Researchers in Australia Develop a ‘Water Harvester’

Researchers in Australia recently announced the launch of a new device that, they say, absorbs water from air to produce drinkable water.

澳大利亚的研究人员最近宣布推出一种新装置，据称能从空气中吸收水分，制造出可饮用的水。

They said it can produce up to 1,000 liters of drinkable water a day, adding that it could be “lifesaving during drought or emergencies.”

他们说，该装置每天可生产多达1000升饮用水，并补充说它可能“在干旱或紧急情况下挽救生命”。

The Australian team said that unlike other atmospheric water generators, their invention works by heating air instead of cooling it.

澳大利亚团队说，与其他大气制水机不同，他们的发明是通过加热空气而不是冷却空气来工作的。

The device absorbs water from the atmosphere.

该装置从大气中吸收水分。

Solar energy or heat from other industrial processes can be used to produce hot, wet air.

可以利用太阳能或其他工业过程产生的热量来制造又热又湿的空气。

After heating, the air cools, producing water for drinking or watering crops.

空气加热后再冷却，就会产生可供饮用或灌溉农作物的水。

He added, "When you condense water contained in that air you would have the drinking water at your disposal.”

他补充说：“当你把空气中所含的水分凝结起来，就有饮用水可用了。”

The researchers say the device can produce enough drinking water each day for a small rural town of up to 400 people.

研究人员说，该装置每天能为一个最多400人的农村小镇提供足够的饮用水。

It could also help farmers keep livestock alive during droughts.

它还可以帮助农民在干旱期间让牲畜存活下来。

Moghtaderi said the technology could be used in parts of the world where water is limited.

莫赫塔德里说，这项技术可以用在世界上缺水的地区。

Researchers thought their device would be useful because Australia's climate is dry.

研究人员认为，由于澳大利亚气候干燥，他们的装置会很有用。

Studies of the technology will be done in several Australian communities this year.

今年将在澳大利亚的几个社区对这项技术进行研究。

The World Economic Forum (WEF), a nonprofit group based in Switzerland, says water scarcity continues to be a problem worldwide

总部位于瑞士的非营利组织世界经济论坛（WEF）表示，缺水仍是全球性问题。

The WEF said getting water from the atmosphere is a “promising emergency solution that can immediately generate drinkable water using moisture in the air.”

世界经济论坛说，从大气中获取水是“一种很有前景的应急方案，可以利用空气中的湿气立即产生饮用水”。

However, the group warns that the technology is costly.

不过，该组织警告说，这项技术成本很高。