Atmospheric Hardware
(Ahmed Samy - Ahmed Selim - Albadri Taiseer - Mohamed Yasser)
Qena Stem School
Group No.(23208)
KEYWORDS Atmospheric Water
Grade ”11”(2021-2022)
Peltier
condensing
humidity
Abstract
Egypt has a negative water balance. Its total annual supply of water is 57.7 billion cubic
meters. However, each year: the farms, industries and people of Egypt use around 72.4 billion
cubic meters of water. How is it possible for a country to use 25% more water than it has?
Atmospheric. Water generation from atmosphere considered from the main processes that
have a significant share of atmospheric water. Atmospheric water generator (AWG) uses the
technology to produce potable water from the surrounding air. This offers the possibility of
expanding water availability during shortages, pollution events, and other issues that can
disrupt drinking water services. The purpose of this study is to improve a method for
collecting atmospheric water and using it in agriculture. Therefore, the specific solution is
that we will collect water from the air (atmospheric water) using some device: (fan heat sink
- small heat sink). The Peltier was making a difference in temperature - heating on one side
of the Peltier and cooling on the other - and this difference caused air to condense and water
to fall from the small heat sink attached to the Peltier. We installed a small fan on the side of
the box that works (exhaust fan) to speed up the water collection process. As a result of this
project, the project achieved high efficiency as 107.5 ml of water was collected in 4 hours
and collected from the air. Three design requirements were selected: water quality
(efficiency), efficacy and water quantity. In conclusion, Peltier demonstrated the ability to
condense the air with a propeller that Peltier would encounter and then we would collect
water in the atmosphere.
Introduction
Egypt suffers from diverse challenges and it’s greatly threatened by water shortages.
According to studies: Egypt ranked among the ten countries at risk of water shortage by
2025 due to the rapid population increase. Egypt mainly depends on 97% of the
contribution of The Nile River. The rest comes from winter rains and aquifers. However,
this water isn’t safe from pollution. Thus, we must search for new sources of water. The
biggest problem facing Egypt is population growth. According to statistics, our number
has increased by 1.5 million people annually, reaching 104.3 million people. Therefore,
as the population increases, the water shortage will increase and the citizens' share of
water will decrease. So, the aspect of the world is finding new sources of water, as there
are many resources for the types of water that we can collect or improve to be available
for many domestic, industrial and agricultural uses.
There are many previous solutions to this problem. We have looked for previous
solutions that we can use in our idea. The first solution is to use a type of graphene called
Grapher. Grapher is technology that can be used to provide safe drinking water
inexpensively to regions of the world without access to it. The second solution is to use
reverse osmosis, and we can use it by applying a pressure greater than the osmotic
pressure of the dissolved solids, which results in a net flow of pure water molecules from
the dissolved solids into pure water. all of the 2 solutions are highly cost and it is very
hard to apply in the real life. The third solution is to work on atmospheric air with a
Peltier. This device can make a temperature change, and use the energy to make this
Peltier against the air to condense the atmospheric air.
To offer a better solution, design requirements were chosen based on previous
solutions. Water quality is one of the most important design requirements in the project.
Also, environmental impact and applicability were chosen because the solution must have
the ability to cover needs and be applicable within it. Meanwhile, it should not pollute
the environment other than the water itself.
The solution is that we collected water from the air (atmospheric water) using some
device (fan heat sink - small heat sink) and the Peltier which is used to make a temperature
difference - heated on one side of the Peltier, then cooled on the other - this difference
makes Water condenses and falls from the small heat sink attached to the Peltier. We will
install a small fan on the side of the box that works (exhaust fan) to speed up the water
collection process. As a result of this project, the project achieved a high efficiency as it
collected 107.5 ml of water in 4 hours, which is the water collected from the air.
MATERIALS
item
Quantity
Usage
Cost
picture
box
1
Collecting
Water drops.
30L.E
Online
shopping
(Amazon)
Fan
(Heatsink)
1
Reducing the
temperature
of hardware
components
(Peltier).
88L.E
Online
shopping
(Amazon)
Thermal
grease
1
Applicable
between
heatsink and
Peltier.
22L.E
Online
shopping
(Amazon)
Peltier
1
Heating and
cooling
condensed
water.
95L.E
Online
shopping
(Amazon)
Small
Heatsink
1
Reducing the
temperature
of the
components
of the device.
55L.E
Online
shopping
(Amazon)
Fan
1
working
as(exhaust
fan)
40L.E
Online
shopping
(Amazon)
Source of
purchase
METHODS
All materials listed in the previous table were used according to
Next steps to get the final configuration:
1) First, A box was made with dimensions 15 cm x 20 cm x
15 cm.
2) Second, we put the thermal paste (thermal grease) on the
back of the CPU fan.
3) After that, we cut the box out to make it fit the fan.
4) Then, we put a Peltier and we also put thermal paste to
conduct heat through it as well because a Peltier works
by taking the average heat and cold.
5) Then, we put some thermal paste on the other side of the peltier.
6) Next, we attached the small radiator and let it dry for 2 minutes and then
put it in the right place on the box on top.
7) After that, we put the fan on the other side to draw water to fill the bottom.
as shown in Figure (1).
8) Finally, we wired them up to 12 volts.
Test Plan
1) Initially, the prototype was plugged in and connected by a power source (12V), we used a plug
(adapter) that had all the negative and positive sides of the (fan heat sink, Peltier, and fan).
2) The heat sink of the fan is starting to suck in air.
3) The peltier was used as a heat generator and connected between the small heat sink and the
fan heat sink, and the water came out of the small heat sink.
4) The small fan is placed on the side of the box and acts as an exhaust fan to accelerate water
droplets (condensation).
5) All four things in the prototype act as an air-to-water converter, which is a very useful and
novel way to improve water sources.
6) The prototype will be useful for agriculture, especially for crops that need less water.
RESULTS
Initially, the test plan failed for two reasons,
firstly that the amount of thermal paste used
was smaller than the amount that should be
used to work with good efficiency. The
second thing was the voltage (V), we
connected the Peltier to 15.2 V to 3 (A), so
we found that the system was not working
regularly.
•After modification,
 We increased the amount of thermal
paste.
 We wired 12 (V) with 2 (A) instead of
15.2 (V).
• Our project needs time to start working
and generate atmospheric water: 1 hour.
After testing our prototype, we collected
data as shown in Table (2): after 2 hours,
32 ml was collected, and after 4 hours
107.5 ml was collected. These quantities
may vary at other time due to humidity
and temperature.
Table (2)
Shows the prototype testing results.
Amount: in ML
Time: hour-note that, the time in graph is the time when
prototype start drops water
Graph (1)
Shows the prototype results
= Y: amount of water (ML)
T: time (Hour)
ANALYSIS
Egypt suffers from severe water scarcity in recent years. Uneven water distribution, misuse of
water resources and inefficient irrigation techniques are many of the major factors that lead to
the destruction of water security in the country. As a result, the country relies heavily on the Nile
River as its main source of water. The Nile River is the backbone of the industrial and agricultural
sector in Egypt and is the main source of drinking water for the population. Our design
requirements are efficiency, water quantity and effectiveness.
(1) Efficiency, after collecting the results, the prototype
allowed atmospheric air to be converted to water and
improved water quality by two convenient parameters:
it had a TDS of 310 ppm and a PH of 6.8, which was
good for irrigation.
(2) Water intake, after testing our prototype, we met
our design requirements (water intake), generated
about 107.5 ml in 4 hours, on the other hand, it looks
good for the size and shape of the prototype.
(3) Effectiveness Our prototype is more effective
because: First, it is easy to build and takes no time to
build. Second, it is easy to apply. Third, it supplied
water with the desired parameters (310 TDS, 6.8 PH).
Fourth, the materials we used are not harmful to the
environment (Eco-friendly).
crop
Cotton
Wheat
corn
Apple
beans
strawberry
Ph
6.7
6.8
5.7 to 7
3.9
6.3
6.1
Table (3)
For the solution to be viable, the type of crop must be taken into account as not all
crops have the same pH and quantity. Table 3 shows the pH of different common
crops in the irrigation water. Cotton, for example, will not suffer a drop in yield if
the pH of the irrigation water is not higher than 6.7 PH. However, beans are very
sensitive to the pH of the irrigation water and a slight increase in pH can lead to a
decrease in yield.
As a theory and law that helped us determine when we can test our prototype, the exact
time to ensure a large amount of water is collected is condensation, humidity and
temperature.
Condensation is the process by which water vapor in the air turns into liquid water, and
condensation occurs at ground level called fog. The difference between fog and clouds
that form above the ground is that rising air is not required to form fog. Fog forms when
air of relatively high humidity comes into contact with a cooler surface.
Another form of fog, known as radioactive fog, develops at night when surface
temperatures cool.
The relationship between condensation and humidity is directly proportional as
shown in graph 2. The relationship between humidity and temperature is inversely
proportional as shown in graph 3. If the temperature rises, the relative humidity will
decrease, so the air becomes drier when the temperature rises. If the air becomes
humid, this means that the relative humidity will increase, and therefore, the
condensation will increase.
Graph (2)
Graph (3)
Illustrates the relation between
condensing and humidity.
Illustrates the relation between
temperature and humidity.
X- axis: Humidity.
Y-axis: condensing.
X-axis: humidity.
Y-axis: temperature.
Learning Transfer
Chemistry: The study of aqueous solutions and their properties helped in understanding the
quality of water. The study of quantitative analysis also helped to determine PH and TDS.
Geology: Studying the properties of water and the water cycle helped us understand the
condensation of water and how it purifies.
Mathematics: The study of mathematical functions helped to find the relationships between
the amount of water taken in a specific period and to graph them correctly (amount - time).
Physics: We learn how to wire an electrical circuit and calculate the amount of current so as
not to damage the parts because each device has a finite amount of voltage such as a 12-volt
Peltier.
English: We learned how to write a scientific article and this helped us to write the portfolio
scientifically. We also learned many speaking skills and how to use body language, this will
help us convey our idea to the evaluator in a good way.
CONCLUSION
After completing our prototype, we solved the problem of cultivation during the problem
of water shortage. The prototype succeeded and covered all design requirements. Both
water quantities and water quality were achieved as our prototype collected the expected
amount as 32 ml was collected after 2 hours, after 3 hours 68.3 ml was collected and after
4 hours 107.5 ml was collected. On the other hand, the prototype provided the desired
water quality which had good parameter measurements where TDS was 310 ppm and PH
6.8. These parameters are suitable for irrigation and cultivation.
Compared to previous solutions, this solution benefits like effective, our prototype is
more effective because it is easy to build, takes no time to build, easy to apply, and the
materials we used are not harmful to the environment and easy to find.
⁃ RECOMMENDATION
We have ideas for improvement but were unable to implement them in the
prototype due to many factors. Therefore, we recommend the following:
1- Expanding the manufacture of Peltier locally to reduce its cost.
2- Teaching farmers how to deal with the new system and the technology
used in it.
For future research:
1- Trying to increase the number of hardware components.
2- Measuring the parameters of produced water in different places, humidity
and temperature.
3- Trying to use different sizes of Peltier, thermocooler and mini radiator;
that will increase the amount of water.
LITERATURE CITED
-Bardi, U. (2008). Fresh water production by means of solar
concentration: the AQUASOLIS project. Desalination 220 (1-3), 588-591.
-Denny, M. W. (2008). The Intrigue of the Interface. Science 320, 886.
-Wahlgren, R. V. (2008). Water-producing greenhouses for small tropical
islands: Ahead of their time or a timely solution? Proc. IW on Greenh.
Environ. Control & Crop Prod. in Semi-Arid Regions, Eds.: C. Kubota
and M. Kacira, Acta Hort. (ISHS) 797: 405–410.
Acknowledgment
We thank all the teachers in the school and the administration for their encouragement and
support to build the project, and special thanks to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
MR. Ahmed Elwany (G11 capstone leader).
MR. Ahmed Saif (general capstone leader).
MR. Mahmoud Abdallah (capstone teacher).
Mr. Amr Abdelshafy (fab lab).
Mr. Mostafa (Library Teacher).
Ahmed Samy
Ahmed Selim
Ahmed.2320005@stemqena.moe.ed
ahmed.2320006@stemqena.moe.edu
Albadri Taiser
Mohamed Yasser
Albadri.2320011@stemqena.moe.ed
mohamed.2320043@stemqena.moe.edu.eg