abdulhakeem
05-11-05, 12:11 AM
Using simple technology, people who suffer from water shortages are benefiting from a Canadian non-governmental organization that uses fog, rain, and dew as sources of fresh water. Using mesh stretched between posts, fog collectors capture moisture droplets and funnel them down the mesh into a trough and a network of cables at the bottom.
http://www.fes.uwaterloo.ca/faculty/newsletter/march2004/fog_demo.jpg
Melissa Rosato, a 4th year student in Environment and Resource Studies (pictured at right, conducting a demonstration), worked for FogQuest (http://www.fogquest.org/)last fall and plans to return for the upcoming work term in May. Melissa had once seen a show about FogQuest on the Discovery Channel that had interested her. It just so happened that during her co-op placement in Environment Canada in Toronto, the director of FogQuest organized a fundraiser in the same building.
"I have always been interested in Latin America and wanted to utilize my Spanish. FogQuest sounded like a great organization that was active in that part of the world, so I asked Dr. Robert Schemenauer if he was interested in hiring a co-op student. We met to talk about it, and he agreed to hire me if he could find a grant to cover my salary."
Dr. Schemenauer found a grant and in December, Melissa visited the highlands around Lake Atitlán in Guatemala (http://www.fogquest.org/Projects/guatemala/index.htm) (pictured below) to oversee the construction of 15 standard fog collectors.
http://www.fes.uwaterloo.ca/faculty/newsletter/march2004/Cerro_San_Gabriel.jpg
"The system is very ecologically sound as we are simply taking advantage of moisture that would otherwise be lost into the atmosphere. It has virtually no negative impact on the ecosystem, is economically viable, and is eventually left in the hands of the local users to manage and maintain. In the initial phase of a project, we use a standard fog collector so that we can compare productivity in different areas. If good results are produced, the next step is to install larger collectors to maximize the water collection. In some areas, we have arrays of 100 collectors."
Fog is created as a result of an area's topography and proximity to bodies of water, most prevalent in coastal regions. Some regions that experience a lot of fog are also some of the most arid places on the earth receiving little or no rainfall. It is here that this technology is most appropriate. The fog collectors require fog that has a high moisture content, that being convection fog. In Southern Ontario we mostly experience radiation fog when warm air is quickly cooled. However, the fog collectors are also incredibly efficient at capturing rainwater, increasing the number of potential sites.
"Fog collectors can go anywhere, even on top of buildings. Wherever there is a relatively clear area free of trees (so there is more wind and cloud) is a good spot. They usually go in smaller villages to provide water for agricultural irrigation, water for animals, and drinking water."
Pictures of fog collectors (photo source: http://www.fogquest.org/)
http://www.fes.uwaterloo.ca/faculty/newsletter/march2004/fog2.jpg
http://www.fes.uwaterloo.ca/faculty/newsletter/march2004/fog1.jpg
http://www.fes.uwaterloo.ca/faculty/newsletter/march2004/fog.html
http://www.fes.uwaterloo.ca/faculty/newsletter/march2004/fog_demo.jpg
Melissa Rosato, a 4th year student in Environment and Resource Studies (pictured at right, conducting a demonstration), worked for FogQuest (http://www.fogquest.org/)last fall and plans to return for the upcoming work term in May. Melissa had once seen a show about FogQuest on the Discovery Channel that had interested her. It just so happened that during her co-op placement in Environment Canada in Toronto, the director of FogQuest organized a fundraiser in the same building.
"I have always been interested in Latin America and wanted to utilize my Spanish. FogQuest sounded like a great organization that was active in that part of the world, so I asked Dr. Robert Schemenauer if he was interested in hiring a co-op student. We met to talk about it, and he agreed to hire me if he could find a grant to cover my salary."
Dr. Schemenauer found a grant and in December, Melissa visited the highlands around Lake Atitlán in Guatemala (http://www.fogquest.org/Projects/guatemala/index.htm) (pictured below) to oversee the construction of 15 standard fog collectors.
http://www.fes.uwaterloo.ca/faculty/newsletter/march2004/Cerro_San_Gabriel.jpg
"The system is very ecologically sound as we are simply taking advantage of moisture that would otherwise be lost into the atmosphere. It has virtually no negative impact on the ecosystem, is economically viable, and is eventually left in the hands of the local users to manage and maintain. In the initial phase of a project, we use a standard fog collector so that we can compare productivity in different areas. If good results are produced, the next step is to install larger collectors to maximize the water collection. In some areas, we have arrays of 100 collectors."
Fog is created as a result of an area's topography and proximity to bodies of water, most prevalent in coastal regions. Some regions that experience a lot of fog are also some of the most arid places on the earth receiving little or no rainfall. It is here that this technology is most appropriate. The fog collectors require fog that has a high moisture content, that being convection fog. In Southern Ontario we mostly experience radiation fog when warm air is quickly cooled. However, the fog collectors are also incredibly efficient at capturing rainwater, increasing the number of potential sites.
"Fog collectors can go anywhere, even on top of buildings. Wherever there is a relatively clear area free of trees (so there is more wind and cloud) is a good spot. They usually go in smaller villages to provide water for agricultural irrigation, water for animals, and drinking water."
Pictures of fog collectors (photo source: http://www.fogquest.org/)
http://www.fes.uwaterloo.ca/faculty/newsletter/march2004/fog2.jpg
http://www.fes.uwaterloo.ca/faculty/newsletter/march2004/fog1.jpg
http://www.fes.uwaterloo.ca/faculty/newsletter/march2004/fog.html