There have been many different systems developed for drawing water from air however most have not been that efficient at scale. A new system may change that. This week we will also look at a range of autonomous planes, Nanobots that may one day clean inside our bodies and yet another entrant into the battery of the future.
Clean Water from Air
Last week we spoke about the Monash University Metal Organic Frameworks (MOF) that can desalinate and clean water without using any power. This week we look at a solar powered water technology that removes humidity from air and turns it into drinkable clean water.
Developed by Zero Mass Water, the Hydropanel uses a range of technologies to draw the humidity out of the air. Solar energy powers the panel off-grid, fans draw in ambient air through a hydroscopic (water absorbing) material that traps the water vapor from the air. The water vapor is condensed into a liquid that is collected in the reservoir. Collected water is then mineralized for ideal taste and consumption. The system works in any climate (including the middle of the Sahara) and has been sold into the Middle East and Australia.
Zero Mass Water raised their Series A funding in 2015 and in April 2020 closed their latest round of funding. Panels currently cost US$2,000 each however as with all technology, that is expected to drop significantly (to less than 25% of current cost) as economies of scale begin to do their magic. The panels can be installed on roof tops or any other surface that has access to sunlight and a connection to water storage.
The technology for removing humidity from the air to collect drinking water is not new, however this appears more efficient than other systems previously marketed. The advantage that this system has over the MOF’s is that it works anywhere on the planet, whereas MOF’s need a source of water to clean. MOF’s however can work 24 hours a day.
Nanobots
Researchers at Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania have developed tiny robots that could be used to fight diseases in the human body. The microscopic robots consist of a simple circuit made from silicon photovoltaics and 4 electrochemical actuators that function as legs.
When a laser is shone on the photovoltaics the robot walks. At 14,000 cubic micrometers the robots are tiny (5 micrometers thick, 40 micrometers wide and from 40 to 70 micrometers long). They are smaller than many micro-organisms found inside the human body. The Coronavirus is approximately 120 nanometers (a nanometer is 1,000th of a micrometer). The robot is small enough to tackle the virus directly but big enough to scoop large numbers of them up.
This is the first time that microscopic robots have incorporated semiconductor components, thus allowing them to be controlled. The nanobot provides a template for developing more complex versions that utilize silicon based intelligence. They are capable of being mass produced, about 1 million bots can fit on a 4 inch silicon wafer. One day the bots may travel through human blood and tissue and fight disease.
Autonomous Aircraft
Planes have been able to fly themselves for a while however there is always a pilot. This week I came across a range of aircraft that are being developed for use without pilots.
Flying Cars
We have examined a number of “flying cars” or VTOL’s (vertical takeoff and landing) in past newsletters (see here). I have no doubt, subject to regulatory approval, that they will become a regular feature of our major cities in the next few years. The latest entry into the flying car of the future comes from Japan.
SkyDrive has launched, what it claims to be, the smallest flying car. The car is 4 meters long by 4 meters wide and 2 meters tall. Takeoff and landing requires the space of 2 parked cars. The car uses 8 motors to ensure redundancy in the event of emergency.
Their target for launching services is 2023. SkyDrive is also developing cargo drones.
Vertical Aerospace from the UK is going bigger with its’ flying car. 15 meters wide the VA-1X is larger than the SkyDrive vehicle however it also uses 8 rotors. The four front rotors operate independently from the 4 rear rotors. The rear rotors can be folded away during flight to reduce drag. With current battery technology the vehicle can travel 160 kilometers between charges at up to 240kph. Using helipads the aircraft is 30 times quieter than a conventional helicopter (essential for city use) and carries 1 pilot and 4 passengers.
Vertical Aerospace plan to have commercial flights in 2024. There have been no announcements on when an autonomous version will be available.
Cargo Planes
SF Holdings, China’s largest delivery company has completed its first autonomous cargo flight. SF is using planes that are able to handle a payload of up to 1.5tons. The maximum flight distance is 1,200km at a speed of 180kph.
The goal is to bring cheaper and more reliable goods delivery to rural areas. Goods can be transported to a rural airport and then drones can deliver packages to nearby properties and towns.
US company, Sabrewing Aircraft is building an aircraft (giant drone really) that is capable of carrying a payload of 2,400kg over a distance of 1,850km with a cruise speed of 370kph. The VTOL capability means it does not need an airport to operate (however there is still all that pesky regulation to get past).
17 meters long and 15 meters wide, the Rhagel RG-1 is planned to be in service in 2022. The wings can be folded back for easy storage.
Another US company, Natilus plans on finishing development of their 60 meter long Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) sometime this year. The size of a Boeing 777 airliner they hope to reduce airfreight costs by 50%.
As an aside, last week Amazon received Federal Regulatory Approval to deliver packages by drone. There are many other layers of regulation to work through however it won’t be too long (next few years) before autonomous drones are delivering packages within some cities.
A Battery that could last for 28,000 years
We have seen many different types of new batteries recently. Given the sheer number I was going to skip this new entrant into the battery of the future however given the potential time between recharges I could not resist including it in the newsletter.
Californian company, NDB is developing a Nano Diamond Battery that acts like tiny nuclear generators fueled by nuclear waste. NBD claims the batteries will last between a couple of decades and 28,000 years. The battery is emission free and only requires natural air in order to operate devices.
The battery is known as a Diamond Nuclear Voltaic (DNV). It is composed of a combination of a semiconductor, metal and ceramic. It has two contact surfaces to facilitate charge collection. Several single units are attached together to create a stacked arrangement, which is fabricated to create a positive and negative contact surface similar to a common battery system. Every layer of the DNV stack consists of a high-energy output source. Within the DNV, radioisotopes are placed to facilitate inelastic scattering. The stacks are coated with a layer of polycrystalline diamond. The diamond is the most thermally conductive and hardest material. It also has the ability to contain the radiation within the device (making it safe).
NDB claims applications in Consumer Electronics, Medical Technology, Aerospace, Automotive, Industry and Defense. Basically anything that uses power. They also claim that the battery enables the reuse of all the spent nuclear fuels from power stations and armaments. An “ion lock in system” prevents usage other than for power generation. The battery is only at the proof of concept stage at the moment. It is likely that a range of new devices will be required to take advantage of this concept. The company is currently raising funds for further development and ultimately commercialization. Development will take time but if NDB is able to deliver on their claims the new battery will be truly disruptive.
Paying it Forward
If you have a start-up or know of a start-up that has a product ready for market please let me know. I would be happy to have a look and feature the startup in this newsletter. Also if any startups need introductions please get in touch and I will help where I can.
If you have any questions or comments please email me via my website craigcarlyon.com or comment below.
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