Methods of obtaining water from air. A new device for collecting water from the air: cheap and effective. Benefits of atmospheric water
Inventor's name: Ladygin A.V.
Patent owner's name: Limited Liability Company "Adequate Technologies"
Correspondence address: 119435, Moscow, Novodevichy pr-d, 2, apt. 70, A.V. Ladyginu
Patent start date: 1999.08.05
The invention relates to methods for autonomously obtaining fresh water drinking quality from ambient moisture atmospheric air and can be used in everyday life and for needs National economy. The technical result of the invention is the production of fresh water in the absence or inaccessibility of its traditional sources. The method involves forming an air flow containing water vapor, artificially cooling the air flow and condensing the water vapor. The resulting fresh water-condensate is supplied to a water collection tank, and cooled air is supplied to the condenser to ensure the operating mode of the refrigeration device. The formed air flow is passed through the air intake filter under conditions environment With relative humidity from 70 to 100% and temperature from +15 to +50 o C, and then through an electrostatic field. The resulting cooled air is fed through the connecting skirt to the condenser radiator, while the volume of air passing through the radiator under the condition of 20 g of moisture per 1 m 3 of air and the average daily productivity of the installation up to 250 l/day lies in the range of 12-13 thousand m 3 per day.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to methods for autonomously obtaining fresh water of drinking quality from the moisture of the surrounding atmospheric air and can be used in everyday life to meet the needs of the population for purified drinking water, as well as for the needs of the national economy during its industrial use.
Currently, the task of obtaining fresh water in the absence or inaccessibility of traditional sources is very urgent.
One of possible methods The solution to the problem is the condensation of water contained in the atmospheric air.
Thus, a method and apparatus for removing water from air is known, in which water is removed from the air by repeating a four-stage cycle. At the first stage, the heat accumulation condenser is cooled with cold air supplied from the outside, and a reagent that increases hygroscopicity is moistened. At the second stage, water is removed from the specified reagent with a stream of heated air solar radiation, and bring it to the heat storage capacitor. At the third stage, an additional heat accumulation condenser is cooled with air coming from outside, and a reagent that increases hygroscopicity is moistened. At the fourth stage, water is removed from the specified reagent with air heated by solar energy / French patent N 2464337, class. E 03 B 3/28, 1981/.
Without detracting from the advantages of this method and the device for its implementation, it is nevertheless necessary to note its more complex implementation.
There is a known method and device for extracting water from atmospheric air, one of which is an air-water generator according to US patent N 5203989 according to class. E 03 B 3/28, 1987.
According to this patent, a stream of air containing water vapor is formed, it is cooled to a temperature below the dew point, the water vapor is condensed into water, and the dehydrated air is released into the atmosphere.
The known device contains a housing in which a refrigeration machine and a means for transporting air flow are installed. Bottom part the housing is in communication with the condensate collector.
When pumping a stream of atmospheric air containing water vapor, they condense on the cooling element of the refrigeration machine and simultaneously cool the air stream that is released into the atmosphere.
The known method and device are characterized by low efficiency in using the cooling capacity of the refrigeration machine, since only a small part of it is used for condensing water vapor, especially at low air humidity. Wherein most of cooling capacity is spent on cooling the dehydrated air released into the atmosphere.
There is a known method for extracting water from air /WO, 93/04764, class. E 03 B 3/28, 1993/, which consists in forming an air flow containing water vapor, artificially cooling the air flow in one section of the second flow, organizing heat transfer between parts of the air flow located on both sides of the artificial cooling section, They condense water vapor in that part of the air flow whose temperature is below the dew point and release the dehydrated air into the atmosphere.
IN known method a single pre-cooling of the incoming air flow by the outgoing air flow is carried out, which improves the efficiency of using the cooling capacity of the refrigeration machine.
At the same time, the complex trajectory of the air flow creates large gas-dynamic resistance.
A known installation for producing fresh water from humid air, which uses solar energy /DE 3313711, class. E 03 B 3/28, 1984/.
Due to the electricity received from solar panels, the refrigeration unit produces cold, which is released on the evaporator heat exchanger. Humid air is blown by a fan through the air duct in which the evaporator is located. As a result of contact with the surface of the evaporator heat exchanger, the air is cooled, the steam contained in it becomes saturated, partially condenses on the surface of the heat exchanger and flows into the water collector.
The disadvantages of this installation are high energy consumption and low productivity.
There is a known installation in which cold is accumulated for use at night /EP 0430838, class. E 03 B 3/28, 1991/.
During daylight hours, electricity from solar panels is supplied to the refrigeration unit, which produces cold. Using a valve, the refrigeration unit is connected to a thermally insulated container. The liquid contained in it is pumped through the refrigeration unit using a hydraulic pump and cooled, as a result, cold is accumulated in the thermally insulated container. Then the thermally insulated container is disconnected from the refrigeration unit using a valve and connected to the heat exchanger-condenser. When the air humidity reaches a value close to 100%, the hydraulic pump and fan turn on. With their help, cold liquid and wet air passed through a capacitor. The water vapor contained in the air condenses on its surface, and the droplets contained in it are captured by a droplet eliminator and the captured moisture flows into the water collector.
The disadvantage of this installation is the need to consume energy and the lack of autonomy during operation of the installation.
A device for producing fresh water is known, containing a heat exchange surface on which moisture from the external atmospheric air condenses and the condensate that falls is collected in a vessel for collecting condensate. The device contains a wind energy generator to drive a circulation unit that removes heat. The heat exchange surface and the wind energy generator are located on a floating supporting structure. The circulation unit, which removes heat, has a heat exchanger located at a certain distance below the surface of the water to use the cold of the deep layers of water / German application N 3319975, cl. E 03 B 3/28, 1984/.
The disadvantage of this device is the presence of a wind energy generator, which leads to design complexity and reduces the reliability of operation, making maintenance difficult. Application closed system circulation of cooling water and the location of the heat exchanger within the immersion depth of the floating support structure does not allow cooling the circulating water to low temperatures, which reduces the efficiency of the device as a whole and does not allow for its high performance.
A device for dew condensation is known, containing a support on which a condensing surface is located. The surface is electrically isolated from the ground, which ensures the creation of an electrostatic charge on the surface. Under certain climatic conditions Moisture in the air condenses on the surface. There is a collection into which condensate flows from the surface, as well as a device for pumping condensate into the tank. In one of the designs, the condensing surface is made in the form of a vertical metal sheet, and the collector is a channel along the edge of the sheet. The sheet can be rotated around the support for installation in the wind. In another design, the condensing surface is made in the form of an inverted cone, divided into triangular segments. The surface area can be increased by ribs. The tank, which can be installed underground, may have a plastic bag made of permeable material. The bag is placed on the lower end of the condensate supply pipe from the collector /GB 1603661, class. E 03 B 3/28, 1981/.
However, this device is not efficient enough to operate due to its high metal consumption.
The closest technical solution The claimed combination of features is a method of obtaining water from air, which consists in forming an air flow containing water vapor, artificially cooling the air flow, condensing water vapor and the resulting fresh water-condensate is fed into a water collection container /RU 2081256, class. E 03 B 3/28, 1997/.
Without detracting from the advantages of the closest method and device for its implementation, the claimed method is still the most industrially applicable, since it has a number of advantages compared to known traditional ways and installations for their implementation to obtain water from the air, namely:
Produces high quality (rain) water that can be stored for a long time;
Provides environmental cleanliness operation;
The installation for implementing the method is transportable, simple and durable in operation, has a weight of 60 kg, small dimensions and cost.
The objective of the invention is to obtain fresh water in the absence or inaccessibility of traditional sources of condensation of water contained in the atmospheric air.
The problem is solved due to the fact that in the method of obtaining water from air, which consists in forming an air flow containing water vapor, artificially cooling the air flow, condensing water vapor and supplying the resulting fresh condensate water to a collection container water, and cooled air - to the condenser to ensure the operating mode of the refrigeration device, the generated air flow is passed through the air intake filter under environmental conditions with relative humidity from 70 to 100% and temperature from +15 to +50 o C, and then through an electrostatic field the resulting cooled air is fed through the connecting skirt to the condenser radiator, while the volume of air passing through the radiator under the condition of 20 g of moisture per 1 m 3 of air and the average daily productivity of the installation up to 250 l/day lies in the range of 12-13 thousand m 3 per day.
The method is implemented as follows: a flow of atmospheric air containing water vapor is forcibly formed, for example by a fan, which, having passed through the air intake filter and an electrostatic field with a strength electric field E=1.5 V, enters the condenser, where it is cooled below the dew point. The resulting fresh condensate water flows down the tray into a water collection container. Cooled air is supplied through the connecting skirt to the condenser radiator to ensure the operating mode of the refrigeration device.
Normal operation of the method for producing water from air occurs under the following basic environmental conditions:
Relative humidity from 70 to 100%;
Temperature from +15 to +50 o C.
More efficient production of water from the air occurs in an environment with increased absolute humidity air and significant daily temperature changes.
The limiting (non-working) conditions of the method for extracting water from the air and the installation for implementing the method, under which its operation must be stopped, are:
Decrease in ambient temperature below +15 o C;
Increase in ambient temperature above +50 o C;
Decrease in ambient air humidity below 70% at +20 o C;
An increase in dust content in the ambient air above 0.5 g/m 3 ;
Deviation of the capacitor body from the vertical by an angle of more than 5 o.
If the method of extracting water occurs directly by the sea, in a coniferous forest or in a flower meadow, then the resulting water will have healing properties.
Mineralization of the resulting water is achieved in two ways. Simple mineralization - by placing a piece of limestone in a tray or container to collect water, replacing the limestone every five years. Complex mineralization (to create a programmable mineral composition) - by introducing a microprocessor and containers with salts into the design.
CLAIM
A method of obtaining water from air, which consists in forming an air flow containing water vapor, artificially cooling the air flow, condensing the water vapor and supplying the resulting fresh condensate water to a water collection tank, and the cooled air to the condenser to ensure the operating mode of the refrigeration device, characterized in that the generated air flow is passed through the air intake filter under environmental conditions with relative humidity from 70 to 100% and temperature from +15 to +50 o C, and then through an electrostatic field, the resulting cooled air through the connecting skirt it is supplied to the condenser radiator, while the volume of air passing through the radiator under the condition of 20 g of moisture per 1 m 3 of air and the average daily productivity of the installation up to 250 l / day lies in the range of 12 - 13 thousand m 3 per day.
If you have ever found yourself in extreme conditions stay, you may be familiar with the problem of water extraction. For example, travelers have every chance of finding themselves in a situation where the water has run out, and there is neither a river nor any spring nearby. And everyone knows from childhood that a person can live much longer without food than without water. If you find yourself without water for a long time, you may not get help.
But there is a way to get some water from the air, since it can condense. To obtain the amount of water that is enough to maintain the body in a functioning state, you need to build a special device. It is made from those items that you usually take with you on a trip. To build a condensing device You will need:
- Shovel
- A piece of polyethylene
- A thin tube used in IVs
- Stones
Construction stages
Water from the air will condense for a long time. It may take more than a day before half a liter of water is collected. Therefore, it is recommended to make several such “traps” for water. At night, the condensation process occurs much faster than during the day - polyethylene cools quickly, but the ground beneath it does not.
You can't squeeze juice out of a rock, but you can get water out of a desert sky, thanks to a new device that uses... sunlight for sucking water vapor from the air even at low humidity. The device can produce up to 3 liters of water per day and, according to researchers, the technology will become even more efficient in the future. This means that homes in dry areas could soon have a source of clean water on solar battery, which will help to significantly improve the standard of living of the population.
There are about 13 trillion liters of water in the atmosphere, which is equivalent to 10% of all fresh water in the lakes and rivers of our planet. Over the years, researchers have developed technologies for condensing water from air, but most of them require a disproportionate amount of electricity, so they are unlikely to be used by most in developing countries.
To find a universal solution, researchers led by Omar Yaghi, a chemist at the University of California, Berkeley, turned to a family of crystalline powders called metal organic frameworks, or MOFs. Yagi developed the first MOF crystals that form three-dimensional networks about 20 years ago. The structure of these networks is based on metal atoms, and sticky polymer particles connect the cells together. By experimenting with organics and neoorganics, chemists can create Various types MOF and control what gases react with them and how firmly they hold certain substances.
Over the past two decades, chemists have synthesized more than 20,000 MOFs, each with unique molecule-trapping properties. For example, Yagi and others recently developed MOFs that absorb and then release methane, making them sort of high-capacity gas tanks for Vehicle, operating on natural gas.
In 2014, Yagi and colleagues synthesized zirconium-based MOF-860, which was excellent at absorbing water even in low-humidity conditions. This led him to Evelyn Wang, a mechanical engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, with whom he had previously worked on a project using MOFs for car air conditioning.
The system developed by Wang and her students consists of a kilogram of dust-like MOF crystals pressed into a thin sheet of porous copper. This sheet is placed between the light absorber and the capacitor plate inside the chamber. At night, the chamber is opened, allowing ambient air to diffuse through the porous MOF, causing water molecules to adhere to it. internal surfaces, gather in groups of eight and form tiny cubic droplets. In the morning, the chamber is closed and sunlight enters through a window on top of the device, heating the MOF and releasing water, which turns the droplets into steam and transports it to a cooler condenser. The temperature difference and high humidity inside the chamber the steam is forced to condense in the form liquid water, which drips into the collector. The plant works so well that when running continuously, it pulls 2.8 liters of water from the air per day, the Berkeley and MIT team report today.
It is worth noting that the installation still has room to grow. First, zirconium costs $150 per kilogram, making water harvesting devices too expensive to be mass produced and sold for a modest amount. Yagi says his group has already successfully designed a water-harvesting MOF that replaces zirconium with 100 times cheaper aluminum. This could make future water harvesters suitable not only for quenching the thirst of people in dry areas, but perhaps even for supplying water to farmers in the desert.