The Tunisian company named Kumulus has created a device that obtains drinking water from humid air by simulating the natural process of condensation. It works with solar energy and produces between 10 and 50 liters of water per day.
About three years ago, Iheb Triki and nine friends set off on a four-day trek across the Tunisian desert, carrying 100 liters of bottled water.
Arriving at his destination, Tricky found before him a large number of bottles, a pile of plastic debris from previous campers and dew drops on his tent the next morning. That's how he, an engineer by training, came up with the idea for Kumulus.
Tricky is now the CEO of Kumulus. A chair-sized device called Kumulus 1, which his startup developed, is powered by solar panels and produces between 10 and 50 liters of clean water a day, depending on the humidity in the air.
So far, three of these cars have already been tested in Tunis and Paris. Three weeks after the launch, the company has received more than 100 pre-orders, worth some $700 million, from customers in France, Italy, Mexico and Uruguay.
The Kumulus 1 works much like the spray that forms in the Tricky tent.
- Moist air automatically enters the machine through small holes in the top and passes through the first filter.
- The air is then cooled in a chamber that condenses the moisture and converts it to dew.
- The water is filtered again, mineralized and sent to a special tank. It can be poured through an external spout.
- The display shows the amount of water inside. The machine is connected to an app that allows to control parameters such as water quality and filter replacement time.
Tricky envisions the device being highly customizable in the future. For example, it will be possible to choose which minerals to add to the water.
To make the device not only work well from a technical standpoint, but also look attractive, Tricky turned to local designer Zuhair Ben Jannet. Ben Jannet, who is more of an architectural designer than an industrial designer, was inspired by amphorae, the earthenware vessels in which the Greeks and Romans transported wine, olive oil and other liquids.
The finished device has round shapes and a futuristic white finish, reminiscent of Eve's luminous robotic body from the WALL-E cartoon. The current version is made of the composite plastic material used in yacht construction. It weighs nearly 35 kg, more than its developers would have liked.
The final version, which will be delivered to the first 100 customers, will be made of recycled plastic obtained by injection molding. This material is much lighter and more suitable for use in large quantities because of its low cost.
Tricky has not disclosed the cost of the Kumulus 1, but says that two such machines are rented in Tunisia for $99 per month, including regular maintenance and filter changes every six months.
Kumulus water will cost between $0.08 and $0.09 per liter. In comparison, the price of a liter of water in Tunisia is $0.15 per liter.
Kumulus' target customers are remote hotels, construction companies, and NGOs that provide access to clean water to people in need.
The Kumulus team is now working on a smaller model that can fit in the trunk of a car. It will produce much less water, about 10 liters per day, but will allow people to forget about plastic bottles while trekking in the Sahara.
