A student at Australia’s Swinburne University this week received the James Dyson Award for a device he says is capable of harvesting moisture from the air for use in
irrigation, even in the world’s driest places. Developed by Edward Linnacre, the Airdrop is a wind- or solar-powered device that sucks air underground through a coiled metal pipe, where the cooler temperature of the surrounding soil slowly causes it to condense. The device ultimately collects the water in an underground tank before it is pumped back to the roots of nearby crops via a sub-surface drip irrigation system. According to Linnacre, a prototype that he developed in his mother’s backyard was able to produce about one liter of water per day. He hopes the technology can be used for agriculture in even the driest conditions. “There are water-harvesting technologies out there, but there’s very few low-tech solutions,” he said. “A low-tech solution is perfect for rural farmers, something that they can install, something that they can maintain themselves.”
New Irrigation Device Pulls Water From the Air in Driest Conditions
More From E360
-
Biodiversity
How Mounting Demand for Rubber Is Driving Tropical Forest Loss
-
Climate
As Temperatures Rise, Dengue Fever Spreads and Cases Rise
-
OPINION
Clearing Skies: Opening a New Path on Climate and the Future
-
Food & Agriculture
After the Storm, Malawi’s Farmers Face a Precarious Future
-
Policy
Shifting Political Winds Threaten Progress on Europe’s Green Goals
-
OPINION
Uncounted Emissions: The Hidden Cost of Fossil Fuel Exports
-
Biodiversity
Can ‘Immortal’ Sequoias Survive the Ravages of Climate Change?
-
INTERVIEW
Ecosystems as Infrastructure: A New Way of Looking at Climate Resilience
-
ANALYSIS
As Climate Talks Near, Calls Mount for a ‘Phaseout’ of Fossil Fuels
-
OPINION
Without Warning: A Lack of Weather Stations Is Costing African Lives
-
Cities
As Bird Kills from Buildings Mount, Cities Look for Solutions
-
INTERVIEW
Why Native Women’s Voices Are Crucial to Saving Brazil’s Forests