The next wars will be about water and not oil. Because potable water is becoming as short in supply as any of our precious metals. It’s an issue in the Middle East. It’s an issue in Africa. It’s an issue in Asia. It’s an issue in the Western portion of the United States. It’s even an issue in Virginia and Florida.
So, when a French company, Eole Water, claims that it may have a solution, we should listen. Their solution? They have modified, over the past decade, conventional wind turbines to afford these power-generating devices the additional ability to condense the water present in air (humidity) to produce drinking water.
Eole plans to begin selling their WMS1000, a 24m tall wind turbine, to remote communities, ones where the water supply is scarce. This new system is based upon their prototype that is installed near Abu Dhabi (obviously, a desert). In the Temperate Zone, the theoretical maximum water production could be 62 l/h of water (or about 1475 L/d [390 gal]), if the wind is blowing sufficiently. Given the humidity of desert air, that means (if the process is 100% efficient), only 350 L/d could be produced (the humidity is 10 to 30%). The Abu Dhabi locale has slightly higher humidity (45%), so about 600 L/d should be producible. (Given the humidity in air, the turbine would have to process from 50 to 500 m3 (465 to 4650 cubic feet) a minute to yield this much water, at 100% efficiency.)
Basically, the wind turbine is a modified device, which not only generates electricity when the wind blows, but has the air then pass through an “air blower”, which compresses the air (and cools it), thereby extracting the humidity (water vapor). The humidity (now water) traverses food-grade stainless steel pipes, down to a storage tank at the wind turbine base. There, the water is filtered and purified to insure its safe consumption.
If one is only seeking drinking water, then a 1000 L reservoir could supply a small village. If one expects to use the water for multiple uses, then this product will not satisfy those demands. Moreover, significant cost reductions are going to be needed. A single device currently involves capital costs ranging between $650K and $800K, not exactly what a developing community could afford.
Nice to know that devices are being invented for production of potable water.
Sad (enraging!) thing is that rivers and underground water reservoirs are being polluted — when there’s so much need for fresh water!
Eleni Poulakou recently posted..Words
It’s the reason why we truly need to consider the employment of water reuse and recycle, Eleni. In effect, we have been recycling water since Adam and Eve first walked upon the earth. Now, if we only designed our systems to yield the necessary results…
Really Nice article ,thanx for sharing and Eole water is doing a wonderful job
Arun rana recently posted..5 Movies You Will Never Forget
Thanks so much, Arun, for your visit and comment.
Roy
As the technology develops the prices will fall. Hoping that will help small developing communities to be able to afford these things in time.
shawn recently posted..Greatest Challenge of Parenting
Amen to that, Shawn.
Roy, I love it when things work to produce multiple benefits. Have to agree with you on the price at the moment – but sure that will come down in due course or with a good old dose of philanthropy. Have a great weekend.
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Ruth…
You have more faith in philanthropy than I. If we need it for 2000 villages (low estimate) that would be almost $ 2 billion…
But, one hopes the price drops with production and refinement.
Roy
You know I look forward to the day when what is best for people and our planet outweighs money. Think that shall come, Roy? I hope so. We are a short sighted and wasteful species sometimes. 🙂 Love this tech, the price tag makes me want to faint. Shabbat Shalom my friend.
No….
We MUST use financial appropriateness to make our choices, Lisa.
You may not like them, but if it is the goal of government to provide for its citizens to the best of its ability, then we need to determine the best bang for each buck. Of course, there are those that want the government to have NO bucks, and then we are in real trouble.
For example, if we had $ 1 billion to provide health care, then we need to orient prevention and treatment costs and the number of people who would need each. given the greatest number of people the more useful treatments would get first allocations. Then, you work down the list. When you reach your magical number ($ 1 billion), everything BELOW it on the list is now the responsibility of the individual. It’s the only fair way to cover as many folks as possible- with whatever budget is allocated.
Roy
What a beneficial development! Very interesting.
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One hopes they find a way to lower the pricing- fast, Alessa.
I am used to high humidity in South Texas. This gizmo would serve well for energy and drinking water there, but they also grow cattle, corn and grain, all of which we need as well. There is a severe water problem down there since the water in the Rio Grande is already sucked up before it reaches Brownsville. Much of South Texas depends on rain water and droughts come at a very high price. And this is in a place with advanced water systems. I shutter to think about the parts of the world with dead water or none at all. I think I will leave your health care remarks unsullied by my comments.
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Lower prices come with economies of scale and reduction in compliance. Its not just building the turbines I suspect but all the ho-ha around putting them in someone’s back yard that will be where the problem always is. I find it amazing how people want clean air, good water, healthy food but pollute and refuse to do simple things to help the situation. What has happened to the responsible for the world we live in people?
Roberta Budvietas, recently posted..Your 5 Business Agreements
Economies of scale can lower costs, but they still may not may things affordable, Roberta. And, you’re right- the pollution problem is a grave issue. This device is meant for those locations, however, that have no ready water supply- polluted or otherwise.
Sounds like a very interesting concept that we should get behind. Here in California we didn’t have much rain this year. Having water is important for the fires that we have every year. I know that isn’t what you were describing, but having a water shortage also means other problems like wild fires. Thanks for sharing this Roy!
Lynn Brown recently posted..How to See Other Peoples Values for Online Business Success
Yes, Lynn, that’s absolutely true. But, this device (or ones like it) won’t be able to solve the wild fire situation, unfortunately.
Hey Roy
Nice to read about this great invention agree the next war on water not for oil or else because it’s one of the precious thing.I read recently about filter hard water to soft plant that are useful to convert sea hard water into soft form.
Rizwan Sultan recently posted..Blog about Crohn\’s
Yes, Rizwan- there have been tremendous strides in desalinating sea water. In the US, it is used to replenish groundwater supplies or to stave off seawater incursions. In Asia and the Islands, it serves as a primary water supply.
This would work where there was no available sea water- and provide power, too!
Thanks for the visit AND the comment.
Roy
This is a topic which is near to my heart… Best wishes! Exactly where are your contact details though?
ioana moise recently posted..DS Games
The BIO section has my contact details, my corporation and twitter accounts are on the right hand side of the margin for each page. Thanks for asking, Ioana.
And, I’m thrilled you liked the blog piece.
Roy
Wow amazing discovery, with this most countries with no clean water can now have a clean water for them to drink… great!
Janna:
Thanks for the visit- and, yes, this may be the start of a new trend… the ability to have good drinking water- everywhere!