Fifteen Atmospheric Water Generator (AWG) units of 60 litres per day capacity (10) and 150 litres per day capacity (5) each, were installed recently by a team of CSIR-IICT scientists led by chief scientist S. Sridhar in the remote community schools and colleges located in Dehradun, Rishikesh and Tehri districts of Uttarakhand where the groundwater is scarce.
The project is sponsored by THDC India Limited, Rishikesh, as part of the corporate social responsibility, while the CSIR-IICT designed AWGs were manufactured in collaboration with Maithri Aquatech, Hyderabad.
This technology is based on the inverse Carnot cycle involving the condensation of pre-filtered humid air to water droplets using a refrigerant that undergoes compression and evaporation alternately. The water is remineralised using a proprietary salt mixture and post-treated by ultraviolet light for any secondary microbial contamination, followed by exposure to an activated carbon column for good taste.
Atmospheric water generator (AWG) can be used in coastal regions, hilly areas, or water-scarce regions as long as the relative humidity is >25% and temperature > 15oC. “All the AWG plants were running well and providing the designed output of 60 – 150 Lit/day,” said the scientists team. The technology is jointly patented by CSIR-IICT and Maithri Aquatech Pvt. Ltd., said a press release on Thursday.
