Experimental Study and performance analysis of atmospheric water generator

Found in some specific scenarios, drinking water is hard for people to get, such as during expeditions and scientific investigations. The goal of this senior design project is to design and prototype an atmospheric water generator, a device which produces drinkable water from humid air. Special emph

Project Title

Experimental Study and performance analysis of atmospheric water generator

Project Area of Specialization

Mechanical Engineering

Project Summary

Found in some specific scenarios, drinking water is hard for people to get, such as during expeditions and scientific investigations. The goal of this senior design project is to design and prototype an atmospheric water generator, a device which produces drinkable water from humid air. Special emphasis is given to energy efficiency and compatibility with renewable energy sources. Affordable access to potable water is a global issue, as approximately 844 million people around the world lack access to clean water. Atmospheric water generation can address this issue by generating potable water from the water vapor present in air. One technology to be utilized for atmospheric water generation is the vapor compression cycle (VCC), which generates water from ambient air by cycling a refrigerant to create a cold surface on which water vapor will condense. The parameters for condensation are dependent upon environmental constraints, including temperature and humidity of the ambient air. The scope of this project is to design and build a prototype VCC capable of delivering 3 Liter (in per hour with 100% humidity), 1.5 Liter (in 50% humidity), 500 ML (in 25% humidity). Per day it will produce 72 Liter (in per day with 100% humidity), 36 Liter (in 50% humidity), 12 Liter (in 25% humidity) of liquid water from ambient air per hour. To do this, the system was first simulated using the relevant thermodynamic and heat transfer phenomena in the VCC to determine the design parameters. The simulation results dictated the purchasing of various components and assembling of hardware to achieve the aforementioned goal of 5 Liter (in per hour with 100% humidity), 3 Liter (in 50% humidity), 1.5 ML (in 25% humidity) as a proof of concept for further future research into adaptation for large scale ecological applications, such as hydroponic greenhouses. With successful water generation in low humidity ambient Worcester conditions, the VCC will be extremely efficacious in supplying potable water to a community when integrated in a constantly humid hydroponic greenhouse.

Project Objectives

• The main objective of this project (Atmospheric Water Generator AWG) is to solve the crisis of the water shortage in the rural areas, villages & deserted areas etc.
• To reduce the use of the plastic bottles & to control the pollution across the world.
• This is an expensive mode of water production; we will work to reduce the cost of product with efficient results.
• 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 Water Production per Day - The design should produce at least one or more liter of drinkable water per day. ? Maximize Efficiency - The design should maximize the water produced per unit energy.
• Portability of Water - Water produced by the design must conform to the World Health Organization (WHO) drinking water quality standards.
• Design – The design of our AWG is portable we can move it easily from one place to another.
• Consumption of Electricity – It will automatically shut down the operation of generator when there is less amount or no humidity present in the air and in time to time it will also shut down when the water tank is full, and at one point when cooling coil’s temperature decreases it will automatically shut down.
• 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. R-22 is not an environment friendly gas but there is no leakage in our system, so it is safe to use R-22 gas in the project. Any type of current is not passed in the body during the project operation. For making our project portable, we have installed tyres that will help to move AWG easily from one place to another.

Project Implementation Method

The idea behind AWG is that, since there is always some level of humidity in the air. Although this idea seems simple enough in theory, turning air into clean drinking water in practice can come with its challenges. In this, we dive into how AWGs work.

In dehumidifiers, refrigerators, and air conditioners, a smaller version of the basic processes behind AWG occurs to some extent. That’s because AWG, at its core, is just condensing air and extracting water from it. In fact, the water that drips from your air conditioner as it runs at full blast on a hot summer day is the result of AWG — and many engineers have figured out ways to capture this water for other use.

In some cases, a significant difference in temperature between the air and the space in which AWG will take place drives the process. In other cases, thermoelectric processes rapidly decrease air temperature, replicating the functions of modern-day refrigerants without employing energy-intensive compression processes (or leaking harmful refrigerant byproducts into the environment).

Some modern-day AWG devices lower air temperature for more purposes than just quickly reaching the dew point. Even as air temperatures are lowered further and further past the dew point, not all the gases in the air will condense. These colder gases can then be preserved and applied back into the process to hasten the cooling process, increasing the volume of water that AWG can produce in a given timespan.

Benefits of the Project

• Simply operable by persons of limited technical experience.
• Industries which require travel, such as the military, can use an atmospheric water generator to create water when resources run low. Setting up camp in a desert, or a region where there is little safe drinking water is much simpler when you have a device like ours to continuously supply hydration.
• One of the biggest advantages of Atmospheric Water Generators are the cost efficiency of the device. While the immediate cost may outweigh the price of purchasing portable water from a retailer at first, the overall value improves, and a net gain is seen within a short time period.
• Another benefit of this method of water retrieval is no additional operating expenses, and because the atmospheric water generator is autonomous, there are no electric bills.
• Can be more economical than some other water sources, such as bottled water, home distilled water, and water tanks (GENAQ provides a chart of these costs)
• AWG units have neither water waste, or waste products that are produced
• Some Environments Are Great for AWGs, such as greenhouses where the air inside can be hotter and more humid than outside. The same can be said for climates and region with moist air.
• Can Be Portable in the case of smaller AWG units.
• Can provide direct drinking water, when used with purification and filtration technology.

Technical Details of Final Deliverable

An atmospheric water generator (AWG) is a device that extracts water from humid ambient air. Water vapor in the air can be extracted by condensation - cooling the air below its dew point, exposing the air to desiccants, or pressurizing the air.

As the ambient, humid air is filtered as it enters the unit, the humidity is then condensed onto the cool evaporator surface forming water drops. Water drops accumulate and flow into the storage tank. An ultraviolet light inside the tank Intermittently keeps the water free from contaminants. When water is drawn, it is pumped through the water filters. Finally, an ozone generator is the final stage of Quench Innovations filtration as it fills your glass or pitcher ozonized, delicious water.

AWGs are useful where pure drinking water is difficult or impossible to obtain, because there is almost always a small amount of water in the air that can be extracted.

Final Deliverable of the Project

HW/SW integrated system

Core Industry

Energy

Other Industries

Manufacturing

Core Technology

Shared Economy

Other Technologies

Others

Sustainable Development Goals

Clean Water and Sanitation, Affordable and Clean Energy, Climate Action

Required Resources

If you need this project, please contact me on contact@adikhanofficial.com