Fig. 1: Methods for collecting atmospheric water11,13,21,42,120,121,122,123,124.
From: Sustainable solutions for water scarcity: a review of electrostatic fog harvesting technology
For cloud droplets, they are usually formed into rain or snow by sowing condensation nuclei. For water vapor, humans collect it through moisture absorbing materials such as silica gel, calcium chloride, MOFs (Metal-organic frameworks) or condensation methods. For fog, humans generally set up fog collectors to make droplets collide and form water. Fog collectors are generally divided into fog mesh, biomimetic fog collectors, and electrostatic fog collectors according to their working principles. Fog mesh - use inertial collisions to intercept droplets. Biomimetic fog collectors - mimic biological structures to capture droplets (e.g., cactus thorns). Electrostatic fog collectors - utilize the charge and electric field generated by gas discharges to capture droplets.
