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Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s suggestion to a Danish wind vitality firm to discover the potential for extracting water and oxygen from air through the use of wind generators have been concepts that weren’t simply scientifically sound however are already underneath implementation at varied locations, scientists have mentioned.
Extraction of water from air is already being completed in a number of locations, together with in India, utilizing completely different applied sciences, though not windmills.
However Sandeep Verma, Secretary, Science and Engineering Analysis Board, mentioned wind generators have the fitting design set-up for harvesting water from moisture-laden air, and even this concept was being tried out at a number of locations. The problem, he mentioned, is to transform the concepts into implementation.
“Parameters equivalent to design innovation, efficiency optimization, and proper temperature gradients, might help extract water from air by means of a passive, energy-efficient course of,” he mentioned in a collection tweets.
Ashutosh Sharma, Secretary, Division of Science and Expertise, mentioned separating oxygen from air can also be a regular industrial course of, and a number of other firms engaged in separation of gases routinely do that. “Some membranes are used for separation. Some molecules would undergo, others wouldn’t. That’s how one can separate oxygen as nicely,” he mentioned.
On this course of, wind generators may very well be used primarily as a supply of fresh vitality, Sharma mentioned.
“However within the extraction of water, wind generators can have a further position,” he mentioned. “The downstream of a wind turbine is throwing numerous air, so it really works like a compressor, or a pump. And for extracting water, the sort of techniques which are used, it’s once more principally a community of membranes that air has to go by means of, it condenses, and the water is collected by drip.
“The air must go at a excessive charge, and the wind turbine can assist that course of…. This stuff are already being tried. Now we have to make the processes extra environment friendly,” he mentioned.
The truth is, the Hyderabad-based Indian Institute of Chemical Expertise (IICT) has developed a know-how with private-sector firm known as Maithri Aquatech for ‘atmospheric water technology’ that has been deployed at a number of locations. This know-how doesn’t contain wind generators.
“Wind generators are simply one other know-how different that may be explored, is already being explored. However in any other case, there is no such thing as a scientific implausibility in making an attempt to extract water or oxygen from air,” IICT director Dr S Chandrasekhar mentioned. “At a quite simple degree, the place do you get rain from? The know-how we now have developed supplies extraordinarily clear water from air. It’s virtually fully distilled water. It doesn’t have any salt or minerals, so it doesn’t have the style we’re used to. It requires a little bit little bit of processing. However it’s being completed.
“And never simply in India, however in lots of different elements of the world.”
“After all,” he mentioned, “water we generate from air is prone to be a little bit dearer than water that’s obtainable usually. I don’t have the precise estimates, however it isn’t exorbitant.”
Sharma mentioned even the upper prices could be acceptable in areas the place water just isn’t available. “There are water-scarce locations the place these applied sciences are related even now. The upper prices are rather more acceptable at sure locations in comparison with different areas,” he mentioned.
Shekhar Mande, director normal, CSIR, mentioned present applied sciences clearly want enchancment, and that effort must be centered. “Applied sciences should be improved in order that they’re extra energy-efficient and less expensive. These should not mature applied sciences, and that’s the place the problem lies,” he mentioned.
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