I-Corps: Sustainable Atmospheric Water Harvesting

The broader impact/commercial potential of this I-Corps project is the development of a universal atmospheric water harvesting technology for producing drinking water and water for other uses where water access is limited. Water scarcity has become increasingly severe due to population growth and climate change. According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 785 million people live without access to clean water, and it is recognized that a water shortage is a surging global crisis. There is increasing global interest in solutions that provide safe drinking water without the environmental consequences of increasing reliance on bottled water. The proposed atmospheric water harvesting technology may provide a solution to overcoming the water shortage of almost any water-deficient area lacking liquid water sources. It is envisioned that the proposed technology may be used to provide personal water production equipment as well as scaled to provide household-/facility-based or community-based water supply systems. This I-Corps project is based on the development of atmospheric water harvesting materials and systems that are used to collect and produce water from the air without consuming electricity. The proposed atmospheric harvesting system uses a biomass-based composite that is designed to serve as a sustainable carrier of hygroscopic salts that harvest water from the air under a wide range of humidity and temperature conditions. In addition, the proposed technology uses the heat converted from solar energy directly to facilitate water harvesting without requiring a complex operating system and absorbs water moisture when exposed to air, no matter whether the composite unit is stationary or mobile. The proposed technology provides the potential to expand water availability during shortages, contamination events, and other issues that can interrupt drinking water services. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.