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LequteMan
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Italian firm Watly, has announced the arrival of a 15-ton multitasking thermal dynamic computer, which they believe can solve three developmental challenges -clean water, electricity and internet connectivity- in Nigeria and Africa simultaneously.
The project—which is only in its prototype stage—aims to offer its machines as a solution to the infrastructural problems that communities all over Africa face.
Each arched Watly unit is fitted with photovoltaic solar panels that generate heat and solar power. Water is pumped into the tank and made drinkable through a process called vapor compression distillation, which uses solar thermal energy to vaporize water and separate it from contaminants ranging from sea salt to poisons. One machine could purify up to 3 million liters of water a year, Attisani says, and has a life span of up to 15 years. The whole process is driven by solar power, which allows the machine to generate enough off-grid electricity for itself and to charge devices that are plugged into it.
The machine would be connected to a central network management platform and to other Watly machines, creating a Wi-Fi zone with a radius of up to 500 meters. It links up via a satellite connection, radio link, or 4G network, according to the company’s website. Locals could also go online using the giant screens on either side of the 130-foot long machine.
A Watly 3.0 is in production in Italy and should be ready by June. It costs €400,000 (about $453,000) to manufacture, and its selling price has not yet been set. For now, the company has relied on nearly €2 million (over $2,2 million) in grants, including some funding from the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 fund for research and innovation.
Quartz
The project—which is only in its prototype stage—aims to offer its machines as a solution to the infrastructural problems that communities all over Africa face.
Each arched Watly unit is fitted with photovoltaic solar panels that generate heat and solar power. Water is pumped into the tank and made drinkable through a process called vapor compression distillation, which uses solar thermal energy to vaporize water and separate it from contaminants ranging from sea salt to poisons. One machine could purify up to 3 million liters of water a year, Attisani says, and has a life span of up to 15 years. The whole process is driven by solar power, which allows the machine to generate enough off-grid electricity for itself and to charge devices that are plugged into it.
The machine would be connected to a central network management platform and to other Watly machines, creating a Wi-Fi zone with a radius of up to 500 meters. It links up via a satellite connection, radio link, or 4G network, according to the company’s website. Locals could also go online using the giant screens on either side of the 130-foot long machine.
A Watly 3.0 is in production in Italy and should be ready by June. It costs €400,000 (about $453,000) to manufacture, and its selling price has not yet been set. For now, the company has relied on nearly €2 million (over $2,2 million) in grants, including some funding from the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 fund for research and innovation.
Quartz