on tatooine running for a while now.. old news
 
also makes me wonder when the environmental nutjobs will be out in full force... this just makes the desert even more deserty
 
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