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Understanding the water generation process


An Atmospheric Water Generator removes moisture from the air, thus lowering the humidity. It does this by condensing water onto a cold surface. This is a principle that we have all experienced. When you have an ice cold drink on a hot day, you notice water collecting on the outside of the glass.

This is exactly how Atmospheric Water Generators work, with a fewer minor differences to improve the effectiveness. A fan is used to speed up the process. It blows warm air onto cold metal coils, and the resulting water drips into a collection tray. The resulting cold air is then passed over warm coils to bring it back to room temperature. Air conditioners work in the same way, but they do not reheat the air before returning it to the room

 If you live close to the equator or near a coastal region, you probably hear your local weatherman say the word "humidity" all too often. But no matter where you are, you've surely experienced it -- that muggy, heavy feeling that fills the air, often when it's rainy, foggy or hot outside. It can make your hair frizzy and may seem to dampen everything, including your mood.

When people complain about humidity, for the most part they're talking about relative humidity. Depending on temperature, air can hold a fixed amount of water vapor; relative humidity is the ratio of actual vapor in the air to this fixed amount. For example, at a temperature of 68 degrees Fahrenheit (20 degrees Celsius), one cubic meter (35 cubic feet) of air can hold about 18 grams (.6 ounces) of water. This would be a state of saturation, otherwise known as 100 percent relative humidity.

That's a lot of jargon to describe a level of humidity that, for many people, can feel extremely uncomfortable. When this humidity seeps into your home, it can make rooms feel stuffy and perhaps even smell musty. Beyond these superficial discomforts, too much humidity can have some more serious disadvantages, too. An overly humid home can lose its structural integrity, attract pests like silverfish and centipedes, and even make you sick.

In an average home in which the temperature is 68 degrees Fahrenheit, the relative humidity should ideally be between 30 and 50 percent. If you're struggling to reach that range, a Atmospheric Water Generator may come in handy. Our Atmospheric Water Generator removes excess moisture from the air, improving your comfort, health and providing you with 99.9% pure drinking water.
 

Atmospheric Water Generator Basics

What's the Difference?

Could your air conditioner help reduce humidity in your home, too? If you have an A/C, it functions similarly to a dehumidifier, pulling warm air in and letting it cycle over cold coils. The difference is that it does not reheat the air before exhausting it -- that's how it keeps your space cool. Also, your A/C does not have a humidistat and thus cannot detect relative humidity -- just temperature. Once it succeeds in cooling your home to your ideal temperature, it may stop running. This might allow the humidity to climb again, making your house feel like it's hotter than it actually is.


Imagine enjoying a soda during a particularly warm day. When you pick up the can, you might notice that it's wet -- there's moisture on the outside. Why is that? As air loses heat, it also begins to lose its ability to retain moisture; the colder surface pulls and collects water from the warmer air, creating condensation. Your Atmospheric Water Generator does pretty much the same thing. Most Atmospheric Water Generators can be broken down into thirteen component parts:

- Compressor -- This compresses and expands a refrigerant gas like Freon to cool the Atmospheric Water Generator coils. (See How Air Conditioners Work for a more detailed explanation of this cycle.)
 - Reheater -- This captures and collects heat that the cooling process generates.
 - Compressor cooling coils
- Collection tray
- Main water holding tank
- Hot and cold drinking water holding tanks
- UV technology
 - Four stage filtration
 - Reverse Osmosis
How do all these parts fit together to pull moisture from the air? It's fairly simple, but very effective:

1.        A fan collects air from the surrounding area and pulls it into the Atmospheric Water Generator.

2.        As the air passes through, it comes into contact with the Atmospheric Water Generators cooled coils. These coils use condensation to pull moisture from the air. The collected moisture remains on the coils and drips into the Atmospheric Water Generators collection tray.

3.        The Atmospheric Water Generator reheats the air and exhausts it back into the room.


Our Atlantis H2O Atmospheric Water Generator collects water from the atmosphere in a collection tray, then sends it through a 4 stage filtration system with Reverse Osmoses, taking contaminated sediments out of the drinking water. After processing the water with our four stage filtration; the water is sent to the main water holding tank where UV (ultraviolet) technology is used to purify the drinking water by killing off Contamination of microorganisms, including bacteria (including Cryptosporidium and Giardia) viruses, yeasts and molds (and their spores).  After our Atmospheric Water Generator has completed the purification of your new drinking water, with a four stage filtration and UV processing system; the water will be distributed to individual hot and a cold holding tanks for consumption. Now you can enjoy the benefits of 99.9% pure drinking water.

 Please note:

In countries / states that have low relative humidity during off humid seasons, such as winter time; water production will be very minimal. This is why we have designed our Atmospheric Water Generators to connect with your public water source. By connecting to your public water source during off peak water production times, like winter months, you are able to filter and kill any and all bacteria’s and micro organisms from your water; making it 99.9% pure. With our four stage reverse osmoses filtration and UV technology, you can now drink and enjoy the water you continuously pay for when humidity levels are low.


For those who pay for bottled and city water every day in their homes and businesses; now you get all the benefits with our Atmospheric Water Generators. Think 99.9% healthier the next time you want a refreshing glass of water.
 
UV Technology

Applications For UV Disinfection Technology In The Beverage, Water And Food Processing Industries

Introduction:
Ultraviolet (UV) technology was originally used in Europe as an alternative to chlorination to ensure the adequate disinfection of municipal drinking water supplies. It is now applied globally for the disinfection of drinking water, wastewater, process water and industrial affluent. It is also used for non-disinfection applications such as dechlorination in many process industries.

UV technology is particularly suited to the beverage, bottled water and food processing sectors, where extremely high standard of hygiene are expected. Contamination of the process at any point by pathogenic or spoilage microorganisms can have extremely serious consequences for manufacturers. Effective microbial disinfection of the whole process is therefore essential.

UV is rapidly gaining acceptance across the whole spectrum of food and beverage industries as a highly efficient, non-chemical method of disinfection. UV kills all known pathogenic and food spoilage microorganisms, including bacteria (including Cryptosporidium and Giardia) viruses, yeasts and molds (and their spores). It is a low maintenance, environmentally friendly technology which eliminates the need for chemical treatment while ensuring very high levels of disinfection.

UV disinfection 101:
UV is the part of the electromagnetic spectrum between visible light and X-rays. The specific portion of the UV spectrum between 185-400nm (also known as UV-C) has a strong germicidal effect, with peak effectiveness at 265nm. At these wavelengths UV kills microorganisms by penetrating their cell membranes and damaging the DNA, making them unable to reproduce and effectively killing them.

A typical UV disinfection system consists of a UV lamp housed in a protective quartz sleeve which is mounted within a cylindrical stainless steel chamber. The fluid to be treated enters at one end and passes along the entire length of the chamber before exiting at the other end. Virtually any liquid can be effectively treated with UV, including spring, surface or municipal water, filtered process water, viscous sugar syrups and industrial effluent.

There are two main types of UV technology, based on the type of UV lamps used: low pressure and medium pressure. Low pressure lamps have a monochromatic UV output (limited to a single wavelength at 254nm), whereas medium pressure lamps have a polychromatic UV output (with an output between 185-400nm). Low pressure systems are usually best suited for small, intermittent flow applications, while medium pressure technology is better suited to higher flow rates.

Benefits of UV disinfection:
UV disinfection has many advantages over alternative methods. Unlike chemical biocides, UV does not introduce toxins or residues into the process (which themselves have to be subsequently removed) and does not alter the chemical composition, taste, odor or pH of the product.

UV treatment can be used for primary disinfection or as a back-up for other treatment methods such as carbon filtration, reverse osmosis or pasteurization. As UV has no residual effect, the best position for a treatment system is immediately prior to the point of use. This ensures incoming microbiological contaminants are destroyed and there is a minimal chance of post-treatment contamination.

Installing UV systems:
UV systems can be installed at various points along a process system, with minimum disruption to the plant. Installation or retrofitting to existing pipework and vessels is relatively straightforward, requiring minimum disruption and site preparation. Depending on the level of use, the only routine maintenance required is replacing the UV lamps every 12 months, depending on lamp type and use. Lamp replacement is a simple operation that takes only a few minutes and can be carried out by general maintenance staff.

UV applications in industry:

Direct contact water:
Although municipal water supplies are normally free from harmful or pathogenic microorganisms, this should not be assumed. In addition, water from private sources such as natural springs or wells could also be contaminated. Any water used either as an ingredient in food or beverage products, or coming in direct contact with the product, can therefore be a source of contamination. UV disinfects this water without chemicals or pasteurization. It also allows the re-use of process water, saving money and improving productivity without risking the quality of the product.

CIP (Clean-in-Place) rinse  water:
It is essential that the CIP final rinse water used to flush out foreign matter and disinfecting solutions is microbiologically safe. Fully automated UV disinfection systems can be integrated with CIP rinse cycles to ensure final rinse water does not reintroduce microbiological contaminants. Medium pressure lamps are ideal for this application because of their mechanical strength, meaning they are not affected by any sudden changes in the temperature of the CIP water, such as when hot (80oC) liquid is instantly followed by cold (10oC).

Wash/rinse water:
Using UV to disinfect the water used to rinse or wash process equipment and work surfaces can dramatically decrease contamination, increasing shelf life. UV also reduces the amount of chlorine needed to disinfect rinse and wash water.

Filter disinfection:
Stored reverse osmosis (RO) and granular activated carbon (GAC) filtrate is often used to filter water, but can be a breeding ground for bacteria. Installing UV systems post-filter is a highly effective way of disinfecting both stored RO and GAC filtered water.

Dechlorination:
GAC filters are also sometimes used to dechlorinate water following chlorine treatment. Dechlorination removes the ‘off’ flavors often associated with chlorine disinfection, meaning the flavor of the final product remains untainted and free from unwanted flavors or odors. Placing UV systems ahead of GAC filters improves the performance of the filters and results in longer carbon runs, so decreasing operating costs.

Sugar syrups:
Sugar syrups used as flavorings in the beverage, fruit juice and bottled water industries can be a prime breeding ground for microorganisms. Although syrups with a very high sugar content do not support microbial growth, any dormant spores may become active after the syrup has been diluted. Treating the syrup and dilution water with UV prior to use will ensure any dormant microorganisms are deactivated.

Packaging & surface disinfection:
Surface disinfection systems are used to reduce microbial counts on all kinds of packaging, including glass and plastic bottles, cans, lids and foils. By irradiating the surfaces with UV prior to filling, spoilage organisms are eliminated, extending the shelf life of the product and reducing the risk of contamination.

Air disinfection in ductwork and storage tank head spaces:
Special UV air disinfection systems are available to treat air in the ductwork of air conditioning systems serving cleanrooms and other high purity areas. Air treatment systems can also be used to disinfect displacement air for pressuring tanks or pipelines holding perishable fluids. Storage tanks are particularly susceptible to bacterial colonization and contamination by air-borne spores. To prevent this, immersible UV treatment systems have been designed to fit in the tank head air space and disinfect the air present.

Wastewater:
UV systems can be used in conjunction with other waste treatment processes to disinfect wastewater without chemicals, making it fit to use again or fit to discharge into watercourses. By using this low-maintenance technology, plant production capacity can be increased and hazardous chemicals are eliminated.

Environmental benefits:
While reusing wastewater means a dramatic reduction in discharges to watercourses, any effluent that does have to be discharged can also be disinfected with UV to meet with local environmental regulations.

Conclusion:
Meeting the increasingly rigorous hygiene standards required in the beverage, bottled water and food processing industries is becoming more of a challenge, particularly as more consumers are demanding a product that has not been treated with chemicals. If improvements need to be made to plant and equipment, they need to bring quick returns on the investment and measurable improvements in product quality.

UV is already a well established disinfection method in high purity applications such as pharmaceutical manufacturing, where water of the highest quality is required an economic, and is an ideal solution for those operators seeking to improve the quality of their product.
 
 
Disclaimer:  Atlantis Solar® and Wind prides itself on maintaining an open and honest business relationship with its customers.  It is important to note, as with any atmospheric water production system, the water quality produced by our atmospheric water generators can be influenced by the geographic location in which they are placed.  A consistent production of 99.9% pure drinking water from our atmospheric drinking water generators can be expected and maintained, provided they are placed in environmentally safe working atmospheres such as a home, office, commercial or industrial location.  Under normal operating and environmental working conditions, our atmospheric water generators start producing water at 30-32% humidity levels.  It is very important to note, that in order to maintain 99.9% pure "bacteria free" drinking water from our atmospheric water generators, our atmospheric water generators will require a constant "plugged in" electrical connection to an  outlet, or water quality could be compromised (be sure to always keep unit plugged in).  Should an electrical connection no longer exist, all water should be immediately removed from the atmospheric water generator as to inhibit any potential bacteria growth within atmospheric water generator unit.        
 
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