Experimental Study of Solar-Powered Atmospheric Water Generator for Extracting Potable Water from Air /

Abstract

Atmospheric water harvesting can be a viable solution to tackle water scarcity. This paper presents an experimental study using solar-powered thermoelectric coolers (TECs) to collect clean atmospheric water at a low relative humidity (RH). The system consists of 4 TEC modules arranged in parallel, coupled with heat sinks on the hot sides and condensers on the cold sides of TEC. The thermal performance of TECs was enhanced by adding fans to heat sinks. The effect of different design parameters was explained and examined. The proposed atmospheric water generator (AWG) can generate 25.5 ml/h at a humidity of 65% in a controlled environment. The results show the highest water generation of 25.5 ml/h at 58.7 relative humidity (RH) and 27.8 °C. The AWH was able to harvest 11.5 ml/h and 14.6 ml/hr at lower RH of 35% and 45%. The quality test was also conducted on the water extracted from this device, showing that all parameters were within the range specified by the World Health Organization (WHO). The study demonstrates the potential of solar powered AWG systems to provide clean drinking water in low to medium-level humidity regions, ensuring a sustainable framework to avoid scarcity of water in the affected places.