Evaluation of the Potential of Atmospheric Water Generators to Mitigate Water Scarcity in Northern Chile

Water scarcity is a problem affecting millions of people in the world, including northern Chile, with several cities declared under water scarcity by the Chilean government. This paper numerically evaluates an atmospheric water generator based on a single vapor compression refrigeration system using R410A. The monthly water harvesting rate and specific energy consumption are calculated for nine cities distributed throughout northern Chile. Every component is modeled in a modular way, using semi-empirical models, and integrated into an overall model. For the nine cities considered in this study, the monthly water harvesting varies between a maximum of 5518 L, obtained for Huasco during January, and a minimum of 0 L, in Combarbalá and Vicuña in some months during winter. In the case of the specific energy consumption, it varies between 0.355 and 1.146 kWh/L. By taking the period between December and April, the system can collect an average of 3868 L/month, with an average specific energy consumption of 0.533 kWh/L. The working domain of the system is strongly limited by the Chilean climate conditions, which is mainly influenced by the Humboldt Current. This restricts the operational efficiency of the AWGs, especially during the colder and drier months. Nonetheless, the modular modeling approach allows for flexible adaptation and optimization of the system across different geographic locations.