innoGEMS

TURNING HUMID AIR INTO DRINKABLE WATER

USING SOLAR ENERGY
by:
Vanessa Mendez
Marijose Nino-Castillo
Adriana Martinez
Mauricio Lopez Loya Fararoni
Alex Cantor
Mohanad Almokhadm

MANE 4173-01
SPRING 2023

Dr. Jianzhi Li
Dr. Peiwen Li

5/08/2023
Acknowledgement

InnoGEMS would like to express their profound gratitude to everyone who helped this
project be completed successfully. Your effort, commitment, and help were crucial to its
accomplishment.
First and foremost, we would like to express our gratitude to our project supervisor Dr.
Jianzhi Li and Dr. Peiwen Li for the excellent advice and feedback provided during the process
of completing this project. Your advice and suggestions made it easier for us to accomplish our
objectives.
We also want to express our gratitude to our team members for their constant dedication
and hard work. This project would not have been possible without the teamwork, creativity, and
knowledge that you all contributed.

Abstract
Access to clean drinking water is a basic human need, yet millions of people around the
world lack access to safe drinking water. In many regions, the air is humid and full of moisture,
but there are few methods for capturing and utilizing this moisture for drinking water. However,
recent technological advancements have made it possible to turn humid air into drinking water
using solar panels. This innovative technology uses a process known as condensation to collect
water from humid air. The air is cooled to the dew point, which causes the water vapor in the air
to condense into liquid form. The water is then collected and treated to remove any impurities
before it is safe for drinking. The process is made possible using solar panels, which provide the
energy needed to power the cooling and condensation process. By harnessing the power of the
sun, this technology can provide a sustainable source of drinking water, even in regions with
limited access to electricity. Turning humid air into drinking water using solar panels is a
promising solution to the global water crisis. As the world population grows, and water resources
become increasingly scarce, innovative technologies like this will become essential to ensuring
that everyone has access to safe and clean drinking water.
 Table of Contents

Topics Page

1. Introduction ………………………………………………………………………… 4

2. Technology information ……………………………………………………………. 5

3. Data for VOC ……………………………………………………………………….. 6

4. Design and Innovation for Technology selected ……………………………………. 14

5. 3D Model and Materials …………………………………………………………….. 15

6. Innovation & Differentiation ………………………………………………………… 17

7. Review & Improvement ……………………………………………………………… 21

8. Conclusion ……………………………………………………………………………. 22

9. Sources ………………………………………………………………………………… 23

10. Appendix ………………………………………………………………………………. 24

Introduction
Since the 1800’s after industrialization, the first water shortage appeared in global
records, getting worse every year. The number of the World’s population has drastically
increased by almost three times than what it used to be when the problem started, meaning that
the drinking water consumption has increased by six-seven times. Usable water in general has
become scarce because of the usage and the pollution, making drinkable water and water in
general scarce for 2.2 billion people and a lack of access to another 1.1 billion and probably by
2025, half of the World will be experiencing this. The trend that this problem is having seems to
be increasing, no matter what the techniques that society has been using like not wasting water
because if population increases, the lack will increase as well.
People can’t drink purified water, it being a vital thing for them to survive. Also, the lack
of water not only affects the production of drinkable water, but it also affects other activities like
agriculture, and an economic decline. Even though nowadays the water shortage isn’t a big
economic problem, it is estimated that by 2050, water scarcity in some regions could affect GDP
growth by up to 11.5%. Also, producing purified water is necessary because many problems can
occur associated with inadequate sanitation such as deadly diarrheal diseases, cholera, etc. There
are 8 billion people currently living on Earth, where a considerable amount lacks drinkable water
and water in general. At first, even though it was being seen as a big problem it is now getting
worse to the point that people are dying from this. The idea of turning humid air into drinking
water is there but it must be professionally researched and made globally necessary to fix the
problem as soon as possible before it is too late since it will not only be affecting individuals, but
also the World’s economy.
Apart from this, many of the downsides of this problem are the lack of awareness and
action from the public and most importantly the government. Many don’t believe in climate
change and scarcity of water which is one of the side effects of climate change. This brings a
lack of activism and initiative to counterattack this problem. The world’s population overall is
affected by the lack of action the government should take. Pollution and bad waste management
are one of the biggest problems that should be handled. Countries like India have estimated that
in 2040 they will rank 40th in the world in terms of water scarcity. These forecasts have started
and attempted desalination technologies coupled with renewable resources like solar energy.
Researching this problem and realizing other countries have already started down the path we
aim to follow has greatly encouraged us to continue in developing our solution implementing
solar energy into it.
The idea of trying to find a new way to produce drinkable water has been under research
for more than 15+ years, becoming a real thing in 2015 by Moses West and other companies
such as WATERGEN. It is still being researched and having modifications since it has been
working but not in a global way as the goal would be. What is going to be added or the
innovation that our team has for this project is to implement an eco-friendly system to not
damage the ecosystem even more by adding solar energy to the entire system, hoping that in a
few years it becomes a real thing.
Technology information
One of the most significant and innovative water extraction techniques used today to
address the increasing issue of drinking water shortages is the extraction of drinking water from
air humidity. The purpose of this project is to turn humid air into drinking water using a water
generator that can purify it. It is projected that 50% of the global population will reside in places
where there is no access to clean, fresh, and secure drinking water within the next ten years. This
technology might help in two ways: be able to supply clean water to places lacking it and work
as another water source which in the long run can prevent/solve water shortages around the
world. These water generators are made from new technology that is still being tested.
WATERGEN is the first company that is well known for bringing this idea from Moses West to
real life. The innovation for this project will be the energy source to make this product
eco-friendlier by providing solar energy with solar panels.
Table 1. Pros and Cons of using Solar Energy as new technology.
PROS CONS
Renewable and sustainable source of energy Depends on the availability of sunlight.
Environmentally friendly. Initial cost.
Cost-effective. May require a significant amount of land for
its use.
Low maintenance. Energy storage for when there is no sunlight
Versatile. Geographic limitations.

Even though the use of solar energy comes with some cons, it is still a very good option
since the pros that come with solar energy help counter some of the cons. For example, the initial
cost of solar panels may be at a high price rate, however, in the long term, it would become a
cheaper option since we would be using a renewable and sustainable source of energy, which
will help reduce electricity bills over time. Another cost-effective pro that reaffirms how good
the use of solar energy is would be the low maintenance that solar panels require, which means
that they can last several decades with proper care. But overall, the main reason why solar energy
is the better option is because of how eco-friendly it will be. Solar energy does not produce any
harmful pollutants and emissions into the atmosphere; therefore, we are having a positive impact
on the environment as well.
Data for VOC (customer requirement)
To be able to understand how the generator design was going to be, it was important to
know if people would be consuming the product and how much they are willing to pay for
something new. The main idea is to create a big generator from now on that can give a certain
amount of water to sell in bottles to a certain number of customers, and if possible, sell the water
generator itself in a reduced size. Below are some of the survey results and how they influenced
the design decision.
Water is used by a high percentage when being drunk by humans, so the main objective is to
reduce that percentage by finding another water source and by this, preventing possible water
shortages soon. This short survey was created with the purpose of innoGEMS to consider some
important decisions when working on this project for Texas citizens and to know if they are
interested in this idea to bring it to real life. A total of 20 participants answered 13 questions,
some of them were short answers, some of them were multiple choice. The following information
will include the results in graphs/tables.
● Question 1 ‘Your city’ results:

Figure 1. Results

From this graph, we can notice that Harlingen had 3 people but there were mistypes that
made them count separately. The majority of the participants with a total of 5 - Brownsville, 3 –
Edinburg, 3 - Harlingen, 3 - McAllen.
 ● Question 2 ‘Your county’ results:

Figure 2. Results

From this graph, we noticed that we had 7 people from Cameron County and 7 people from
Hidalgo County, meaning that this county’s out of all in Texas were the most interested in the
project. With this, we might consider started selling the product with people from this county in
Texas.

● Question 3 ‘How bad is the water shortage where you live?’ results:

Figure 3. Results

From this graph, we noticed that just 10% - 2 people have poor access to water, 0% - 0
people have extremely poor, 15% - 3 people have good access, 35% - 7 people have neutral
access and 40% - 8 people had sufficient access.
 ● Question 4 ‘How often do you have water shortages?’ results:

Figure 4. Results

From this graph, we noticed that none of them always have water shortages, which means
that these participant’s counties are still in good water conditions. 60% - 12 people rarely have,
30% - 7 people never have, 5% - 1 people sometimes have.

● Question 5 ‘what are the methods you use to conserve water?’ answers:

Table 2. Short answers

Use it when necessary
None
water reservoirs
None. I have never had a problem that led me to resort to trying to conserve water
Not overspending water
save in containers
Turn off the sink when brushing my teeth. Not leaving the water sprinkler on for too long.
Take shorter showers
Quick showers
Sometimes I save the water that is dropped from the air conditioner and use it to water my
plants.
When I shower, I only use water to rinse. I wash the car with a bucket instead of a hose. I am
very careful with the water, I guess because of the way I was raised
Don’t let the water run when I’m not using it
I limit showers to five minutes.
None
Try to use as less as possible
My mom asks us to use as less water as possible when taking a shower
I feel that water is unlimited where I live so we use none
Turn off the water by brushing my teeth
Right now, I use no method but i can start using some
I try to take shorter baths
 From the answers obtained in this question, we created a table to be able to understand
better what they do to conserve water. 3 people mentioned that they use no water methods and
the other people shared some of their methods to conserve the water.

● Question 6 ‘Did the methods mentioned above make a difference in your community?’
results:

Figure 5. Results
From this graph, 65% - 13 people said yes and 35% - 7 people said no to making a difference
in the community.

● Question 7 ‘How much water do you drink daily?’ results:

Figure 6. Results

From this graph, the range in cups was from 2 cups daily-16 cups daily. The highest
percentages were with 16, 5, and 7 cups with a total of 15% on each.
 ● Question 8 ‘Would you drink purified water obtained from other source?’ results:

Figure 7. Results

From this graph, we were able to see that 95% - 19 people have a positive view from this
idea, where 50% - 10 people are completely sure, 45% - 9 people could try and 5% - 1 people
said no.
● Question 9 ‘Drinking water is one of the reasons for the water shortage thus to the
elevated amount of people on Earth. Do you think that obtaining drinkable water from
other sources would help?’ results:

Figure 8. Results
From this graph, we were able to see that 95% - 19 people, which is above 60%, represents
that it is a positive idea that they think would help to prevent water shortages, 1% - 1 people said
no.
 ● Question 10 ‘Humid air can be turned into water. If innoGEMS finds a way to purify it
and make it drinkable, would you switch to consuming this water and help water shortage
for future generations?’ results:

Figure 9. Results

From this graph, 100% of them have positive answers towards switching to innoGEMS
water, where 65% - 13 people were completely sure and 35% - 7 people could think about it.

● Question 11 ‘Would you switch to innoGEMS drinkable water if it is added more

minerals and benefits than regular drinkable water?’ results:

Figure 10. Results

From this graph, the percentage of “Yes” increased 5%, being now 70% - 14 people saying
yes, 25% - 5 people saying maybe and 5% - 1 people saying no. This could be good for us to
consider selling this product with the addition of these elements.
 ● Question 12 (OPTIONAL) ‘In the future, would you like for innoGEMS to produce water
with flavors? If yes, mention which ones’ answers:

Table 2. Short answers

Yes, grape flavor
No
Yes, although I'm not really into flavored water I do know people who love it
Yes. Mango
yes & orange
I like flavorless water.
Watermelon
Cucumber
Yes, lemon and strawberry
Yes. Can be any flavor, lemon, orange, strawberry, neutral flavors
Personally, no.
Orange
Protein water for the gains
Orange
Yes, I would love apple juice with protein?

● Question 13 ‘What is the price you are willing to pay per bottle?’ results:

Figure 11. results

From this graph, we noticed that the price range that participants are willing to pay is
between $1-$2 USD, but the maximum percentage was to $1.25 with 50% - 10 people, $1 with
35% - 7 people and $2 with 15% - 3 people. If we want to sell this to them, $1.25 would be the
price.

The focus of this project was for all the Texas citizens but after doing this small survey, it
was noticed that most of the support came from two different counties, Hidalgo, and Cameron.
The focus will be now on Texas citizens living in these counties and if it succeeds, expand to all
Texas. Most of the results were as estimated, and more than 60% were positive towards our
project. The final question was very important because with this, it can now be planned how
much will be invested in the project and the dimensions/prototype of it. For now, selling water to
enhance the sales and knowledge of this new technology seems like a short-term goal, but in the
long run, selling the water generators on a small scale might be a good business idea.
Design & Innovation
- Design options

Figure 12. Design 1 Figure 13. Design 2

Figure 14. Design 3

Table 3. Design decision based on customer requirements (Design 2 selected)

3D MODEL

Figure 15. Blueprint of final design

Analysis
The operating conditions of the water collector are based on Rio Grande City weather reports.

Temperature (F) Relative Humidity (%)

High 98 70

Low 51 40

Table: Temperature data found here. Relative humidity data found here.
Goal:
Produce 5 gallons of water per day using the dehumidification process (refrigeration cycle)
Material
Aluminum 5052-H32 is a corrosion resistant material that can withstand air that contains high
moisture content.
Fan Calculations
Initial Conditions: 51F and 40%
Water Generated = (Volume of Air Processed) x (Initial Relative Humidity - Final Relative
Humidity) x (Weight of Water per Volume of Air at Final Conditions)
Components:
Compressor: Needed to compress the refrigerant to a high pressure and high-temperature gas
Condenser: Needed to lower the temperature of the pressurized gas.
Expansion Valve: Needed to decrease the pressure and temperature of the gas
Evaporator: Allows low-temperature refrigerant to condense the liquid that is in the moist air
Fan: Transfers ambient air into the condenser and the evaporator.
Water collector basin: Collects the water from the evaporator
Solar Panel: Provides energy for the system.
Innovation & Differentiation
Design Schematic:

Figure 16. Hybrid Moisture Harvester System - Cross Section

Figure 17. Hybrid Moisture Harvester System - Back
 Manufacturing a system that can turn humid air into drinking water using solar panels
involves a few key components and processes. Here are some general steps that could be
involved:
- Solar panels: A solar panel system is needed to generate the electricity required to run the
cooling and condensation process. The solar panels should be designed to maximize
energy efficiency and durability, as they will be exposed to varying weather conditions.
- Cooling and condensation unit: The cooling and condensation unit is responsible for
cooling the humid air and converting the water vapor into liquid form. This unit could
include components such as a compressor, heat exchanger, condenser, and storage tank.
- Filtration system: Once the water is collected, it needs to be treated to remove any
impurities and contaminants. A filtration system can be used to remove bacteria, viruses,
chemicals, and other pollutants.
- Pump and distribution system: Once the water has been collected and treated, it needs to
be distributed to where it is needed. A pump and distribution system can be used to
transport the water to households, schools, hospitals, and other locations.
- Monitoring and maintenance system: A monitoring and maintenance system is necessary
to ensure that the system is operating properly and efficiently. This system could include
sensors, alarms, and remote monitoring capabilities.
Overall, the manufacturing process will require specialized expertise in a range of areas,
including solar energy, water treatment, and mechanical engineering. The design and
manufacturing process will need to be tailored to the specific environmental conditions and
water needs.
It is possible to 3D print some components of a generator, but not the entire generator
itself. Generators are complex machines that require precise engineering and manufacturing
processes to ensure they operate safely and efficiently. While 3D printing can be a useful tool in
manufacturing certain components of a generator, it is not currently feasible to 3D print an entire
generator. Other traditional manufacturing processes and techniques will still need to be used in
order to produce a functional and reliable generator. In this case, 3D printing was used to create a
prototype, not the generator itself.
The cost of building a small-scale generator will depend on several factors such as the
capacity and power output required, the components used, and the level of complexity involved
in the design and manufacturing process. However, as a rough estimate, a small-scale generator
capable of producing a few hundred watts of power could cost anywhere between $500 and
$5,000 to build, depending on the design and components used.
The cost breakdown of a small-scale generator project might look something like this:
- Materials: The cost of materials such as steel, copper wire, magnets, and insulation can
range from $100 to $1,000 depending on the quality and quantity of materials used.
- Labor: The cost of labor for designing and building a small-scale generator may range
from $500 to $2,000 depending on the level of expertise required and the complexity of
the design.
 - Tools and equipment: The cost of specialized tools and equipment needed to manufacture
a small-scale generator may range from $100 to $500, depending on the tools required
and whether they need to be purchased or rented.
- Shipping and logistics: If materials or components need to be shipped to the
manufacturing site or the finished generator needs to be shipped to its final destination,
the shipping and logistics costs may range from $50 to $500 depending on the distance
and shipping method used.
- Quality control and testing: The cost of testing the generator to ensure it meets required
performance standards and quality control measures may range from $100 to $500
depending on the testing methods used.
Overall, the cost of a small-scale generator project can vary widely depending on the
specific requirements and circumstances of the project, but a basic small-scale generator can be
built for a few hundred to a few thousand dollars.
Review & Improvement
Working on this project was an incredibly valuable experience, not just for the technical
skills it can help you develop, but also for the soft skills like time management and teamwork. In
fact, these skills are often just as important as technical expertise when it comes to successful
project completion.
Time management was a challenge, there are usually a number of different tasks assigned
to each person that have to be completed in a frame of time to achieve the overall goal. It was
important to set realistic deadlines for each task, prioritize the most important ones, and make
sure that the project is progressing towards the final product. To be able to accomplish this, it
was required to develop effective time management skills that were learned throughout the
semester.
Teamwork was also critical in the creation of this project since the work was divided into
two different universities connected through online communication such as Zoom. Very few
projects can be completed by a small number of people, so it was important to learn how to work
effectively with other team workers even though the communication wasn’t easy. It was
important to share responsibilities to work together towards the completion of this project and
the ability to work well in a team is a highly valuable skill in any field, but especially important
in engineering where projects are more complex and require contributions of many people.
There can be some big improvements if this project was used for Senior Design courses.
Starting with the manufacture of it. Instead of using a 3D printer to get the prototype, in Senior
Design it will be needed to use real materials and to think more clearly about the inside system of
the water generator. Also, set different dimensions, change the final design as well and change a
little of the ideas that are discussed here in order to be able to make this project something real.
Conclusion
In conclusion, it is known that water is a primordial resource for every living organism,
not only humans. It is something that is required to be consumed in order to live. Water is
essential for digesting, controlling body temperature, and maintaining many bodily processes.
However, water resources are becoming scarcer and contaminated due to pollution, climate
change, and overuse. Therefore, we must take action to protect and conserve our water supplies.
The action we took as innoGEMS was to turn humid air into drinking water. This is a
promising solution since this technology can efficiently capture water from the air while
requiring little energy input and offering a reliable source of safe drinking water, particularly in
locations where groundwater is scarce or polluted. As mentioned above, the energy used would
be solar energy, which is a renewable energy that does not hurt in any way the planet and
although at the beginning it could be a little expensive, in the long term, it is a cheaper option
rather than using electrical energy.
Furthermore, because it doesn't rely on limited water supplies or expensive infrastructure
investments, this technology may be a long-term answer to the problems associated with water
scarcity. Additionally, it can lessen the need for bottled water and stop plastic waste, which has
grown to be a serious environmental issue.
As shown above, we did a thorough study in the areas that were affected the most by
water shortages as well as studying customers’ requirements in order for them to be confident
enough about the idea of drinking water from humid air. Regarding the customer requirements
and answering the question of whether these requirements were fulfilled or not, according to the
data presented above, more than 60% were positive towards the project, meaning that indeed,
customers are interested and would cooperate in the realization of this project.
Overall, turning humid air into drinking water has the potential to be a promising solution
to the problem of water scarcity and it may also turn out to be an increasingly valuable source of
freshwater in regions around the world where water is becoming more and more scarce plus the
innovation of being this project more eco-friendly by making it work with solar energy.
Teamwork was beneficial in many aspects, and working with teammates from other state
was definitely a challenge, but from this project it can also be concluded that it was learned to
work and understand how a real life project management will look like and understand how to
behave and compromise with the project as much as possible to get it done.
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Appendix
Gantt Chart