This Innovative Technology Is Turning Fog Into Drinking Water
By Mayukh Saha
Morocco is home to the world’s largest functioning fog-harvesting technology in the world, the CloudFisher net. The technology was developed by engineer, Peter Trautwein, who hails from the German Water Foundation.
The technology is almost similar to a spider’s web that is designed to collect dewy droplets from nothing but mist.
This later supplies clean drinking water to the remote areas of Morocco that are subject to drought.
Looking Into The CloudFisher Technology
The Net is made from small triangles that are placed between a tight grid made out of plastic. The wind carries the fog directly into the net or mesh, which is vertically suspended in the mountainous regions. It then traps the water droplets inside its mesh. The droplets are then transported to a trough placed below which leads to a reservoir, where clear drinking water is collected.
The CloudFisher technology has taken influence from Mother Nature and the philosophy that the tree which bends in the direction of the wind is the one that persists.
The net is held in their respective places using rubber expanders, which reduces the force of the wind on the mesh and reduces the chances of breakage massively.
The collecting trough also follows the movement of the net, under the force of the wind, so that water loss is avoided.
The components that make up this network, which include the steel cables, posts, screws, expanders, and even the anchors can withstand high wind speeds of 120 km/h.
Peter Trautwein has studied the science behind obtaining drinking water from the atmosphere for a long time and has implemented the same in CloudFisher with assistance from an NGO, Dar Si Hmad.
The project was initially tested on Mt. Boutmezguida, for over 2 years, which is one of the driest places in Morocco.
E-Course: DIY Off-Grid Watering System (Ad)
Over this period, different structures of the net were in trials, and monofilaments were finally decided to be the most effective.
The researchers kept on changing the position of the net at 3 intervals in order to obtain the correct data, making it more reliable.
The CloudFisher technology can harvest 4-14 liters of water per square meter, depending on the region and time of the year.
The net is currently helping to provide safe drinking water to the people of Boutmezguida in Morocco and has freed time for women and children to study and work.
The project won the UNFCCC Momentum for Change Award in November.
The net is now set to be upgraded to the latest version after the trial testing period has expired.
Image credits: Dar Si Hmad
Source: Truth Theory
Hey! I am Mayukh. I help people and websites with content, videos, design, and social media management. I am an avid traveler and I started living as a digital nomad in Europe since 2019. I am currently working on www.noetbook.com – a creative media company. You can reach out to me anytime: justmayukh@gmail.
