How an 82-year-old Engineer Created a Machine that Converts Air to Potable Water

An 82-year-old Spanish engineer has invented the machine that can produce drinking water from the air.

Water scarcity is one of humanity's most pressing issues today. A gadget that can make drinking water out of air was invented by an 82-year-old Spanish engineer. It draws water from the atmosphere. It could be beneficial in areas where water scarcity is a problem.

Water scarcity is one of the most important issues confronting humanity today, particularly in areas where it is normally more difficult to obtain. According to a study published in Phys.Org by the University of Cambridge, climate change has also caused some of Europe's worst droughts in the last 2,100 years.

As a result, Western countries are finding it increasingly difficult to remain unconcerned about the issue. While solving the problem isn't something that can be done quickly or easily, up-and-coming inventors do provide promise for a solution.

A contraption that can create drinking water by extracting it from the air was invented by an 82-year-old Spanish engineer. His machine, when combined with humanitarian help, would be invaluable in more arid locations.

"Our idea is not only to make a device that is effective but one that's useful for people who have to walk for kilometers to fetch water or dig wells," said Veiga.

"The objective is to reach places like refugee camps where they do not have water to drink," Enrique Veiga, an 82-year-old engineer, told Reuters. In the 1990s, Veiga designed the drinking water extractor to combat droughts in southern Spain, however, the gadget couldn't resist temperatures above 40°C and only worked with humidity below 8% at the time.

The devices are to be manufactured by this engineer's company, Aquaer. It already provides drinking water in several Namibian locations and in a Lebanon refugee camp. "In the villages we visited in Namibia, people were amazed, they didn't understand it, they asked where the water came from," said the engineer.

Veiga's equipment is capable of producing 50 to 75 liters of water each day. It may also be transported on a cart due to its compact size. The device's larger counterparts, on the other hand, may produce up to 5,000 liters each day.

The machine works by cooling the air until it condenses, then converting it to water that can be collected. Condensation in air conditioners is caused by the same system. Another advantage is that the machine can function in more harsh conditions: Veiga's machine can work in temperatures as high as 104°F and humidity levels ranging from 10% to 15%.

This, coupled with its small size, makes the device easy to handle, making it even more useful in countries with, particularly hot climates. "Our idea is not only to make a device that is effective but one that's useful for people who have to walk for kilometers to fetch water or dig wells," said Veiga.

To convey his equipment to refugee camps and other parts of the world, the Galician-born engineer formed the non-profit company Water Inception.

Source: Insider

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