SBIR Phase I: Water from Air: An Adsorption-Based Atmospheric Water Harvester

The broader/commercial impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project lies in advancing atmospheric water extraction (AWE) materials and devices for potable water production and humidity management. Access to clean water is dwindling due to climate-induced droughts and growing populations. Currently, about 800 million people lack access to safe water, highlighting the need for complementary technologies like AWE alongside desalination.

Addressing water scarcity requires a broad range of solutions, and AWE offers promising potential. AWE technologies also apply to humidity control and heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) energy reduction, crucial for rising cooling demands driven by growing populations and increasing temperatures. These technologies can efficiently extract water by more than 80-90% compared to traditional air conditioning.

This dual-purpose functionality could make AWE a game-changer for domestic, commercial, and industrial systems, drastically lowering energy input for humidity management. By developing innovative materials and devices, this project aims to alleviate water stress and significantly cut energy consumption in HVAC and humidity control applications. Its impact extends beyond water production, addressing critical global challenges like sustainable cooling and energy efficiency while contributing to water and energy security.

This SBIR Phase I project aims to develop a functional atmospheric water extraction (AWE) device by addressing four key objectives: device modeling, adsorbent optimization, alternative adsorbent formulations, and testing various form factors for the adsorbent block. The project will create a heat transfer model using standard heat pipe calculators to optimize radiator fin dimensions, spacing, and heating power, ensuring efficient desorption without requiring a vacuum.

The target operating temperature for desorption is 60-100°C. The proposed device is designed to produce or remove at least 1–1.5 gallons of water within 12 hours under ambient conditions, with higher water yields in environments with greater humidity. This capability is made possible by an advanced AWE adsorbent, which exhibits superior water capacity across the full range of ambient humidities.

This innovation is crucial as existing adsorptive water harvesting systems fail to deliver cost-effective, energy-efficient water production across the wide humidity spectrum of 10–80% relative humidity. By optimizing materials and device configurations, this project will lay the groundwork for a commercially viable AWE system that addresses global water scarcity challenges while offering significant energy efficiency improvements compared to existing technologies.

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.