Revolutionary Water Extraction Technology for Defense Operations

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Revolutionary AWE+ program led by Keith Whitener addresses the critical need for potable water supply for warfighters by developing innovative sorbent-based atmospheric water extraction systems. The program aims to reduce economic costs, tactical limitations, and casualties associated with traditional water supply chains by leveraging novel approaches to efficiently extract, purify, and deliver water in diverse operational environments. DARPA's requirements for AWE+ devices emphasize efficiency, potability, and adaptability to various conditions, highlighting the importance of advancing water-from-air technologies for enhancing military readiness and humanitarian efforts.

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Atmospheric Water Extraction Plus (AWE+) Keith Whitener, PhD Program Manager, Defense Sciences Office (DSO) Small Business Innovation Research Program 2024 1 Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited

Program Overview DoD Problem: Supplying the warfighter with potable water incurs economic costs, tactical limitations, and avoidable casualties. Existing water-from-air technologies are limited from mass adoption by efficiency. Liberating the warfighter from the water supply chain Program Vision: Support small businesses in developing first-of-a-kind water-from-air / dehumidification systems using novel sorbent-based approaches. 2 Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited TRL: Technology readiness level

DoD Relevance The world s ultimate weapon runs on water; everything else runs on fuel. PdM PAWS Warfighter Readiness Logistical Burden 10-12% USMC casualties in Afghanistan (OEF) & Iraq (OIF) were due to moving of water & fuel ~8 liters/warfighter Tactical Limitations Water requirements limit maneuver and decision space and impede future logistical concepts - EABO, MDO, ACE Humanitarian Efforts Potable water is an essential element of Humanitarian and Disaster Relief (HADR) missions PdM: Product Manager EABO: Expeditionary Advanced Base Operations MDO: Multi-domain Operations OEF: Operation Enduring Freedom OIF: Operation Iraqi Freedom PAWS: Petroleum and Water Systems 3 ACE: Agile Combat Employment Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited

DoD Requirements for AWE+ Sorbent Devices Efficient Release Potability DoD operations are global and cover many environments Traditional sorbent devices use heat to release water from sorbents, producing steam in a single-stage process Water produced must be potable or easy to make potable Compression/condenser type devices cannot work in cold or dry conditions, and have already reached the practical limit of efficiency If water requires purification then only the post-purified quantities may count towards DARPA metrics, and energy costs of purification must be included in SWaP estimates This is bound by the latent heat of vaporization of water with limited efficiency Sorbent devices capable of operating at these conditions are required to enable multi- domain tactical flexibility DARPA seeks innovative means of releasing water from sorbents in a highly efficient manner, not single-stage heat This is further important for stability if materials are leached into the water, then the device is degrading over time 4 SWaP Size, Weight, and Power Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited

Other AWE+ Requirements Efficiency Across Different Environments DARPA does not specify a minimum relative or absolute humidity for device operation in this call, to avoid limiting certain technology types by using an arbitrary or overly-conservative metric Proposers must still describe the range of operating conditions they anticipate their device working at, and DARPA may use this data to inform source selection Energy Budget The primary goal of this effort is to demonstrate extremely low-energy water-from-air or dehumidification systems Teams have an energy budget of 100Wh thermal & 100Wh electrical energy per kg of water produced. Teams may exchange one watt-hour of electrical energy for three watt-hours of thermal energy. Proposers must describe how a scaled-up, optimized form of their technology will produce water within this energy budget. Commercial & DoD Transition If successful, devices will reach TRL 3-4 by the end of the program and will require a partner to further develop the technology before DoD fielding. Planning for transitioning the technology should begin at the onset of the program. The requirements listed in this slide deck are not intended to be comprehensive. Proposers should carefully read the Opportunity Announcement to ensure their proposal addresses all portions of the document. Proposals which do not meet all requirements will be considered non-conforming and may not be evaluated for an award. 5 TRL Technology Readiness Level Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited

AWE+ Schedule & Government Funding Phase I 6 Months $250,000 Phase II Base Period 9 Months $600,000 Phase II Option I 9 Months $800,000 Phase II Option II 9 Months Up to $600,000* FY24 FY25 FY26 FY27 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Proof-of-concept material and release mechanism development Laboratory tests showing production of at least 100mL water over six hours Demonstrate 12-hour prototype operation with average water production exceeding 40mL/hr Modifications of Option I prototype for longer operation and improved efficiency Objectives Key Preliminary design for a scaled-up device with refined SWaP estimates Initial estimates of SWaP for a conceptual device harnessing the material Prototype test data must support SWaP estimates for a scaled-up device meeting DARPA energy metrics Planning for Phase III transition work Scaled-up sorbent production Detailed metrics are available in the Opportunity Announcement. Performers must meet the end-of-period metrics to be considered selectable for the next phase of funding. *For Option II, $100,000 of funding is guaranteed for selected performers. A further $500,000 may be provided as matching funds for this option if the performer can secure 1:1 backing for the match from a non-SBIR source 6 SWaP Size, Weight, and Power Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited