1. A device for extraction of water from gas comprising a container with at least one sealable opening, at least one lid, at least one hygroscopic material and an energy delivery device wherein the container is made of a heat conducting material.
2. The device according to claim 1 wherein the energy is in the form of heat, microwaves or ultrasound.
3. The device according to claim 1 wherein the energy delivery device is a heating device.
4. The device according to claim 1 wherein the device further comprises a pump arranged in order to reduce the pressure in the container when sealed.
5. The device according to claim 1 wherein the walls of the container are wholly or partly made of or coated with a hydrophobic material.
6. The device according to claim 1 wherein the hygroscopic material comprises molecular sieves, active carbon, zeolite, silica gel, LiCl, CaCl, NaNO3, wood, sulphates or any suitable material having the capacity of absorbing watermoisture.
7. The device according to claim 1 wherein a fan or a pump facilitates a gas flow into the container.
8. The device according to claim 1 wherein the energy delivery device comprises a microwave generator or resistive heating device or a solar absorber unit.
9. The device according to claim 1 wherein the device also comprises a control mechanism for the opening and the sealing of the lid.
10. The device according to claim 1 wherein the device comprises a draining element.
11. The device according to claim 9 wherein the control mechanism is connected to the hygroscopic material andor to the energy delivery device.
12. The device according to claim 1 wherein the walls of the container contains grooves, trenches, channels or the like.
13. (canceled)
14. (canceled)
15. A method for extracting water from gas using a container comprising at least one opening, at least one hygroscopic material, at least one energy delivery device and at least one lid comprising:
providing gas containing water to the container
absorbing water onto or into the hygroscopic material
sealing the container with the lid
heating the hygroscopic material until the gas in the container is saturated with water in gas phase
continuing to heat until the remaining absorbed water in the hygroscopic material liquefies without vaporizing first.
16. The method according to claim 15 wherein the provision of gas is facilitated via a fan or a pump or wind.
17. The method according to claim 15 wherein the pressure in the sealed container is reduced.
18. The method according to claim 15 wherein the container is made of a heat conducting material.
19. The method according to claim 15 wherein the walls of the container is wholly or partly made of or coated with a hydrophobic material.
20. The method according to claim 15 comprising controlling the lid with a control mechanism.
21. The method according to claim 20 wherein the control mechanism is connected to the hygroscopic material in order to recognize when the lid should be opened or closed.
22. The method according to claim 20 wherein the control mechanism is connected to the energy delivery device in order to control the energy delivery process.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. An autonomous watercraft comprising: a vertical hull assembly comprising at least one sensor module coupling point, wherein the vertical hull assembly comprises a fore end, an aft end, a top, a bottom, an interior region, a longitudinal axis extending between the fore end and the aft end, wherein the vertical hull assembly has a generally tear drop shaped cross sectional profile extending along the longitudinal axis, and wherein at least one sensor module coupling point is configured to allow a sensor module to be coupled to the vertical hull assembly without opening a watertight seal of the vertical hull assembly; at least one control module coupled to the vertical hull assembly; and at least one propulsion device coupled to the vertical hull assembly, wherein at least one propulsion device is in operative communication with at least one control module.
2. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising at least one navigation module disposed within the vertical hull assembly, wherein at least one navigation module is configured to provide a navigation signal to at least one control module.
3. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising at least one navigation module disposed within the vertical hull assembly, wherein at least one navigation module comprises a global positioning receiver.
4. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising at least one navigation module disposed within the vertical hull assembly, wherein at least one navigation module comprises at least one compass.
5. The watercraft of claim 1, wherein the control module is configured to estimate a speed and direction of a current.
6. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising at least one battery.
7. The autonomous watercraft of claim 6, wherein at least one battery comprises a lead acid battery.
8. The watercraft of claim 6, wherein at least one battery comprises a valve regulated lead acid battery.
9. The watercraft of claim 6, further comprising at least one hydrogen sensor, wherein at least one hydrogen sensor is configured to send a signal indicating detection of hydrogen during charging of at least one battery.
10. The watercraft of claim 6, further comprising at least one battery charger coupled to the vertical hull assembly.
11. The watercraft of claim 6, further comprising at least one battery charger and at least one hydrogen detector, wherein at least one battery charger is configured to inhibit charging of at least one battery if at least one hydrogen detector detects more than a threshold concentration of hydrogen.
12. The watercraft of claim 6, further comprising at least one battery charger and at least one hydrogen collector, wherein at least one hydrogen collector is configured to inhibit concentration of hydrogen within the vertical hull assembly during battery charging from exceeding a threshold concentration.
13. The watercraft of claim 6, wherein at least one battery is configured to be recharged without opening the substantially water-tight seal of the vertical hull assembly.
14. The watercraft of claim 6, further comprising at least one battery charger coupled to the vertical hull assembly, wherein at least one battery charger is configured to charge at least one battery while the autonomous watercraft is deployed.
15. The watercraft of claim 6, further comprising at least one solar battery charger.
16. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising at least one water detector device coupled to the vertical hull assembly, wherein at least one water detector is configured to provide an indication of the presence of water inside the vertical hull assembly.
17. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising a power management module.
18. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising at least one scuttle port, wherein at least one scuttle port is configured to allow water into the vertical hull assembly if the watercraft is in water for longer than a predetermined period.
19. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising at least one scuttle port, wherein at least one scuttle port is configured to allow water into the vertical hull assembly upon receipt of a command.
20. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising at least one communications module, wherein at least one communications module is configured to receive commands from a remote command station.
21. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising at least one communications module, wherein at least one communications module is configured to send data to a remote command station.
22. The watercraft of claim 1, wherein the watercraft is configured to be self-righting during use.
23. The watercraft of claim 1, wherein at least one propulsion device comprises two or more thrusters coupled to the vertical hull assembly, wherein two or more thrusters are configured to provide variable thrust.
24. The watercraft of claim 1, wherein at least one propulsion device comprises two or more thrusters coupled to the vertical hull assembly, wherein two or more thrusters are configured to steer the watercraft by providing differential thrust during use.
25. The watercraft of claim 1, wherein at least one control module is configured to interact with at least one sensor module coupled to at least one sensor module coupling point to control data gathering by at least one sensor module.
26. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising a roll stabilizing apparatus coupled to the vertical hull assembly.
27. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising a recovery aid coupled to the vertical hull assembly.
28. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising a lifting ring coupled to the vertical hull assembly.
29. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor module coupled to at least one sensor module coupling point.
30. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor module coupled to at least one sensor module coupling point, wherein at least one sensor module comprises a hydrophone.
31. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor module coupled to at least one sensor module coupling point, wherein at least one sensor module comprises a sonar module.
32. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor module coupled to at least one sensor module coupling point, wherein at least one sensor module comprises a water analysis module.
33. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor module coupled to at least one sensor module coupling point, wherein at least one sensor module comprises a radio frequency detector.
34. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor module coupled to at least one sensor module coupling point, wherein at least one sensor module comprises a retractable portion.
35. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising at least one sensor module coupled to at least one sensor module coupling point, wherein at least one sensor module is configured to deploy a sensor portion to a desired depth at a station point for data gathering and to retract the sensor portion after data gathering is complete.
36. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising at least one memory, wherein at least one memory is configured to receive and store data gathered by at least one sensor module coupled to at least one sensor module coupling point.
37. The watercraft of claim 1, further comprising at least one data processor, wherein at least one data processor is configured to process data gathered by at least one sensor module coupled to at least one sensor module coupling point.
38. The watercraft of claim 1, wherein the vertical hull assembly comprises a foil shaped cross-section.
39. An autonomous surface watercraft comprising: a vertical hull assembly, wherein the vertical hull assembly comprises a generally tear drop shaped cross sectional profile extending in the direction of travel and an interior region; at least one rechargeable power source disposed within the vertical hull assembly; at least one propulsion device coupled to the vertical hull assembly and operatively coupled to at least one rechargeable power source; and at least one connection point on the vertical hull assembly, wherein at least one connection point allows at least one rechargeable power source to be recharged without opening the substantially water-tight seal.