Military, Camping, and Remote Mountainous Area Survival Water Production Systems Usable
A ‘portable moisture collection system’ that collects moisture from the air, sterilizes it, and produces drinking water has been developed for the first time in Korea. It is expected to serve as a key solution to the global water shortage problem and be utilized as a core technology in various fields such as military use, camping, and survival water production systems in island and mountainous areas.
Im Hyun-ui, head of the Biomimetic Research Group at the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, and Senior Researcher Oh Seon-jong are explaining the existing "desktop water harvester (left)" they developed and the newly developed "portable moisture collection system" used to create the "bag-type (portable) water harvester (right)."
The Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (Director Ryu Seok-hyun) announced on the 20th that the research team led by Research Director Lim Hyun-ui has independently developed a portable moisture collection system, and a water harvester weighing about 3kg is nearing commercialization. The water harvester has been certified through official test reports from accredited institutions verifying its water harvesting performance and drinking water safety. The technology has been transferred to PureSys, which plans to commercialize a diverse product lineup ranging from portable to large-capacity units.
The ‘portable moisture collection system’ developed by the research team is based on the core technology of the moisture collection cycle of ‘adsorption → desorption → condensation → sterilization,’ significantly increasing the collection amount. Energy efficiency has improved by more than twice compared to existing dehumidification systems. Additionally, the cooling fins where moisture condenses are instantaneously heated up to 80 degrees Celsius to sterilize bacteria on the surface within one minute, and the water is purified using an eco-friendly filter that naturally decomposes, ensuring safety.
Existing ‘moisture collection systems’ consist of condensers, evaporators, compressors, etc., to control moisture supersaturation, similar to cooling-type dehumidifiers and air conditioners, which raise concerns about noise, weight, and environmental pollution due to refrigerant use. The key innovation of the system developed by the research team is the use of the heating surface of a thermoelectric device as a moisture-absorbing plate. In the adsorption mode of the moisture-absorbing plate, moisture is collected from the air, and in the heating mode, moisture is transferred to the condensation plate, thereby improving moisture collection efficiency. The system also reduces the discharge of hot air generated by the heating surface.
The research team developed the system so that a single thermoelectric module can perform moisture adsorption, condensation, and sterilization modes to reduce power consumption during the dehumidification process.
Research Director Lim Hyun-ui said, “This is a meaningful development that can secure drinking water in water-scarce situations,” and added, “We will strive to establish a drinking water production system that many people worldwide can safely consume to address drinking water shortages and droughts.”
This research was conducted with support from the Ministry of Environment’s Korea Environmental Industry & Technology Institute under the eco-mimicry-based environmental pollution management technology development project, ‘Development of an Eco-Mimicry Portable Water Harvester.’
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