With a global water crisis and drought on the rise, scientific knowledge and research will play a key role when facing the problems derived from the urgent needs of water for human consumption and the agri-food sector.
The serious scenario that Chile is experiencing requires that urgent measures be taken at the level of authorities, universities and research centers, and in this framework the University of Tarapacá has state funding for the project 'Efficient use of water resources in arid and semi-arid zones: Comprehensive solutions based on solar energy to promote the development of the productive agri-food sector'.
According to the fundamentals given to the Strategic Drought Research Fund of the National Research and Development Agency of Chile, as an innovation proposal, this initiative contemplates the efficient use of water resources and solar energy through the adaptation and optimization of small and/or medium-scale comprehensive systems that include Solar Water Treatment (detoxification or disinfection) , desalination (reverse osmosis), solar energy (photovoltaic) and aquaponics (fish and vegetables).
For this, it is proposed to adapt and integrate technological solutions, solar treatment of brackish/synthetic natural waters, desalination and aquaponic recirculation system, for desert areas in northern Chile.
Also define replicable models on a small and/or medium scale related to comprehensive solutions that serve the agri-food sector in viable operating conditions considering environmental, regulatory and social aspects, according to the principles of the circular economy.
Similarly, this project on drought will disseminate, transfer technology and knowledge of comprehensive solutions to farmers and entrepreneurs in the agri-food sector in northern Chile.
Its methodology will be developed in 2 stages, where it will work with different technological solutions, systems, processes, materials and/or synthesized compounds that will be part of the evaluation of technical processes, production scale in arid conditions, energy requirements and, In turn, a national and international collaborative work will be carried out with the development of research, information gathering, studies of each component, which will lead to the transfer of knowledge of comprehensive solutions.
In my opinion, this is an extremely interesting project on drought, which should be promoted by information technology as the irtificial intelligence. I see opportunities to integrate IoT devices, which allow to capture online data captured by sensors of the equipment that is being used to make processes, and thus obtain real-time metrics.
These data must be stored somewhere, therefore it is convenient to enable databases and work with BIG DATA, storing large amounts of information and then running analysis of them. Having the data stored, artificial intelligence algorithms can operate in order to analyze them, generate predictions and build models. Through AI, not only can forensic analysis be performed on what happened in a process, but in real time, based on the knowledge acquired, one can make decisions about it.
INTERVIEW WITH THE PERSON IN CHARGE OF THE DROUGHT PROJECT
To learn more about this initiative, we spoke with the director of the LIMZA Laboratory of the Universidad de Tarapacá, Dr. Lorena Cornejo Ponce.
1. You propose the search for integral solutions based on different technologies for obtaining, purifying and reusing water supported by solar energy or through photochemical processes using solar radiation, how will these tools work? I am referring to your idea of adapting and integrating technological solutions, solar treatment of brackish/synthetic natural waters, desalination and aquaponic recirculation system, for northern desert areas:
-Currently there is a wide variety of technologies available to treat water sources, many of which are still being studied and can be used in combination to achieve a better product for different uses. A good example is one of the projects we are implementing through Ayllu Solar/SERC Chile: River shrimp farming through the intensive use of solar energy for the sustainable development of the town of Camarones to promote river shrimp and trout farming through the intensive use of solar energy.
The integral solutions of the SEQUÍA project are based on the adaptation and integration of technologies such as: photovoltaic, desalination/solar water treatment and aquaponic recirculation systems. This integration will allow obtaining water suitable for irrigation, whose energy processes are supported by a photovoltaic plant. On the other hand, the desalination/solar water treatment system will feed the aquaponic system with arsenic-free water with a low salt content for fish and vegetable production, where different synthesized compounds will be previously evaluated, such as nanomaterials for arsenic removal, nanoporous catalysts, among others. It is worth mentioning that in the solar water treatment processes (photocatalytic process), CPC and Raceway photoreactors will be used, evaluating operating conditions and experimental data.
2- In the project presented, you state that you will create replicable models at small and/or medium scale related to integral solutions that serve the agri-food sector in viable operating conditions considering environmental, regulatory and social aspects, according to the principles of the circular economy. Can you give examples that you have in perspective?
The models proposed in this initiative consider the principles of the circular economy so that liquid waste or wastewater can be reused, allowing for sustainable development in communities, especially in rural areas. As a perspective, for example, by integrating a desalination plant (reverse osmosis) with an aquaponic recirculation system, wastewater will be obtained, which can be reused in the cultivation of halophyte (forage) plants as high-protein feed for cattle or goats, giving added value to this waste. Another example would be the cultivation of river shrimp through the intensive use of solar energy for the sustainable development of communities to promote the cultivation of river shrimp and trout through the intensive use of solar resources. This requires water of adequate quality for aquaculture use, based on low energy consumption technology that allows the use of the abundant local solar radiation for both energy support and photochemical arsenic removal.
3- What programs or software will be used in the Drought project? do you plan to incorporate artificial intelligence in the processes and solutions? are information technologies considered?
-For this initiative, the use of desalination and photovoltaic solar energy software is contemplated, which will help us to project the integration of the proposed systems. In addition, we have a 3D printer for the design and manufacture of parts and pieces of equipment, which will be very useful. The integration of these technologies will be enhanced through the automation of the different connections and processes that this integral solution will have.
Artificial intelligence is not incorporated in the proposal, however, we will evaluate it for a future initiative.
4- What are the deadlines for seeing the first results, and then other concrete and consolidated results?
The deadlines depend on the activities contemplated in the project's Gantt chart, which will obviously depend on the project's start-up (12 months). We also expect to obtain 3 integrated technology solutions by the end of this year. In addition, in parallel, we are in the start-up stage of the Solar Research Platform and Environmental Research Laboratory for Arid Zones, training in solar technologies for water treatment, where these integrated solutions will be implemented.
With respect to the projects already completed, the example mentioned above "Camarones project" is reiterated, where an Integrated Aquaculture Recirculation System called SIRA was implemented, which considered 3 components (photovoltaic system, solar water treatment system and aquaculture recirculation system) for the production of rainbow trout and river shrimp.
5- What kind of national and international alliances do you have in mind?
-We work in alliance at the national level with SERC ChileThis center has 7 lines of research and Line 1: Solar Water Treatment, which is coordinated by myself. This initiative considered alliances with both national and international institutions, in the national part with the member universities of SERC Chile: University of Chile and University of ConcepciónIn addition, work will be carried out with the Metropolitan Technological University and the Catholic University of the North. In terms of international alliances, we have the collaboration of the Almeria Platform (PSA)-Spain and with the Sonora Institute of Technology (ITSON)-Mexico.
By Héctor Pincheira, Information Technology and Digital Transformation Specialist
