SUMMARY REPORT ON WORK ORDER NO. 10, TASK ORDER NO. TT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-03642A000600080001-6
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 18
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: May 4, 2011
• Sequence Number: 1
• Publication Date: May 21, 1961
• Content Type: REPORT

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TABLE CW CCi TS
CONFIDENTIAL'
7=0 . . . . .
summm AND O CLt~ICE48
CrpROCUM.?
D1 11 N = CV '8 ?
. . a
Candensatiaa Cu a Call &Wfaae . ? . ? ? ? ? ? . . ? ? . . . . . ? ? 7
Absci!ption or Adsorption V Y Desiccants . . . . . ? r . . . . . . ? .
C?panessl.Ce~~?Eagwaaian stems . ? ? ? . ? ? ? . . ? . . ? . . ? . . . 1k
Q1 ioal Reactions . . . ? ? . ? . a ? . . . . . ? . ? ? . ? . ? ? . 13
16
? ? ? . . ? . ? ? ? ? ? ? r ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? . ? ? ? ? 17
TI JIZ 1 PiwTZ11=11111T 8 CI C0U CTtNG iN1m Plat d ~DY?08,
PART WoLARLY 1R ( A#BIENT AIR .
TABIZ 2 C11 CULA D MTA eg UiiU , Cr W AM PROI DE~IiT AIR USING
L AIITB (*NN ' sYB N)i TO TIED 2 QLWM M DAY . ? ? ?
13
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=am mom CONFIDENTIAL
Vw MW 1M. 3.00
z am W. Tr
r as 1961
The 8pansar is interested in the potential development at a moisture
cwsnssr for use by individual untrained perrsaaoel in and or desert areas of
the world. This interest stems, fran a need to provide potable voter for
individual consuWtion in quantity and quality such as to enable a person to
vithsi*c1 the rigors at prolonged trevel or at survival in such areas. It was
our vodeerstnrd4flg that no suitable device or apparatus vas (or is) available
for this purpose., i.e., that no unit has been developed for use by an
individual In dbtainiflg from the air the quantity at water required to satiety
a hwan being's daily minla* req ts. On even the hottest and driest
days, the air masses in desert areas reportedly represent a suitable source of
vatear, providing, of coinrse, that the voter can be caeonaed and collected in
a satisfastoerY mariner.
Any equt TMnt provided for this purpose should be eeeall, lighWeight,
simple, and durable. A vei t at 2.2 pounds and a size of about 6 x 6 x 12
inches vase indicated as design gcaals in the consideration at an appropriate
r ( r\
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Accor dingy, an effort tinder WCTk Order No. 10, Task Order No. Ti',
was initiated, to investigate the practicability or developing a specialised
moist=* emdmer at the type described herein. The proposed method at
attack was to 0701Te ides regarding devices which mkt oar" the purpose;
and to .valuate *41, at least in prelimi3na~y farohion, from the viewpoint at
pOSSi't y providing the basis for a subsequent develc*tnt effort aimed turd
achieving a mit which would embody the desired characteristics.
This report summarizes the results o[' the effort performed wonder
Work Order No. 10, Tsk Oder No. TT, during the period February 22 throe i
miry 21, 19610
NOM &M 935MM
A ni er of methods have been considered for providing potable water
to a desert traveler. None at those considered soma to be capable c meeting
the weight and sire gsls as specified. Fuxther, it presently some doubtful
that any systm would be able to meet those goals, particularly the weight.
Hoveww, if saes Increase in weight and site can be tolerated, the following
three approaches appear to be very proaising:
(1) the use at solid or liquid desiccants,, with solar
rossueration.
(2) A large, flat collector which would cool itself
by radiating to the sky at night.
(3) A reciprocating compressar?espander with a rotating
cylLorlar block, which would "tract the water by
centrifugal action iately' after it condensed
in the expansion process.
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at base, the aystsm with the smallest patential gross vei&t is
pralbebly the aaoapraseoar".xpsnderi it has been eatiimated that such s system
would. weigh about 8 pounds without a prim mow.r, and that an aW date
eolsr?ene~rg~r?aperated prime aove r would vel# about 1e poaaads. Haweaver, the
e,rptoltstian at this mod or at that based an the use at a desiccant would
entail aanride~s+ablw da .lopaentst eft"oort, as aosoeuced to the re volt' sell
effort 'iahiah would be needed to dwva3.ap a suitable large, flat coUectaar.
the prables presented for study was to c ci*alder me hods at providing
drinking water to a mnaa traveling alame end as font throu1 the desert. It
was specified *at:
(a) The equip t should provide 2 quarts of water
per day far 21 consecutive days.
(b) Any equipaaeent provided should praterab]y weigh no
more than 2.2 pounds and fit in a space about
6 x 6 x 12 inches.
(c) The equipment should be dWeble and easily operable
by a m0 at average int~ell.igence and neec hanicxal, sksill.
In the abseamce at a definite envirv**aex ul speciflcatica, it was
ammod that the atmosphere caitsined 0.005 pound at water per pound of dry
air, during the dims end niittima. Fu rtiaer, dWUW 'teeeperat wee were
sswAsed to Yeah a peak at about 95 to 100 F, with laig*period averages of
about 90 aj nighttime tenperr atures were taken to be a constant 78 F.
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The mood at attack used for this progtcvosn was to present the
problcut In general tezleit to selected mambo" at our technical staff repre-
senting a variety CC Interests in the fields of cha i stsy~ chemical engineeoring,
physics, bioscieuxs, and mechanical engineerltng. As a result, a ntsober cot
approaches were suggested; these were eseq ssntly screened to select those
which seamed most praising In view Of the specified requir essaonts. The most
pramfsing ideas were theth evaluated in souse detail, in cotter to esthete how
closely %bo y would permit thing the required pertcrous ce sad went.
Since the prgg, did net p m ids for a thorou1 desig7n st y, Wvalustl oos wxre
based an estifttes at Wince axed weight Chat wars detailed eae# to
permit eectly an gate classifieatian. tar swWo a, it a systesm depended
an the use CC a c*-emioal, the required weight at the ohm adlaal was calculated
and used as an 3alicatieeea at the m#xdm * attainable vsSht at to system.
' bla 1 massoes ises the results Of the stiOr.
The methods suggested for collecting eater in the desert can be
catalogued in firs gt^o -s t
(1) Caeodenaat9.acn o moisture franc the air an a
cold surface
(2) AbMWPUM or adsorption Of Moisture
by m dtmble chemicals
(3) last action at moisture fran the air by oci r+essicn,
coall,Dg, and ezpensica
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TABZX 1. Cr E70- , v n r iii PFXK 11 1 1 1111 11 9 )OEM= ate, BaS4? FM Aiml!!f'r AIR
Desc r4tica
Wd+anaatim on a
(a)
Ittent-aboarpUm
cold surface
refrigastim ,ipr
(b)
Dollectox redi.tiag to
the sky at U143bt
bsoa.on
Silica gil aystam with cyclic
and solar
rsgratim
Ijgdd ftsiomwUp such an
litiiaa chladde solutions
with solar rage
meted Min#wa Weight
lrattab17 50 to 60 pouaa a
Abc xt ffi to 25 pvwds Psdbab1 not effective
swevy Mitt bemire of
we on clear skgr OW
ns with
28 po s s of desiccant, plus a WW W require ccasiderable
fairly alma eepara*w devel c mental effort
pc* o of desiccate, plus
the required equip t
Wild require some method
cuing desicrocm-t to a
Pose large surface arms to
the air durix absorption;
sows desiccant ai zt be i c
by evapoationJ vad d 1n
volve amsic2+ersble davelof
mental Snort
am sian- Rotating- k c ssor-
eepansian systems ems' vi h r ligpir is five
cooling at wed air
and caaetrif%al wttractian
of ow&wLead %ater
acbustlon Cocbuetiau of hydragen with
processes caodeasation of inter
vapor produced
Abaft 8 pocaads for casgm+essor-
sacpsnd er, vttiaout
server; additiaosl pa=ls
eatiaamed for solar-aaAerg
9 Pounds at e, P=
ceaabvsttcn sad condens-
ing equUnwent
Woulid require ccaesiderabi.
d --O-VwMU3 effort
Very bulky j difficult to
handle
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ZIt87Z I. (Continued)
i#esmiptian sst&a t.d t t
]Lzctractim Eras sodl or rocks, l0621b33r about 5 potmds toot
by solar di at3Zt~s# .aa s d1j a disc h@ranri, r
tar mock,
Depmds an sarai3&bi11t r of
160 ..l+t triad CC
soil car rocks is no
ewe with such systar:
'fi'rst could be need as &
beau =ar est1as$3mg at.
lec Veaess
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($) Qiemical reaction in which water is an at the
lra"~~
(5} lllisce].isneous methods.
These are discussed In same detail In the fall.
mod ttton aa~- i i r ld
rwr~r~~. ~~iYlYl^ ir.rmrm
The coslectial at moisture frost the desert air by using a cold
exposed sArftce for o leass-tiran has some obvious limitations. With the
assuoed climatic conditions, 'the dew point at the air would be approod~oee-tsly ho Ti
an siyscvpriatee cold surface would have to be spporeciably below 40 ! is oaf to
collect m mh moisture. Below 32 F, the moisture would collect as ioe, treading
to insulate the collector from the air and to reduce the rate at collection.
The low moisture content at the air would require the use of large collecting
surfaces at a laog caUect ing period in order to provide the required quantity
of water. The use of a a zventianal caar +tssion r ftig'eas'ation system would
necessitate eqaipmsnct at considerable veig}st, inuludiag a prima mover to drive
the compressor.
The s icabilit of an intearmitts:rt?absaa7tion refrigeration system,
tdsit would ape to fm solar sne$1r, was enslysed. assts at this basic
type wear. sold oaaerci&l1y maxW years ago as residential refrigerators which
r equi ed no a lecttri cit . Basically, this type at s retes< consists at two
inctearoarsnected containers; on. holds a solution at a rafrigs rant in an absorbent,
Hsieh could be ammonia aad water, for ace e, and the other is early. To
start the cycle, the cam which holds the solution is heated. The heat-
ing drives out part of the refrigerant, which passes to the second container
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W condenses. When a suitable qusntitj CC refrigerant is thus teunsferred to
the second container and condensed, the hest source is removed. the first
aantaiseee' than coals, the pressure in the a yste n drags, and the r fr ge begins
to en crate trot the second car; as evaporation occurs, the refrigerant
passes to the first container and is eabsca ed. When the evaporation is caordelsted,
the cycle can be repeated. Wile the reii'a< rant is evaporating, it is eoctract-
ing heat tenet its slarraRandilags, and thus produces the re;t~rigeratiag effect.
This rysieem as applied to the problem at interest vauld be
inherently sisg ]a, since it would operate from solar energy and would require an]y
two basic parts, oa* at ehich would serve a 4% al purpose, plus an accesso y.
Qtte part would act as the generator sand the absor'beer, sal the otter as the
condenser and evaporator. In addition, a scilsr.enea&y collector would be needed
to provide a camecnttratmd heat source for the generator.
A partial analysis at the atemitteant-absorption system shared that
the evaporation time required to collect a pounds CC water would be inversely
pa!oporticmal to the a aportor arcs and would be a ttmcticn of the air velocity
over the evaporator mafeoe. Iven with the "~Son at as air velocity at
20 feet/secmd,, vhlt wvu]d require a blower and a saxce at en saw for the
blower, an evaporator a ratinig time of 4 hours would requiare an evaporator
area at 25 squaws test. Additional time would be rewired for the other pisses
of the cycle, wad sane difficulty might be caused by the necessity for reaming
the heat of condenseatiaa and the heat at absorption. In view at the
limitat ices apparent in the evaporator portion of the system, no :hzrthsr
analysis of this system was dental en.
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A siaeple method of obtaining water by canclenestjob would be to
use a large collector which would, radiate to the sky at ai4t. On a Clear
night, the a1 has a 3M effective t q ratime. Assuming an effective ally
tNrpe3ratvra at about -80 10 at night, a perfect radiator with an area at about
100 square feet could collect about 4 pounds of water dewing the night. With
a thin plastic fits as the rad.fato r, two other parallel fib to ahlol dt the
collector fraa gro mt radiation,? and a li#twei it, alb, tubular sutepoart ng
strtrctma., the entire asseecgaly vcar , "ably weigh 20 to 25 pounds.
The susoesaful a ie ration of this iq+pe of collector would depend an
having a clear, caia Al it. QloLd ottivr would aaake it inoperable; and wind
would 'send to raise the taagperature at th& device above the deny poixat, valesa
suitable abieldfsg could be proerided, and tlbrus would result in ineffective
operation. It is anticipated that a relatively ana31, womt of dweloporenta3.
effort voi dd be neoesaarry in artier to exploit this method.
Alaso UM or Adaoajtican by Acs ,
MAW desiccants, both solid and liquid, are available that will
abeat or adsorb aoistwy frog desert air; in fact, there are solid
wdsere'ba s which will x+1wee we nearly all at the moisture. To be usefti for the
application at obtaining potable water, horever, ease mews must be devised
to ultimately aaetract to moisture fees the desiccant as liquid. Desiccants are
akoe alljr regenera1 by heating to a him tee~exttture, usually in the range of
M E a ;W# t rad"titag body located on the atu' ace of the each loses
heart at a rate which would proveU if the body wex'e radiating to an infinite sink
at a teeWerature of about -W F.
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300 to 1000 F, depending oo the desiccant. In the app'ticatian at interest,
the moist ia's would thereby be driven off as vapor and woul+al have to be condensed.
Also, while it would be possible to obtain the usual regeneration wares
by caxentra'- ng solar etaerg r, to attempt to provide for this function in a
saau portable unit does not a appear practical.
there have been developed in tieoaunpr several thncs~od~yraaaaia
cyclic processes utilizing desiccants which have removed water from the desert
air, on the basis at a asmnll+er t.nperat we difference. Ma fact, units have
been operated suoesattt-l2y on the basis at the t;emperatirx"e difTermwe existing
betmen a plans sailer receiver and an ad,;jaoent shaded zone. In these sy'ebems,
water plus eater vapor was the working fluid, with dry air as the inert carrier
W. 'flie Dmles l system are out7.i ned in the following; a detailed des-
criptin is available in a series of three articles by J. H. Aeumiaes that
appear in the Dania ry, ]959, iasuaa of "Solar ZnergY" ?
Zn the course at the Work *rdaar No. 10 activitW, calculations were
made on these types of sya t ms, to detensi a the v.i*t at desiccoit required
to obtain 2 quarts at water per 24-hour day. lWhi1e this value would not
represent the 'total weei$bt of the unit requixed, the other co ponents could probably
be made quite light in vei&at, particularly it a solid desiccant were used;
the desiccant veigizt would therefore be a 3aurgrr part of the total welgbt and
could be used as a basis for coratamriscn.
Both solid and liquid absorbents were considered as desiccants in the
oslculatioas3 a survey cC solid desiccant propsrtr"ies were mode. Silica gel
appeared to be by friar the beat for the present a plication and was the only
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solid tar tahich catctilatiaos vmre made. This was the desiccant used by Da=les
in his operating waits, althou he stated that afar sal3de, as trell as
1iq dds, Vw1d ttmctian C the to eWst *'e calpiditiaos sesocisted with the
use at incW=t solar radistica. tidd sbsambents with the most desirable
V% cries eked to be lithium chi ide slid calcci'a chide s& uti cis,
end both Vera used in the calrculatieela.
Huth the s3mou~ltenecvus and etmoeseive 4 rates CC DsZm1e2 raze investi"
9 *W aaa~3 r. 8 , the Hernias' simoultansvus +edrs - was modified
014d" 37 to suit the req iz'"ss its at the a ,cstian at interest. ?cr
f ides' a +$ , , operatwlab end imsobili' - were quite desUeblae j in
his sitrrultwevw aj-etrao, tahic operated an1y durim the defuse, WO beds at
desiccant tare used, ace facing east and me lwctug vest. In the mamsing,
the east desiccant was rag t,Lor&+Ad while the rest desiccant was adsorbing
moigtvnrej in the sttenwon, the ttmactiobs were reversed. This Drocedtn^e is
rathear irrtricie t for We reasons. Tiaret, the maw solar radiation, which
ocavprs near noon time, is nab used,, since the Nation is reversing at that
time. ftoand, for most desicants, 6 or more hoes are not required for the
egtrilibrit>a mciatt s ciantent to be a>ahloved. 'it.r tons, an the easugptian that
a 3,larited am t at ssaa v.3. operation voalat be possible in the a plicst ton at
interest, a shaortwear cycle was devised during which the beds vcou 4 be a14+ernatte]y
directed toward the stm. In render to dwboralm the qAlmn time far the cycle,
an ai*lysis teas sodas of the dynamic data on silica gel. Vb,1 considerable
extrapalat at the data was nedceseaxy to fit the caaditians of interest, it
was tons*d that a 2i.hourr halt?4cycls 'weld Pmt the regeneration or
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approciaately 80 per cent o the edseoxted moistttare. 8gyaad 80 per cents
the rate at regsanaratiCSl would decrease rather rapidly, so a l.4sigeor half-
cyclie appeared unecaaiceical on a weight basis.
The st>Qaessiyl systam .Xlared by caculation yaa esseas Bally that
outlined by Datsanies. This systn involved a 'pCicb in the cooler ni&t air,
foil oMed by x+ prati n by scalar wsM aid oandenmUm in a closed system
attiring the daytime.
Tble 2 shows the results cC the calcuaatiau. Nut at the headings
have ally been erp4ained or are self+eaqlsmta y. the tag -tures for the
sisatttaneoess s rstea we re Uken directly frm actual data given by Dsni' es. Four
11he suoaessive systam, the 13altirg adsoarp6ion t. isratures shy' represent
the nighttise amdttia4si We typical spring and exam nl&ttisae desert
oeoanditions are a.sa actual- data tract Dsmniees tee' for Bahasa Desert. The LImit-
iag regsaaeratlaa dry-bulb Mature Is the NAXIMA air to eralwnre in the
closed aysten as obtained by solar heating, dicing daytime apeoratitan, and the
limiting regaa*'atian dew point re preseeats the waled condenser
tasaperat% 'e. As the table inlic*tea, the efficiency at the system is largely
t1, l ai*t w these regsn erati,on tesa~per*tures. Most at the data presented in the
table are only iAratteoae. W.tiaately, the actual vebwe would have to be
deterrined by testing a cagUte unit. Rmwvw, they could be m ated
am* close y than is the case in ruble 2, by a dots" lnld heat balance using kaaiown
hest eneear caerrelations, once the cowl physical. earraagamee-t of a omit Ma
drarteoisinad.
The systens based n using l ,quid desiccants a peeur quite attractive
only the weight at desiccant is considered. However, a yard of caution
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 7J i d? %dUWSiNd=W SEEM 4W AMMMUZAAM 1a SSiRM JFJ%M LWftl A1iS UCWW
7r1 'rp I Pvf % M wvwr m n niflaee Town Vuv
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$-pe at R"Ftm
Ludt
- Lm
ONNUUMS
Dedb, SOW P.
F F
%rj- Ba1b, -- P, ffili deaq,
F F peer Owt
DMIAM
W~ A4069bed-
per eent
waleft At
Deai1emist
+~I1dsebtd
AM HU D0910 t, 1b
Sinultaneau -
GWJd desiccant
U7
47
94
94
80(1)
Silica gel
4(3/&W)
59.5
47.6
Saaceaslve -
150
90
60
40
200
silica gel
55
39.1 17.9
94.5
aalid desiccant
(uO=I at spring
w in
desert)
su-stTe -
150
90
7%
51
140
Silica gel
35
94
67.8 63.6
55.6
salid desist
{S pical at
sueeer
time in desert)
Sit -
liquid desiccant
317
47
94
85
80(1)
Licl
4(3/dgW)
10.8
3.6
8iaa~1 realms -
liquid desic
117
47
94
85
80(1)
CadL2
4(3/flair)
14
5.9
Successive -
liquid dealacwt
150
90
60
40
104
44
94
19.9 8.7
3.5
S cesssive -
liquid desiccant
254
90
84
51
100
29
24
91.7 17.5
7.0
Successive -
liquid desiccant
180
95
84
51
100
78
94
8.0 3.8
2.6
(1) Dapeods as cycle tires; this is an assured gibe vitb eaoe experimental basis.
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in this rsowd, beceauae the actual physical arses at
must be injected
either at systeee vb u si S a l .q d4 desioowt has not been vearraed out
ts2y. She calACttlatictaw assuras that such aria gaaa s be =LAO to
ate. 'the prospects at a ymaum , Mooing vmIt bond an eithear P. att
ay. *VVW prenistn& but caisidarsble &*VVj4"Mt work vould be nsoessaxy-
On the o her ham, physical axxangreo nts at both IYpes Of W4*W
when using 9" desi have been doss ed cued operated sueawessttUll3.
These =its would pard mbl be slnt AW than those required fear liquid des&QCW t$,
t
but the vrei tat the r.q of no desiccant would be ssxah greaaar-
~rslaeears in ich a gae is con ressad, cooled, and then ex sd with
vat .ztrscti,ml arr used soar cooing 6ee6 in caseaemrcUl iiquatacUm prooeseea?
The direct catiap at this technique to the desex atQ%%*8UPPIY prob1e is
not attraativO, path xily because at the difficulty at co02in6 the vOkiug 6"
aftear ors ressiau. UMW WP a system has been seated that milt be
poractiosi? This inrotws a Cae6areeeor?*XPs w with a rotating cy~ block,
and 9 Men M MMtirre 0o01ig at the CC"" ed air beteaa^aa it enters the a r.
'8he ]cW to this poasaib+ly applicable syrstn is that the water we +d aasudenas
ducting the ex9mmidn mess sat be t-rwn clever by the centrifugal farce
created by the rotatte at the R1r' black, befaot" a the air was retisstsd by
9"SIM ,thy the ate. Such a n chins would require a prieee seater
to s494 the qpuwwLng POIAWi the pr move? might be a
=91" or possibly a man, The messy' needed to produce the required qurntity
of water has been estitmated to be about 2 harsepvwer hO* re; this would pr+crbably
be too much eneGra to be prcwIded by an average =0-
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It is estirsated that the veiit of an y 'ropriate ccMaressaa.e podor
unit would be shoat 8 pounds, exciueive of the energy source. An tir crc3s
engts, cougAIng i"mm 002W energy, might wei# about 3 cr Po ds?
'ibis systes .ears attractive in cos"bcept? How, both the
c assoarr? man- I and the pr r vOjW require appreciable develoi msnt
effort..
MOM
sitar can be parodmed as a product at a vomber of ohemical reactions.
Comm eacam ime of such reactions axe those u rlyiaog usti m processes. In
they at least, OW 00" burn materia3.s vhift yield large quantities at eater
and ccUsct tube water fro the combustion gases. ) oy hydrides yla]4 ap-
parec3,abl q amities at valor. Poor exsiaa>p e, the e m busts oa at 27.6 ponds at
boron hydride (8W6) vii Yield 5' POIUDds at water, or 1.96 PM AB of valexr
per pound at boron hydride. $ *ilar3y, the combustion of methane (04) viii
yie1F 2.25 pow s at water per po`adnd at methane. An even ame direct epp'osch
would be to burn pure bydro@eu, which vii yield 9 pounds at water per pound at
hydrogen bunad.
some asllitio mI wtigit would be required in coimectlcmn with s33 at
these processes, in dace' to provide eq to for combustion and for recovery
at the rater vapor tram the prc vrcts of co usstian. nonce', storage at
g a f a3,s would be ditficult. Storing um3erar him pressure would reduce
the v ul , but would at o n se require heavy coubL a wa. A suggestion has been
soft that the hydrogen be stared at low pressure in balloons. This srrang,'we t
afters the unique advanntsge that it would impose no oarryiarag load on the man.
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Bmww, it has satats obvious pry in terms Of volume, WAS at bwWMUU ,
and suscey tibiltttr to obse vsttian in hostile territory. Poet these various
reams, nme at the systems involving combustion eceers P'ai8IM?
lira miMticrl to attatt +-r sue, rocks or soils represent a ea u'ce of
vat= vhioh milt Possibly be tapped. Nang kinds of rocks aantain tra pad
water in emoasats r ngiang fro a trace to more than 10 per cent by weight. In
ocracept, a sour still. or a Owl e solar f=mmce could be used to drive off
and collect the moisture frM CM W rocks. This approach h" been eug?estsd
by North Anwican Avi*lia i as a possible means at otatainiarrg water from the
rocks an the moon. Probably the equipment could be made reasonabl,Y U &t in
vaight so as to be portable. Hamever, the applicability at this technique is
depaeadnt on the erv*ile>bil i tlr of auitabl,e rooks.
Soiil.s extract aaaaAstm a tram the sir and hold it in qra mutities rich
depend on the hutaiditW at the ataamosp ears, and the ps rticia size and
absorption obarewtaristics at the soil.. The upyer limit at the particle sire
at soils which vii]. absaat?b or adsorb water vapor fraM the air is about 0.003.
millia tea,, caarrespadiag to the particle rise at a ala r soil. Bond particles
we mi larger than this, &aaatd would hold practically no moiittuaree. The volume
at this Boca ce of water WAdd dope r4 on the availability at f iae.partiucl,e
. ,n, extsactiwan could probably be s cram iliehe8 by a solar still..
8arsvar, considerable effort would be nesdad to dsve1o the required equ4puont
and t*aWdqums.
i ., =S Their P ysics and Choistty", Reinhold p 1fehinIg Co.,
19+9.
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!W' ' CONFIDENTIAL
No tmrther dtort in caonection with the pravisiws c potable water to
a dsssrt traveler is cmteagil&ted. at this time. The three above-outIl sd
mrtods tehich are Qa3sidesd to be quite proaisirg have been discussed with the
8paasw. It is recamasnded that the Sponscs? give further consideration to
these. 3't the original speciticatic*n of particularly the veight and also the
size desired tar the unit at interest could be relaxed sli't1y, we believe
that a d voloymental effort to exploit WW We of these methods wa 34 be likely
to pa'vide a aatid l unit for this i catip 1.
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