Solar-powered handheld WaterDrop produces cool drinking water in the desert
“If temperatures rise, the air contains more water,” Ap says on his blog. “Normally, higher temperatures also mean more sunshine. So, why not focus on harvesting water out of the air, powered only by renewable solar energy? In this way drinking water and water for agriculture become available in most dry parts of the planet.”
That’s the thinking behind WaterDrop and Ap’s various other solar-powered concepts. Photovoltaic modules on the outside of the device would absorb solar energy during the daytime. This energy would then be used to cool the air to produce condensation and power a fan to create airflow. In theory, resulting water drops could be collected in a small cistern. Ap recommends incorporating small rocks into the design to add much-needed minerals, while the spout is a built-in replaceable carbon water filter.
“I know it is still science-fiction,” says Ap, “but for sure PV cells increase in efficiency, (only a matter of time) next to the speeding development of materials that store the cold of the night to help pre-cool the inlet-air during [the] daytime.”
Click here to learn more on Ap's blog
Source:inhabitat.com