WANG Bei bei, LI Yao, LI Song jing

 

(School of Mechatronics Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, China)

 

 

Abstract: In order to solve the problems of global fresh water crisis and getting water from dry surroundings, the technology of polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), a kind of material with certain facial chemical properties, low water permeability, high electrical conductivity and other physical and chemical properties was applied to design a diminutive microfluidic atmospheric water generator which is mainly made of PDMS. Researches about the structure and the working principle of the atmospheric water generator was promoted, the finite element analysis model to simulate the fluid field of the producing process as well as the productivity of the device was built. The performance of the water generator was tested using the PI electric heating film. The experimental results indicate that the device fabricated is able to produce 0.2ml water in ten minutes during the desorption period, capable of getting water from the air in normal temperature and pressure. Thus the feasibility of the micro atmospheric water generator is verified.

 

Key words: atmospheric water generator; polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS); microfluidic channels; micro