ATMOSPHERIC HYDROELECTRICITY GENERATOR
An Atmospheric Hydroelectricity Generator is a machine that extracts water vapor from the air
while simultaneously generating electricity.
It condenses air to produce water.In this process, the water flows through a turbine, thus producing
electricity.It is very effective and can be used in areas with short water supply.This includes both
dry places and humid places.
Additionally, since it produces electricity, it can greatly benefit both rural and urban
areas.However, using it in rural areas is recommended since in such areas, very little electricity is
required.
Working Principle-
1)From the top, a CPU fan flurries the air towards a Peltier cooler.
2)Before reaching the Peltier cooler, a filter removes dust particles and other impurities from the
air.
3)The Peltier cooler condenses the air(i.e. Water vapor), producing water.
4)This water is collected in a container.
5)Upon reaching a specific water level, a gate opens and the water flows(at a very fast rate) on the
turbine.
ΔH ∝ Amount of electricity produced
Where ΔH is the height difference between the gate and the turbine
Thus, it can be implied that a larger height difference produces more electricity. This means that a
taller generator can produce more electricity. Also, a taller generator can produce more water. This
is because the relative humidity increases as altitude increases.
6)Following a turbine is a microfiber mesh filter which removes any impurities present in the water,
making it potable.The types of filters used is discussed later.
7)The water is subsequently stored in a tank made of copper.The reason for using copper is that it
kills any living microorganisms in water.
Materials Required-
1. A CPU fan (<1W)
2. 3-4 peltier coolers (<180W)
3. A heat sink (Aluminium or any other corrosion free metal)
4. A turbine
5. A dynamo
6. A Microfiber mesh
7. A tap
8. A copper vessel
9. Water gauge
Specifications-
If the ΔH between the turbine and the gate is about 0.5 meters, the turbine will approximately
produce 22 Watts.However, having a more higher ΔH (6m) will increase the power generated to
53000 W.This can be used to power forty to fifty small houses in rural areas! It can light up 5 LED
bulbs for 10 hours (500W), a 19” colour TV for 3 hours (120W), 3 table fans for 10 hours (300W) in
each house and an extra 3000W to power the machine itself.Thus, the machine is self-sufficient and
does not require electricity to work!
P th = ρghf → 1
where,
P th is the amount of energy generated
is the density of water which is 1000 kg/m ρ 3
g is the acceleration due to gravity on earth ( 9.807 m/s²)
h is the head or the Δ H
f if the flow rate of water
Thus, using 1-
1000 kg/m 3 9.807 m/s 2 6 m 1.54 m × × × 3 /s~81600W
The amount of water produced by the machine is around 21 Liters a day.
A similar research was conducted ( International Journal of Science, Technology & Engineering)
In which peltier coolers were used to produce water:
They concluded that in one day their machine could produce up to 7 liters of water. However, since
I intent to set up the generator in rural areas, one generator can be used for one village or small
town. Thus, more efficient Peltier coolers can be used to produce more water.This may demand
more electricity, but the generator produces enough power to support even a 2000 W increase in
power consumption.
Advantages-
A similar machine, the atmospheric water generator only produces water by the same procedure,
condensation but it uses condensers which take up a lot of space and also do not work
efficiently.Thus, I considered using a Peltier module to carry out the process of condensation.The
advantages of a Peltier is that it smaller and more effective.One disadvantage of the Peltier is that
it uses a large amount of electricity to run (50-60 Watts) whereas a condenser does not require an
electricity supply.The tank is made of mainly copper so that it kills any living microorganism in the
water. This process is called as the “oligodynamic effect”.Copper particles get dissolved in the water
and in 15 hours, they kill the microorganisms in the water.This water is safe for drinking and is
potable as stated by the world health organisation(WHO).
Where can it be used?
The machine can be used in humid places mainly in hilly and mountainous regions. Often in these
places, there is an inconsistent supply of water and the water sources are far away.In India, places
near the western ghats ( in the extreme outskirts of Maharashtra and Gujarat, for example) are
facing a critical water crisis as water sources are very far away and people need to travel 5-10 km
everyday to fetch water from rivers.Also, the water is impure and consists of a lot of impurities. This
machine can be used in great extent in such places as there is a high amount of water vapor in the
air(i.e. high humidity).This will cut off the walking they need to do in order to fetch water and also
give a clean,potable water supply.
How much energy does it require, in order to run?
4 Peltier Coolers~1000W
1 mini motor~150W
1 water level sensor~200W
Others~650W
Total~2000W
Where will it get the power supply from?
In order to make it more “energy efficient”, I considered using the extra electricity produced by the machine
to power the machine itself.According to my calculations, the machine, when commercially produced, will
produce about 1730 Watts (1.73 kW) of energy.Using 5 LED bulbs, one 19” colour TV and 3 table fans will
leave behind 810 Watts which can power the machine which requires ~805 Watts.
What kinds of filters are used?
1)Outside pre-filter-
Removes big particles and dust
2)Sediment filter-
Removes unseen contamination; for example: clay particles and dissolved dust particles
3)Pre-carbon filter-
Removes harmful VOCs (for example benzene and formaldehyde)
4)RO Filter-
Removes dissolved impurities, bacteria, virus etc.
5)Post-carbon filter-
Adds necessary minerals and improves the taste of water (for example Calcium, Sodium and Magnesium)
These filters provide clean, potable water with necessary minerals. Furthermore, these filters are
easily available and cost very less.
Diagram of the model-
