Atmospheric Water Extraction Plus (AWE+)

The Department of Defense (DoD) needs to reduce reliance on water resupply to support more mobile, flexible, and self-sufficient military operations. Atmospheric Water Extraction (AWE) technology can generate potable water from air moisture, offering a significant tactical advantage in remote or hostile environments by lessening the logistical burden and risks of water resupply missions. AWE systems work by capturing humidity and condensing it into liquid water through methods like cooling condensation and desiccant-based extraction. These systems have various applications beyond military use, including disaster relief, residential and commercial water supplementation, and agricultural irrigation. Advantages of AWE include independence from traditional water sources, portability, flexibility, and potential use of renewable energy sources. However, challenges such as high energy consumption, initial costs, and variable efficiency depending on environmental conditions need to be addressed. Advances in technology and energy efficiency are essential for broader adoption. Triton Systems, Inc., and its partners, have demonstrated the feasibility of a novel material to extract water vapor from the atmosphere and produce safe, potable water at a rate of = 1 L/day using under 100 Wh of electricity. This self-generating water supply will enable warfighters to be self-sufficient, reducing reliance on supply chains, and allowing for more mobile, flexible, and safer operations by minimizing the need for resupply and associated risks and costs. The atmospheric water harvesting technology will capture atmospheric water under conditions ranging from 40 – 100 °F and down to 50% relative humidity. The material will have large surface areas suitable for both expeditionary and stabilization sizes, providing scalable potable water generation for 1-150 warfighters. The process uses only electricity, with no heat or thermal energy, operating at under 100 Wh/L of water. The Phase II program will iteratively design, fabricate, and test integrated prototypes of the AWE system to demonstrate increasing levels of potable water production, meeting or exceeding the topic targets. Completing this effort will fully demonstrate the capability of our AWE system to produce potable water using a minimal amount of energy and position us to begin developing and transitioning larger scale systems to meet the needs of the warfighter throughout the operational environment.