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This Tower Pulls Drinking Water Out of Thin Air

smithsonianmag.com

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Re: This Tower Pulls Drinking Water Out of Thin Air

#71

Post by midas007 »

DanBC wrote: post #33
dfc wrote: post #26

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is unsafe to drink sea water due to high salt content. Therefore, drinking water with no salt content is also unsafe. I do not understand that reasoning.

Ultra pure water will leach salts from the body. This is dangerous. At least, that's what people suggest, I don't know if it's true.

It's not dangerous at all if there is sufficient salt balance in the diet.

Heck, I drink DI water on a daily basis and have a low sodium diet replaced by potassium salt where possible.

Re: This Tower Pulls Drinking Water Out of Thin Air

#72

Post by aaron695 »

sitkack wrote: post #55
clhodapp wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Alternately, the article is incorrect/oversimplifying. It's pretty easy to see that it is at least oversimplifying with a simple thought experiment: Suppose we were to place a Warka Tower in an airtight with a humidity of 0% (no water in the air) and with an air temperature of 120°F. Then suppose we were to drop the chamber temperature to 40°F. By all accounts, this is a huge change in temperature for a human-habitab…

Step 1, find 0% humidity, where are you going todo that where people are living? Strawman.

Antarctica.

Space is another, but a bit more pedantic.

But both are places that water would be valuable.

Re: This Tower Pulls Drinking Water Out of Thin Air

#74

Post by vxNsr »

dfc wrote: post #25
zhte415 wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Making a physical product that may have to be tailored to varying specific requirements could be difficult, meric above mentioned technology / skill transfer where an assumed solution may not have an optimal effect, or be even be disastrous - I'm sure they're honing an experience set and training and maintenance manual. Sewage works may be a tangential example. Many sewage treatment plants basically work by sifting h…

honing an experience set You are the first person to put those words together: https://www.google.com/search?q=%22honing+an+experience+set%...

Out of curiousity, why did you google that phrase?

Re: This Tower Pulls Drinking Water Out of Thin Air

#75

Post by sandy23 »

dfc wrote: post #26
linhat wrote: post #17

Isn't the generated/collected water like condensed water free of any kind of salts etc. that would naturally occur in ground/drinking water, so shouldn't it be unsafe to drink large amounts of it (much like it is unsafe to drink large amounts of salt/sea water due to the saline imbalance)? I wonder how/if they address this?

It is unsafe to drink sea water due to high salt content. Therefore, drinking water with no salt content is also unsafe. I do not understand that reasoning.

Drinking water is supposed to be good health if the salt content is between 30 to 50 parts per million. If we speak about details the salt content present in water is supposed to be source of some minerals which you might not be able to get from food. It can also be supplemented with vitamin tablets but that would make distilled water not ideal drinking water.

Re: This Tower Pulls Drinking Water Out of Thin Air

#76

Post by tankenmate »

tankenmate wrote: post #50
DanBC wrote: post #33

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ultra pure water will leach salts from the body. This is dangerous. At least, that's what people suggest, I don't know if it's true.

It's called hyponatraemia; check it out at wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyponatraemia

A downvote for a pure statement of fact?

Re: This Tower Pulls Drinking Water Out of Thin Air

#77

Post by tonylemesmer »

ghshephard wrote: post #9
tonylemesmer wrote: post #2

Has anyone tested the long term viability? Contamination, dust, mildew, flies etc.? Seems like a good idea but I venture the water would need further processing. Still, looks like a better starting point than where many communities are now.

As long as the water is reasonably clear, just leaving it in a plastic bottle in the sun for a day or so will get the water safe enough to drink. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Solar_water_disinfection http://www.irinnews.org/report/79172/benin-sunshine-plastic-... And this water is not ground water - so all of the many, many normal types of ground pollution are being avoided.

I'm Sorry, I should have been more specific. I was referring to potential moss / buildup on the structure itself.

Re: This Tower Pulls Drinking Water Out of Thin Air

#78

Post by kiiski »

lotsofmangos wrote: post #44
Crito wrote: post #40

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The issue with deionized water isn't what your GI system will or will not absorb. The issue is that the water may absorb minerals and nutrients from you. I have to imagine that this is easily combated if it proves to be a significant factor. Worse case scenario, now that you have water that doesn't make you violently ill, you have more energy to farm/eat nutrient rich foods?

If you are just drinking water and not eating, then this could be a problem, but then you have other problems anyway.

If we are talking about installing these to rural parts of Africa, having to eat more may be a valid consern.

Re: This Tower Pulls Drinking Water Out of Thin Air

#79

Post by lotsofmangos »

kiiski wrote: post #78
lotsofmangos wrote: post #44

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If you are just drinking water and not eating, then this could be a problem, but then you have other problems anyway.

If we are talking about installing these to rural parts of Africa, having to eat more may be a valid consern.

We are talking about trace quantities of salts though. You could get around any measurable problem by passing the water through a large box full of pebbles. Also, water is for agriculture as well as drinking, so this should increase the stability of food supply anyway.

Re: This Tower Pulls Drinking Water Out of Thin Air

#80

Post by tonyarkles »

vxNsr wrote: post #74
dfc wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

honing an experience set You are the first person to put those words together: https://www.google.com/search?q=%22honing+an+experience+set%...

Out of curiousity, why did you google that phrase?

I'm going to guess it was "that's a cool phrase and I've never heard it before"
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