A Wind Turbine That Creates Fresh Water Out of Thin Air

[Alex Linder]

Changing Cities: A Wind Turbine That Creates Fresh Water Out of Thin Air



For the nearly 20 percent of the world’s population who live in areas without access to fresh drinking water, getting access is a matter of life or death. Inspired by the mechanics of a dripping air conditioner, French inventor Marc Parent was inspired to create a solution that could bring fresh water to the most remote, driest parts of the world.

Parent created a company, Eole Water, that produces wind turbines that literally pull fresh water out of thin air. His solution, dubbed the WMS1000 uses the electricity generated from a windmill to collect and treat water without tapping into a water source such as a river, lake or well.

Eole Water is testing the invention in France and Abu Dhabi. The invention, if the company can get the economics to work, looks to be a promising solution to the water crisis.

I recently interviewed Thibault Janin, Marketing and Communication Director of Eole Water on the WMS 1000 turbine to find out what’s in store for this new technology.

How was the idea of a wind turbine that produces water developed?
Thibault Janin: The idea came from Marc Parent, founder of Eole Water, when he lived in the Caribbean, and was subjected to water shortages. He began to work on a system that could recover moisture from the air and transform it into water. Soon after, he returned to France. He patented the process and founded Eole Water.

Millions of people worldwide live in remote areas without any access to safe drinking water. What is the potential for the Eole system to solve this issue?
Thibault Janin: Each unit can create 1,000 liters of drinking water using only moisture and powered only by wind. Let me highlight this word : CREATE. All existing solutions (wells, desalination, lakes/rivers pumping, etc.) only treat an existing source of water. Thus, what happens when there is no or no more water available? The WMS1000 can create water when there is no existing source available. That makes a difference. Our technology integrates water creation, water collection, water treatment and water local distribution. The WMS1000 can produce and distribute water everywhere.

Today, people only use centralized distribution, from a center point to others. With our turbine, we wish to decentralize the water access. As the logistics and the process are easy to install and operate, it will be an answer to various issues like massive population movements that cause swelling of cities, increased diseases and therefore health care costs increasing, (it can also be) a door to agriculture or a local industry beginning. All economic or welfare starts with access to water. And this is what we provide.

Are any of these turbines in place and operational?
Thibault Janin: Wind turbines (first, second, third generation) can be seen at Eole Water Headquarters in Manosque in the South of France. The fourth one is used to make demonstrations during shows and exhibitions. The fifth one, the WMS1000, is the real showcase of our actual company knowledge. It has been designed and manufactured between January 2010 and December 2011. Then first tested in France between January 2011 to August 2011, and second in Abu Dhabi (Mussafah) from November 2011 to April 2012. The final location of this turbine will be Dubai by the end of 2012. The location will be opened to public.

What’s the cost of production and operation of the turbine?
Thibault Janin: The WMS1000 has a price of $600,000. It has been designed to operate in very remote areas, which implies that the maintenance overheads are strictly reduced to minimum. The WMS1000 wind turbine has lifetime of 20 years minimum.

http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technolo...t-of-thin-air/

[Mr A.Anderson]

Very interesting, but my biggest question is: It creates 1,000 liters of water over what time period?

had to look further. They claim it creates 1,000 liters of water per day!

Eole Water is currently displaying a working prototype of the 24 meter tall WMS1000 in the desert near Abu Dhabi that has been able to produce 62 liters of water an hour, says Janin.

One turbine can produce up to 1,000 liters of water every day, depending on the level of humidityThibault Janin

He explains that the technology works by first generating electricity in the traditional manner of a wind turbine. This power enables the entire water generating system to function.

The next stage sees air sucked in through the nose of the turbine via a device known as an "air blower".

All air trapped during this procedure is then directed through an electric cooling compressor situated behind the propellers. This contraption extracts humidity from the air, creating moisture which is condensed and collected.

The water gathered at this stage is then transferred down a series of stainless steel pipes, which have been specially modified to aid the water production process, to a storage tank in the base of the turbine.

Once there, the water is filtered and purified before it is ready for use and consumption.

One turbine can produce up to 1,000 liters of water every day, depending on the level of humidity, temperature and wind speeds, says Janin.

"This is enough to provide water for a village or town of 2,000 to 3,000 people," he adds.

Janin highlights isolated communities in Africa and South America as well as remote islands in Asia that have little or no access to safe drinking water as potential beneficiaries of the technology.

"If you think of Indonesia, it has (thousands of) islands and they cannot centralize their water supply ... the geographic makeup of the country makes it impossible," says Janin.

"This technique could enable them to overcome these problems and make the islands self-sufficient in a way that doesn't harm the environment."

But while enthusiastic about the potential of his company's technology, Janin admits that the initial costs of the turbines could be prohibitive, especially for poorer towns or regions.

Just now it costs between €500,000 ($660,000) and €600,000 ($790,000) depending on the location and surrounding conditions to install just one Eole Water turbine.

As time progresses and as an industrial process is developed that enables the company to take advantage of economies of scale, this outlay is likely to fall, says Janin.

"We have just started the commercial aspect of this product but the price is not that expensive when you compare it with the long term solution that it gives," he adds.
http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/29/world/...ine/index.html

Thats 365,000 liters of water per year, over the life of the unit (20 yr expectency) at an average cost of $700,000. That's an average cost of $0.96 per liter of water created.

Now THAT'S how a town can get off the grid!

[Donald E. Pauly]

Originally Posted by Mr A.Anderson

Very interesting, but my biggest question is: It creates 1,000 liters of water over what time period?

had to look further. They claim it creates 1,000 liters of water per day!

Thats 365,000 liters of water per year, over the life of the unit (20 yr expectency) at an average cost of $700,000. That's an average cost of $0.96 per liter of water created.

Now THAT'S how a town can get off the grid!

I think you slipped a decimal point. A cost of $700,000 over 20 years is $35,000 per year ignoring maintenance. The 365,000 liters will cost nearly $0.10 per liter which is quite expensive water. The state of the art in reverse osmosis conversion of sea water is about $0.50 per cubic meter or half a cent per liter. This turbine produces water at 20 times the rate of reverse osmosis of seawater.

This is rather expensive water. It is cheap only in high humidity where you don't need it and expensive in the desert. Abu Dhabi is right on the sea shore and likely has nearly 100% humidity. In the desert the humidity is less than 10% which pushes the cost over $1 per liter. It is cheaper in bring in bottled water.

[Steven L. Akins]

Originally Posted by Donald E. Pauly

I think you slipped a decimal point. A cost of $700,000 over 20 years is $35,000 per year ignoring maintenance. The 365,000 liters will cost nearly $0.10 per liter which is quite expensive water. The state of the art in reverse osmosis conversion of sea water is about $0.50 per cubic meter or half a cent per liter. This turbine produces water at 20 times the rate of reverse osmosis of seawater.

This is rather expensive water. It is cheap only in high humidity where you don't need it and expensive in the desert. Abu Dhabi is right on the sea shore and likely has nearly 100% humidity. In the desert the humidity is less than 10% which pushes the cost over $1 per liter. It is cheaper in bring in bottled water.

Another Green Technology FAIL

[Mr A.Anderson]

Originally Posted by Donald E. Pauly

I think you slipped a decimal point. A cost of $700,000 over 20 years is $35,000 per year ignoring maintenance. The 365,000 liters will cost nearly $0.10 per liter which is quite expensive water. The state of the art in reverse osmosis conversion of sea water is about $0.50 per cubic meter or half a cent per liter. This turbine produces water at 20 times the rate of reverse osmosis of seawater.

This is rather expensive water. It is cheap only in high humidity where you don't need it and expensive in the desert. Abu Dhabi is right on the sea shore and likely has nearly 100% humidity. In the desert the humidity is less than 10% which pushes the cost over $1 per liter. It is cheaper in bring in bottled water.

//facepalm//

No, didn't miss a decimal - straight up divided it wrong. LOL. It will create 7.3 million liters of water (lifetime) for $700,000 at a cost of $0.096 per liter. Funny how the decimal slide still works for this, though. I guess it would be to slide a decimal to the right, LOFL

I think the point is, being able to create the water (in the most remote areas) will overcome the transportation costs of bringing in the bottled water.

Abu Dabi has a yearly average of 57.97% humidity http://www.scad.ae/en/Statistics/Pag...ors=06.02.01.4

Las Vegas has an average humidity of 30.1%, but is one of the driest cities in the US, while Yuma, AZ has the same average humidity as Abu Dabi at 57.9% http://www.city-data.com/top2/c486.html

I have no idea what the transportation costs would be in some landlocked hellhole in Africa to bring in desalinized potable water from the nearest coast (factor in gasoline, vehicle maintenance, driver salaries, and armed guards, weapons, ammunition, etc.)

Of course, I'm sure some libtard will just volunteer the United Nations to do it for free - so you may have a point.

[Donald E. Pauly]

Wikipedia (Links)

Hornslet_Wind_Turbine_Collapse

Nordtank (Vestas) wind system fail and crashes. - YouTube

Nordtank (Vestas) wind system fail and crashes. - YouTube

wind turbines accidents - YouTube

wind turbines accidents - YouTube

[Rick Ronsavelle]

UP TO 1000 Liters per day. That assume wind, I presume. We need AVERAGE output, not max.

Assume the device is toast at 20 years. The cost is $33K per year, ignoring maintenance. This is $90 per day. 1000 liters=259 gallons. $0.35 per gallon AT BEST.

Water use ranges from 10 gallons per day per person (Mozambique) to 560 gallons (USA). The median is India, using 135 gallons per person per day.

$0.35 times 135 equals $47 per person per day.

[Leonard Rouse]

Originally Posted by Rick Ronsavelle

UP TO 1000 Liters per day. That assume wind, I presume. We need AVERAGE output, not max.

Assume the device is toast at 20 years. The cost is $33K per year, ignoring maintenance. This is $90 per day. 1000 liters=259 gallons. $0.35 per gallon AT BEST.

Water use ranges from 10 gallons per day per person (Mozambique) to 560 gallons (USA). The median is India, using 135 gallons per person per day.

$0.35 times 135 equals $47 per person per day.

I guess the UN will have to buy them, since they or similar are seemingly the only potential 'market'.

[Leonard Rouse]

This thing has a neat factor, but it doesn't seem practical, other than as a Rube Goldberg NGO fund magnet.

[Mr A.Anderson]

Originally Posted by Rick Ronsavelle

UP TO 1000 Liters per day. That assume wind, I presume. We need AVERAGE output, not max.

Assume the device is toast at 20 years. The cost is $33K per year, ignoring maintenance. This is $90 per day. 1000 liters=259 gallons. $0.35 per gallon AT BEST.

Water use ranges from 10 gallons per day per person (Mozambique) to 560 gallons (USA). The median is India, using 135 gallons per person per day.

$0.35 times 135 equals $47 per person per day.

That chart was in liters, not gallons, which is going to throw your calculations off by quite a wide margin.

Eole Water is currently displaying a working prototype of the 24 meter tall WMS1000 in the desert near Abu Dhabi that has been able to produce 62 liters of water an hour, says Janin.

62 liters/hr x24 hrs =1488 liters/day And this is in a desert that has the same relative humidity as Yuma, AZ.

coincidence?

Water Use Statistics USA
Daily indoor per capita water use is 69.3 gallons.
http://www.drinktap.org/consumerdnn/....aspx?tabid=85

National US average indoor residential water use per day per person is: 60 - 70 gallons
http://www.nyc.gov/html/dep/html/res...wateruse.shtml

Water Use Statistics USA 144 gallons or 560 liters This includes OUTDOOR usage as well (watering lawns, agriculture, etc)
http://www.data360.org/dsg.aspx?Data_Set_Group_Id=757

Using the Water Use Statistics from Data 360, the average usage worldwide (indoor and outdoor usage) would be 163.4 liters per day, or 43 gallons per day. Now, given the infrastructure difference between 1st world, and 3rd world countries, I'm sure this type of system would be more likely to be used in a country such as Uganda or Kenya, Nigeria, etc, or any country that is considered below the water poverty threshold of 50 liters per day.

If you average the daily total usage for these 3rd world countries, where there is a fresh water problem, the average usage is 24 liters, or 6.3 gallons per day.
Soooooooooo

What does all this mean?

Africans are thirsty.

[Donald E. Pauly]

Originally Posted by Mr A.Anderson

.........
What does all this mean?

Africans are thirsty.

Silly you! This means that you need to back us Rastafarians to send our 50 million Negroes back to Africa. They can dig deep wells for their African brothers and they won't need the White man's devil windmills. They will also teach them birth control.

[Mr A.Anderson]

Originally Posted by Donald E. Pauly

Silly you! This means that you need to back us Rastafarians to send our 50 million Negroes back to Africa. They can dig deep wells for their African brothers and they won't need the White man's devil windmills. They will also teach them birth control.

Must spread rep around.

All that damned math and source, just to figure out niggers are dehydrated.

[Mr A.Anderson]

Does this count as a "Green Energy" Fail? Ever wonder why African's don't use a lot of water compared to civilized countries?

Dinka TribeTakes Cow Urine Showers To Turn Hair Orange & Lactate Cows - YouTube

Dinka TribeTakes Cow Urine Showers To Turn Hair Orange & Lactate Cows - YouTube

[Steven L. Akins]

Originally Posted by Mr A.Anderson

Does this count as a "Green Energy" Fail? Ever wonder why African's don't use a lot of water compared to civilized countries?

Dinka TribeTakes Cow Urine Showers To Turn Hair Orange & Lactate Cows - YouTube

It probably takes something like cow piss to wash off nigger stink.

Adolescent nigger boys going down on cows and giving them bovine cunnilingus.....explains a lot.

[Bob]

Any ordinary air conditioner will draw a lot of water out of the air, just put a bucket under the drain pipe of a home air conditioner and of an average house and it will draw several gallons of water in a few hours, there is a lot of water in air, if the humidity is above about 60%, below 60%, it will draw a lot less.

An air conditioner is pretty much the same thing as a dehumidifier.

[Roy Wagahuski]

I prefer an ordinary condensation trap, myself.



Ancient technology, it. Meanwhile, in 2012, rural niggers still drink cow piss or just die from thirst.