Engineers from Simon Fraser University have developed a technology that generates clean drinking water from the atmosphere through the integration of sorption, refrigeration and water filtration systems.

The Hybrid Atmospheric Water Generator (HAWgen), devised by Professor Majid Bahrami and PhD student Farshid Bagheri, of the university's School of Mechatronics Systems Engineering, works by pre-conditioning the incoming air stream using an adsorption system, then channeling it into a refrigeration unit for condensation. The idea is based on treating the inlet air to the refrigeration unit in order to significantly increase the dew point temperature (water content) for superior water harvesting. The water generated is then filtered and disinfected in several stages in an ultraviolet system.

Professor Majid Bahrami fills a cup of water from the HAWgen. Image credit: SFU.Professor Majid Bahrami fills a cup of water from the HAWgen. Image credit: SFU. According to the researchers, their pre-market prototype can generate up to five times more water per day than conventional atmospheric water generation systems. Additionally, it can generate water in nearly all climates, unlike more conventional atmospheric water generators that rely on hot and humid environments and can fail when humidity drops.

“Our vision is for this technology to not only make a difference as we face the ongoing issue of global water shortage, but to do so sustainably for future generations,” says Bahrami. He says the water is sustainable because whatever is extracted from the atmosphere’s nearly 13 trillion cubic meters of renewable fresh water is replenished naturally, thanks to ocean evaporation.

The technology will play a role in the city of Surrey’s newly unveiled BioPod Initiative, a regional hub for agri-tech innovation, in which researchers can test high-tech solutions for improving the efficiency of year-round food production. The HAWgen will be central to providing a sustainable source of water for plant growth in the facility.

Bahrami plans to market the product through his company, Watergenics Inc., for applications in various resource industries—including mining, oil and gas and disaster relief—as well as for consumer use by the end of 2017.

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