An environmentally friendly technology inspired by plant and animal mechanisms has been developed for the first time in South Korea. The portable moisture collection system collects moisture from the air, purifies it and produces drinking water. This innovative system is expected to have many applications, including military operations, camping and drinking water production for survival in remote and mountainous regions.

The research team, led by Director Dr. Hyuneui Lim of the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials (KIMM), plans to commercialize a 3 kg water harvester using its proprietary “portable moisture harvesting system.”

This system has been awarded test certificates by government certification bodies and has received confirmation of its water extraction performance as well as the safety of the drinking water obtained from the system. By transferring this new technology to Puresys, KIMM aims to commercialize it in the form of a wide range of goods, ranging from portable goods to large-capacity products.

The “portable moisture extraction system” developed by the KIMM research team uses the moisture extraction cycle “adsorption → desorption → condensation → sterilization” as its core technology.

This system can capture a significant amount of moisture and also improves energy efficiency by more than double compared to conventional dehumidifiers.

This newly developed moisture collection system is also extremely stable because the bacteria on the surface of the cooling fins, where moisture normally condenses, can be sterilized within one minute by immediately heating these fins to 80 degrees Celsius. After collection, the water goes through a purification process via an environmentally friendly and degradable diatom-based filter.

Conventional “moisture collection” systems such as refrigerated dehumidifiers and air conditioners consist of a condenser, an evaporator and a compressor to prevent moisture oversaturation, which can cause noise and weight problems and possible environmental pollution due to the use of refrigerants.

To solve these problems, moisture collection systems are being developed that use thermoelectric modules. However, the disadvantages of such systems include that the energy efficiency of moisture collection is much lower compared to compressor-type systems equipped with compressors.

The moisture collection capacity of the “Portable Moisture Collection System” newly developed by the KIMM research team is more than twice as high as that of conventional systems with thermoelectric modules.

One of the most important points is that the heating surface of the thermoelectric module can be used as a moisture absorption plate. Moisture in the air is collected in the absorption mode of the moisture absorption plate, and then transferred to the condensation plate in the heating mode, thereby improving the efficiency of moisture collection.

In addition, the high-temperature heat energy generated by the heating surface is used to desorb moisture, which can help reduce the warm air output of the heating surface.

In addition to its ability to collect moisture, this new system also boasts remarkable energy efficiency. The KIMM research team designed the system to enable dehumidification without supplying power to the thermoelectric module during the moisture absorption process.

Power consumption can be reduced by activating water absorption, condensation and sterilization modes via a single thermoelectric module. In addition, the KIMM research team developed a naturally decomposable and environmentally friendly filter made of diatomaceous earth and biodegradable polymer, thus creating a water purification system that can remove not only heavy metal ions but also nano-microplastic particles.

Dr. Hyuneui Lim, Director of the Nature-Inspired Research Center at KIMM, commented: “This technology represents a significant advancement as it enables the production of drinking water in situations where water is scarce. Our goal is to establish a drinking water production system that will provide people worldwide with safe access to drinking water, thereby addressing problems such as water scarcity and drought.”

KIMM lead researcher Sunjong Oh added: “The newly developed moisture collection system is a hybrid technology that integrates the principles of traditional condensation and moisture absorption systems. It features a sustainable approach that minimizes energy consumption and uses environmentally friendly materials.”

Research results on this system were published in the journal Science of the whole environment.