Fog net technology

Fog collectors of different generations

Collecting fog and producing safe water from fog has already been existing for several years.

Over twenty years ago the Canadian organisation FogQuest designed the Large Fog Collector (LFC) with a net surface area of 40 m². It was able to collect up to 500 litres of water on one single fog day and the concept is still being used at various fog net locations today.

Technological limitations

Global experience gathered over a period of many years has shown that this technology does not work equally well in all locations. During scally, often stormy winds in the mountainous regions with speeds of over 120 km/h and strong solar radiation, the frames and materials quickly reach their limits:

The nets bulge strongly in the wind. The collected fog water no longer flows into the collecting troughs.
Many nets rupture along the seams and at the corners and are not seldom torn to shreds by storms.
Collecting troughs made of rigid material (tin, hard plastic) become deformed or break in stormy weather.

Enduring use of the nets in windy regions is only possible with extremely intensive maintenance work. Since 2013, the industrial designer Peter Trautwein from Munich has been working together with the WaterFoundation in Ebenhausen, near Munich to optimise the structural designs and materials used. The results show that fog collectors can be used as a long-term reliable source for clean drinking water.

Fog net technology 2.0

In 2015, a new generation of fog collector, called CloudFisher, was born. The new CloudFisher has major advantages: all the components, such as posts, steel cables, pegs, screws, net fabric and attachment fittings, along with the concrete foundations, have been calculated to withstand even very strong, gusty winds. Furthermore, it generates a much higher water yield. The fog collector can be installed quickly and easily, needs no energy to operate and is exceptionally low-maintenance. CloudFisher® is a registered trademark of the WaterFoundation.

Since 2017 the German aqualonis GmbH distributes two different types:

FogCollector: applicable for the extraction of larger amounts of water, such as villages, agriculture and industrial use.

FogCollector Mini: applicable for domestic users and as a test collector; suitable for temporary projects such as afforestation, since it does not need concrete foundations and can be easily repositioned.