Star Wars-style mist collectors can provide water for the world's driest cities
The cities in Chile's barren Atacama desert (one of the driest places in the world) collect water from ancient groundwater sources, and the cities in Chile's barren Atacama desert are less than 0.04 inches a year. Now, researchers have identified another simple way to help solve water shortages.
Chile's international team of researchers has tested the viability of a water that can be directly disengaged dune: Fog collection. This technology also brings Star Wars Remember, that is, the water farmers of Tatooine. According to the study, this practice could bring significant relief to people living in poverty-stricken, informal environments without access to stable water sources. Field of Environmental Science,,,,,
“The collection and use of water, especially from non-commercial sources such as fog, is a critical opportunity to improve the quality of life of residents,” Virginia Carter's study, border statement. Carter and her colleagues conducted a study at Alto Hospicio's rapidly growing municipality, where about 10,000 people live in informal settlements, with only 1.6% of them related to the water distribution network.
The team used a simple fog collector: a very high quality mesh or mesh, held high by two poles. The moisture in the air condenses into droplets on the material, which then flows into the drainage ditch and into the water tank. Although their approach is not as innovative as sci-fi stills, these dramas tend to recycle urine into drinkable water (currently seems to be used for space exploration), the fog collector is a passive system that requires no electricity or other energy. Only then can it play a role.
“By demonstrating its potential in Alto Hospicio, one of Chile’s most stigmatized and rapidly urbanized cities, this study sets the stage for widespread adoption in other water-sand urban areas.” Co-author of the study .
Carter, Webruger and colleagues revealed that 10.05 square miles (100 square kilometers) per day of fog capacity ranges from 0.05 to 1.32 gallons per day of 10.76 square feet (100 square kilometers) per day of fog capacity between 0.05 and 1.32 gallons ( between 0.2 liters and 5 liters). August and September are the peak months of fog collection, and researchers collect up to 2.64 gallons (10 liters) per day at 10.76 square feet (one square meter) per day.
“This study represents a significant shift in the perception of water for atomization, from rural, small-scale solutions to practical water resources in cities,” Carter explained.
The researchers estimate that a relatively small mesh area can collect enough water to irrigate the center's green space. The system is expanded with a larger mist collector and can even provide enough water to meet the weekly needs of urban informal settlements. They also suggest that fog can be used for soil-free tillage, which can produce up to 44 pounds (20 kg) of leafy greens per month.
The researchers did point out some of the shortcomings of their analysis. Their promising results come from fog collectors at higher altitudes outside the city limits, so their regular use requires a large amount of distribution infrastructure in addition to large storage systems. Other “key prerequisites include fog density, appropriate wind patterns and good elevated ground. In addition, since fog is seasonal in many areas, this variability should be considered,” Verbrugghe said. In fact, Carter emphasized that “fog can be used as complementary urban water supply” rather than a comprehensive solution to water scarcity.
However, the team still hopes to “encourage policy makers to integrate this renewable energy into the national water strategy,” Carter concluded. “This can enhance cities’ resilience to climate change and rapid urbanization while improving access to clean water.”
While fog collection alone cannot solve water shortage, it ultimately represents an innovative and sustainable method of water collection that may one day become an important tool in water management in desert communities.
