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Last update - 00:00 03/11/2008
Israeli company creates drinking water out of thin air
By Karen Kloosterman, 21c
Tags: israel news, water energy 

An Israeli company has developed a clean technology to extract water from the air while using little energy in the process.

The key to the project, launched by the Extraction of Water from Air (EWA), is in its unique water adsorption technology - which employs a solid desiccant to trap the water - and a special energy saving condenser that reuses more than 85 percent of the energy input to the system.

For Dr. Etan Bar, CEO of EWA, it was a question of priorities. His company, which focuses both on solar energy and clean water extraction from the air, had already developed a new solar energy air conditioner that was sparking interest in the industry, but Bar realized that clean water was a far more pressing need.
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He put aside the air conditioner and began working on a new technology that could collect humidity naturally present in the air and turn it into clean water.

It sounds like a far-fetched idea, but it's actually thousands of years old. It was mentioned in the Bible and in ancient Jewish prayers, and archaeologists still find the stones Israelite farmers used thousands of years ago to collect dew for watering their crops.

The technology, Bar tells ISRAEL21c, works in three steps: first is the absorption of air's humidity, then the removal of water from a solid desiccant (silica based gel granules) which holds the water, and third, condensation.

The absorption of the humidity is an exothermic process (involving heat release), humidity absorption occurs spontaneously, and only minimal energy is used as the air is pumped through the unit.

Heat recovery techniques are integrated as part of the condenser, reducing the cost for producing water to a reasonable price, similar to other processes, such as desalination.

EWA, which was founded in 2006, is based on nine years of research by Bar, a former researcher at Ben Gurion University.

The company now has representatives in the U.S., India, Jordan, Cyprus, Australia and West Africa where EWA is helping farmers generate carbon credits, on top of providing them with clean water for drinking and irrigating their crops.

EWA, which employs 12, is currently operated out of Be'er Sheva. Last year was the first year the company reported its earnings, at about $100,000, while this year, it predicts sales upwards of $5 million, and $100 million for 2009, mainly due to growing demand from Africa, India and Australia. The bottleneck right now is being able to supply demand, says Bar.

As global warming heats the world, and its population continues to grow, there is less water for everyone: "Due to the effectiveness at extremely wide ranges of environmental conditions and due to its low energy consumption, huge water plants could be built and operated using the novel EWA technology," says Bar.

"The technology answers the world's desires for available, clean and safe water - without air pollution from energy production - and expensive infrastructure," he concludes.

From more on Israel?s technological advances, check out Israel21c.org
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  1.   There is already a technology .. 15:18  |  Axel 03/11/08
  2.   What`s new? 15:45  |  Colin 03/11/08
  3.   In response to post 1 - Axel 15:59  |  TBD 03/11/08
  4.   This technologie is not new, already existing in Suth America 16:28  |  Moise 03/11/08
  5.   Moise, if its there, you will find it! 16:56  |  Zev Davis9 03/11/08
  6.   Israeli company creates drinking water out of thin air 18:03  |  Karliner 03/11/08
  7.   There Are Rivers Of Water In The Sky 18:07  |  Yosemite 03/11/08
  8.   Axel 1: not everywhere is like Germany 18:20  |  Realist 03/11/08
  9.   Axel 1 "let them drink rainwater" 18:26  |  Realist 03/11/08
  10.   # 3 tbd 18:41  |  Axel 03/11/08
  11.   THIS IS THE UMPTEENTH INVENTION FOR DRINKING WATER 18:50  |  Alka Seltzer 03/11/08
  12.   # 9 realist 19:08  |  Axel 03/11/08
  13.   didn`t say it was new 19:28  |  Erez 03/11/08
  14.   What`s all the argument about? 19:41  |  Goy 03/11/08
  15.   #12 Axel 19:47  |  JR 03/11/08
  16.   # 15 JR 21:04  |  Axel 03/11/08
  17.   Karliner giving the key word to all problems: 21:07  |  Jew- and Bookburner 03/11/08
  18.   Thanks for the drinking water, 21:18  |  Achille Talon 03/11/08
  19.   Axel 12 obviously hopes this will not work, will be disappointed 22:03  |  Realist 03/11/08
  20.   Axel 22:12  |  norm 03/11/08
  21.   No Minerals, use it for your batteries or ironing ! 22:57  |  Michael 03/11/08
  22.   # 19 realist cool down 23:01  |  Axel 03/11/08
  23.   Yosemite #7 23:06  |  Suspicious 03/11/08
  24.   Water from thin air ? 00:43  |  Evan Williams 04/11/08
  25.   GOY cost effective need is there.Do you keep up with news 01:32  |  PETER SM 04/11/08
  26.   Too bad natural minerals can`t also be taken out of thin air... 02:54  |  Michael J 04/11/08
  27.   no response from ewa 17:50  |  shai 05/11/08
  28.   Water from Air 08:51  |  Dorothy Carlson 13/11/08
  29.   dorothy Carlson water from Air 20:00  |  Jan Edward Hysek 10/07/09
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