Fog Harps: VT Scientists Improve Water Collection
- A Virginia Tech team is pioneering a novel approach to fog harvesting, moving away from customary nets and chemical coatings.
- According to Boreyko, the team leader, the fog harp works effectively with uncoated stainless steel wires, eliminating the need for chemical treatments.
- Boreyko said, "We're trying to use clever geometric designs in place of chemistry.When I first came into this field, virtually everyone was using nets, but they were just...
Virginia tech scientists revolutionize fog harvesting with an innovative “fog harp” design. The team’s pioneering approach leverages geometric designs, eliminating the need for chemical coatings and solving the persistent issue of clogging faced by conventional systems. This breakthrough promises improved water harvesting efficiency, applicable in coastal areas and fog-prone regions. Developed by Boreyko’s team, the technology utilizes uncoated stainless steel wires and shows great promise for scaling. The latest research explores an electric version, potentially enhancing water collection capabilities further. This advancement could also mitigate fog-related hazards on roadways and at airports. For a deeper dive into the implications and future research, visit News Directory 3. discover what’s next with this groundbreaking research.
Fog Harp Technology Offers New Water Harvesting Solutions
Updated June 14, 2025
A Virginia Tech team is pioneering a novel approach to fog harvesting, moving away from customary nets and chemical coatings. Instead, they are using geometric designs to maximize water harvesting efficiency. The new design, dubbed a “fog harp,” addresses the common problem of clogging that plagues conventional fog harvesting systems.
According to Boreyko, the team leader, the fog harp works effectively with uncoated stainless steel wires, eliminating the need for chemical treatments. Prototypes were initially 3D-printed using a weakly hydrophobic plastic. Scaling the hybrid harp involves stringing together smaller harps to achieve the desired size, with virtually no limit to potential dimensions.
Boreyko said, “We’re trying to use clever geometric designs in place of chemistry.When I first came into this field, virtually everyone was using nets, but they were just trying to make more and more clever chemical coatings to put on the nets to try to reduce the clogging. We found that simply going from a net to a harp, with no chemicals or coatings whatsoever—just the change in geometry solved the clogging problem much better.”
The next steps include outdoor testing of larger prototypes and exploring an electric version of the hybrid fog harp.boreyko believes applying a voltage could further enhance water collection while preventing clogging.
Boreyko added, “If you apply a voltage, it turns out you can catch even more water. Because our hybrid’s non-clogging, you can have the best of both worlds: using an electric field to boost the harvesting amount in real-life systems and at the same time preventing clogging.”
Beyond coastal regions, Boreyko envisions applications for high-efficiency fog harvesters on roadways, highways, and airport landing strips to mitigate fog-related hazards. He also noted potential uses for managing ice fog from industrial chemical processes.
What’s next
future research will focus on scaling the fog harp model and testing its performance in diverse environments. The team also plans to investigate the potential of electrically enhanced fog harvesting to further improve water yield.