💧 Water Extractor from Air

A hardware prototype that extracts clean water from atmospheric humidity using Peltier modules.
🏆 Awarded: Sustainability Innovation Award — STMU 2024

🏆 Achievement

🌱 Sustainability Innovation Award
Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University (STMU) — 2024
Recognized for innovative low-cost, eco-friendly approach to clean water generation

📌 About

Access to clean water is one of the most pressing global challenges — especially in arid and resource-limited regions. This project tackles that problem at a hardware level by building a prototype device that extracts water directly from atmospheric humidity.

The system uses Peltier thermoelectric modules paired with heat sinks and thermal paste to create a cold surface. When warm, humid air contacts this cold surface, the moisture in the air condenses into water droplets, which are then collected in a container below — producing clean water from air alone.

This solution is:

• ♻️ Sustainable — no external water source required
• 💰 Low-cost — uses affordable, widely available components
• 🌍 Scalable — applicable in arid zones, remote areas, and disaster relief scenarios

⚙️ Components & Materials

#	Component	Role
1	Peltier Module (TEC1-12706)	Thermoelectric cooler — creates cold surface for condensation
2	Cold Heat Sink	Absorbs cold side of Peltier; surface where water condenses
3	Hot Heat Sink	Dissipates heat from the hot side of Peltier module
4	Thermal Paste	Ensures efficient heat transfer between Peltier and heat sinks
5	DC Power Supply	Powers the Peltier module
6	Collection Container	Catches condensed water droplets
7	Mounting Frame	Holds the assembly upright and stable

🧠 How It Works

The working principle is based on the Peltier / thermoelectric effect — when electric current passes through a Peltier module, one side gets cold and the other gets hot.

1️⃣ Power the Peltier Module

• DC current is applied to the Peltier (TEC) module
• One face becomes cold (typically 5–15°C below ambient)
• The opposite face becomes hot and must be dissipated

2️⃣ Heat Management

• Thermal paste is applied between the Peltier faces and the heat sinks
• This maximises thermal conductivity and efficiency
• The hot heat sink radiates excess heat away from the device
• The cold heat sink maintains a low-temperature surface exposed to air

3️⃣ Condensation Occurs

• Warm, humid ambient air contacts the cold heat sink surface
• When air temperature drops below the dew point, moisture condensates
• Water droplets form on the cold metal fins of the heat sink

4️⃣ Water Collection

• Droplets accumulate and drip down by gravity
• A collection container placed beneath catches the extracted water
• Output volume depends on ambient humidity, temperature differential, and surface area

DC Power Supply
      │
      ▼
 Peltier Module
  ┌───┴───┐
  │       │
Cold     Hot
Side     Side
  │       │
Cold     Hot
Heatsink Heatsink
  │         └──→ Heat dissipated to environment
  │
Condensation forms on cold fins
      │
      ▼
  💧 Water collected in container

🌡️ Key Physics

Concept	Description
Peltier Effect	Electric current through two dissimilar conductors creates a temperature differential
Dew Point	Temperature at which air becomes saturated and moisture begins to condense
Thermal Conductivity	Thermal paste maximises heat transfer between Peltier and heat sinks
Condensation	Water vapour in air transitions to liquid when cooled below dew point

📸 Project Gallery

🔩 Prototype — Front & Side View

Front View	Side View

Cold heat sink fins visible on the front — this is where condensation forms.
Hot heat sink mounted on the rear for heat dissipation.
Collection container placed beneath to catch water droplets.

📁 Repository Structure

water-extractor-from-air/
├── README.md                        # This file
├── LICENSE                          # MIT License
└── images/
    ├── front_view.jpg               # Front view of prototype
    └── side_view.jpg                # Side view of prototype

🌍 Real-World Applications

• Arid & desert regions — where groundwater is scarce or contaminated
• Disaster relief — rapid deployment for clean water in crisis zones
• Remote communities — off-grid water generation without infrastructure
• Climate adaptation — sustainable alternative to traditional water sourcing

🔬 Future Improvements

• Add a fan to actively circulate air over the cold heat sink for higher output
• Use solar panels to make the system fully off-grid and sustainable
• Implement a temperature/humidity sensor (DHT22) to monitor efficiency in real time
• Scale up surface area with multiple Peltier modules for higher water yield
• Add a water quality sensor to verify purity of collected water
• Insulate the hot side more effectively to improve cold side temperature drop

🧩 Concepts Demonstrated

• Thermoelectric Effect (Peltier) — converting electrical energy into a temperature gradient
• Heat Transfer — conduction via thermal paste, convection via heat sink fins
• Phase Change (Condensation) — gas-to-liquid transition at the dew point
• Sustainability Engineering — designing low-cost solutions for real-world resource problems

👩‍💻 Author

Khansa Bint-e-Zia

📄 License

This project is open-source under the MIT License.

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Made with 💧 by Khansa Bint-e-Zia  |  STMU  |  🌱 Sustainability Innovation Award 2024