PRODUCTION OF WATER FROM ATMOSPHERIC HUMID AIR: WATER DEHUMIDIFIER GENERATOR

USING SOLAR PANEL

A Project

Presented to Mr. Lester Cueva

College of Engineering and Computing Sciences

BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY

JPLPC – MALVAR CAMPUS

Malvar, Batangas

In Partial Fulfillment of the Course,

Ged 109 – Science, Technology and Society

By

Guevarra, Aerielly

Malabanan, Kimo L.

Mendoza, Kristine Jane Melanie

Mopon, Renalyn

MAY 2018
 CHAPTER 1
THE PROBLEM AND ITS BACKGROUND
“No Water, No Life, No Blue and No Green”.
Stilvia Earle
BACKGROUND

Drinking Water scarcity of the one leading issues in our growing world. Since Philippine’s
Water, drinking water and sanitation crisis. Out of 101 million Filipinos, nine million rely on
unimproved, unsafe and unsustainable water sources and 19 million lack access to improve
drinking water safe and sanitation. The Atmospheric air contains large amount of water in the
form of water vapor, fog, mist etc. In which 30% of water is wasted. Apart from this fact that two-
third of the earth’s surface is covered by water; among them 2.5% ground (Fresh Water) is utilized
for drinking purpose all over the world. Because of this fresh water scarcity in many countries
meet their water demands by desalination.

Under this problematic situation the climatic conditions of many regions are suitable for
generating water. The humidity of air moisture content is the process of condensation that may
produce fresh water and further its purification leads to drinking water. Cooling produced by Peltier
effect and hot air is passed to cooling medium and when it reaches dew point of temperature it
starts condensing water from air. The obtained water from air contain excess of contaminants
such as bacteria, nitrate, odor, ammonium, etc. these toxic substances are removed by using
biofiltration.

The purpose of this prototype project is to be being environmental-friendly and help in the
small way to produce minimal amount of distilled water for the safe to drink to reduce the
problematic situation that our facing of the world rather the Philippines.
 INTRODUCTION

Water is the most vital source on the earth required all forms from microorganism to
humans. However, its availability is on decline in all parts of the world due to reasons such as
climate change, population growth and change in life style. Water is second to oxygen as being
essential to life. People can survive days, weeks, or even longer without
food but only about four days without water. The average adult consumes and excretes two or
moreliters of water each day.

Water scarcity is the lack of enough available water resources to meet the demands of
water usage within a region. As per world health organization in 2025, affects around 2.8 billion
people around the world. In all continents at least one month out of every yearend more than 1.2
billion people lack the access to clean drinking water.

The sum of people without access to piped fresh water accounts for more than 25% of the
global population, most of them located in Africa, Asia and South America. Every 8 seconds a
child in the developing countries dies from disease caused by unsafe drinking water. The rapid
growth of urban and rural populations, industry and agriculture forces governments to enlarge the
infrastructures to provide fresh water; however, the existing budgets are insufficient for both water
treatment (purification or desalination) and installation of pipe-net.

In Philippines more than 50 % of the country’s population lacks access to safe drinking
water. Currently water scarcity problem is solved by exploiting ground water resources,
transportation of water from other locations, desalination of the saline water. Transportation of
water from other locations or regions is very expensive and desalination depends on the presence
of saline water resources which are usually rare in arid regions. Extraction of water from air is a
remedial for the above problems.

The worlds two third portion is covered with the water. 97% of the total water is saltwater.
The fresh water is 2.5%. In this accessible water is only 1.6% remaining is ground water and
water seen in the glaciers. 3% of this accessible water is contributed by the atmosphere. At any
given time, each square kilometer of air, almost everywhere on the globe, contains 10-
40thousands metric ton of water, enough to supply at least 100,000 people with all their water
consumption or at least 2 million people for drinking only.

The idea of collecting humidity from thin air is not new; there are several tries which were
done in order to get the water from the air humidity. Extracting water from air occurs naturally as
well as by manmade technologies.

Purpose
The aim of the project is to create a portable device that can be used to meet the water
requirements that lack access across the world also Philippines. The device will first
condense water present in the atmosphere and then purify it so that it can be used for
drinking.

While designing the atmospheric water generator it was identified that three requirements
were necessary to ensure that the final project would effectively fulfil its intended purpose. They
are;

 Potability of Water - Water produced by the design must conform to the World Health
Organization (WHO) drinking water quality standards.

 Simplicity of Use - Design must be operable by persons of limited technical experience.

 Safety - Design must not pose a hazard to users at any point during its normal operation.

Problem

This prototype project is to create a product that can produce safe and clean drinking water
while only consuming air and energy. The problem of this study concerns the nature, technology
and process of the actual extraction. This report will try to answer how the actual extraction will
be performed, what technology will be used and why?

Potable Water

The first factor is water that is safe to drink or to use for food preparation, without risk of
health problems. This factor is vital because engineers must be socially responsible and take
precautions so that society is not harmed by any products they design. The World Health
Organization (WHO) spends significant time working globally to keep people safe from disease
and other illnesses.
1.1 Design Objectives

We’re Innovators developed several goals that the design should be able to meet. They are;

 To produce maximum amount of high-quality water that safe to drink it.

 To develop experiment and investigation a production of water based on the
thermoelectric cooling effect by condensing the moisture from the ambient most air.
 Water Production per Day - The design should produce at least one liter of drinkable water
per day

 Flexibility in Power Source - The design should be able to utilize a variety of power
sources, including (but not limited to) solar, wind, and the traditional power grid.

 Maximize Efficiency - The design should maximize the water produced per unit energy.

 Minimize Cost - The design should minimize the cost per unit water production for both
capital cost and production cost.

1.2 Deliverables

The final prototype of the atmospheric water generator or water dehumidifier will be a
device that accomplishes the requirements innovators established at the onset of the project
within the scope and budget set. Innovator’s will additionally provide a final design report, this
document, detailing the design process and specifications for the final design.

1.3 Design Evaluation

The system can be divided into four primary aspects: dehumidification, brine, control, and
power, each of which is discussed in detail below.

1.3.1 Dehumidification

When approaching the problem of atmospheric water generation, the heart of the system
is dehumidification, which is the removal of water from a stream of air. In this application we seek
to capture this water and utilize it for drinking purposes. Three common psychometric methods of
dehumidification stood out during preliminary research; a temperature drop below the dew point
(refrigeration condensing), pressure condensing, or a combination of the two. In addition to these
three psychometric methods, the team came upon an alternative chemistry-related method called
wet desiccation.

Working Principle

The Atmospheric Water Generator works on the same principle as a Refrigerator and Air
Conditioner.
So, how does are frigerated work?
Refrigerators and air conditioners both work on the principle of cooling through
evaporation.

1.3.2 Cooling Condensation Method

In a cooling condensation method, a compressor circulates refrigerant through a

condenser and then an evaporator coil which cools the air surrounding it. This lowers the air
temperature to its dew point, causing water to condense. A controlled-speed fan pushes filtered
air over the coil.

The resulting water is then passed into a holding tank with purification and filtration system
to help keep the water pure and reduce the risk posed by viruses and bacteria which may be
collected from the ambient air on the evaporator coil by the condensing water.

The rate at which water can be produced depends on relative humidity and ambient air
temperature and size of the compressor. Atmospheric water generators become more effective
as relative humidity and air temperature increase. As a rule of thumb, cooling condensation
atmospheric water generators do not work efficiently when the temperature falls below
18.3°C(65°F) or the relative humidity drops below 30%. This means they are relatively inefficient
when located inside air-conditioned offices.

The cost-effectiveness of an atmospheric water generator depends on the capacity of the

machine, local humidity and temperature conditions and the cost to power the unit.
 Figure 1: Schematic representation of cooling condensation.

1.3.3 Refrigeration

Traditional refrigeration cycle dehumidification remains the most prevalent method for
generating water from atmospheric humidity. This method circulates air over cooling coils
connected in a refrigeration cycle to bring the water in the air below its dew point. The dew point
of the water is dependent on the vapor pressure and humidity and tends to be a relatively low
temperature compared to the ambient conditions. To reach the dew point the air running through
the unit will have to be cooled a considerable amount.1 This process requires a constant energy
supply that is used as the maximum allowable energy demand for the system. This approach is
expressed in Figure 1 below:

Figure 2: Dehumidification by Refrigeration Cycle

The refrigeration process begins with the compressor. Ammonia gas is compressed until it
becomes very hot from the increased pressure. This heated gas flows through the coils behind
the refrigerator, which allow excess heat to be released into the surrounding air. Eventually the
ammonia cools down to the point where it becomes a liquid.
 This liquid form of ammonia is then forced through a device called an expansion valve.
Since this evaporation occurs at -27 degrees F (-32 degrees Celsius), the ammonia draws heat
from the surrounding area. Cold material, such as the evaporating ammonia gas, tend to take
heat from warmer materials. As the evaporating ammonia gas absorbs more heat, its temperature
rises. Coils surrounding the lower refrigerator compartment are not as compact.

The cool ammonia still draws heat from the warmer objects in the fridge, but not as much
as the freezer section. The ammonia gas is drawn back into the compressor, where the entire
cycle of pressurization, cooling and evaporation begins anew.

Figure 3: Compressor of Refrigerator.

1.3.4 Pressure

It is possible to compress humid air so much that it will condense at the ambient
temperature. As pressure increases the dew point rises; thus, enough compression will force the
dew point above the ambient temperature resulting in spontaneous condensation; heat will
transfer from the pressurized humid air to the ambient air. Compressing air to extract water could
potentially require pressures up to five times the ambient pressure. This will require a very sturdy
tank that can handle high amounts of stress in its walls.

This method has great potential for low energy demands, especially if one was able to
recapture some of the energy in the compressed air using a turbine or piston. The energy efficiency
of this design option has great promise, but it is heavily dependent on compressor and
decompressor efficiency and humidity. Figure 3 below is a representation of this approach.

Figure 4: Dehumidification by Pressurization

The primary advantage of pressure dehumidification is the low energy requirement; the
only unavoidable loss is the pressure applied to the water vapor. However, any inefficiency in the
compression/decompression cycle is amplified by the large volume of air processed per unit water
produced. Additionally, the rate of production when driven by natural convection cooling to the
atmosphere is too slow for significant production; some mechanism to speed up this heat transfer
needs to be implemented, increasing the energy cost. No existing atmospheric water generators
utilizes this approach.

Pressure assisted condensation was the first idea investigated in this project. Innovator’s
saw potential in the alternate method of condensing because of the theoretical energy savings.
Because the team saw such promise for this approach thorough energy calculations were used
to evaluate the feasibility of the system. The system is deemed feasible if the energy per unit of
water is less than the competition.

Several assumptions were made for the base case feasibility calculations:

The incoming air has a relative humidity of 1 kg water /kg dry air (ω1 =1) and the outgoing
air has a relative humidity of 0 kg water /kg dry air (ω2 =0). This is a simplification because all air
will not come in with a humidity of 1 nor will it leave with no water vapor left in the air, so this is an
ideal humidity removal situation.

 The compressor has a constant volume that does not change. A standard home
compressor has a volume of approximately 25 liters, which was used as the constant
volume for the base case.

 The mass of the water vapor removed from the air does not decrease the pressure in the
system at all. This is not reality because when the water is condensed out and then it is
pumped out of the control volume there will be less mass within the control volume and
the gas will be less dense. Since we have a constant volume the pressure will decrease
to account for the loss of mass.

 The efficiency of the compressor was assumed to be 80%. This number is based on
preliminary findings from the internet.

 The density of water is assumed to be 1000 kg/m3 for all temperatures. This was assumed
because the density variance over the small range of temperatures analyzed in this
system was negligible. Likewise, the density of air was assumed to be 1.2 kg/ m 3 for all
temperatures, for the same reasons.

 Compression would not cause any change in temperature and the system would only have
to remove the energy required to condense the water, the latent heat of condensation. It
was also assumed that the heat could be removed in a perfectly efficient process.

1.3.5 Dehumidification by Liquid Desiccant Method

A desiccant is a hygroscopic substance that induces or sustains a state of dryness

(desiccation) in its vicinity. Commonly encountered pre-packaged desiccants are solids that
absorb water.

Wet desiccation is a process where a brine solution is exposed to humid air to absorb
water vapor from that air. The solution is then sent into a regenerator where the water vapor is
extracted from the solution 2. This method has grown in popularity because of its efficiency and
the ease with which it can be adapted to renewable energy, particularly solar. Figure 6 below is a
basic representation of this approach.

A primary advantage to this approach is that the desiccant accomplishes the most difficult
part of dehumidification, extracting the water from the air, without a direct expenditure of energy.
The problem is thus recast into terms of regenerating the desiccant and capturing the resultant
water. The main disadvantage of wet desiccation is the complexity that is introduced, both in
terms of system and materials.

Figure 5: Dehumidification by Desiccation

Desiccants are chemical substances that have a unique property to absorb moisture from
atmosphere. Desiccants may absorb atmospheric moisture by several methods: by physical
absorption, forming chemical bonds (chemisorption’s) or adsorption (surface phenomenon). The
water intake capacity of the desiccants depends on their physical composition,
chemical properties and atmospheric condition.

Examples of Desiccants are:

 Calcium chloride
 Lithium chloride
 Water gel crystals

Nevertheless, desiccation technologies are superior over cooling condensation in the

following:

1.) The water produced are clean of air contaminates and microorganisms;
2.) Desiccation occur at lower relative humidity;
3.) Waste and residual heat can be used;
 4.) Solar heat can be used;
5.) Heat from the adsorption process, as well as desorption, could be recovered to minimize
energy consumption.

1.4 Bio-Filtration/Water Filtration Unit

The water obtained from the device after condensation is not fit for drinking. It contains a
lot of germs and harmful bacteria which may cause diseases. Also, it contains suspended
particles which needs to be filtered out.

This can be achieved by first passing the condensed water through activated carbon filter.

1.5 Working Conditions of WDG

The AWG will operate in any environment, where the temperature ranges from 5° to
45°Celsius and with a minimum of 20% relative humidity. The daily water production capacity is
varied as change in the environmental conditions.

In Sahara Desert also, we can exert water using this technology. Only the cooling
condensation method will be required the specific atmospheric conditions the desiccant method
have no specific atmospheric conditions. Any form of energy with residual heat can be used for
this technology. It includes solar energy, wind power, fossil fuel, electricity etc. any form of
renewable energy sources can be utilized for the technology, so the cost and lack of energy can
be reduced by this technology.

The WDG uses only 10 kW-h of electricity to produce 1,000 liters of water. There is no
utilization of any chemicals in the technology and waste materials are formed. The input of the
technology is the atmospheric air it is a renewable energy source. Because of these reasons the
ISO 14040 LIFE CYCLE ASSESSMENT (LCA) suggested AWG technology is environmental
technology.

1.5.1 Limitations of WDG Technology

• Initial investment cost is high

• To work effectively, a few conditions must be met:
 1.The temperature of the ambient air must be at least a few degrees above freezing.
2.The humidity should be above a certain concentration

1.5.2 Humidity and Temperature Relation

The amount of water vapor at any time is usually less than that required to saturate the
air. The Relative Humidity is a percent of saturation humidity, generally calculated in relation to
saturation vapor density. The relative humidity is expressed as a percentage, so the maximum is
100 %. The formula for relative humidity is:

Relative humidity % =Moisture in the air now / Maximum possible moisture air can hold at
the current temperature (x100)
Hence more the humidity in air and cooler the surrounding temperature, the more will be the water
output. This can be shown through graph:

Figure 6: Schematic Humidity and Temperature Relations

 Chapter 2

Literature Review

The water generator, made from air-conditioning and dehumidifier parts, can generate
enough amount of water to meet the drinking water requirements of a regular household. It also
addresses the need for safe drinking water in remote areas and responds to the impending
scarcity of potable water in certain areas because of global warming and natural disasters. It can
also replace or supplement the currently available water devices in the market to reach the more
remote areas (Anbarasu and Pavithra, 2011).

A senior design project was aimed at designing and creating a prototype of an atmospheric
water generator (Niewenhuis et.al. 2012). They have tried to incorporate Liquid Desiccant method
to extract humidity from air and convert it into drinking water. Wet desiccation is a process where
a brine solution is exposed to humid air to absorb water vapor from that air. The solution is then
sent into a regenerator where the water vapor is extracted from the solution. This method has
grown in popularity because of its efficiency and the ease with which it can be adapted to
renewable energy, particularly solar.

In their paper (Niewenhuis et.al. 2012) and others have also described a novel and unique
method to extract water from air. They have said that it is possible to compress humid air so much
that it will start condensing at the ambient temperature itself. As pressure increases the dew point
rises; thus, enough compression will force the dew point above the ambient temperature resulting
in spontaneous condensation.

Methodology

The development of the Water Dehumidifier Generator (WDG) using Solar Panel
includes the specification making, data gathering for initial design, initial design process,
fabrication of prototype, initial testing of prototype, design modifications and final output.

Developmental Stages:

1. Specification Making
 This stage focused on acknowledging the quality and function of the desired output of the
project. Also, searching for the best and the availability of the materials to be used in making this
project is included.

2. Data Gathering for Initial Design

Collecting information that were similar with this project was done in this stage. Some
designs from similar project was taken into consideration and further exploration was conducted
to consider the possible design.

3. Initial Design Process

The initial design based on the information collected from the previous stage was created
in this stage. The function and availability of the material was taken into consideration in creating
the design of the prototype.

4. Fabrication of Prototype
In this stage, the fabrication of Water Dehumidifier Generator (WDG) using Solar Panel
was done. Canvassing and purchasing the needed materials for the completion of the prototype
were also included. Different qualities and specification of the materials were considered for the
best output.

5. Actualizing the Prototype

This stage was all about the assembly of the Water Dehumidifier Generator (WDG) using
Solar Panel Included in here is the construction of the Water Dehumidifier Generator (WDG) using
Solar Panel.

6. Initial Testing of Prototype

This stage focused on testing whether the prototype is working well or not. Assessment of
the prototype and evaluation of the problems and malfunction of the prototype that might be
encountered were also included in this stage. Recognizing the problems that was visible in this
stage is foundation of the next stage.

7. Design Modification
Modifying the design of the Water Dehumidifier Generator (WDG) using Solar Panel based
on the initial design and assessment of the result in initial testing of prototype happened on this
stage. All the parts and function of the prototype were considered.
8. Final Output
Observation and inspection of the final prototype, its design, parts and function were done
in this stage. Testing if it is working and its capacities against possible odds that might be
encountered were taken into consideration.

Project Development Process

This part of the study provides a discussion of the major processes undertaken by the
researchers in undertaking this project development. This includes designing, estimating,
constructing and assembling, and testing and evaluating of the completed project.
Designing
In this stage the researcher’s started with problem identification. The aim of the project
is to create a portable device that can be used to meet the water requirements that lack
access across the world also Philippines. The specifications of the needed materials were also
identified, and the arrangement of the product was designed.

Estimating

In this stage the researcher estimated the cost of supplies and materials used in
constructing the project. The researcher selected the proper materials which are of good quality
with low cost and which are available locally. Canvass from hardware supply stores were
conducted to decide on the best materials to be used and to determine the estimate of the total
project cost.

Constructing and Assembling

In this process, the researchers rendered the time in gathering all the parts and
components used in constructing and assembling the project. The researchers constructed the
project following the planned procedures. Step by step processes had been obtained to guarantee
the best output.
The construction and assembly of the project consists of two major stages. (sdsds)

Testing and Evaluating

All necessary tests had been conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of the project.
Testing and evaluation allowed the researcher to implement improvements in the design and
features of the completed project. The researchers made several trial and error testing to achieve
the projects fullest function. The researchers have noted important instructions to be followed by
the users for the full utilization of its function and performance.

Project Work Breakdown Schedule

The project development process lasted for almost for 1 month. The different stages and
the time spent in the completion of each stage were given in milestone report presents the work
sequence of activities and the corresponding duration for the completion of the project.
(Appendices 1.1)

Construction Procedures

This part of the study gives a visual presentation and a discussion of the systematic steps

that were carried out by the researchers in developing this project; WDG. The construction and

assembly procedures that were undertaken to come up with the project output was divided into

three stages.

(dwdwdwdwdwdd0

Supplies and Materials

In this table presents the estimated cost of all the supplies and materials that were used in

the development of the project.

Cost of Supplies and Materials

Quantity Unit Description Unit Price Total Price

2 pc Computer Fan Php. 120.00 Php. 240.00

 1 pc Water Inlet 28.00 28.00

4 pc Peltier (TEG) 200.00 800.00

1 pc Thermal Paste 90.00 90.00

4 pc Heat Sink 115.00 460.00

1 pcs Solar Panel 800.00 800.00

1 pcs Motor 400.00 400.00

1 pcs Acrylic Sheets .00 .00

1 pc .00

1 pc .00 .00

1 pc .00 .00

1 pc .00 .00

Total Cost Php..00

The preceding table shows in detail the supplies and materials that were used in the
project in terms of quantity, unit, description, and unit price and total price. From the table it can
be concluded the researchers have spent a total of Php. (cost) in the purchase of all the needed
supplies and materials. All the materials are locally available and can easily be found in the
market, hardware and online shopping.
 Chapter 3

Development of Prototype, Experimental Results and Discussions

Specifications:
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