Investigation of humidity harvest as an alternative water source in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

In order to harvest water present in a humid atmosphere, a suitable absorber/desorber was designed. Experiments were conducted in Dhahran to measure the water absorption rate in the nighttime and the water desorption rate in the daytime. It was found that the water absorption rate was 2.11 L/m²/day and the water desorption rate was 1.15 L/m²/day depending on the desiccant flow rate. In order to assess the feasibility of the system, the unit was tested continuously in the nighttime as well as in the daytime and the results are reported in this paper. The chemical characteristics of a set of water samples collected were analysed and the water collected was found to meet most of the World Health Organization drinking water standards. The problem associated with this technology is the mixing of dust and dirt with the desiccant solution, and the fact that a small pump is required to circulate the solution.