An atmospheric water harvesting system based on the "Optimal Harvesting Window" design for worldwide water production

Qian Li; Zhao Shao; Qihong Zou; Quanwen Pan; Yao Zhao; Yaohui Feng; Wenwen Wang; Ruzhu Wang; Tianshu Ge

doi:10.1016/j.scib.2024.03.018

An atmospheric water harvesting system based on the "Optimal Harvesting Window" design for worldwide water production

Sci Bull (Beijing). 2024 Mar 9:S2095-9273(24)00162-2. doi: 10.1016/j.scib.2024.03.018. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Qian Li¹, Zhao Shao¹, Qihong Zou¹, Quanwen Pan¹, Yao Zhao¹, Yaohui Feng¹, Wenwen Wang¹, Ruzhu Wang¹, Tianshu Ge²

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Refrigeration and Cryogenics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China.
² Institute of Refrigeration and Cryogenics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China. Electronic address: baby_wo@sjtu.edu.cn.

PMID: 38531718
DOI: 10.1016/j.scib.2024.03.018

Abstract

Atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) is a promising solution to the water shortage problem. Current sorption-based AWH (SAWH) systems seldom obtain both wide climatic adaptability and high energy efficiency due to the lack of thermodynamic optimization. To achieve the ideal harvesting circulation in SAWH systems, the "optimal harvesting window" (OHW) design based on thermodynamic analysis was first proposed and validated by our prototype. The "OHW" theory indicates the water production rate and energy efficiency could be improved by properly reducing the adsorption temperature. As the humidity increases, the optimal adsorption temperature should be closer to the dew point of the environment. Experimental results revealed that, loaded with 3 kg widely adopted silica gel, the daily water production could reach 5.76-17.64 L/d with ultrahigh energy efficiency of 0.46-1.5 L/kWh. This prototype could also achieve optimal performance in wide climatic conditions in terms of 13-35 °C and 18%-72% RH. Lastly, the performance of photovoltaic (PV)-driven SAWH was evaluated. Results showed that a 1 m² PV panel could generate 0.66-2 L water per day in Shanghai throughout the year, the highest in opening literature. Notably, this work introduces a promising concept that can help achieve large-scale, ultra-fast, energy-efficient AWH worldwide.

Keywords: Atmospheric water harvesting; Large-scale and worldwide water production; Optimal harvesting window; Thermodynamic optimization.