Technology developed at the University of Newcastle that could help solve the world's water shortage is a step closer to commercialisation.
The Hyrdo Harvester is designed to extract drinkable water from air at a cost less than five cents per litre.
The project, led by Professor Behdad Moghtaderi, has been awarded $330,000 from the NSW Physical Sciences Fund to prepare the prototype for commercial trial.
"By 2025, it's estimated that 1.8 billion people will live in regions with absolute water scarcity," Professor Moghtaderi said.
"We believe atmospheric water generation is part of the solution. At any given time there is enough water in the atmosphere to meet the needs of the world's population for one year."
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The Hydro Harvester is an apparatus which absorbs water from the air at night using silica gel.
During the day, solar energy or waste heat is used to produce hot, humid air - and the hotter the air, the more water it holds.
This hot air is then cooled using ambient air as a heat sink to extract water for drinking or irrigation.
Professor Moghtaderi said unlike commercially available atmospheric water generators, the Hydro Harvester works by heating air instead of cooling it.
"By using solar thermal energy or waste heat, the Hydro Harvester has a lower electrical demand and lower average cost of water per litre than commercial atmospheric water generators," Professor Moghtaderi said.
