Scientists in Saudi Arabia have created a PV-driven air water generator that can be used in remote areas or on long vehicle travel. It is said that it can produce a liter of water with around $ 0.04 for packaging and zero for non-packing.
Researchers from Jazan University in Saudi Arabia have created a PV-driven adaptive portable air water generator (AWG) that is said to produce 2 l water for a period of 24 hours.
AWG Systems extracting water from moist air through a DC heating that separates the air water content from the damp air using a fast brushless DC fan, which it condenses on the surface of the cooling body, which produces water that is then transferred to a storage tank.
The novelty of the proposed AWG is the link with photovoltaic energy. “In the current market, most AWGs are designed to consume more electrical energy to extract drink water,” the academics explained, and noted that cheap solar energy can encourage these costs.
The system consisted of a DC heating, a cooling body, a DC -brushless fan, a 120 W Zon PV module, a 12 AH battery and maximum power point tracking (MPPT) control algorithms. A DC-to-DC converter, which is also known as a Zeta-Converter, is used to control the DC output, whereby the switch is pulsed on maximum power using effective control techniques.
“The Zeta-Converter distinguishes itself because of its wide range of Duty Cycle control algorithms and non-forming output, making it a versatile option in the field,” the research team said. “A Ffint conductor (FFINC) Intelligent Controller is an excellent choice to increase the voltage level to 12. 5 V to charge the battery and supply the 10 W DC breastless fan and the 50 W AWG with power. “
Image: Jazan University, Environmental Technology & Innovation, CC by 4.0
The system also uses a Model Reference Adaptive Control (MRAC) to manage the output voltage of a DC-to-DC Zeta converter via the FFINC, while the DC heating is controlled by a simple “intelligent” operating algorithm. The MRAC is often assumed to solve problems related to adaptive control in the real world.
The input voltage of the solar panel was 17.5 V at the maximum power point, while the output voltage of the Zeta converter was stabilized at 12.5 V to charge the battery.
The scientists investigated the performance of the PV-driven AWG performance under both temporary and steady-state conditions and discovered that the total power consumption was 4.6 A and 3.4 A respectively. Moreover, they found that the maximum power consumption under stable states conditions around 48 W.
They also discovered that a air water generator (AWG) research laboratory could produce 2 l water in 24 hours, with a relative humidity of 40% in the AWG itself.
“An AWG set works for an hour from 9 a.m. to 9 a.m. every 24 hours,” the team explained further. “In a period of 9 hours, the system produced 65 ml of water with a relative humidity of 35%.” It also noted that the market costs of one liter are around $ 0.25, while the costs of one liter produced by the AWG are around $ 0.04 for packaging and zero for non-package.
The Proposed AWG System was described in “An adaptive control of portable air water generator powered by photovoltaic solar energy“Published in Environmental technology and innovation. “It can produce water in a desert area or a long -term vehicle journey. It is cheap and unanswered to the electrical accounts,” the scientists concluded.
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