Patent ID: 11905833
Assignee: COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES
Field: Thermal processes and apparatus (Mechanical engineering)
Classification: CPC E  B  F  Y | IPC B  E

Claim 0:
1. A system to extract frozen water from a soil in a low pressure environment and collect the water, comprising:
an enclosure configured to be positioned on the soil at a first location, the enclosure configured to define an enclosed space above the soil at the first location, the enclosure being configured to transmit solar energy from an exterior of the enclosure into the enclosed space and to retain heat within the enclosed space;
a container with an internal chamber, the container positioned exterior to the enclosure and interconnected to the enclosure such that water vapor within the enclosed space can move into the internal chamber for collection, wherein the container is configured to freeze water vapor in the internal chamber;
a radiator positioned exterior to the container and the enclosure and operably interconnected with the container and operable to cool the internal chamber of the container to a temperature that is lower than a temperature of the soil within the enclosed space defined by the enclosure, wherein the radiator includes an extension adapted to contact the soil to transfer heat from the radiator to the soil; and
a solar concentrator configured to be positioned at a second location, the solar concentrator operable to direct solar energy to the enclosure to heat the soil within the enclosed space at the first location and cause frozen water in the soil at the first location to sublimate to a gaseous state.