WATER OUT OF THIN AIR
A student has created a simple device that can suck out atmospheric moisture and convert it to water which can be used to irrigate plants in drought affected areas
ASwinburne University of Technology student Ed Linacre has won an award for his Airdrop irrigation system. That can literally draw water out of thin air in drought ridden areas. From his research, he found water vapour was so abundant in the atmosphere it plays a vital role in trapping the heat necessary for life on Earth, but it was evaporating from the soil where it was needed by farmers to grow crops.
INSPIRED BY A BEETLE
The design was inspired by the Namib beetle that has the ability to survive by consuming the dew it collects on its hydrophobic back. Linacre’s research suggests that 11.5 millilitres of water can be harvested from every cubic metre of air in the desert.
HOW IT WORKS
Air is drawn in through the turbines which is powered by a solar panel on the top of the device. The air is sent to about 2 metres under the soil where the temperature is about 5 degrees cooler. The hot air is circulated through copper piping and becomes cool enough to condense. While the air escapes the cooled water gets collected in a reservoir at the bottom of the device. A submersible pump is used to drive water through the irrigation system.
10,000 POUND AWARD T
he first prize of 10,000 Pounds to the winner and another 10,000 for the university by the 2011 James Dyson Award was given to Ed Linacre. He plans to use the reward to build a more efficient version of AirDrop that can draw even more water. There were two runners-up to the prize, the first one called KwickScreen was a quick and easy to room divider which could provide cost-effective privacy. While the other runner-up called Blindspot was a updated version of the white can used by the the visually handicapped. It has a major emphasis on socialising letting user find nearby friends and using GPS and Bluetooth to explore unfamiliar places.
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