'Air shower' set to cut water use by 30 per cent
November 10, 2006 - As Australians become increasingly
alert to the importance of using water wisely in the home, CSIRO
researchers have found a way to use a third less water when you
shower - by adding air.
The scientists have developed a simple 'air shower' device which,
when fitted into existing showerheads, fills the water droplets with
a tiny bubble of air. The result is the shower feels just as wet and
just as strong as before, but now uses much less water.
The researchers, from CSIRO Manufacturing Materials Technology in
Melbourne, say the device increases the volume of the shower stream
while reducing the amount of water used by about 30 per cent.
Given the average Australian household uses about 200,000 litres of
water a year, and showers account for nearly a third of this, the
'air shower' could help the average household save about
15,000-20,000 litres a year. If you extend this across the
population, that is an annual saving of more than 45,000
Olympic-sized swimming pools.
The Aerated Showerhead creates the sensation of having a full and
steady stream of water even though the water is now more like a wet
shell around a bubble of air.
While the general concept of using an aerated showerhead to save
water is not new, the technology behind the CSIRO's device is novel.
Developed by a team led by Dr Jie Wu, the aeration device is a small
nozzle that fits inside a standard showerhead. The nozzle uses a
small Venturi tube - a tube for which the diameter varies, creating
a difference in pressure and fluid speed. Air is sucked into the
Venturi tube as a result of the partial vacuum created, causing air
and water to mix, forming tiny bubbles within the water stream.
"The nozzle creates a vacuum that sucks in air and forces it into
the water stream,” Dr Wu says.
"We make the water droplets in the stream hollow and the bubbles
expand the volume of the shower stream.”
Small-scale experiments using the aeration device found that people
detected no difference in water pressure, sensation, or overall
perception of showering.
After almost two years of research and development, CSIRO is ready
to take the aerated shower head technology to the commercialisation
stage.
"We have very promising results on the aerated showerhead's
water-saving potential. Now we are looking for commercialisation
partners who will be involved in the development needed to turn the
technology into a marketable device,” Dr Wu says.
He expects the nozzle would cost less than $20 and could be
installed by householders.
CSIRO Australia |
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