VENA 1.0 Zero-Energy Atmospheric Water Generator – 2008
VENA 1.0 was the first large-scale water condenser that does not run on electricity. VENA’s assembly is free of moving, complex mechanical parts, and polluting coolants, and requires only the energy embodied in the materials and installation.
Population growth, climate change and associated desertification will continue to increase the severity of water shortage. WHO/UNICEF estimates that by 2050, 4 billion people around the world will suffer from a chronic lack of potable water. These problems will have disastrous consequences for the health of affected populations and in some areas may lead to significant social upheaval.
Inhabitants of arid regions in developing nations constitute the core beneficiaries of this new technology. Because many of these areas lie in poor developing nations, VENA is also designed to be inexpensive and easy to install when mass-produced. Once installed, VENA will recharge depleted aquifers and wells, providing water for drinking and crop irrigation.
Like desert cacti, VENA has the ability to capture water vapor prior to cloud formation. The spines on a cactus allow any moisture in the cool night air to condense on them (much like dew on grass). In some environments, like the high coastal area around Chungungo, Chile, dew condensation is the sole source of water for the natural ecosystem.
VENA’s angled copper alloy filaments go a step further by being 5-15°C cooler than ambient air temperature throughout the day. When air comes in contact with the filaments, the dew-point is triggered and air-borne water condenses, drips down the copper alloy cable into the well continually throughout the day.