Generation of atmospheric water using a functionalized nanomaterial

PROJECT COST:

391 667 $

PRIMA CONTRIBUTION:

78 333 $

PROJECT DETAILS:

Atmospheric water harvesting enables arid regions that lack regular rainfall or have inaccessible groundwater resources to obtain the drinking water needed to meet their needs. Typical methods for this type of harvesting are based on a common principle: forcing humid air to flow over a mesh, where the water condenses and flows away through gravity drainage. However, these approaches are limited in terms of efficiency, particularly due to condensation rates and drainage time. Technologies Aérospatiales Inc. (TAI) has developed an alternative configuration for water harvesting, centered on a nanostructured porous substrate that enables the nucleation of water droplets and “pumping” to accelerate drainage via capillary action.

TAI is drawing on the expertise available at Polytechnique Montréal and McGill University in surface engineering and nanomaterial synthesis to refine the parameters of this new configuration and build systems that can be validated on a larger scale. This second phase of collaboration between TAI and its academic partners will lead to the deployment of a new Canadian technology for capturing atmospheric water and will revolutionize the supply of fresh water. With a global market estimated at over one billion U.S. dollars by 2020, not to mention Canada’s dwindling water resources, the success of this project will yield substantial benefits for the Canadian economy.