Condensação da umidade atmosférica: um estudo da viabilidade da produção de orvalho por resfriamento do ar nos municípios paraibanos de Campina Grande e São João do Cariri.

Abstract

Researches carried in Campina Grande and São João do Cariri cities have shown the viability of the production of drinking water by the formation of the dew on cold surfaces of conventional refrigeration systems or on external surfaces of PET bottles containing ice. The experimental results presented here show that the cooling of air can produce enough quantity of water to minimize the consequences of shortage of drinking water in the semiarid zone of Brazilian Northeast region. The experiment based on direct contact between the air and the cold surface of the refrigeration system has produced dew at a rate of 1.23 liters per hour per square meter. To obtain a liter of dew, the system consumes, on average, 0.75 kWh of electrical energy. The obtained results are satisfactory, considering that the experimental equipment used is sufficiently simple.