Shu Shu Zheng, RMIT University
Collect drinking water from the atmosphere using only sunlight? It is already possible, and the main component of the new device is cheap and biodegradable.
A team of scientists has developed a sponge -like device that captures air moisture and releases it in a glass using solar energy, effective in low humidity zones.
The water collection system works faithfully in a wide range of moisture levels, from 30 to 90 percent, and temperatures between 5 and 55 Graus Celsius.
The team -based compound of the team fits perfectly inside a glass, which includes a dome -shaped lid, an antipological tray, a cooling system and a solar -powered activation mechanism.
“Thousands of millions of people around the world do not have access to drinking water and millions die every year of water -transmitted diseases, ”says Derek Hao, scientist and author of this month Journal of Cleaner Production.
“Our team invented a device composed of a spongy structure of wood, lithium chloride, iron oxide nanoparticles, a layer of carbon nanotubes and other specialized features ”, describes Hao.
The advantages? The ferry wood, the main component of the device, “is biodegradable and cheap, And the manufacturing process is not complex, which can allow mass production. ”
“In outdoor tests, our device captured 2.5 milliliters of water per night at night and released most during the day, reaching a daily water collection efficiency of 94%,” said another author of the study, Junfeng Hou. “To 30% of moisture, our device absorbed water at about 0.6 milliliters per gram.”
“Your ability to Collect drinking water from the atmosphere using only sunlight It makes it invaluable in areas affected by catastrophes where traditional water sources are compromised. System portability and renewable energy dependence further increase its applicability in such contexts, ”he concludes.
