New Mars Forums

SpaceNut

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From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Sun + Air = water

Link provided by
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2019/09 … iquid-fuel

technology to capture water vapor and CO2 from the atmosphere using MOF materials

The dewater system for desert water creation has been around for a while now and gives the life blood for those that can not get water from wells.
A dehumidifier and boxed air conditioning that is use to condense the moisture out of the air.
The use of solar is a plus in those areas for power creation for those that can afford the panels.
Temporary batteries and an AC convertor is used to provide the power to the units that are beeing used.

The article talks about porous crystalline material, known as a metal-organic framework (MOF), that acts like a sponge or catalyst for the reaction to occur at temperature.

solar panel to power a fan and heater, which speed the cycles, the device produces up to 1.3 liters of water per kilogram of MOF per day from desert air. Yaghi expects further improvements to boost that number to 8 to 10 liters per day. Last year, he formed a company called Water Harvesting that this fall plans to release a microwave-size device able to provide up to 8 liters per day. The company promises a scaled-up version next year that will produce 22,500 liters per day, enough to supply a small village.

Its catalyst is multi function as it has the zirconia to split the co2 into co and o2 as heat is applied. Still in experimental state and not a commercial off the shelf.

The solar panel looks like a 4 ft x 6 ft size in the 300 -400 w size. connected to a invertor for the batteries at 24 v a piece for a 48 v source for the ac convertor.

Solar power in that case won't need batteries, since you can store water. Overproduce when you have power, and keep a few days storage on hand.

For Terraformer re #133

Thank you for your interest in the new MOF technology. 

This post is in support of your daytime-only operating mode, for a fallback situation if batteries fail.

However, in practice (on Earth or on Mars) it seems likely 24 hour operation will be desired, because the production of a molecule sifting system is low to begin with, and the situation is compounded in dry climates, where this system is most needed.

That said, production of ** clean ** water even in a damp environment is so important for health of humans and other living things, I can envision plants like this becoming very popular very quickly, with the right marketing.

The batteries are used also to perform power regulation for the input to the convertor for the AC voltage that it will put out. Other wise it would oscillate and be unstable for supplying the power to the units that are doing the work.

Here's another process to pull moisture out of air.  According to the summary of the video, the process works in dry climates as well as temperate ones.

However, it might be of interest to Americans who have less than satisfactory ground water (or city water for that matter).

https://www.yahoo.com/news/solar-farm-p … 08937.html

(th)

SpaceNut

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From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: Sun + Air = water

Ok here is the round up and the last link to begin with.

I was not able to view the video and that article sort of lacked company name or a great many details as to power or how that it might work. So I went to google with key words " solar Hydropanel ".

Yay I got more data

This solar hydropanel can pull 10 liters of drinking water per day out of the air

Zero Mass Water's SOURCE device, which is a rooftop solar device that produces water instead of just electricity, but the pricing and availability weren't quite clear then.

A standard SOURCE array is made up of two hydropanels, with additional panels added as needed for the water production or the local climate, and this self-contained unit is designed to be mounted onto the roof of a building, where it can then produce an average of 4-10 liters per day. An onboard 30-liter reservoir holds the collected water and mineralizes it with calcium and magnesium, and the outflow of the device can be plumbed right to a tap (or refrigerator or dispenser) inside the building for ease of use. No maintenance is said to be necessary other than annual filter changes and swapping out the mineral cartridge every five years, which a subscription program delivers when it's time. A standard array with two panels runs about $4000, plus another $500 for installation, and is said to be engineered to last at least 10 years. That brings the cost to about $1.23 per day, or between $0.12 and $0.30 per liter, when averaged out over the life of the unit.

https://www.zeromasswater.com/source/

tahanson43206

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Registered: 2018-04-27

Posts: 19,365

Re: Sun + Air = water

For SpaceNut re this new topic ...

This topic should have legs!  Thanks for launching it!  Everyone needs clean drinking water, so these panels or their competitors should become increasingly popular over time, even in regions with public water supplies. 

I would like to point out something from the quote in post #2 ... the text mentions adding minerals to the collected water, and this is good news.  Earlier in this forum I have archived notes on the mineral content of natural ground water, after being advised by a biology teacher friend that humans evolved to need and depend upon selected minerals in water.

Calcium and magnesium are a start, but they are only two of the many minerals found in the highest quality spring water.

Edit#1: For the record: On 2020/07/10, I tried to find the original post described above, and I was not successful.

As I remember the post, it reported on a study of highly regarded spring water, showing the kinds and percentages of various minerals which were present, as well as noting the absence of undesirable substances, such as radioactive elements and anything containing carbon.

Again, thanks for launching this promising new topic.

(th)

Last edited by tahanson43206 (2020-07-10 09:03:10)

SpaceNut

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From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: Sun + Air = water

The means to the end is about cost for the many which will need clean water as most will not care how it works only that it does. The images that show a box panel construction with everything contained all but for the water tank to hold the water makes it so that it can be put just about any place as it is not a piece assembly unit.

For me this is about how to take my undrinkable water and turn it into useable. So an add on device for me would be an inlet evaporation unit that would supply the much cleaner water to be filtered and collected by this unit. So a trial place would be Flynn where the water was contaminated and cause bottled water to be trucked in.

The home page images show an aligned at an angle panel and not flat level as others think is the best way to install them. You get more energy for the unit angled and not flat.

https://www.zeromasswater.com/rexi/source/ roof top technology entry link

Looking at the applications page the unit is shown in a variety of locations from wet to dry for mounting surface. With about the only complaint that I have ever heard about would be surface sunlight reflection inot on coming traffic for solar panels.

SpaceNut

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From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: Sun + Air = water

This may be the solution to:

The technology described in the link below is under development to address the problem of "forever chemicals" that have entered the water supply around the world since they were introduced decades ago.

While the methods in development are intended for Earth application, I think they are of potential interest for Mars settlers, because Mars will necessarily be a closed system for many years.  Contamination of water supplies is possible, if not likely.

Activated carbon is the substance used today to remove harmful chemicals.  The new method is not yet competitive but has the potential to become so.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/scientists-f … 00299.html

(th)

As on can evaporate the water slowly and allow the unit to filter the output water removing these hazards. The unit is quite expensive for the average consumer that needs the water. Maybe if we can get more details a lower cost product could be made?

SpaceNut

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From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: Sun + Air = water

Clean Water And Solar Power In A Single Device: University Of Cambridge Team Creates Off-Grid Device To Purify Dirty Water And Produce Hydrogen Fuel

SpaceNut

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From: New Hampshire

Registered: 2004-07-22

Posts: 29,431

Re: Sun + Air = water

A sponge of a different type and use as its not about water but the air will have the water that could be filtered later.

Scientists develop electrified charcoal 'sponge' that can soak up CO₂ directly from the air

Activated charcoal is used in many purification applications, such as water filters, but normally it can't capture and hold CO2 from the air. Forse and his colleagues proposed that if activated charcoal could be charged, like a battery, it could be a suitable material for carbon capture.

When charging a battery, charged ions are inserted into one of the battery's electrodes. The researchers hypothesized that charging activated charcoal with chemical compounds called hydroxides would make it suitable for carbon capture, since hydroxides form reversible bonds with CO2.