3D printers have come a long way since the days of making flimsy plastic lamps and cheap toys. More than 40 years after first 3D printed objectmodern machines are now capable of creating biodegradable tableware, artificial animal skinand even entire prefabricated houses built from clay. Now a pair of college graduates have teamed up to pursue an even more ambitious goal: printing water out of thin air.
Münster University of Applied Sciences graduates Louise Graupe and Julika Schwarz have developed a 3D-printed prototype of the aptly named device Water from thin air. They claim the device can produce up to 1.6 gallons of clean drinking water per day using only air. Made primarily from 3D printed materials, the device extracts moisture from the atmosphere, traps water molecules, and then condenses them into drinking water. Built-in “metal-organic frameworks” remove most air pollutants, potentially eliminating the need for water to pass through an additional filter. A built-in tap at the bottom of the device allows you to pour collected water directly into a drinking cup or other storage container.
Although the work is still in development, engineers believe the device could be a smaller, more practical solution for individual households. lacks water. Writing on a design website BehanceThey describe Water from Air as “a mobile water production and storage device that can be used flexibly in private households, regardless of geographic and social circumstances.” They describe the device as a potential “practical solution and use case for people around the world.”
Water from air can produce enough water for a family of four every day
In its current version, the device has several stackable sections, each of which is made using a 3D printer. The French press-style top opens to draw water molecules from the air. After about an hour, the hatch closes and the device begins to heat up, starting the condensation process. Engineers say the built-in materials remove most, if not all, harmful air pollutants. The condensed water then flows into the base below.
One complete cycle takes approximately two hours and yields 17 fluid ounces (roughly equivalent to a medium-sized plastic water bottle). However, if left running continuously for an entire day, the device can produce about 1.6 gallons of drinking water, which engineers say is enough to support a family of four, assuming each person consumes 1.5 liters of water per day.
It is worth noting that the device, no matter how intriguing it may sound, is not ready for widespread use. In response to comments on Behance, Schwartz clarified that the materials used in the device are still being researched and the patent process is ongoing. The engineers did not mention prices.
“Our goal was to illustrate the potential of this new material through a user-friendly and self-contained product design—something that previously only existed in complex laboratory setups,” Schwartz writes.
A portable solution to the world's growing water shortage
The engineers say they were inspired to undertake the project after learning about the growing problem of water insecurity around the world. In the US, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that approximately 2.2 million people live in homes without running water or indoor plumbing. A recent article Arizona State University researchers estimate that up to 12 percent of U.S. residents may experience water insecurity. These effects felt disproportionate Latino, Black and Indigenous communities across the country.
This is notable, but the problem becomes more apparent when zoomed out to a global scale. World Economic Forum estimates that about 72 percent of people worldwide experience some form of water insecurity. About 8 percent of the world's population falls into the more extreme category of people facing “critical water shortages.”
Current approaches to addressing water insecurity often rely on large, expensive, and technically complex water conversion systems. Engineers note that these systems are not always well suited to the changing individual needs of households. At least in theory, a household could use a Water from Air device throughout the day to collect the required amount of water. The 3D printing element also offers another benefit: Because design files are stored digitally, communities around the world can print their own devices locally, eliminating the need for a centralized distribution system.
“The basic idea of water for air has great potential for the future as the need for clean water sources grows,” Graupe and Schwartz write on Behance. “In larger-scale scenarios, it is also possible… to provide water to entire communities.”
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