New system extracts water from atmosphere

A set of atmospheric water harvesting solutions, described by Shanghai developers as the world's first comprehensive solution of its kind to provide green and accessible drinking water worldwide, has been unveiled recently. The innovation is especially beneficial for water-scarce countries and regions.

Developed from cutting-edge research at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, the solutions introduce three core technological pathways: condensation, adsorption, and a heat pump coupled with adsorption and absorption. These are tailored to address water scarcity under various climatic conditions: high temperature and humidity, low temperature and humidity, and high temperature with low humidity.

The research team claims this marks a significant shift for China from being a follower to a leader in the frontier field of atmospheric water extraction. This process involves condensing atmospheric moisture into water, offering a decentralized and renewable freshwater source, particularly beneficial in areas with scarce groundwater resources or unstable municipal water supplies.

According to a report by market consultancy QYResearch, the global atmospheric water collector market is projected to reach $420 million by 2031, with a compound annual growth rate of 4.8 percent in the coming years.

The innovation was unveiled by Shanghai-based technology firm AtmosWell, incubated from the pioneering work of the interdisciplinary innovation team for "energy-water-air", or ITEWA, at the university's School of Mechanical Engineering.

"Extracting potable water from air is one of humanity's ultimate dreams for addressing uneven water distribution," said Wang Ruzhu, lead scientist of the ITEWA team and a 2023 Global Energy Prize laureate. "The firm has systematically transformed the university's laboratory breakthroughs into engineering solutions adaptable to various scenarios, exemplifying the core value of technological innovation serving society," he said.

Industry experts explained that the primary challenge of atmospheric water extraction lies in adapting to complex and variable climate conditions. Leveraging the expertise of the ITEWA team, AtmosWell overcame technical bottlenecks from materials to systems, offering differentiated solutions for different scenarios.

Among the innovations is an off-grid outdoor drinking water station powered by solar energy, which can start working with zero infrastructure. The machine, similar in size to a small bus stop, can function in temperatures ranging between 15 and 40 C and humidity levels between 35 and 99 percent, producing up to 50 liters of drinking water per day.

"The product lineup also includes a large-scale outdoor engineering-grade water platform with a daily capacity of 1,600 liters, which can provide a stable water supply for island hotels, small communities, and emergency disaster relief scenarios," said Wang, adding that the portfolio also includes water bars for office and home use, which are plug-and-play to easily meet daily drinking water needs.

This innovation will significantly benefit environmental conservation, experts say, as around 600 billion plastic water bottles are produced globally each year, with only 9 percent of plastics recycled.

Beyond competitiveness in water extraction, AtmosWell's proprietary purification technology integrates traditional filtration and sterilization techniques with newly developed low-temperature rapid cooling antibacterial technology and comprehensive water circulation preservation technology.

"Such technologies provide a new path for water supply in remote regions, emergency disaster relief, and urban water resource resilience building, with profound implications for promoting innovation in energy-saving and environmental protection industries," said Zhao Yixin, director of the high-technology department at the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality.