ONBOARD WATER GENERATION FOR MILITARY VEHICLES

SUPPLYING ADEQUATE DRINKING WATER TO SOLDIERS ON ARID OR CONTAMINATED BATTLEFIELDS IS A FORMIDABLE PROBLEM. ONE POSSIBLE SOURCE OF WATER IS ENGINE EXHAUST; FOR EXAMPLE, DIESEL EXHAUST CONTAINS 1.1 POUNDS OF WATER VAPOR FOR EACH POUND OF FUEL BURNED. WE PROPOSE TO DEVELOP AN ONBOARD, COMPACT, EASILY MAINTAINED MEMBRANE-BASED SYSTEM THAT CAN RECOVER AND PURIFY WATER FROM COMBAT VEHICLE EXHAUSTS IN A SIMPLE AND SELF-CONTAINED PROCESS. WATER VAPOR IN THE EXHAUST WILL BE MADE TO PERMEATE SELECTIVELY ACROSS A HYDROPHILIC MEMBRANE BY THE APPLICATION OF A VACUUM ON THE DOWNSTREAM SIDE. THIS WILL RESULT IN SEPARATION OF THE EXHAUST INTO TWO STREAMS: ONE UNDER VACUUM, CONTAINING ESSENTIALLY PURE WATER VAPOR, AND THE SECOND CONTAINING THE OTHER GASES IN THE EXHAUST. THE WATER VAPOR STREAM WILL BE COMPRESSED AND CONDENSED TO PROVIDE A RELIABLE SUPPLY OF DRINKING-QUALITY WATER.