Singaporean Researchers Create Humidity Digester Feed On Water To Produce Electricity

WASHINGTON, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 21st Nov, 2019 ) :Singaporean researchers have created a humidity digester that can effectively dry the ambient air while generating energy, according to a study.

The study described the device integrating a super moisture-absorbent gel with light-active materials.

The humidity digester, composed of a moisture-hungry hydrogel, cathode, photoanode and a solar cell, can reduce relative humidity by about 12 percent and generate a low current under ambient light, it said.

The hydrogels based on zinc and cobalt can harvest more than four times their weight of water from humid air. The photoanodes can oxidize the absorbed water in the presence of light to split water, generating low electricity while dehumidifying the room.

"We have done an experiment by placing the hydrogel in a box, and the relative humidity dropped to about 30 to 35 percent lower than the outside ambient," said the paper's senior author Swee Ching Tan, an assistant professor of the National University of Singapore.

"We put our hands in the dry box. It felt like a fridge. It's so cold inside the box because it's so dry," said Tan.

The researchers said that the humidity digester, when it is paired with a fan, is a possible replacement for air conditioners.

Compared to commercial air conditioning units, the humidity digester can improve thermal comfort with significantly less energy input.

Also, the portable device is easy to install and its operation cost will only be a fraction of an air conditioner, according to the researchers.