Energy

Water vapor collection
from industrial plumes

Rising global temperatures and increasing water scarcity are putting pressure on industrial cooling systems. Power plants struggle to stay operational without sufficient water for cooling towers. As fresh water resources are diminishing, current cooling methods are proving to be unsustainable and urgently in need of innovation.

Energy

Project scope

Help energy providers capture vapor to reduce water use.

OBJECTIveS

Recover water vapor from industrial plumes before it disperses into the atmosphere, reintegrating it into industrial processes to reduce freshwater consumption.

Requirements

Low energy consumption (passive or hybrid systems)
Compatible with diverse plume compositions (temperature, pollutants)
Materials must resist corrosion, heat, and fouling
Reasonable cost and easy integration on existing sites

Let's collaborate
with nature?

Let's collaborate with nature?

Get a DEMO

Problem analysis

Why do industrial plumes waste so much water?

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Industrial plumes contain large amounts of water vapor, yet this potential resource is often lost to the atmosphere. This waste results from a lack of capture systems that can withstand the thermal, chemical, and energy constraints of plumes. Key issues identified:

Condensation is hindered by low surface contact, poor orientation, and unsuitable materials
Current systems consume too much energy, relying on active cooling or compression
Recovered water is often contaminated with volatile compounds, particles, or corrosive gases
Fluctuating weather conditions reduce system reliability and efficiency

AI agents guided a root-cause analysis of these limitations.

Biological insights

Nature-inspired mechanisms to collect moisture

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The biomimetic strategies explored for this project draw on natural adaptations to efficiently collect atmospheric water, even in arid or unstable environments. Examples include:

Microscale surface texture : Thorny lizard, rattlesnake, namib desert beetle
High-surface-area structures with converging channels. : Bishop pine, tillandsia, cacti
Capillary action within microchannels : Rattlesnake
Hydrophilic and hydrophobic combination to promote nucleation sites : Namib desert beetle, thorny lizard, mango leaves

Together, these approaches inspire new ways of designing water condensing systems.

Asteria then helps you generate ideas of concrete bioinspired concepts leveraging both the various selected biological mechanisms and the modeling of the project's context.

Namib desert beetle fog harvesting

Wettability contrast for fog capture

Micro-reliefs trigger droplet nucleation

Passive transport of droplets to the mouth via dorsal topography.

Cactus fog collection

Conical spines guide condensation

Microchannels direct water flow

Rapid absorption by specialized tissues

Tillandsia atmospheric harvesting

Hygroscopic trichomes absorb humidity

Large surface for vapor exchange

Passive adaptation to dry wind

Welwitschia mirabilis moisture capture

Hierarchical textures increase contact

Wettability contrast enhances nucleation

Capillary topography guides flow

Honeybee pollination (buckwheat)

Electrostatic forces move particles

Surface geometry aids capture

Passive particle transfer mechanisms

OUTPUT

Brainstorm
by Asteria

Cactus-inspired fin structures for plume condensation

description

Micro/nano-structured fins inspired by cacti condense water from industrial plumes. They guide the droplets toward a central collection channel for energy-efficient, passive recovery.

biological model

Cactus spines condensing fog and channeling water

Design principles

Micro/nano structuring, directional water transport, guided condensation

Invent a new tech

Materials

Textured recycled materials suitable for passive condensation

Manufacturing process

Molding or 3D printing with integrated micro/nano textures

Existing technology

Biomimetic structures for passive water collection

Hexagonally arranged 3D-printed spines with hydrophobic coating and optimized tip angle were shown to enhance moisture capture efficiency. Inspired by nature, this structure enables energy-free water collection, offering promising directions for the design of next-generation materials with spatially organized biomimetic features. Developed by USC's Epstein Department of Engineering.

→ See website

Atmospheric water harvesting mesh inspired by Tillandsia

description

This biomimetic mesh captures moisture from industrial air through a large surface coated in hygroscopic material. Inspired by Tillandsia, it directs condensed water to a reservoir for reuse.

biological model

Tillandsia (epiphytic plant absorbing humidity via its extended leaves)

Design principles

Maximized surface contact + active adsorption using hygroscopic materials

Invent a new tech

Materials

Biodegradable/recyclable mesh, MOF-based hygroscopic coating

Manufacturing process

Large-area mesh weaving and coating via spraying or dipping

Existing technology

Aqualonis 3D Mesh

Fog is driven by wind into vertically suspended 3D mesh nets, where droplets coalesce and fall into a collecting trough. The captured water is piped to a reservoir. In Morocco, up to 528 litres per day can be harvested per collector, depending on region and season.

→ See website

Biomimetic condensation tiles with asymmetric wettability

description

Modular tiles inspired by the Namib desert beetle collect water vapor from industrial chimneys. Hydrophilic zones allow nucleation and condense vapor; hydrophobic zones guide water. Passive and modular system to reduce freshwater use.

biological model

Namib desert beetle: hydrophilic and hydrophobic zones guide water collection from air

Design principles

Asymmetric wettability boosts passive condensation and fluid control

Invent a new tech

Materials

Recycled base, hydrophilic/hydrophobic coatings applied in patterned zones

Manufacturing process

Modular molding, selective coating via masking or screen printing

Existing technology

→ See website

Plume water harvesting system inspired by beetles and bees

description

This system combines wettability patterns and electrostatic attraction to condense and capture water from power plant plumes, reducing freshwater demand. Inspired by the Namib desert beetle and honeybee.

biological model

Stenocara beetle (Namib desert), Apis mellifera bee

Design principles

Asymmetric wettability for condensation, electrostatic droplet capture

Invent a new tech

Materials

PE/PP substrate, hydrophilic TiO₂, hydrophobic fluoropolymer, stainless steel electrodes

Manufacturing process

Micromolding, thin-film deposition, additive manufacturing for modular structures

Existing technology

Infinite Cooling

Inspired by both the hydrophilic/hydrophobic surface of the Namib Desert beetle and the electrostatic pollen collection of bees, it ionizes water droplets, drastically improving condensation and capture through an electrically charged collection net.

→ See website