Photo courtesy of Atoco.
At a laboratory in a Southern California warehouse, scientist Heng Su unveils what could be a world-changing solution to the global water crisis. The small handheld object looks unremarkable, consisting of stacked white fins that resemble a miniature old-fashioned apartment radiator. But when Su puts the device on a scale, it silently gains weight within seconds. As the minutes pass, it gets heavier and heavier. That's because the gadget is invisibly gathering water molecules from the surrounding air.
A few feet away, four of the water harvesters sit inside a plastic enclosure shaped like a transparent birdhouse. The warm air inside dislodges the H2O molecules from the harvesters and a condenser transforms the water vapor into liquid, which is dripping into a beaker. The technology, called metallic organic frameworks (MOFs), doesn't require electricity and can produce water with just ambient sunlight. It's Irvine-based startup Atoco's vision for how to provide water in an increasingly arid world.
This is a lab prototype designed to only produce a few milliliters of water as scientists work to perfect the technology. The company plans on building a full-scale commercial version that could produce thousands of liters of ultrapure water a day for a community. A unit the size of a residential air conditioner could supply water to your home.
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