Design Project: WATREE
Course Brief
The theme of the course is Water Protectors. Design thinking was used to initiate designs that are related to water. The designs should aim to improve the relationship between water and people.
Idea of WATREE
WATREE is designed to be placed at some hiking spots to provide people with clean drinking water. It is self-sustained, which would condense water vapour in the air and use solar power. It mainly involves a condensation system and a distillation system.
Process of Design Development
A small-scale prototype was made to simulate the condensation system. It demonstrated the inefficiency of using freezing branches, so the modified design make use of the principle of a dehumidifier where condensation occurs inside the branches. By sharing the idea with my friends, most of them worried about the hygiene and water safety problem. A transparent distillation system was developed to allow people to have more confident in the distilled water. The distillation system was simulated by boiling water, with a dome-shape cover on it, and cups to collect clean water which condensed and slid down along the cover.
