Airdrop Irrigation to transform drought-ridden areas into fertile land

The Concept

Edward Linacre won The James Dyson Award 2011 for developing Airdrop Irrigation concept. This concept is a boon for the countries ailing from severe droughts and unfavorable agricultural conditions. The concept behind Airdrop is that even the driest air contains adequate amount of water molecules. These molecules can be extracted by lowering the temperature of the air till the point of condensation. Warm air is driven underground with the help of a solar powered turbine whenever wind is at its strength. As the depth increases the temperature decreases considerably.

Airdrop Irrigation System

It has been found that at a depth of two meters depth temperature decreased by 6 degree Celsius. Coiled copper pipes are used for this innovative condensation process. The water thus condensed is accumulated in an underground tank. The stored water is pumped to roots of plants with the help of sub surface drip irrigation. This system allows better irrigation that too in an automated manner. Airdrop is an easy to install, economical and sustainable irrigation system that can surely make droughts a thing of the past.

The Inspiration

The idea of developing an irrigation system for the driest places on earth came into mind of Edward when Australia witnessed the worst drought of the century. Murray Darling area in Australia experienced a 12 years drought that completely changed the entire ecosystem with severe wildlife decline and catastrophic bushfire conditions. Alarmed and shocked, Edward Linacre started looking for a solution that could help in surviving such natural calamities. The inspiration came from none other than nature itself. Edward learnt about an ingenious species of beetle known as Namib.

This beetle is found in the driest places on earth and can survive on dew that falls in early morning. It has a hydrophilic skin that collects the dew. He then started researching on atmospheric water harvesting technologies that exist today. These technologies are high-tech and expensive and Edward wanted to develop something for the rural farmer market. He suggested that even in driest of deserts around 11.5 millimeters of water can be harvested from every cubic meter of air.

Eco Credentials

The critical issue in developing this concept was the cost as it was aimed for the rural farmer market. Thus, Edward refrained from using complex and energy-intensive methods like desalination or tapping. He rather focused on the most abundant source, the air which is omnipresent on earth. This device is fitted with such components that run on renewable source of energy to cut down energy cost as well as pollution if any. Airdrop draws its power from sun through solar panels that are installed at the top of this device.

The basic structure of the device is very simple so that it could be easily installed as well as maintained by the farmers. The manufacturing was done with the help of local irrigation manufacturers and farmers. The best part is that the water can be stored underground which can be used as an emergency reserve in the times of need. It is also installed with a switch that regulates the flow of water as per requirement.

Feasibility

This is a boon for the drought ridden agricultural lands that are left barren without any water. The cost of manufacturing is low and it is based on the naturally proven and tested concept of biomimicry. Parts and material used to manufacture Airdrop comes at very affordable cost and the entire design is simple as well as easy to maintain. There are no ill effects such as noise, soil, air or any other kind of pollution. Being solar powered in nature Airdrop is a perfect fit for hot and dry areas such as deserts.

Moreover, it also relieves one from the need o monitoring and watering the crops again and again as it irrigated them bit-by-bit on a regular basis. The James Dyson Award 2011 also includes a cash amount of $14, 000 that will be spent on testing and further iterations in the basic design so that the water yield of Airdrop can be increased. The minor drawback that stands on the way of success of this device is that a large fleet of it would be required to irrigated a large farm field as one device would be able to irrigated a small area of land, otherwise, Airdrop has nothing but the best to offer.

Related trends

1. Hydra

Hydra

This is an automatic home irrigation system that helps saving tremendous amount of water up to 25 percent. It is named as hydra as it looks like one. Designed by James Seddon, this device is laced with different sensors that monitor the moisture present in soil. If it finds the amount of moisture to be low it starts irrigating the garden automatically.

2. Eco Drop

Eco-Drop

Seung Kim designed Eco Drop that is water saving as well as automatic fertilizing device. This device also saves from underground water contamination due to chemical fertilizers. It utilizes earthworms for fertilizing and consists of worm compost bin, a feed tank, and compatible irrigation system. The earthworm juices are collected from compost bin and used along with water to irrigate the garden.

3. Cyber-Rain XCI Controller

Cyber-Rain XCI Controller is a sprinkler with a brain that can be operated via computer or even an iPhone. This device is connected with internet to monitor the weather and automatically adjusts its run time accordingly. In addition, it also sends updated irrigation schedules to help you keep an eye on all irrigation activities and water savings.

4. Condensation Irrigation Method

Condensation Irrigation Method is a combined system designed for solar desalination and water production purpose. The humid air that flows over the saline water surface is harvested using solar stills via underground pipes.