STMU Sustainability Competition 2024 Organized by Shifa Tameer-e-Millat University, Islamabad 📅 2024
A working Atmospheric Water Generator built from scratch using the Peltier thermoelectric effect — no code, pure physics.
🌊 Overview • ⚙️ How It Works • 🔩 Components • 🛠️ Build Steps • 📊 Results • 🚀 Future
This project is a mini Atmospheric Water Generator (AWG) that extracts moisture directly from ambient air and converts it into liquid water droplets — no coding required, purely electronics and thermodynamics.
It showcases the practical application of the Peltier (thermoelectric) effect to cool a surface below the dew point, causing water vapor in the air to condense and drip into a collection container.
🌫️ Humid Air ──► 🌀 Fan ──► ❄️ Cold Heatsink ──► 💧 Droplets ──► 🪣 Container
🔍 Front View |
|
🔬 Close-up View |
💦 Water droplets visibly forming on the heatsink fins — proof it works!
The system exploits a fundamental property of thermoelectric modules — one face gets ice-cold, the other gets hot. When moist air flows over the cold face, it drops below the dew point and water vapor condenses into liquid droplets.
| Step | Component | What Happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1️⃣ | Cooling Fan | Blows humid ambient air across the cold heatsink |
| 2️⃣ | Peltier Module | Creates a cold side and a hot side via current flow |
| 3️⃣ | Cold Heatsink | Surface drops below dew point → moisture condenses |
| 4️⃣ | Gravity | Water droplets accumulate and slide down the fins |
| 5️⃣ | Collection Container | Catches all extracted water beneath the assembly |
| 6️⃣ | Hot Heatsink + Paste | Exhausts waste heat away to keep the system efficient |
| Component | Spec | Role |
|---|---|---|
| Peltier Module | TEC1-12706 | Creates cold & hot sides via thermoelectric effect |
| Aluminum Heatsink × 2 | Standard fin type | Cold: condenses water · Hot: dissipates heat |
| Cooling Fan | 12V DC | Pushes airflow over cold heatsink surface |
| Thermal Paste | Standard | Maximizes heat transfer between Peltier & heatsinks |
| DC Power Wires | Red / Black | 12V power supply connection |
| Metal Stand | 4-legged | Elevates unit for water to drip into container below |
| Plastic Container | Any size | Collects condensed water |
| Bolts, Zip Ties & Brackets | — | Mechanical assembly & stability |
| # | Step | Details |
|---|---|---|
| 🔧 1 | Peltier Setup | Apply thermal paste evenly on both faces for maximum heat transfer |
| 🔩 2 | Mount Heatsinks | Cold side → condensation · Hot side → heat dissipation · Secure with bolts |
| 🌀 3 | Attach Fan | Mount on hot side heatsink · Connect wires alongside Peltier leads |
| 🦿 4 | Assemble Frame | Fix full assembly on 4-legged stand · Leave clearance below for dripping |
| 📦 5 | Place Container | Position plastic container directly under cold heatsink fins |
| ⚡ 6 | Power On | Connect to 12V DC · Wait a few minutes · Watch the water appear 💧 |
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Operating Voltage | 12V DC |
| Peltier Module | TEC1-12706 |
| Condensation Method | Dew Point via Thermoelectric Cooling |
| Water Output | Varies with ambient humidity & temperature |
| Coding Required | ❌ None |
💧 After powering the device, visible water droplets formed on the heatsink fins within minutes. Droplets accumulated and dripped into the collection container — confirming successful moisture extraction from ambient air.
The output volume depends on:
- 🌡️ Ambient temperature — cooler air holds less moisture
- 💨 Relative humidity — higher humidity = more water
- ⚡ Power stability — consistent 12V gives best results
- ⏱️ Run time — longer runtime = more collection
| Application | Impact |
|---|---|
| 🏜️ Arid Region Water Harvesting | Provides drinking water where rainfall is scarce |
| 🏕️ Off-grid & Survival Use | Emergency water source without infrastructure |
| 🌱 Remote Area Irrigation | Small-scale crop watering in isolated locations |
| 💡 AWG Proof-of-Concept | Foundation for scaling to larger systems |
| 🎓 Educational Demonstration | Hands-on thermoelectric effect learning tool |
- Add DHT11/DHT22 humidity & temperature sensor with LCD display
- Use a larger Peltier module (TEC1-12715) for increased water output
- Integrate a solar panel for fully off-grid operation
- Add water level sensor with LED/buzzer indicator
- Design a 3D-printed enclosure for a clean finished look
- Add multi-stage cooling to improve efficiency in low-humidity conditions
atmospheric-water-generator/
│
├── 📂 images/
│ ├── Img_1.jpg # Front view — full assembly
│ ├── Img_2.jpg # Side view — fan & heatsink
│ └── Img_3.jpg # Close-up — condensation on fins
│
└── README.md
- 🔗 Thermoelectric / Peltier Effect — Wikipedia
- 🔗 Atmospheric Water Generation — Wikipedia
- 🔗 Dew Point — Wikipedia