JP7473728B1 - Water collection system and method - Google Patents

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a new water collecting system and water collecting method. [Solution] A water collecting system including a water source, an ultrasonic transmitter capable of transmitting ultrasonic waves of a predetermined frequency, and a structure having a wall surface capable of propagating the ultrasonic waves on at least a part of the wall surface, the structure being installed above the water source, and the ultrasonic transmitter being installed inside the structure so as to be capable of transmitting the ultrasonic waves. [Selected Figure] Figure 1

Description

This disclosure relates to a new water collection system and method.

Previously, there have been disclosures of devices that use ultrasonic waves to condense moisture in the air and produce water droplets (for example, Patent Document 1).

Patent Publication No. 46-33470

The method disclosed in Patent Document 1 uses ultrasonic waves to react with moisture (water particles) in the air to produce water droplets, but this method requires the use of a paraboloid to resonate the ultrasonic waves and increase their amplitude, making it impractical.

An object of at least one embodiment of the present disclosure is to provide a new water collection system.

In a non-limiting aspect, the water collection system according to the present disclosure is a water collection system including a water source, an acoustic transmitter capable of transmitting acoustic waves of a predetermined frequency, and a structure having a wall surface capable of propagating the acoustic waves on at least a portion of the wall surface, the structure being installed above the water source, and the acoustic transmitter being installed inside the structure so as to be capable of transmitting the acoustic waves.

Each embodiment of the present disclosure addresses one or more of the deficiencies.

FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a configuration of a water collection system according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the functionality of a water collection system, according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a configuration example of a water collection system used in a simulation experiment, corresponding to at least one of the embodiments of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a simulation experiment result (evaluation A) corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 11 is a diagram showing a simulation experiment result (evaluation B) corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. FIG. 1 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a configuration of a water collection system according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure.

Below, an embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to the attached drawings. The following description of the effects is one aspect of the effects of the embodiment of the present disclosure, and is not limited to those described here. In addition, the order of each process constituting the flowchart described below is random to the extent that no contradictions or inconsistencies occur in the process content.

[First embodiment]
An overview of a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. In the following, a water collection system including a water source, an ultrasonic transmitter capable of transmitting ultrasonic waves at a predetermined frequency, and a structure having a wall surface capable of propagating the ultrasonic waves on at least a part of the wall surface will be described as an example.

Figure 1 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a water collection system corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. The water collection system 1 includes at least a structure 2, an acoustic wave transmitter 3 capable of transmitting sound waves of a predetermined frequency, and a water source 5. As an example, the system may also include an airflow generating device 4 and a water collection mechanism 6.

The structure 2 has, for example, a cylindrical shape, but the shape is not limited as long as it can accommodate the airflow from the water source. In FIG. 1, a cylindrical structure is assumed to have a test tube-like shape.

As shown in the figure, when the structure 2 is cylindrical with a closed spherical tip, the diameter of the structure 2 is preferably such that the sound waves transmitted from the sound transmitter 3 can reach the opposing wall surface that is farther away from the sound transmitter 3. Since the reach of sound waves varies depending on the frequency, the structure 2 may be designed taking into account the frequency to be used.

It is preferable that a portion of the structure 2 is made of a material capable of propagating the sound waves transmitted from the sound wave transmitter 3. Any material can be used as long as it can propagate sound waves.

The sonic transmitter 3 is capable of transmitting sound waves of a predetermined frequency. The predetermined frequency is preferably 20 kHz or higher. In other words, the predetermined frequency is preferably ultrasonic. Ultrasound refers to elastic vibration waves with a high vibration frequency that cannot be heard by the human ear.

The airflow generating device 4 can be of any shape as long as it is a device capable of generating an airflow in a specified direction, such as a propeller. In addition, there needs to be at least one airflow generating device 4, and there is no problem with arranging multiple devices.

The water source 5 may be any liquid that contains water, and in the following example, seawater is used as an example, but is not limited to this.

The water collection mechanism 6 is a mechanism that assists in collecting water. In the figure, a structure tilted vertically upward is attached to enable water collection, but this is not limited to this. For example, a material that is prone to condensation may be attached to the wall surface to enable water collection.

The water collection system 1 may further include a cooling control function. There is a risk that the part irradiated with the sound waves transmitted from the sound transmitter 3 may become heated. Therefore, the irradiation may be controlled to cool at a predetermined timing. The control may be performed, for example, by the sound transmitter 3, or the sound transmitter 3 may be controlled by a separate computer device. Furthermore, the cooling control function may not only control so as not to irradiate, but may also control so as to cool the heated part by, for example, blowing cool air.

Specific examples of structures and the like used in the water collection system 1 will be described below. It is preferable that the width of the inner wall of the structure 2 is about 6 m, the height of the inner wall is about 19.7 m, the frequency of the sound wave transmitter 3 is about 40 kHz, and the diameter of the airflow generating device 4 is about 1.7 m. The water source 5 is preferably fresh water or seawater.

[Feature Description]
2 is a block diagram showing the functions of a water collecting system according to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. The water collecting system 1 may include an acoustic wave transmitting unit 101, an airflow generating unit 102, and a cooling control unit 103.

The sonic wave transmitting unit 101 has a function of transmitting sound waves of a predetermined frequency. The airflow generating unit 102 has a function of generating an airflow. The cooling control unit 103 has a function of controlling the sonic wave transmitter 3 to cool the structure 2.

[Water collection treatment]
Water collection using the water collection system 1 will be described. A structure 2, an ultrasonic transmitter 3, an airflow generating device 4, and a water source 5 are installed as shown in Fig. 1. The air temperature is preferably in the range of -10 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and any air temperature may be used as long as the water source 5 can exist in a liquid state.

The sonic transmitter 3 transmits and irradiates the rising air current generated by the water source 5 with sound waves of a specified frequency. The specified frequency is preferably so-called ultrasonic. The specified frequency is preferably 20 kHz to 50 kHz, and more preferably 35 kHz to 45 kHz.

The ultrasonic transmitter 3 may be in contact with the structure 2 or may not be in contact with it. Furthermore, the ultrasonic transmitter 3 is installed outside the structure 2, but may also be installed inside the structure 2. When sound waves are irradiated to the airflow, condensation occurs above the water collection mechanism 6 and on the wall of the structure 2. The condensed liquid falls due to gravity and is stored in the water collection mechanism 6.

This type of water collection system 1 makes it possible to collect water by condensing water droplets on the structure 2. Furthermore, by providing a water collection mechanism 6, it becomes possible to collect water more efficiently.

[simulation result]
The results of a simulation performed to confirm the above-mentioned effects will be described below. Fig. 3 is a conceptual diagram illustrating a configuration example of a water collection system used in a simulation experiment, which corresponds to at least one of the embodiments of the present disclosure.

The water collection system 1 in Figure 3 comprises a structure 2, an ultrasonic transmitter 3, an airflow generating device 4, and a water source 5. A 900 mL plastic bottle was used as the structure 2. Room temperature tap water was used as the water source 5, and 3.3 cm of the water was poured into the structure 2. A Citizen ultrasonic cleaner SWT710 (40 kHz, two transducers) was used as the ultrasonic transmitter 3. The room temperature in the room where the experiment was conducted was 27.4 degrees Celsius, and the humidity was 58%.

The condensation conditions were evaluated by changing the presence or absence of the ultrasonic transmitter 3, the presence or absence of the airflow generating device 4, and the presence or absence of the water source 5. The evaluation results are shown in Table 1. In each experiment, the time for which sound waves were emitted from the ultrasonic transmitter 3 was approximately 900 seconds.

The evaluation results are shown in the "Condensation Evaluation" column of Table 1. The evaluations are divided into three categories: A, B, and C, with A being the best evaluation with the most condensation, B being a lower evaluation but with some condensation, and C being an evaluation with almost no condensation. As can be seen from Table 1, condensation occurs when the combination of the sonic transmitter 3 and water source 5 is present.

In this experiment, condensation was less likely to occur when the airflow generating device 4 was present. This is thought to be because there was enough water vapor to cause condensation when the sound waves were irradiated for a limited, short period of time, approximately 900 seconds. When operating the water collection system of the present disclosure for a long period of time, using the airflow generating device 4 makes it possible to supply more water vapor to the structure 2 and collect a larger amount of condensation.

Figure 4 shows the results of a simulation experiment (evaluation A) corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. Figure 5 shows the results of a simulation experiment (evaluation B) corresponding to at least one embodiment of the present disclosure. It can be seen that larger water droplets adhere to the sample in evaluation A.

The rising air current generated by the water source 5 may contain air molecules, water vapor, and aerosols. The inventors believe that when sound waves of a certain frequency propagate in an adiabatic state by transmitting high and low air pressure from one point to the next, the air molecules collide or rub against each other or against water vapor and aerosols, reducing the energy of the air's own molecular motion, causing a drop in temperature, and causing the gas to liquefy.

In the first embodiment, the sonic transmitter 3 is installed to transmit sound waves horizontally, but this is not limited to the above. As long as sound waves can be irradiated to the gas present in the structure 2, the angle at which the sound waves are irradiated may be an oblique angle of 30 degrees, 45 degrees, etc.

In the first embodiment, the ultrasonic transmitter 3 is installed outside the structure 2, but this is not limited to the above. In theory, sound waves (especially ultrasonic waves) can propagate through solids, liquids, and gases, so the same results can be obtained even if the ultrasonic transmitter is installed inside the structure 2.

As one aspect of the first embodiment, a new water collection system can be provided.

[Second embodiment]
Next, an overview of a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described below. In the following, a water collection system including a water source, an ultrasonic transmitter capable of transmitting ultrasonic waves at a predetermined frequency, and a structure having a wall surface capable of propagating the ultrasonic waves on at least a part of the wall surface will be described as an example.

Figure 6 is a conceptual diagram showing the configuration of a water collection system corresponding to at least one of the embodiments of the present disclosure. The water collection system 1 includes at least a structure 2, an acoustic transmitter 3 capable of transmitting sound waves of a predetermined frequency, and a water source 5. As an example, the system may also include an airflow generating device 4 and a water collection mechanism 6.

The structure 2 has, for example, a cylindrical shape, but the shape is not limited as long as it can accommodate the airflow from the water source. In FIG. 6, a cylindrical structure with a test tube-like shape is assumed.

As shown in the figure, when the structure 2 is cylindrical with a closed spherical tip, the diameter of the structure 2 is preferably such that the sound waves transmitted from the sound transmitter 3 can reach the opposing wall surface that is farther away from the sound transmitter 3. Since the reach of sound waves varies depending on the frequency, the structure 2 may be designed taking into account the frequency to be used.

Regarding the structure 2, sonic transmitter 3, airflow generating device 4, water source 5, water collection mechanism 6, and cooling control function, the contents shown in the first embodiment can be adopted to the extent necessary.

The functions of the water collection system in the second embodiment can adopt the functional description given in the first embodiment to the extent necessary.

[Water collection treatment]
Water collection using the water collection system 1 will be described. A structure 2, an ultrasonic transmitter 3, an airflow generating device 4, and a water source 5 are installed as shown in Fig. 6. The air temperature is preferably in the range of -10 degrees Celsius to 40 degrees Celsius. However, the present disclosure is not limited thereto, and any air temperature may be used as long as the water source 5 can exist in a liquid state.

The sonic transmitter 3 transmits and irradiates the rising air current generated by the water source 5 with sound waves of a specified frequency. The specified frequency is preferably so-called ultrasonic. The specified frequency is preferably 20 kHz to 50 kHz, and more preferably 35 kHz to 45 kHz.

The ultrasonic transmitter 3 may be in contact with the structure 2 or may not be in contact with it. The ultrasonic transmitter 3 is installed outside the structure 2, but may also be installed inside the structure 2. When ultrasonic waves are irradiated to the airflow, condensation occurs on the wall surface in the direction of the closed tip portion of the structure 2 downstream of the airflow. The condensed liquid falls due to gravity and is stored in the water collection mechanism 6.

This type of water collection system 1 makes it possible to collect water by condensing water droplets on the structure 2. Furthermore, by providing an airflow generating device 4 and a water collection mechanism 6, it becomes possible to collect water more efficiently.

As one aspect of the second embodiment, a new water collection system can be provided.

1: Water collection system 2: Structure 3: Sonic transmitter 4: Airflow generating device 5: Water source 6: Water collection mechanism

Claims (7)

Water sources and
A sonic transmitter capable of transmitting a sonic wave of a predetermined frequency;
A water collecting system comprising a structure having a wall surface capable of propagating the sound wave on at least a part of the wall surface,
The structure is positioned above a water source;
The sonic transmitter is installed outside the structure and is installed inside the structure so as to be able to transmit the sonic waves ;
A water collection system in which the ultrasonic transmitter and an object to be irradiated by the ultrasonic transmitter, which is present within a structure, are in non-contact with each other . The water collection system further comprises:
An airflow generating device that generates an airflow,
The water collection system of claim 1 , wherein the airflow generating device is positioned to direct airflow from the water source to an interior of the structure. The water collection system further comprises:
3. A water collection system according to claim 1 or 2, comprising cooling control means for cooling the structure. The water collection system according to claim 1 or 2, which has a water collection mechanism inside the structure. The water collection system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the ultrasonic transmitter is installed so as to be capable of transmitting ultrasonic waves in a horizontal direction. The water collection system of claim 1 or 2, wherein the sonic transmitter generates sound waves at a frequency of 35 kHz or more and 45 kHz or less. A method of collecting water using the water collecting system according to claim 1.

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