GE awarded $14.3 million for 3D printed prototype that creates water from thin air
Published on February 10, 2021 by
Lack of fresh, potable (drinkable) water is one of the biggest challenges facing millions on our planet today. This is especially evident in arid areas, many of which are now struggling even more as global warming drives temperatures up in desert regions. This issue is also of particular concern to a potentially surprising group, the US military. To address the problem, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s (DARPA) awarded General Electric Company (GE) $14.3 million to lead a four-year project as part of their Atmospheric Water Extraction (AWE) program. The goal is to design a prototype that would literally produce water out of thin air. Named AIR2WATER, the project will be created using a mixture of additive manufacturing, new material innovations and thermal processes.