Atmospheric water harvesting using a functionnalized, nanomaterial-enhanced nucleation and conveyance system

大气集水使降雨量少或地下水资源不可持续/昂贵的干旱地区能够从空气中收集淡水以满足其需求。典型的集水方法依赖于一个简单的原理：潮湿的空气被迫通过一个网状网，在那里水冷凝，水滴通过重力排出。然而，这些传统方法在水可以冷凝并从表面排出的速率方面面临限制。Aerospatiales Inc.已经开发了一种用于水收集的替代配置，其依赖于纳米材料增强的功能化多孔基底，该基底将促进水成核并通过毛细作用将冷凝水从表面主动“泵”走以进行收集。Aerospatiales Inc.需要蒙特利尔理工大学和麦吉尔大学在表面工程和纳米材料合成方面开发的专业知识，以完善其新配置的设计参数并构建可测试的系统。合作的第二阶段将允许开发一种新的加拿大水收集系统，能够彻底改变淡水供应方式。到2020年，全球市场估计将接近10亿美元，更不用说加拿大淡水资源的减少，该项目的成功将为加拿大经济带来巨大利益。

Atmospheric water harvesting allows arid regions with low rainfall or unsustainable/expensive groundwater resources to collect fresh water from the air to meet their needs. Typical water harvesting methods rely on a simple principle: humid air is forced through a mesh net, where water condenses and droplets drain away through gravity. However, these traditional approaches face limitations with respect to the rate at which water can condense and drain away from the surface. Technologies Aerospatiales Inc. has developed an alternative configuration for water harvesting, relying on a nanomaterial-enhanced, functionalized porous substrate that will promote water nucleation and actively "pump" the condensed water away from the surface for collection through capillary action. Technologies Aerospatiales Inc. requires the expertise developed at Polytechnique Montreal and McGill University in surface engineering and nanomaterial synthesis to refine design parameters for their new configuration and construct testable systems. This second phase of collaboration will allow the development of a new, Canadian water harvesting system capable of revolutionizing how fresh water is supplied. With a worldwide market estimated at nearly 1 billion USD by 2020, not to mention the decreasing levels of Canadian fresh water sources, the successful outcome of this project will yield substantial benefits to the Canadian economy.