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🌍 SunShare Tri-Source Water Node™

A Modular, Solar-Powered System for Atmospheric Water Harvesting, Microbial Fertility Cycling, and Desalination

📜 Overview

The Tri-Source Water Node™ is a modular, closed-loop water regeneration system designed for deployment in arid, coastal, and off-grid environments. It integrates three regenerative technologies:

  • HydroLens™ – Atmospheric water harvesting (AWH) using solar-regenerated desiccant sorbents
  • MSSC Node™ – Microbial water treatment and fertility cycling, including greywater biofiltration and microbial desalination cells (MDCs)
  • SPMD Desalination – Solar-powered membrane distillation or hybrid reverse osmosis for brackish or saline water treatment

Together, these modules form a self-contained infrastructure engine that turns air, waste, and salt into potable water, fertile compost, and ecological resilience—powered entirely by solar energy.

🔁 System Integration

The Tri-Source Node operates as an integrated thermofluidic loop, where energy, water, and nutrients cycle continuously between human use and ecosystem restoration:

  1. Air → Potable Water

    • HydroLens captures atmospheric moisture using hygroscopic sorbents (e.g., LiCl-infused silica gel).
    • Solar thermal energy regenerates the sorbents and drives condensation.

  2. Greywater → Compost & Irrigation

    • The MSSC Node processes greywater through biofilters and electroactive microbes.
    • Effluent supports agriculture or preconditions brine inputs for desalination.

  3. Saltwater → Freshwater

    • Solar membrane distillation (SPMD) or low-pressure RO transforms saline inputs into drinking water.
    • Brine is repurposed for heat reuse, halophyte irrigation, or recycled into the MSSC system.

Each subsystem feeds the next—closing loops across fluid, thermal, and nutrient flows.

💡 Why It Matters

  • ☀️ Energy Autonomous – Fully solar-powered (PV + thermal), off-grid capable
  • 💧 Triple Water Sourcing – Harvests from atmosphere, waste streams, and saltwater
  • 🔄 Circular Design – Zero-liquid discharge, compost generation, and soil regeneration
  • 🌱 Ecosystem Supportive – Enhances local agriculture and reduces water insecurity
  • ⚙️ Modular & Scalable – Deployed in clinics, schools, farms, or village hubs
  • 📡 Smart-Node Compatible – Supports remote diagnostics and AI-based optimization

📈 Key Performance Metrics

Metric Target Value
Daily Water Output 60–65 L/day
Total Energy Use <7 kWh/day
Energy-to-Water Ratio 0.5–2.0 kWh/m³
Solar Input Required 5–6.5 kW (PV/T array)
Battery Storage (Optional) ~15 kWh (LiFePO₄ preferred)
System Lifetime 10–20 years (modular service)

🔬 Subsystem Overview

🔹 HydroLens™ (Atmospheric Water Harvesting)

  • Sorbent-based water capture with solar-thermal regeneration
  • Effective in RH ≥30%, field-tunable via airflow modulation
  • Waste heat from desalination or PVT modules boosts efficiency

🔹 MSSC Node™ (Microbial Water and Fertility System)

  • Greywater treatment through anaerobic + aerobic biofiltration
  • MDCs provide passive desalination + voltage recovery
  • Biofertilizer and compost outputs support closed-loop agriculture

🔹 SPMD Desalination (Solar-Powered Membrane Distillation)

  • Modular MD unit using low-grade heat from solar thermal or AWG
  • Optional low-pressure RO for higher throughput
  • Brine reuse in halophyte beds or returned to thermal loops

🧠 Engineering Principles

  • 🔁 Thermal Cascading – Reuse of waste heat across subsystems
  • 🔋 Microbial Energy Harvesting – Power from MDC biocurrent generation
  • 📦 Passive-First Design – Gravity-fed flows and natural convection
  • 🧫 Microbial over Chemical – Preference for living filters over chlorine or flocculants
  • 🧱 Open Architecture – Designed for rapid deployment and local assembly

🧭 Roadmap & Research Threads

  1. 📐 System Architecture Overview
  2. 📊 Energy & Mass Flow Modeling (v1.2 ongoing)
  3. 🧪 Pilot Deployment Scenarios (target: Texas, Senegal, Philippines)
  4. 📚 Peer-Reviewed Bibliography (View)
  5. 📄 Main Paper Draft (v1.2 submitted for review)
  6. ⚙️ Community Hardware Release (BoM, CAD, and firmware)

Tri-Source Water Node™ is a project of the SunShare Connect™ Initiative,
dedicated to planetary-scale regenerative infrastructure and local water sovereignty.

🧠 For related platforms, visit the SunShare Wiki

Authors: Justin Bilyeu & Sage
Last Updated: June 2025 – Version 1.2