Effect of air intake temperatures on the air-water harvester performance

Abstract

During the dry season, some parts of Indonesia experience drought and a clean water crisis, resulting in scarcity and difficulty in drinking water. One of the solutions to solve this problem is to use an air-water harvester machine that produces water from the air. Since the intake air temperature affected the water yield, the article examined the relationship between the engine intake air temperature and the machine’s performance. The study aimed to determine the performance of the air-water harvester machine at various air intake temperatures. The research was carried out experimentally for a refrigerant working fluid R134a. The rotary-type 1/4 PK compressor was used to realize the research. The air temperatures entering the condensing unit varied between 30, 35, and 40 °C. The results showed that the highest average water mass obtained was 0.34 kg at a temperature variation of 30 °C. The highest total heat absorbed by the condensing unit from the air of 184 W occurred at a temperature variation of 40 °C. Overall, an increase in the air intake temperatures allowed for a decrease in the performance of the air-water harvester machine by more than 5 %.