Agroaldea
While pedaling apparatus and stores condensed water from the atmosphere in a bottle located in the frame of the bicycle.
This invention is the work of Kristof Retezár, industrial design student at the University of Applied Arts in Vienna.
Fontus (the invention as it is called in honor of the Roman god of sources, waterfalls and wells) It is still at the prototype stage. The parts are not expensive and its price ranges from the prototype 20 and 35 EUR. If industrial production began on cost could drop significantly.
The device stands out for the simplicity of its design. Thank you the tiny thermoelectric cooler Peltier Elements called heat pump system that enables cool air is activated entering Fontus during pedaling to capture humidity.
At the same time, It allows two special filters incorporating the condenser heat the moisture taken to condense and transform it into water suitable for consumption. Finally, the capacitor is connected to the bottle where clean water collected during the bicycle ride is stored.
The effectiveness of the heat pump to circulate the heat from the cold side will depend on the amount of current provided by the system and how the heat is removed elsewhere. Why Fontus It incorporates a small solar panel which generate the electric power needed to operate the small thermoelectric cooler which lowers the temperature of the area of the device by circulating air.
This handy accessory designed by Retezár It installed without any problems in the bicycle frame and has special filters What, addition to prevent entry of particles or small insects, Also clean the air taken in ensuring water ready to be consumed without risk.
Fontus It is not designed for use in city, since despite having filtering device, the high level of pollution in the environment would result in certain cities water with presence of certain contaminant particles that could be harmful to health, in addition to seriously affect system performance.
Despite its limitations of use, the concept is most interesting and the first tests carried out with the prototype have given very good results.
In warm places with high relative humidity, the performance of Fontus increases until reaching half a liter per hour, i.e., an amount more than enough to keep a person hydrated without major problem.
On the other hand, in places with low relative humidity around the 50% y 20ºC, its performance slows down a lot until it gets one drop per minute. But, even so, it is still a very interesting method of water production due to its low cost and the great remuneration it offers.