Atmospheric Irrigation with Wind Turbines

Abstract

In this paper, atmospheric irrigation with wind turbines is proposed. This technology addresses the problem of water scarcity by enhancing the natural water circuit in the atmosphere with wind turbines. There are three different operating modes conceivable for this technology. In two of these the wind turbines interact with the ground in their near wake. The third operating mode is the one which is discussed in this paper, and it aims at transporting water potentially over long distances. The basic working principle, the utilized physical phenomena and the basic design of the technology are introduced. The equations governing the hydraulic and the hydrological effects are presented. The goal of this paper is to quantify the necessary power and the necessary amount of water when wind turbines humidify a certain volume of air in the atmosphere. For this purpose, the power and water demand are assessed, both in a generalized manner and for a realistic scenario. It is concluded that the proposed system can achieve the objective in most wind speed conditions. However, the required amount of water is substantial. Therefore, an alternative source of fresh water has to be found when the system is used on a comparably large scale.