AMMAN — A team of researchers at the
Royal Scientific Society (RSS), Jordan’s largest research institution, developed a
machine that can utilize the most arid air as a reservoir for drinking water,
according to the Jordan News Agency, Petra.
Utilizing water vapor in the form of humidity, the
patented device is capable of producing up to 35 liters of water per day, even
in Jordan’s arid,
desert climate. The process can be carried out multiple times
a day to deliver a continuous supply of clean drinking water.
Jordan is one of the world’s poorest nations in water
resources, which are being depleted faster than they can be replenished. The
problem is being exacerbated by climate change, which is causing spiked
temperatures and prolonged heat spells.
To address this
challenge, a team at the RSS’s Advanced Research Center set out three years ago
to develop a solution that treats the atmosphere as an untapped reservoir.
The research team, led by Scientific Research
Executive Director Kyle E. Cordova, and Staff Scientist Husam Al-Massad
invented a novel atmospheric water-harvesting machine that selectively captures
and collects humidity from the surrounding air and condenses it into liquid
water.
The machine has been vetted, validated, and approved
through a rigorous peer-review process, and the result has been published in
Nature Communications, one of the world’s most prestigious scientific journals.
The device uses porous, molecular sponges that are
designed to efficiently and selectively capture, concentrate, and condense
water vapor from dry, desert air, utilizing cutting-edge technology. The water
is released once the molecular sponge is full by raising air temperature.
The released water vapor is then condensed to yield
liquid water that is filtered and mineralized for human consumption. This
process can be driven by an external, solar-powered energy source.
The research team’s scientific report detailed how
the machine operates using a proprietary algorithm that monitors climate
fluctuations in real time to continuously optimize water production and power
consumption.
This resulted in a 3-fold increase in daily water
production, even in the arid desert.
Crucially, the cost per litre is as low as 6.5 US
cents, and the water produced meets the national drinking standards of Jordan.
The RSS has registered a worldwide patent to
commercialize the device through a spin-off company called AquaPoro Ventures
Ltd, which aims to manufacture the machine in Jordan to bring water
independence and security to families and communities by mid-2023.
The RSS said it saw the new technology as an
important addition to an urgently-needed armory of tools to provide
long-lasting global water solutions.
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