Air Condensation Unit to Get Maximum Potable Water: A Review: Exploring the Potential of Air Condensation Units for Sustainable Water Solutions

Abstract

Access to safe drinking water is one of the United Nations “Millennium Development Goals”. Shortage of fresh water still exists in many developing countries across the globe. The shortage in fresh water supply is due to the rapid increase in population, industrialization and rapid urbanization.Atmospheric water harvesting or atmospheric water vapor processing (AWVP) is an emerging technology in which the atmospheric water vapor is condensed and collected. Three different approaches have been considered (a) water collection on cold surfaces using either heat pump technology or radiative cooling devices, (b) concentration of the vapor using desiccants and then release the vapor in a regeneration process and (c) inducing convection currents in a tall tower structure pushing the humid air to cold high altitude zone where condensation takes place.Vapor compression system is promising method of obtaining water from air; work on this was carried out by Mr.Abdulghani et al. at Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. They have discussed analytical & experimental methods to find out rate of condensate extraction. They have observed relation between condensate extraction rate, relative humidity& air temperature. They got maximum condensate during august month which is 99kg/day. The experimentation was carried on 1.5 ton A.C. system with simulated weather conditions at a constant volume flow rate of air of 0.135m3/s.