WatAir, a device that harvests pure
drinking water from air, could be the solution to the problem of
accessibility to safe water for billions around the world.
You might be surprised to hear about this! What is this WatAir? You
might have seen and heard about rain water harvesting. However, this
WatAir is something different. As the name itself suggests, it is
production of water from air! This unique, simple, cheaper device to
harvest pure drinking water from air has been developed by Mr Joseph
Cory, faculty of architecture & building planning of the Technion
Israel Institute of Technology. In a call to this challenging
competition to improve access to safe water for billions of people,
Cory and his graduate student Eyal Malka have suggested the integration
of existing ideas and technologies through sustainable guiding
principles.
Technology has devised a low–tech way to collect dew from air and turn
it into fresh water. Recently, their invention seeking to make clean,
safe water available to millions around the world, won an international
competition. This is an inverted pyramid array of panels which collect
dew from air and turn it into fresh water in almost any climate. Cory
was inspired by the dew-collecting properties of leaves and spider
nets. Based on the same principle, the entire WatAir dew collectors
function. Depending on the number of collectors used, an unlimited
daily supply of water could be produced even in remote and polluted
areas.
According to Cory, WatAir can easily be incorporated into both rural
and urban landscapes, because it has a relatively small base. Its
vertical and diagonal design utilises gravity to increase the area from
which it collects. The panels are flexible and easy to collapse when
not in use, and provide shelter from rain and heat as well as play
areas for children. The project has received international recognition,
when it was selected from 100 entries from North America, Europe,
Africa and Asia as the winner of the ‘drawing water challenge,’
sponsored by Arup – a global company of designers, engineers, planners
and business consultants specialising in innovative and sustainable
design. “WatAir is a wonderfully simple concept that draws its
inspiration from nature,” said competition judge, Jo da Silva. “This is
a straightforward and effective idea using tried and tested technology.”
Though the production of water is dependent on the velocity of wind and
the presence of moisture in atmosphere, this device could be a blessing
for rural areas, deserts and remote areas. In order to increase public
awareness about the problem and its possible solutions, Joseph Cory and
his team used simplicity as their design process. Their architectural
background too helped them to look beyond the technological solution
and to give more functions and deeper meanings to it all.
In order to make safe water an accessible reality worldwide, one has to
take into consideration minimal cost for manufacturing the product,
easy and quick deployment in remote areas and practical solution that
will also work as an environmental regenerator. By printing logos and
advertisements on the canvas sheets it will be easy to convince
potential sponsors to pay for the manufacturing and shipment cost of
the products. Local art and literature will make it a culture event.
The design has minimal special demands. It is low tech and low cost
and, in fact, can even be produced with local means.
The dew collects on both sides of the panels (which means it can double
the quantity of collected water). One option researchers thought about
is to use a double skin so that the upper part of it can filter the dew
into the inner layer. “In this way, one will be able to control
filtering dust and dirt from birds, insects and so on, that might
pollute the water,” explains Joseph Cory.
http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Jan12008/snt2007123144109.asp
