Aquarator
Surface and groundwater reservoirs are depleting at a rapid rate. According to the United Nations, water consumption has increased at a rate more than twice that of population growth, and it is estimated that by 2025, half of the world's population might be living in areas subject to water scarcity.
2025-06-28 16:25:08 - Adil Khan
Aquarator
Project Area of Specialization Electrical/Electronic EngineeringProject SummarySurface and groundwater reservoirs are depleting at a rapid rate. According to the United Nations, water consumption has increased at a rate more than twice that of population growth, and it is estimated that by 2025, half of the world's population might be living in areas subject to water scarcity.
Water conservation and distribution improvements are worthwhile, but they are often insufficient to ensure enough water for people and industrial use. Earth’s atmosphere is also one of the abundant sources of freshwater. At any given time, almost everywhere on the planet, each square kilometre of atmosphere contains 10-40 thousands metric tons of water, enough to supply at least 100,000 people with all of their water consumption.
If that water is condensed in some way, it can become another sustainable source of freshwater. To achieve this, a device known as an “Aquarator'' is developed. The Aquarator is an Atmospheric Water Generator that harnesses the humidity in the atmosphere and generates freshwater by simulating the natural processing of condensation.
The Aquarator consists of three separate chambers. The first chamber is the condensation chamber, which is supplied with filtered air. Due to the presence of the evaporator coil, when the filtered air is sucked in using the fans, it is cooled down below its dew point. Water droplets are formed as a result and these water droplets are then collected in the water container. Moreover, an attached exhaust fan outputs clean air as well.
The control system and filtration plant are housed in the second chamber. An ESP-32 microcontroller is used to control the sensors and take the necessary actions for efficient water production. When the water container reaches a certain level of water, a water pump is activated. The inlet of a filtration module is connected to the water pump. Using a UV lamp, the filtration plant removes impurities and kills any viruses or bacteria. The clean water is collected in the final smart reservoir and is ready for dispensing.
The third chamber holds the power supplies, power controllers and the refrigeration modules. The Aquarator runs on direct current (DC) and can be used as a self-sustained device with solar panels in drought-affected areas, remote areas, or in the event of a natural disaster where clean water is in short supply.
Project ObjectivesThe objective is to develop an efficient system for harvesting water from the atmosphere. The Aquarator is intended to assist in addressing the problem of water scarcity. Many areas in Pakistan are facing severe shortage of water. People living in remote areas of Sindh and Balochistan often do not have access to clean water or electricity. Keeping this in mind, the Aquarator’s components are all DC powered. Which means, the Aquarator can be powered up using Solar Panels to harvest water based on the relative humidity of the area. The goal is to make it efficient enough in harvesting water, so that it can be used in drought affected areas, remote areas, by the military, and in the residential areas.
Project Implementation MethodThe Aquarator will use refrigerant based methodology in conjunction with DC Compressor, Condenser, Capillary, Dryer and the Evaporator coils. The refrigerant (R134a) during its cycles lowers the temperature in the condensation chamber, thus providing a suitable temperature for the condensation to occur. The power is provided from a solar panel and a microcontroller is used to help control all other sensors and sets of fans etc.
The Aquarator harnesses the humidity in the air by simulating the natural process of condensation. The higher the humidity the higher will be the vapour formation in the condensation chamber. Water is collected by simulating the dew point continuously. Water is liquid in its natural state, and it freezes into a solid when the temperature drops below 0°C. However, it changes its state from liquid to vapour when the temperature exceeds 100°C. From the vapourised state, the temperature at which it condenses back to the liquid state is known as the Dew Point. The temperature will vary depending on the relative humidity. The amount of moisture in the air relative to the saturation point is measured as relative humidity. The temperature determines the saturation point. In other words, the colder it is, the denser the vapour becomes and the lower the saturation point is, i.e. 90% Relative Humidity (RH) at 0°C is equal to 10% RH at 50°C depending upon the area. Thus, by maintaining the dew point inside the condensation chamber water is harnessed.
Benefits of the Project-
It will provide water from free sources like air and solar energy, almost anywhere as long as the required amount of humidity is present in the air.
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Allows a decentralised access to water and provides convenience. That means no more politics of living on public utilities and water supplies.
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It can be easily installed anywhere in a house, building, school or a hospital without having to fit water lines etc.
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Suitable to be used in case of emergencies; also can be used in drought affected areas or remote areas when the water is not accessible.
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The moveable and self-sustained nature makes it a good choice for the industries which move from place to place regularly. It can also be used by the military.
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No additional electricity charges, when used on solar panels.
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There is no waste, and only a renewable source of water is used. In conjunction with a renewable solar energy source.
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Aims to help solving the challenges like water scarcity, droughts, sanitary water problems etc.
The Aquarator can also be powered up using the solar panels. Power electronics manages the power requirements using the DC supplies and buck converters etc. In the first step, the Aquarator takes in atmospheric air through the fans, which passes through the air filter and enters the condensation chamber. The evaporator coil inside the condensation chamber has a temperature lower than the incoming air. Thus, when the incoming filtered air strikes the evaporator coil, dew point is achieved and a water droplet is formed. Thousands of similar water droplets are formed and fall in the water container placed under the evaporator coil simultaneously. The system uses a closed condensation chamber, in which the dew point is maintained using controlled electronics, as a result of which condensation happens at a constant rate.
Temperature sensors and hygrometers are used and controlled by the ESP32 microcontroller. Based on those readings the microcontroller controls the fans and other components which are essential to maintain the optimum condensation environment inside the chamber. The DC compressor (Size: 1/8, 65W) is used with R134a refrigerant. During the compression cycle the refrigerant changes its states inside the coil. When the refrigerant is compressed, it flows through the condenser to exchange the heat with the outside environment. Then, the refrigerant approaches the capillary tube, it changes its state again and the temperature is also decreased. The refrigerant ultimately approaches the evaporator coil, bringing down its temperature (for the condensation to happen), meanwhile absorbing the heat from the chamber it goes back into the DC compressor – and the cycle repeats.
When the water container is filled upto a certain level, a water pump is activated which carries the water to the filtration module. Using a UV lamp, the filtration plant removes impurities and kills any viruses or bacteria. The clean water is collected in the final smart reservoir and is ready for dispensing.
| Item Name | Type | No. of Units | Per Unit Cost (in Rs) | Total (in Rs) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total in (Rs) | 60951 | |||
| DC Compressor | Equipment | 1 | 7000 | 7000 |
| Condensor | Equipment | 1 | 750 | 750 |
| Evaporator | Equipment | 1 | 950 | 950 |
| ESP-32 Microcontroller | Equipment | 1 | 1100 | 1100 |
| Hygrometer | Equipment | 1 | 1500 | 1500 |
| DC Fan (18W) | Equipment | 1 | 1000 | 1000 |
| DC Fan (10W) | Equipment | 1 | 400 | 400 |
| Dryer | Equipment | 1 | 140 | 140 |
| Capillary Tube | Equipment | 1 | 200 | 200 |
| Pin Valve | Equipment | 1 | 70 | 70 |
| Connecting Wire | Equipment | 1 | 180 | 180 |
| Electronics Enclosure | Equipment | 1 | 500 | 500 |
| DC Pump (8W) | Equipment | 1 | 350 | 350 |
| Mini Pump | Equipment | 1 | 300 | 300 |
| Humidity sensor | Miscellaneous | 1 | 300 | 300 |
| Thermocouples | Equipment | 1 | 350 | 350 |
| Wires | Equipment | 1 | 400 | 400 |
| Wooden Structure | Equipment | 1 | 2500 | 2500 |
| Wheels | Equipment | 6 | 150 | 900 |
| Screws | Miscellaneous | 36 | 3 | 101 |
| Water Container | Equipment | 2 | 500 | 1000 |
| Plywoods | Equipment | 1 | 1750 | 1750 |
| Paints, Screws, Boolks and Hooks | Miscellaneous | 1 | 1450 | 1450 |
| Acrylic Sheets, Stickers | Equipment | 1 | 760 | 760 |
| TDS meter | Equipment | 1 | 1000 | 1000 |
| pH meter | Equipment | 1 | 1500 | 1500 |
| SWS water purifier | Equipment | 1 | 600 | 600 |
| Aluminum Foil and Tape | Equipment | 1 | 430 | 430 |
| Solar Charge Controller | Equipment | 1 | 2000 | 2000 |
| Boards, Wiring, Sockets and Buttons | Equipment | 1 | 1000 | 1000 |
| Solar Panel (100W) | Equipment | 1 | 6500 | 6500 |
| Solar Panel (150W) | Equipment | 1 | 9500 | 9500 |
| Solar Wiring and Equipment | Equipment | 1 | 1500 | 1500 |
| Thermopole sheets, charts | Equipment | 1 | 260 | 260 |
| AC-DC Converter (100W) | Equipment | 1 | 1300 | 1300 |
| AC-DC Converter (96W) | Equipment | 1 | 500 | 500 |
| LM2596 | Equipment | 3 | 150 | 450 |
| Buck-Boost Converter | Equipment | 2 | 200 | 400 |
| Vero board, Bread board | Equipment | 1 | 410 | 410 |
| Air Filter (Circular) | Equipment | 1 | 400 | 400 |
| Air Filter (Square) | Equipment | 1 | 250 | 250 |
| Water Filter | Equipment | 1 | 3500 | 3500 |
| Resistors, Capacitors, LEDs, Display and Misc | Miscellaneous | 1 | 2000 | 2000 |
| Finishing and Testing | Miscellaneous | 1 | 3500 | 3500 |