- Joined
- Nov 30, 2000
- Messages
- 860
The recent thread on Desert water condensers:
http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum18/HTML/001249.html
got me thinking.
What would be very useful would be some kind of commercially produced water condenser that is portable, and collapsable. One that is easy to set up, doesn't weigh very much, and is much more effective than one built while trying to survive.
I visuallize something like a backpacking tent, with one or two very light/small poles, a maybe stakes to hold it up. The tent material could be made out of a heavy mylar-like material - black (but somewhat opaque to allow light to pass through) on one side to absorb heat, and reflective on the other (inside) for greenhouse-like effects. I won't go into too much detail, because I don't have a good design.
It could include pockets to collect the water, a strong nylong bottom to protect against puncture, and tubing to allow the water to be consumed from the pockets.
The design could be such that the condenser is effective - with hot zones to cause the water to quickly evaporate, and cold zones to condense the water and make collection easier. It would be somewhat air tight to prevent evaporated water from escaping.
If the weight was kept down (below 2lbs) it would be a great tool to carry in desert backpacking - and if effective could allow both emergency survival and improved water conservation for longer distances between water stops. It could also be effective for use in the car - it could purify radiator water, and allow extended survival until help could arrive.
Its use could include water purification (e.g. radiator water, urine, etc), evaporation of moist soil, or as a vegitation bag. Possibly, it could even be used as a transpiriation bag at night - solar still during the day.
As a backpacker in a desert region (Utah is the 2nd driest state in the US), I would find such a thing extremely useful. If it could recycle or create a liter or two of water a day, it could allow an extra day of camping in some of the more beautiful areas of the desert southwest. Since a liter of water weights around 2lbs, the weight of the condenser would be neglible to the backpacker. It could help provide clean water in natural disasters. It could also probably be of some use to the military.
The concept behind solar sills/transpiration bags is a good one, but it sounds to me like they're too difficult to implement on the fly. With some clever engineering, I'm certain that such a product could be created using modern materials.
Am I proposing an idea that already exists? If so, where can I buy such a thing? If not, does anyone else think its possible/useful?
Am I wrong thinking that a good design could produce a liter or two of water a day?
Thanks!
-- Rob
------------------
Me fail english? That's unpossible!
http://www.bladeforums.com/ubb/Forum18/HTML/001249.html
got me thinking.
What would be very useful would be some kind of commercially produced water condenser that is portable, and collapsable. One that is easy to set up, doesn't weigh very much, and is much more effective than one built while trying to survive.
I visuallize something like a backpacking tent, with one or two very light/small poles, a maybe stakes to hold it up. The tent material could be made out of a heavy mylar-like material - black (but somewhat opaque to allow light to pass through) on one side to absorb heat, and reflective on the other (inside) for greenhouse-like effects. I won't go into too much detail, because I don't have a good design.
It could include pockets to collect the water, a strong nylong bottom to protect against puncture, and tubing to allow the water to be consumed from the pockets.
The design could be such that the condenser is effective - with hot zones to cause the water to quickly evaporate, and cold zones to condense the water and make collection easier. It would be somewhat air tight to prevent evaporated water from escaping.
If the weight was kept down (below 2lbs) it would be a great tool to carry in desert backpacking - and if effective could allow both emergency survival and improved water conservation for longer distances between water stops. It could also be effective for use in the car - it could purify radiator water, and allow extended survival until help could arrive.
Its use could include water purification (e.g. radiator water, urine, etc), evaporation of moist soil, or as a vegitation bag. Possibly, it could even be used as a transpiriation bag at night - solar still during the day.
As a backpacker in a desert region (Utah is the 2nd driest state in the US), I would find such a thing extremely useful. If it could recycle or create a liter or two of water a day, it could allow an extra day of camping in some of the more beautiful areas of the desert southwest. Since a liter of water weights around 2lbs, the weight of the condenser would be neglible to the backpacker. It could help provide clean water in natural disasters. It could also probably be of some use to the military.
The concept behind solar sills/transpiration bags is a good one, but it sounds to me like they're too difficult to implement on the fly. With some clever engineering, I'm certain that such a product could be created using modern materials.
Am I proposing an idea that already exists? If so, where can I buy such a thing? If not, does anyone else think its possible/useful?
Am I wrong thinking that a good design could produce a liter or two of water a day?
Thanks!
-- Rob
------------------
Me fail english? That's unpossible!