A team at MIT has designed an innovative system that produces drinking water by capturing drinking water by capturing steam directly from the air, even in the driest climates like California’s Death Valley.
In the face of a growing global water crisis, with 2.2 billion people without access to clean drinking water, MIT engineers have developed a technology that harnesses atmospheric humidity as an as an alternative water resource. This device, without the need for electricity or batteries, manages to condense the vapor in the air and transform it into clean water ready for consumption.
A hydrogel with smart geometry to convert air into water
The system consists of a vertical panel the size of a window, covered by a glass chamber that integrates a cooling film. Inside, an absorbent hydrogel captures the nighttime vapor, which evaporates during the day with the help of the sun and condenses on the glass. The resulting water flows by gravity through a collecting tube.
This hydrogel has been formulated with glycerol to avoid salt leakage, a common problem in previous designs. Its expandable surface, inspired by origami-like bubbles, improves absorption and uptake efficiency.
Field results and future prospects
During seven days of testing in Death Valley, the device produced between 57 and 161.5 milliliters per day of potable water in humidity conditions ranging from 21% to 88%. This positions it as a viable option for communities without access to traditional sources.
The team led by Professor Xuanhe Zhao envisions a future modular installation of panels capable of supplying entire households with indirect solar energy. This technology represents a step towards decentralized water access solutions.
International scientific cooperation
The research was published in Nature Water and involves institutions such as the National University of Singapore, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and UM6P in Morocco. The lead author is Chang Liu, a former researcher at MIT, currently teaching at NUS.
This MIT proposal redefines how to address water insecurity by integrating materials science, functional design and sustainability without grid dependency.
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Source and photo: MIT
