Scientists make breakthrough with advanced technology generating water from thin air — and it could save millions of lives ( www.thecooldown.com )

Researchers in China have reportedly developed a new technology similar to hydropanels for harvesting water out of thin air that is powered by energy from the sun. The device could be especially useful in dry, arid areas where water — but not sunlight — is hard to come by.

The findings from the research team from Shanghai Jiao Tong University in China were published in the scientific journal Applied Physics Reviews.

"This atmospheric water harvesting technology can be used to increase the daily water supply needs, such as household drinking water, industrial water, and water for personal hygiene," said Ruzhu Wang, one of the study's authors.

According to the study, the device is more efficient than other existing atmospheric water generators because it uses a "novel rotating operational strategy, in which one module works in the desorption, while the others work in the adsorption simultaneously … to keep the device harvesting water continuously."

The technology could also be used for purposes ranging from dehumidification to agriculture irrigation to thermal management for electronic devices.

Icalasari ,

Harvesting is different from generating - Here I thought it was using solar energy and some previously unexplored process that rips the O2 from CO2, then adds that to Hydrogen

SteveKLord OP ,
@SteveKLord@slrpnk.net avatar

That's a good point. I generally copy the title verbatim from the article but as you've pointed out it's a bit misleading. This is definitely not magic.

Dabundis ,

The article compares them to Hydropanels, which function very similarly to a dehumidifier - and subsequently don't work so well in "dry, arid areas where water - but not sunlight - is hard to come by". What about these things might make them work better in very low humidity?

Horst_Voller ,

What about these things might make them work better in very low humidity?

Probably nothing because you can't cheat physics.

metaStatic ,

Well James Webb and Hubble just figured out physics is wrong so anything is possible now really

teft ,
@teft@lemmy.world avatar

I think you misread something. Can you link what study you're talking about?

metaStatic ,
teft ,
@teft@lemmy.world avatar

Here is a video Dr. Becky did on the Hubble tension recently that might explain it a little better for you. Physics probably isn't wrong, it's more likely that astrophysicists just got some measurements wrong on the cosmic distance ladder. A recent paper seems to get rid of the hubble tension completely.

janNatan ,

Ok, but did the Chinese scientists even once stop to think about what an excess of clean, drinkable water would do... to the economy?

  • All
  • Subscribed
  • Moderated
  • Favorites
  • [email protected]
  • kbinchat
  • All magazines