Wind turbine helps “create” water from thin air
March 22, 2013If you’re a Star Wars fan, you might remember the “moisture vaporators” that Luke Skywalker helped maintain on his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru’s moisture farm on the desert planet Tatooine.
Back here on Earth, it seems we’re one step closer to this Star Wars-style technology thanks to French inventor Marc Parent.
Parent, founder of Eole Water, has created the WS1000, a wind turbine-powered water “generator” that pulls moisture from the air to produce potable water. A solar-powered version is also available.
The unit has the potential to bring safe drinking water to some of the most remote, arid areas on the planet. Parent and his company have been testing the turbine in France and Abu Dhabi since 2011. It will be in Dubai, India, by the end of the year.
According to ABC news, the unit has the potential to help the more than 20 percent of the world’s population without access to clean water. The unit costs about $600,000, is built to last at least 20 years, and can produce up to 16 gallons of water an hour. The best part is, it “creates” water by pulling it from thin air, meaning it doesn’t need to be tied to a well, stream, or other body of water.
Wonder what Uncle Owen would think?