GFWA - Generating Fresh Water from the Atmosphere

Abstract

Drought is a global problem with widespread economic and environmental ramifications, affecting millions worldwide. Traditional water supply methods became unsustainable and expensive. Therefore, there is a need to find cost-efficient ways to generate water without harming the ecosystem. The project aims to test the effectiveness of the atmospheric water generation prototype “GFWA” using heat compression and the Peltier effect. The hypothesis is that GFWA can generate a minimum of two fl. oz of water daily from the atmosphere, providing a cost-efficient solution for households to produce clean drinking water.

The GFWA prototype was built by placing the Peltier chip in the middle to optimize heat flow. Materials used to construct the prototype are a PC heat sink, a small heat sink rack, a Peltier chip, ceramic filter balls, and a DC Jack. The experiment was conducted for 11 days, where the daily amount of water generated and pH levels were monitored to ensure water quality.

Discovery shows that larger heat sinks generated more water, and the device would need to be larger or run longer to be cost-effective. The results showed that GFWA generated approximately four fl oz of water per day, which supports the hypothesis. GFWA produced water with lesser ppm levels than other common sources and was somewhat cost-effective.

These findings are significant as they introduce a new and efficient way to solve drought and generate water. Rather than relying on available solutions like rainwater harvesting, GFWA offers a solution that can generate water from an always-available resource.