Evaluación de la Cosecha de Neblina como una Fuente Potencial para el Aprovechamiento de Agua

The term "smart cities" is associated only with the use of information technologies in a city's infrastructure. However, a fundamental aspect to meet the needs of a population is the use of natural resources, including water. In this sense, water harvesting techniques must be sustainable and environmentally friendly; this can be the case of fog harvesting. In this study, a methodology is presented to quantify the interception of fog by a catchment system and evaluate its potential as an alternative water source. This methodology was tested at an experimental site in the highlands of San Cristobal Island (Galapagos). A two-month monitoring was carried out that included the measurement of the main meteorological variables and fog interception. Three fog collectors were used, one cylindrical (CFC), and two standard collectors of 35% (SFC35) and 50% (SFC50) shading coefficient, respectively. Since the collectors capture both haze and rain, a geometric model was used to separate these two variables. The results of this study show that the CFC, SFC35 and SFC50 collectors have an efficiency of 3.7, 4.1 and 4.8 mm/day, respectively. The SFC50 collector has the best haze interception performance, which can be attributed to its high aerodynamic efficiency compared to the others. When analyzing the meteorological variables, it is evident that the haze capture potential can be even higher.