Numerical Investigation On Water Extraction From The Atmosphere By Underground Condensation Water Production System

Abstract Underground condensation water production system is a low capacity water harvesting method that is suitable for hot and humid climate regions. In this method, the hot and humid airflow is directed to the buried pipes in the ground and, the air is gradually cooled down and the vapor contained therein appears as droplets of water on the pipe surface. The assessment of the amount of water extraction in the condensation system of hot and humid air is the main objective of this investigation. A computational code using MATLAB software is developed to evaluate the amount of water production from humid air in the buried pipes into the ground at a depth of 0.5 m with various lengths and obtain the optimal length of the pipe. Numerical results indicate that water production by considering the initial conditions in this study is about 1 kg per day. The influence of important and effective parameters in underground condensation water production system such as pipes material, air temperature, air humidity, soil temperature, input speed have been investigated. Also, the influence of effective parameters on the performance of the condensation system, including temperature and humidity of inlet air, soil temperature and inlet air velocity, have been evaluated.