GRANTS PASS, Ore. (PRWEB) May 09, 2019
Sharon Kleyne, host of the nationally syndicated radio program, The Sharon Kleyne Hour Power of Water, Global Climate Change and Your Health sponsored by Nature’s Tears® EyeMist® on VoiceAmerica, celebrated a new water-based air-conditioning system created by a research team from the National University of Singapore.
Kleyne, whose water research and discoveries have earned her the respect of scientists, researchers, physicians and educators around the world, has for more than two decades studied and created supplements for dry eye disease and dehydrated skin due to over-evaporation. One of the common causes of dry eye disease and skin over-evaporation is exposure to artificial environments.
The National University of Singapore team led by Associate Professor Ernest Chua from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at NUS Faculty of Engineering addresses this problem and then some. According to Kleyne, who is also the co-founder and research director at Bio-Logic Aqua® Research Water Life Science®, the new water-based air-conditioning system can cool the air to as low as 18 degrees Celsius without relying on energy-intensive compressors and environmentally damaging chemical refrigerants. Professor Chua and Kleyne believe that this new technology will replace on a wide scale the century-old air-cooling principle that is still used in most modern air-conditioners. The new air-conditioner can be adapted for us indoors or outside. It is also portable and can be customized for different weather conditions.
But here is the feature that has Kleyne and other water research experts really excited. The eco-friendly new air-conditioner also generates potable drinking water while cooling ambient air. “This is a major breakthrough,” says Kleyne, “in our efforts to create more usable drinking water.” It is estimated that 12-to-15 liters of drinking water can be harvested by operating the air-conditioning system for one day.
"Our cooling technology can be easily tailored for all types of weather conditions, from humid climate in the tropics to arid climate in the deserts. While it can be used for indoor living and commercial spaces, it can also be easily scaled up to provide air-conditioning for clusters of buildings in an energy-efficient manner. This novel technology is also highly suitable for confined spaces such as bomb shelters or bunkers, where removing moisture from the air is critical for human comfort, as well as for sustainable operation of delicate equipment in areas such as field hospitals, armoured personnel carriers, and operation decks of navy ships as well as aircrafts," explains Professor Chua.
Kleyne, who often calls for more funding and new water research to solve the world’s water crisis notes that this project has been funded by the Building and Construction Authority and National Research Foundation of Singapore. “This is the kind of support and effort we need in all countries,” Kleyne says. “We can save the planet and life on it if we work together.” Kleyne points out that earth desperately needs new water technology to provide water to the more than 2 billion people that do not have access to clean, safe drinking water. The Singapore’s team’s new air-conditioning unit is a model step in the right direction.